The nanny state is creeping across the border.
New Jersey lawmakers traveled all the way to New York City Hall Thursday to announce their plans to introduce legislation boosting the tobacco purchase age in the Garden State to 21. The announcement comes less than a month after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn unveiled similar plans for the city, which were quickly followed by lawmakers in Albany. Read More
Outspoken Councilman Charles Barron is backing John Liu in the New York City mayoral election this year and he’s also getting involved in races out of state. On Tuesday, Mr. Barron served on the host committee of a Soho fundraiser for Chokwe Lumumba, who is running for mayor in Jackson Mississippi. Mr. Lumumba is an attorney and City Council member whom Mr. Barron said he has known for years through their work in activist circles.
“Chokwe Lumumba is a long-time friend and freedom fighter,” Mr. Barron told Politicker at a forum on stop-and-frisk last night in Brooklyn. “He got elected to the City Council in Jackson, Mississippi, which is, you know, a majority-black population town. There’s seven Council Members. So it’s good to see black, strong, conscious people getting involved in the electoral arena. And [when] he becomes mayor of Jackson Mississippi–that’s going to be a historic moment.” Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie, his Republican counterpart in New Jersey, are willing to admit they have at least one thing in common: strong, Sicilian mothers. Mr. Christie pointed out this fact earlier this week while denying reports he privately discussed agreeing with Mr. Cuomo on a wide variety of issues. Today, Mr. Cuomo responded during a budget-related press conference where he playfully hinted at the unusually “powerful” influence Sicilian mothers have on their children.
“I understood that the governor said we both have Sicilian mothers, which is true,” Mr. Cuomo said when asked about Mr. Christie’s comments. “They can be a strong force on development–I don’t know on political philosophy–but on personal development, the Sicilian mother is a very powerful force.” Read More
Unsurprisingly, the governors of the two states most ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, New Yorker’s Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey’s Chris Christie, are not pleased with the Republican leadership in House of Representatives after they decided to not take up relief legislation last night. To emphasize their displeasure, the two released a joint statement criticizing the chamber for the move.
“With all that New York and New Jersey and our millions of residents and small businesses have suffered and endured, this continued inaction and indifference by the House of Representatives is inexcusable,” they said. Read More
When he announced his plans to “explore” a Senate campaign earlier today Newark Mayor Cory Booker had a stack of holy books at his side. Mr. Booker’s reading list included five books from four different religions. Read More
Earlier this month, Newark Mayor Cory Booker said he would decide whether to run for governor of New Jersey or the Senate seat currently occupied by 88-year-old Democrat Frank Lautenberg by this weekend. Initial speculation had Mr. Booker set to challenge incumbent Republican Governor Chris Christie, however in the past week, there were mounting rumors Mr. Booker would instead run for Senate including one from our sister site PolitickerNJ that directly proceeded the mayor’s announcement. Mr. Booker finally made it official with a statement and video released to his approximately 1.3 million Twitter followers this morning in which he revealed he will finish out his second term in Newark rather than getting involved in the governor’s race and will “explore” running for Mr. Lautenberg’s seat in 2014.
“Let there be no doubt, I will complete my full second term as mayor,” said Mr. Booker in his statement. “As for my political future, I will explore the possibility of running for The United States Senate in 2014.” Read More
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Newark Mayor Cory Booker is now considering a 2014 run for the Senate seat currently occupied by 88-year-old Frank Lautenberg after mounting speculation he would challenge incumbent New Jersey Governor Chris Christie next year. On the internet, a close advisor to Mr. Booker has prepped for both a gubernatorial campaign and Senate bid. Records show Mr. Booker’s fundraising advisor and former City Hall staffer Bari Mattes has purchased the web domains for both “BookerForSenate” and BookerForGovernor.
Update (3:48 p.m.): Ms. Mattes has also registered “CoryBookerForPresident.com.” Read More
Newark Mayor Cory Booker, known for single-handedly protecting constituents from burning flames, blizzard obstructions and crime, is currently attempting to live on a limited budget to better understand how food stamp recipients live their day-to-day lives. It may be the so-called “super mayor’s” most difficult feat yet. Why? “Caffeine withdrawal.”
“You make tough choices,” Mr. Booker explained after his first day under the self-imposed budgetary restrictions. “The tough choice I have to live with this week is that I used my money to buy a lot of different things, but not caffeine. So I’m going to go this week without coffee, without Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke, which is going to be the first week of my life I can ever actually remember doing that.” Read More
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, a likely mayoral candidate in 2013, can now be counted as a firm critic of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s handling of Hurricane Sandy.
“You remember the recent diplomatic phrase, ‘leading from behind,’” Mr. de Blasio mused on Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s radio show last night. “I think many times the mayor was not exactly on the front line. He was no Chris Christie, let’s say that.” Read More
New Jersey will end its system of rationing gas tomorrow, but New York City will continue policing fuel consumption for the time being.
“We’ll see,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference earlier today. “It’s hard to measure, but it looks like there are a handful more gas stations open than there were yesterday and the day before. And anecdotal evidence is that lines are shorter, and hopefully that’s true.” Read More
