John Liu Pegs His 'True Base of Support' at 25 Percent
Anthony Weiner's Reported Hire Raises Questions, Sources Say
Bill de Blasio Touts First Political Club Endorsement
As the mayoral candidates jockey to prove they’re gaining momentum, political club endorsements are becoming an increasingly useful tool for the campaigns to point to and tout. And Public Advocate Bill de Blasio snagged his first club endorsement last night from the Lower Manhattan Democrats, a prominent downtown club. Read More
Anthony Weiner’s Campaign Still Static in Latest Finance Reports
Morning Read: ‘Summited Again and Again’
Headline of the Day: “Legislative Productivity Take Two.”
The New York Times looked into Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s summit love: “Some call them conferences. Others prefer forums. For old-timers, of course, they were just meetings. But over the last year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has made it clear that his preferred word for a big get-together is ‘summit.’ And he has summited again and again, including last week.” Read More
PATH/Fail: The Story of the World’s Most Expensive Train Station
The Port Authority used to set records in good ways. The George Washington Bridge was a marvel of engineering in its day, the world’s longest bridge when it was built, and still the busiest. The Port Authority Bus Terminal, opened in 1950, is to this day the largest on earth by passenger volume.
But today, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey doesn’t brag about the records it sets. One World Trade Center, born the Freedom Tower and taken over by the Port in 2006, will be the most expensive office building in the world. The “Vehicle Security Center,” an underground tour bus garage and road network serving the World Trade Center complex, may very well be the most expensive parking garage in history.
And then there’s the PATH station to New Jersey, the most troubled project at one of the world’s most troubled construction sites. At $3.74 billion, plus another $200 million in contingencies, the “Transportation Hub” at the World Trade Center—not even the busiest station in the Financial District—will be far and away the most expensive train station built in modern history. Read More
George McDonald Vows to Stay in Race Despite Dismal Fund-Raising
Republican mayoral hopeful George McDonald vowed to soldier on after raising less than $4,000 in the latest filing period, raising serious questions about the viability of his campaign.
The Doe Fund founder brought in just $3,580 from March 12 through May 11, according to a campaign spokesman–a total that would be considered disappointing for even a City Council candidate, let alone someone campaigning citywide. That leaves Mr. McDonald with just $126,000 cash-on-hand–$125,000 of which came from a loan from the candidate himself. Read More
Michael Grimm Has Had It Up to Here With President Obama
As President Barack Obama’s opponents pile on in the aftermath of multiple recent controversies–notably his reaction to the Benghazi attacks, revelations that the Internal Revenue Service focused on conservative-aligned nonprofits and the Justice Department’s unprecedented snooping on press communications–one local congressman wants it to be known that he is also not pleased.
To wit, Republican Rep. Michael Grimm, who represents Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, released a lengthy statement this afternoon blasting Mr. Obama for “bringing Chicago-style politics to the White House.” This style of underhanded rule, Mr. Grimm said, has resulted in a presidency that is “the most secretive, deceptive, and divisive we’ve seen in modern times.” Read More
Christine Quinn Is Out of Secrets After Revealing Bulimia and Alcohol Struggles
After disclosing in the New York Time today that she had suffered with bulimia and alcoholism, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn continued to discuss her personal struggles earlier this afternoon, but insisted to a room full of college students that the revelations were intended to help other people—not her mayoral campaign.
Ms. Quinn’s event with a select group of students at the all-women’s Barnard College coincided with the printing of the story, in which Ms. Quinn talked about developing bulimia as a teenager struggling with her mother’s death, and her overuse of alcohol in the years after. Read More
Dan Halloran Staffers Boost Ex-Chief of Staff’s Bid to Replace Their Boss
Councilman Dan Halloran’s former chief of staff, running in the race to replace him after he was arrested on corruption charges, has raised about $11,000 in less than two weeks.
Chrissy Voskerichian abruptly left her post when Mr. Halloran, a Republican, was charged last month for allegedly quarterbacking a bribery scheme for a mayoral candidate. She filed a campaign committee to run in the Democratic primary in Mr. Halloran’s northeast Queens district, even before he said he would not seek re-election. Read More
