It’s time for the latest installment of our weekly scorecard rating how next year’s potential mayoral candidates performed in the past seven days. This week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to duck out of the battle when he unloaded on reporters at a press conference and said he would no longer take questions about the 2013 mayoral contenders’ proposals. Mayor Bloomberg’s desire to remain above the fray could have a pronounced effect on his would-be-successors. Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio, of course, has no intention of being anywhere other than front-and-center in the nascent campaign and he continued to ride wave of publicity from his tax-the-rich plan, which–even when this paper slams it–is still a winning issue, as it’s aimed at helping little tiny children learn. Read More

A coalition of Latino and Asian advocacy groups have released a proposal for the City Council’s consideration as they begin the decennial process of redrawing district boundaries for next year’s elections. The ‘Unity Map’ is of note because it can establish a baseline of maximizing minority representations and keeping communities of interest together. Indeed, when the New York State Legislature deadlocked over the the congressional redistricting lines, the courts intervened and implemented a map mirroring the Unity proposal.

Of course, the City Council, which is overwhelmingly Democratic and likely will aim for an uncontroversial incumbent-protection gerrymander that keeps almost everybody running for reelection happy, is unlikely to deadlock. Nevertheless, the map proposal that does emerge can be criticized by good government groups more effectively–for what it’s worth–when an alternative proposal is also out there. Read More