Wednesday, April 2, 2014

de Blasion 2.0 (After the Albany War)

de Blasio 180 on Charter Schools
New York City charter schools won a pair of legal victories this week when the United Federation of Teachers lost its anti-charter lawsuit and Mayor Bill de Blasio defended school-sharing plans approved by the Bloomberg administration, the Daily News reports: * De Blasio’s lawyers defend charter schools in stunning reversal(NYP) Mayor de Blasio’s lawyers claim the Bloomberg administration’s controversial charter school co-locations were thoroughly planned and proper — an amazing turnaround from de Blasio’s campaign rhetoric last year.* Andrew Cuomo, 'charter champion' (Capital) * Teacher tenure vs. kids(NYDN Ed) West Coast school fight that matters here. Nine California students are in court challenging that state’s teacher tenure laws as subjecting low-income and minority kids to subpar educations.


What is the Definition of Broken Windows? 
Whose broken window?(Capital)  Bill de Blasio has promised to decrease arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana, which have disproportionately affected young men of color. But he has also pledged to implement Broken Windows policing, which when it was used in New York City in the late 1990s relied on high levels of marijuana arrests.



De Blasio and Bloomberg Haven’t Spoken Since Mayor’s Inauguration (NYO)

Professional Communications Directors Will Not Take the Job
De Blasio can’t find anyone for communications director role(NYP)Despite dangling a lofty salary that nearly matches his own, Mayor de Blasio hasn’t been able to find anyone to become his communications director. Democratic insiders say the position would be challenging in the best of circumstances — and the administration is hardly operating at that level. “You’re as good as the substance you’re spinning,” said a veteran Democratic spokesman. “I think all of them [the mayor’s camp] underestimated what a big deal it is to work with the press. They don’t see the press as constituents. They need someone who can step in and win back their trust,” said one source. * The New York Post detailed Mr. de Blasio’s difficulties finding a new communication’s director Communications. Among those described as having turned down the $200,000 gig: Salon’s politics editor Blake Zeff, as well as former and current top aides to Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. “Sources said that top mayoral aides aren’t happy with press coverage of the administration,” the paper noted. A Family Affair Chirlane McCray to urge pre-K registration on Taxi TV(NYP)




Daily News: FBI Questioned Former Mayoral Candidate Quinn

SEEKING HER VIEW: FBI asks Christine Quinn about vicious attack ads launches by animal rights group, probes de Blasio's flip-flop on carriage ban as inquiry widens(NYDN) Agents spoke with Quinn and at least four others, focusing on the funding of the anti-Quinn effort and why her chief rival, de Blasio, reversed his position and supported a ban. Agents have zeroed in on $225,000 donated to NYCLASS by a union run by de Blasio’s cousin, John Wilhelm, and a key de Blasio fund-raiser, lawyer Jay Eisenhoffer, several sources familiar with the matter told The News.
Update on the FBI Investigation of HorseGate
FBI agents have been questioning people about the pledge de Blasio made in March 2013, and the ads launched the next month by animal rights activists attacking Christine Quinn, the Daily News has learned. Agents also appear interested in a $175,000 contribution to the animal rights group NYCLASS from a union tied to de Blasio's cousin, labor leader John Wilhelm.  An FBI investigation of last year’s mayoral race includes an examination of Bill de Blasio’s campaign pledge to ban carriage horses, the Daily News has learned. FBI agents also appear highly interested in a $175,000 contribution by a union tied to de Blasio’s cousin, labor leader John Wilhelm, to the animal rights group NYCLASS, the sources Friday. The News first disclosed the FBI investigation on Friday, reporting that the FBI was looking at a threat by NYCLASS’ political consultant Scott Levenson early last year to undermine Quinn's campaign if she didn’t back the carriage horse ban. The new revelations indicate the investigation is broader, touching on de Blasio as well.
More on the Mayor and Horse Carriage Politics



de Blasio La Guardia, Smith and FDR

De Blasio compares poverty-fighting agenda to liberal icons La Guardia, Smith and FDR(NYDN)





Even When Berlin Rosen Loses A Campaign It Gains A Commissioner

Bill de Blasio Names Julie Menin Consumer Affairs Commissioner(NYO)
. repped by same political firm that handled mayoral run, Berlin Rosen.* De Blasio Names Heads of Consumer Affairs, Rent Board(WSJ)




