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Tag Archives: bloomberg
New Agreement Makes Rubber Room A Thing Of The Past
This week Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Klein and the United Federation of Teachers have finally agreed on terms that would end the $30 million teacher detention center more commonly referred to as the “Rubber Room”. The administration and the union have called this an agreeable solution for scrapping a system both sides have described publicly as in complete disarray. Details of the agreement include the reassignment of teachers accused of minor infractions to administrative tasks inside or outside the school; however, more serious ramifications are reserved for cases that involve suspicion of sexual abuse or financial misconduct. The City hopes new procedures agreed to by both parties will assist with the phasing out of existing cases by the end of this calendar … More >>
Sexy Charter Changes Coming
I have been challenged to make the Charter Revision Commission announced Thursday sexy. I am not sure I’ll reach that bar, but I am going to try to make it interesting. What is the City Charter? Think of it as the constitution of the city. It is the document that decides how the city works–everything from the existence of a City Council to what The Long Term Planning and Sustainability Office should be doing. It is quite long, with 356 pages and 74 sections. You can read it here, if you’d like. Two years ago, the Mayor promised that he would appoint a Commission to look at city government holistically, from his 2008 State of the City: Modernizing City government … More >>
Following the Bloomberg Campaign Money Trail
The NYTimes and NY POST both reports on a recent investigation opened up by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office regarding $ 1.2 million given to the State Independence Party by the Bloomberg campaign that later went to pay John Haggerty, a Republican party operative, $750,000 for his work to secure between 200 to 300 workers for poll watching activities on Election day last November. There would be no problem with the contribution going to the Independence Party solely for operational costs. But if the funds were directed to Haggerty for services he provided specifically to Bloomberg’s campaign, such services would then be considered a campaign expenditure. If it was left omitted from their disclosure filings it could put Bloomberg’s campaign in violation of campaign finance laws. Here’s … More >>
Tagged bloomberg, campaign money
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FYI: It’s Now Illegal to “Lock and Load While Loaded”
A funny exchange recounted by Liz Benjamin: Reporters covering Mayor Bloomberg’s press conference this morning on a new bill that would make it a crime to carry guns while drunk, were stunned when Sen. Jeff Klein, the bill’s sponsor, said it wouldn’t apply to firing ranges or hunting grounds, the DN’s Erin Einhorn reports. The following exchange ensued: (Josh Robin, NY1): “You can be drunk under this legislation in a firing range, with a gun?! (Klein): “Yeah.” (Bloomberg): “Don’t go to a firing range.” I can only imagine the faces of the reporters after that exchange. Turns out that the Mayor’s joke aside, it was all just a misunderstanding, and it is illegal to lock and load when you’re loaded, … More >>
Tagged bloomberg, guns, legislation
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Can NYC Afford the Terror Trials?
Count me as someone who would philosophically like to see the 9/11 suspects tried in the former shadow of the World Trade Center. I think it would be powerfully symbolic to the world and illustrate the best principles of American justice in a time when that concept has withstood a serious test under the Bush administration. (I also believe that terrorists should treated as criminals rather than “enemy-combatants.”) And speaking for myself, a citizen who admittedly did not live in New York in 2001, but does spend each weekday in lower Manhattan, I do not believe we should allow the fear of further attack to influence decisions like this… But reading an article like this, a good case is made … More >>
State of the City 2010
Happy January! ‘Tis the season for big long speeches from our elected government executives. Today was Hizzoner’s turn – he gave his ninth State of the City address in Astoria. Liz Benjamin has some highlights and the full-text. If I can find embeddable video, I’ll try to post it later. In the meantime, here’s an amazingly corny line from Bloomberg’s speech, lifted from David Chen’s coverage in the NYT: “This is a new term, and as someone once said, ‘We’re going to make a brand new start of it,’ ” Mr. Bloomberg said in his prepared remarks, in a nod to the location of his speech, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens. It burns!
Tagged bloomberg, speeches
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