Results tagged “speakerchristinequinn”

Police continue to maintain a heightened presence in the "Wild West Village" as they search for the two muggers responsible for a series of late night robberies and bloody attacks in the area over the last month. The only description of the pair is that they are "dark skinned," possibly so limited because they have been attacking their female victims from behind. Cops had originally said that the muggings were not part of a pattern, but now have confirmed that six are related. All have taken place between 11:30 pm and 2:45 am.

Anthony Weiner continues to prove more than willing to bear the torch as the most vocal leader against extending term limits. Weiner says that the issue has helped him find his voice as a populist representative during this nascent stage in the 2009 battle for City Hall. Weiner says of the back room deals leading to the mayor's proposal are a return to the days of Boss Tweed. He also calls Speaker Quinn's term limits support "the mother of all back room deals" and says that the two can "never again...talk about their desire to reform government." Not only does he think the plan will be defeated, Weiner--no lack of bravado here-- even claims that come Election Day 2009, Bloomberg “would find himself voting for me.” The Times says that his march against term limit extensions is "vintage Weiner, who is known for outresearching, outpoliticking and out-fund-raising his opponents...and it also bears his trademark self-certainty."

How far will Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn go in order to get term limits legislation passed through City Council? One source tells the Post that next year Quinn is considering "significant reorganizing of everything, including the Finance Comittee." Such a reshuffling might give the Speaker a convenient way give a push out the door to Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin, one of the most vocal critics of the term limit bill. That would cost Weprin $18,000 of annual salary he receives from his chairmanship.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is currently holding a press conference declaring her support for the mayor's proposal to extend term limits. Her announcement ends Quinn's remaining mum on her official stance since Mayor Bloomberg announced his intentions to maneuver for a third term bid almost two weeks ago. It also reverses the vow she made last year to uphold the two voter referendums in support of term limits.

A week after Speaker Christine Quinn said that the Council doesn't typically write in any "Lauder" options into its legislation, critics are saying that Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to extend term limits has done just that. The mayor's proposal introduced Tuesday has been amended to explicitly say that the law will revert back to two terms if voters come out in favor of the current law in a 2010 referendum. Lauder, the most vocal backer of term limits, only wants to see the law changed in order to keep Bloomberg around amidst the current financial crisis. While Speaker Quinn defends the amendment as necessary to assure that "this legislation would be superceded by a revision to the Charter," many see it as another sign of the fellow billionaires being in cahoots to skirt the will of voters. Bloomberg responded to critics of the term limit extension on his radio show yesterday saying, "I find it fascinating, those who are arguing against, argue against it because they will have competition that they don't want."

Councilman Charles Barron, who is a frequent lightning rod for controversy in New York's City Council, was involved in a five-car smash up in Brooklyn last night. The accident occurred in the councilman's district of East New York on Linden Boulevard and Van Siclen Avenue late last night as Barron was driving home. Barron's car was struck in a chain reaction started by an SUV striking a livery cab attempting to turn at an intersection. Barron is humorously quoted in the New York Post saying that he wasn't afraid because he has so much to live for: "I just braced myself and I said, 'I can't have anything happen to me because [Mayor] Bloomberg and [Council Speaker] Christine Quinn would miss me so." The former Black Panther has butted heads with Mayor Bloomberg over the unauthorized renaming of a Brooklyn street after radical Sonny Carson, and with Speaker Quinn over the dismissal of one of his staffers for making a perceived death threat against another council member.