Sandy Money Promised by the Mayor Not Applied For Yet
Mayor Bill de Blasio can't fulfill his pledge to reallocate $100 million in federal money to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy until he gets federal approval, which hasn’t even been formally applied for, Capital New York reports:


* At Wednesday night’s Vanity Fair party for the Tribeca Film Festival, de Blasio appeared to quickly find his niche on the new terrain of the red carpet, the Times writes: http://goo.gl/q4Knym

Mayor's NYCHA Repair Numbers Spin, Now Teacher Teacher Retention # Off
Respecting Teachers First
Bid adieu to NYC school reform(NYP Ed)They say it’s all for the children in New York’s public schools, but somehow it always ends up being about the teachers — as Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s ode to joy at Columbia University’s Teachers College on Saturday morning made depressingly clear. “We all know that teachers play the most critical role in shaping the lives of children,” said Fariña, a former teacher. “It’s time we give teachers the respect they are due and give them room to do what they do best — and in the process return joy to the classroom.”

Spinning UFT Report Numbers
A Union Making the Case for A Raise De Blasio exaggerating number of teachers that resigned(NYP) Mayor much-hyped 100-days-in-office speech last week, declaring that 43 percent of “mid-career” teachers “resigned” from the city public-school system last year — when the actual percentage was in the single digits
Mayor's Speech May Not Have GivenWhole Picture of City Housing Authority Repairs (NY1)
Mayor Bill de Blasio listed plenty of accomplishments on the 100th day of his administration, including speeding up repairs at the city's public housing projects.
"Last year, on complex repairs needed in an apartment, major plumbing problems and other things that took very skilled labor, a typical resident waited, on average, 250 days for a repair," he said Thursday. "Now, this year at the same time, they wait 50 days."
"It takes longer than that," said Katyria Sabino, a housing authority resident.
- See more at: http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/politics/political_news/206877/mayor-s-speech-may-not-have-given-whole-picture-of-city-housing-authority-repairs#sthash.W3MmWhsG.dpuMayor Bill de Blasio listed plenty of accomplishments on the 100th day of his administration, including speeding up repairs at the city's public housing projects. "Last year, on complex repairs needed in an apartment, major plumbing problems and other things that took very skilled labor, a typical resident waited, on average, 250 days for a repair," he said Thursday. "Now, this year at the same time, they wait 50 days." "It takes longer than that," said Katyria Sabino, a housing authority resident. As of Friday, it took 126 days on average to get a repair done that required skilled labor. That's two-and-a-half times what de Blasio said. "It took them 120 days to paint my apartment after I took them to court," Sabino said.
More on the NYCHA 

Snow Spin
Ken Lovett's column: "As the city was battered with snow earlier this year, Mayor de Blasio's team scrambled behind the scenes to score huge amounts of road salt — even as he insisted the city wasn't experiencing shortages, emails show. De Blasio aides on Feb. 4 asked state officials for as much as 150,000 metric tons of road salt — what Howard Glaser, Gov. Cuomo's state operations director, groused to other gubernatorial aides was 'as much salt as we have in the entire state' — the emails show.



Mayor Still Having Secret Meetings With Lobbyist Despite Promise of Transparency

Secret Meeting With the Council Also
Mayor, City Council Hold Closed-Door Meeting(NY1)

Mayor Has Not Gotten Around to His Promise to Disclose Meetings With Lobbyists(NY1)
The doors to City Hall don't open for everyone, so candidate Bill de Blasio promised last year that he would make the halls of government more transparent."They know the difference between people that want to continue the status quo and candidates who are ready to make change," he said in August 2013. De Blasio promised to disclose meetings members of his office had with lobbyists. The reports would be given monthly. Three-and-a-half months into his mayoralty, the now-mayor has not disclosed a single meeting. We know that the officials in the mayor's office has sat down with lobbyists.

 Lobbyists are required to disclose who they are targeting to the city clerk. "I've talked with them about development projects that are happening throughout the city," said lobbyist Kenneth Fisher. Other lobbyists told us they had multiple meetings with officials in the mayor's office from issues ranging from affordable housing to whether yellow cabs should be handicap accessible. For now, the mayor does not have a timeline for disclosing these closed-door sessions.




