By David Freedlander 8/29/11 8:47am

suggested reading

Morning Read: Redemption for Bloomberg, and An Endorsement for Quinn?

New York City was spared the worst of Hurricane Irene.

The subway system is limping back to life, while commuter rails remain partially paralyzed.

Even Bloomberg’s loudest detractors conceded that with his vigilant and visible handling of Tropical Storm Irene, he had done much to repair his reputation for C.E.O.-style leadership, a reputation that had been badly tarnished when his administration bungled the cleanup of a post-Christmas blizzard last year, Michael Barbaro reports. Read More

By Azi Paybarah 6/11/11 2:28pm

anthony weiner

Democratic Leaders Demand Weiner Resign

The head of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and the Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman, Rep. Steve Israel, have called on Anthony Weiner to resign.

The demands come one day after Weiner confirmed he contacted a 17-year-old girl in Delaware online. The girl’s mother told the New York Post the conversation was brief, and not graphic. The call from Schultz and Israel, along with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, come one day before the Sunday talk shows, where Weiner’s fate is obviously one of the topics that will be discussed. Read More

By Azi Paybarah 5/24/11 11:59am

Budget Battles

Opposing Bloomberg’s Budgets

The fight against Mayor Bloomberg’s budget is kicking up a notch.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is planning a “day of action” on Thursday (read: protest on the City Hall steps supporters at subway stops and schools across the city). His office claims 3,000 people signed his online petition to oppose the mayor’s 4,100 teacher layoffs (whose notices still have not been sent). Read More

By Azi Paybarah 5/22/11 2:56pm

suggested reading

Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, heading south on Riverside Drive on his way to work. photo credit: Angel Franco/The New York Times

Sunday Reading: After the Rapture and the Meaning of NY26

2016: Hillary? [Patrick Reddy / Buffalo News]

’67 Borders: “[W]e cannot afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades, to achieve peace,” said Obama. [AP]

’67 Borders: Obama explains “it means that the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967.” [Alisan Gendar / NY Daily News]

’67 Borders: White House won’t say if top adviser Dennis Ross backs Obama’s position. [Helene Cooper and Mark Landler]

’67 Borders: Josh Greenman shakes his head. [NY Daily News]

NY26: Medicaid a big issue; Davis spoiling Corwin’s chances. [Rick Karlin / Times Union]

NY26: If Hochul wins, she’ll be a blue dog, and pull Dems to the right. [Down with Tyranny]

NY26: If Corwin loses, “a lot of other Republican congressmen are going to suddenly dump Ryanism.” [Kyle Smith / NY Post]

NY26: Corwin emails “Our opponents are bringing in liberal downstate unions and radical special interests to drive out their vote.” [Twitter]

NY26: GOP County Exec Collins has a lot riding on the election. [Bob McCarthy / Buffalo News]

NY26: Corwin must know where her chief of staff is; Hochul didn’t do much on tollbooths; Davis is unhinged; seat may not exist after redistricting. [Donn Esmonde / Buffalo News]

NY26: “If Corwin can turn the conversation back to the economy, she wins.” [Rick Moran / American Thinker]

NY26: The district is Republican leaning, 75 miles, 7 counties; voters mostly German-Irish-Italian defendants with a median income of $55,028. [Phil Fairbanks / Buffalo News]

Medicare: Ryan plan makes Obamacare something Dems can be proud of. [NY Times]

Same-Sex Marriage: Editors push for legalization; eyes Republican McDonald. [Times Union]

School Salary: $500,000 for retired superintendent on LI. “Obscene” say editors. [NY Daily News]

Pension: Doctors say retired FDNY member no longer disabled. Law Department, FDNY and pension board scrambling. [David Seifman]

GOP Takeover: Insurgent County Leader has establishment support on Staten Island. [Tom Wrobleski / SI Advance]

Bike Lanes: Wolfson would ride faster if Grynbaum could keep up. [Michael Grynbaum / NY Times]

Art Funding: Advocate tells lawmakers institutions will lose $35.5 million in Bloomberg budget; refuse to explain figures to reporters. [Michael Saul and Erica Orden / Wall Street Journal]

Hotel Safety: Assemblyman Lancman wants hotel staffers to have panic buttons. [Twitter]

The Bible and Sex: A quiz. [Nick Kristof]

Books: Central Park Jogger retrospective, informative; history of public health policy in NYC worth reading; Zoning Handbook “entertaining.” [Sam Roberts]

Rapture: Daily News tries cashing in on it. [Tumblr]

By Azi Paybarah 5/11/11 4:54pm

suggested reading

Mayor Bloomberg speaks at the 120th Anniversary Celebration of Carnegie Hall. May 05, 2011 (Photo Credit: Kristen Artz)

Roundup: Cuomo’s Timing, de Blasio’s Tweets

Mayor Bloomberg speaks at the 120th Anniversary Celebration of Carnegie Hall. May 05, 2011 (Photo Credit: Kristen Artz)

Immigration: Lessons from Obama’s speech: he’s getting squeezed. [Sarah Kramer]

Budget NYC: “We have to save as many jobs as possible,” said Council Finance Chairman Domenic Recchia. [Brian Lehrer]

Budget NYC: Wolfson accuses de Blasio of being silent when Albany and DC cut aide to NYC. [Twitter]

Budget NYC: de Blasio says Wolfson and Bloomberg took eye off the ball by focusing on LIFO. [Twitter]

Budget NYS: No date for layoffs from Cuomo. [Jimmy Vielkind]

Headline : “Cuomo: Gay Marriage May Not Ge a Floor Vote.”  [AP]

Same-Sex Marriage: “people cannot, and will not, wait any longer for our government to enshrine equality for all in our state’s laws” says Assemblyman O’Donnell. [Jimmy Vielkind]

Same-Sex Marriage: Cuomo wants “collective decision” by advocates on when to vote. [Denis Dison]

Same-Sex Marriage: Pushing the issue is where a Dem eyeing 2016 should be. [Ben Smith]

Politicking: Skelos says Cuomo acting like ‘Steamroller’ Spitzer. [Liz Benjamin]

Lobbying: Advocate urges redefining lobbying to “activity prior to introduction of a bill.” [Celeste Katz]

Polls: Bloomberg’s handling of schools, not popular. [Bloomberg News]

Schools: Bloomberg’s record on education is “mixed” says McCall. [Megan Finnegan]

Schools: Klein heaps praise onto Moskowitz. [Gail Robinson]

Archives: Newly available speeches, from as far back as 1909. [Library of Congress]

Media: Think about your brand. [Jason Fry]

By Azi Paybarah 5/11/11 1:58pm

social media

Ranking New York Politicos on Twitter

A reader passed on a link to this highly addictive and unscientific web site which quantifies the clout people have on Twitter.

It’s a 100-point scale, with higher being better, and the site claims to crunch over 35 variables to generate a number that “is highly correlated to clicks, comments and retweets.”

So, here are the rankings for some New York figures. In short, Bloomberg (71) does pretty well, but Anthony Weiner (76) looms large over us all.

If you find rankings for other politicos, stick them in the comments section.

Read More