Who Killed Mayor Robin Hood?
de Blasio Also Backing Away From Park Redistribution

Bill's Makeover
De Blasio backs away from a parks redistribution idea(Capital) "We're looking for smart methodology to help parks that are less advantaged," said de Blasio this morning on the Brian Lehrer Show. "That's one option. And we're going to talk with all the stakeholders about it." "So no commitment to fight for that particular system?" said Lehrer, referring to the redistribution proposal. "It's something I think is a valuable proposal, but we're looking at every possibility to get fairness for parks that aren't doing as well," said the mayor.



de Blasio 100 Days Speech
Going My Values Father Speech
With 100 days in office under his belt, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pledging to focus more on the grassroots-activist style he brought with him to the job 

Friday Update
Preacher Not Manager
the speech was criticized for being low on specifics. “So maybe he will eventually figure out that constantly preaching to his own choir, despite the hallelujahs and amens he gets from that choir, is no way to run any big city, particularly this one,” wrote Mike Lupica in the News. “A hundred days in, you get the idea: The de Party is doing just swell. If you don’t believe that the city is being transformed, and this quickly, you just don’t get it.”

Mayor de Blasio still sounds like a candidate in his speeches and acts like he was elected to govern only those who think exactly the way he does, the Daily News’ Mike Lupica writes:

Brooklyn bishop's brother-in-law tapped to mark de Blasio's 100th day(NYDN)
Missteps Aside, de Blasio Looks to Focus Anew on Activist Style(NYT) After 100 days as mayor, Bill de Blasio is sleeping less than six hours a night, stealing downtime with his son and pledging to “focus even more deeply” on the grass-roots-activist style he took to City Hall. * De Blasio: ‘You Can’t Be Passive in a Role Like This’(NYT) * Mayor Bill de Blasio has had mixed success in the early months of his administration, from his Pre-K victory to his struggles with the media, City and State  *  



“The city is looking to spend $1.5 million to develop and implement a mandatory diversity program for the city’s 300,000 employees, including … cops and firefighters,” the Daily News reports, adding that the administration will award “contracts to provide courses in how to approach people with disabilities, avoid sexual harassment and race and gender discrimination.”


The Daily News writes that the 100-day mark of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s mayoralty demands that he learn the right lessons from the beginning of his term to embrace more pragmatic leadership on top issues: * The Post writes that marking de Blasio’s 100th day in office isn’t about his record as mayor; rather, it’s about how he sees himself as a national spokesman for progressivism: * Twenty de Blasio promises, 100 days in(Capital) Status report on a promised transformation* De Blasio Memo Previews Tomorrow's 100-Day Speech(NYDN) * Grading Mayor de Blasio’s first 100 days(NYDN) * The next 1,000 days(NYDN Ed) Lessons from Bill de Blasio’s rocky start * As Mayor marks 100 days, find out what guides his deputies: At City Hall, the New Face of New York(WNYC) * Mayor de Blasio on always being late: Hey, at least I’m not George W. Bush.(Always on Time) NY Mag * .: "I spend so much time out with people around this city that I can tell what is registering.”* . & have not spoken since inauguration day * City & State tracked three successes and three failures of the de Blasio administration thus far. One cited failure is “Media mishaps”: “[T]he mayor has been less than transparent on several seemingly minor issues, giving relatively meaningless stories extra legs, when simply being forthright in answering questions would serve him best.”* Rudy Giuliani Says ‘There’s No Hope’ for Bill de Blasio if He Keeps Being Late(NYO)


de Blasio: Quiet About the Library at 42 Street


Bloomberg News reports that as a candidate, Bill de Blasio “joined demonstrators on the steps of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue to denounce a $300 million renovation of the marble edifice as a dramatic alteration of a ‘crown jewel.’ Now in City Hall with the power to stop the project …. de Blasio hasn’t made a decision.”

de Blasio Also: 
Quiet About the Metzitzah b'peh
The Jewish Daily Forward is also having trouble getting specific information out of City Hall: “It’s been more than one year since New York City announced a new regulation to protect infants from contracting herpes during metzitzah b’peh, a controversial circumcision rite … But the [administration] has refused to respond to multiple requests from the Forward for basic information about how, or if, it is implementing its regulation.”



Mayor Reacts to Media Pressure On Film Commission

Monday
De Blasio’s inaction may hurt NYC’s film business: insiders(NYP) New York City, which has more than quadrupled the number of TV series filmed in the city over the past 13 years, is at risk of losing that momentum to rival cities if City Hall doesn’t move on a clear and positive filming policy, entertainment insiders tell The Post.

Friday
DE BLASIO’S FILM COMMISSIONER Hollywood Reporter: to name Cynthia Lopez, previously VP of PBS's POV series, to lead Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting* De Blasio picks a film commissioner(Capital)* Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, who yesterday resigned as Democratic co-chair, says she would not accept the Working Families Party line for governor if offered by the organization, State of Politics reports: 
* Sorry Not Sorry: Mayor de Blasio on Stealing L.A. Film Jobs(NYO) *NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, a frequent critic of tax credits, praised the state’s current system of film tax credits and vowed to grow the city’s production industry. * Mayor aims to keep film, TV industries in NYC with continued tax breaks 
Saturday Supports Tax Breaks Mayor de Blasio says movie, TV tax breaks should continue
Bloomberg Did Good* De Blasio picks film commissioner, praises predecessor’s policy(Capital)

Driving Team de Blasio
The de Blasio administration employs more than 50 drivers who are responsible for chauffeuring top New York City government officials. The de Blasio administration employs 55 drivers who chauffeur agency heads and other cabinet members to work.
Several offices have two drivers, including the Community Affairs Unit, which is run by former Central Labor Council operative Marco Carrion, the mayor's chief of staff, Laura Santucci, and the director of intergovernmental affairs, a position held by longtime de Blasio aide Emma Wolfe.
Deputy mayors also receive two drivers.

The definition of non-news: de Blasio admin employes roughly same number of drivers as predecessor.



The High Cost Rent Freeze
Rising insurance bills, high fuel costs and a heavier city-tax burden increased New York City landlord operating costs by 5.7 percent last year, potentially affecting Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push to place a freeze on regulated rents, The Wall Street Journal reports:







de Blasio's Learning Curve 100 Days
Report Card Grade Pending
“He has shown less aptitude for managing a complex city government and navigating the city and state’s turbulent politics.” “He hasn’t convinced the average New Yorker that he’s a manager,” Columbia’s Steven Cohen said.  A Learning Curve for New York City's Mayor(WSJ) While Mayor Bill de Blasio has shown he can drum up energy around a cause in his first 100 days in office, he has shown less of an ability to manage city government and navigate the city and state’s political structure * After 100 days as New York City Council speaker it’s not clear how Melissa Mark-Viverito plans to distinguish herself from the mayor, whom she largely agrees with, save for a few instances, the Journal reports: Pre-KPre-K Plans Set a High Bar(WSJ) * An interactive graphic from The New York Times breaks down the numbers from the NY1/New York Times/Siena poll on de Blasio’s first 100 days in office:*Charter Schools De Blasio’s move  The Post writes that despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s coolness to charter schools, the imbalance between demand for and supply of charter school seats is a powerful argument for immediate expansion* 67 charters left out of Cuomo's budget(NYDN) * Bratton Report Card Bratton Balancing Community Outreach, Officer Morale(WSJ) 

Mark-Viverito Report Card Speaker Mark-Viverito, Mayor de Blasio Largely in Sync(WSJ) * 55 Apartments A Day Much Yet to Do on Affordable Homes(WSJ) To reach the goal of delivering 200,000 units of affordable housing, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration must build or preserve apartments at the rate of about 55 a day. Almost 100 days in, they are behind.*de Blasio 100 Day Poll Poll Respondents Have Wide Range of Opinions on de Blasio's Tenure So Far(NY1) * Poll: De Blasio's Approval Rating at 49 Percent(NY1) * 49 Percent of New Yorkers Approve of de Blasio’s Performance, Poll Says(NYT) A survey by The New York Times, NY1 and Siena College shows a gap between the mayor’s expectations and his day-to-day ability to make social progress.  * Interactive Graphic: Mixed Marks for the Mayor’s First 100 Days(NYT) * Gov. Andrew Cuomo is more popular in the Big Apple than Mayor de Blasio, according to a poll released Monday night, Fermino writes. Nearly two-thirds of registered city voters — 64% — said they approve of the job that Cuomo is doing, according to a New York1/New York Times poll of 1,190 city residents. The mayor’s approval rating was just 49%. But New Yorkers do think de Blasio handled himself well in his budget negotiations with Albany, with 66% saying they approved of the way he pushed for a tax hike to fund prekindergarten. * De Blasio’s Google hangout ended up being a back-patting session with supporters.* De Blasio’s first Google Hangout was a back-patting session with supporters, including campaign donors and a transition team member, who were selected by the city’s Community Affairs Unit, DNAInfo reports:


TV Thanking the Mayor for Pre-K Ads Aim to Fix His Weak Poll Numbers
Mayor's Speech May Not Have Given Whole Picture of City Housing Authority Repairs - See more at: http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/politics/political_news/206816/obama-talks-voting-rights-act-threat-at-nan-convention#sthash.YZjwewip.dpuf

Watchdogs Cry Foul Over Ad Producedby Nonprofit Staffed With de Blasio Loyalists(NY1)
"It's fascinating to me that an individual who has a very significant taxpayer-paid-for communications department, who is trailed by countless numbers of reporters and cameras across the city, doesn't feel that he has a way to communicate with the public through that very obvious means of communicating," said Susan Lerner of Common Cause New York. A television ad starring Chirlane McCray looks a lot like the ads Mayor Bill de Blasio ran during his campaign for City Hall.However, the mayor is not paying for it out with campaign money. A nonprofit group, staffed by former de Blasio campaign aides, produced the spot. The group is spending more than $1 million to keep it on T-V for the next few weeks.

It is Good to Back the Winner
Former de Blasio fundraiser scores lucrative City Hall advisor gig(NYDN)
A political strategist who was a fundraiser for Mayor de Blasio’s campaign is earning $8,000 a month advising City Hall on high-level appointments, the Daily News has learned.

The NYP Exposes de Blasio Pre-K PAC  
But Say Nothing About the Corrupt Election PACs Involved in 2013 Local NYC Elections
NYT Silent On Local Impact of Citizens United on Public Financing
NYT's + Media's Blind Side The NYT has written several times on the national impact of Citizens United but never on the impact of that  special interests big money supreme court decision on the 2013 NYC election. The press is focused on  a preacher and 4-year-olds, while not reporting on how our city government was mugged by special interests Citizen United PACs and the lobbyists political consultants who do their bidding in the last election. Have these PACs made NYC government worse (if that is possible)? Have these PACs and lobbyist consultants committed crimes? stay tuned.Bill’s secret donors(NYP Ed) Are the “evil” Koch brothers funding Bill de Blasio’s pre-K lobbying group?It’s impossible to tell, because UPKNYC won’t disclose its donors. And the mayor — once a champion of transparency for political donations — has gone radio silent. Most likely, it’s the city’s public unions that are forking over the big bucks here. If so, New Yorkers ought to know — because these same unions are now negotiating contracts with the mayor. The United Federation of Teachers, for one, might also stand to gain if Albany funds a pre-K expansion that requires hiring more teachers.  How different de Blasio’s silence today is from 2010, when he blasted the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling: “Removing transparency, and the accountability that comes with it, have clearly made it easier for special interests to fund negative campaign ads without repercussion,” he said. “This unprecedented anonymous spending threatens voters and investors alike.”He could have been talking about his own group. Run by many of de Blasio’s campaign aides, UPKNYC has reportedly spent more than $250,000 on the mayor’s behalf. In February, it said it would voluntarily disclose its donors in the coming weeks, but never did. Campaign Reform and Media Cover Up of Citizens United On Local 2013 Election 

de Blasio Different Economic Reality
Can de Blasio Poor and Middle Class New York Partner Afford His Contract Reality?


De Blasio says new MTA contract won’t affect future negotations(NYP) “We have a very different reality here — we have our fiscal circumstances. We have a separate history in terms of labor relations than that which state and MTA has,” the mayor said Friday at a press conference in Brooklyn. “So we’re going to do things our own way with our partners in municipal labor.”* Stay on track, Bill (NYDN Ed) Cuomo's frugal MTA labor pact sets a pattern for Mayor de Blasio to follow


Barron Heckles de Blasio Feels Left Out of Housing Plans He Voted for In the Last Council


Former councilman heckles de Blasio at press conference(NYP)  “I just wanted to come and let you know some of the other players that might have been left out of this, and that this process was long on the way, and we approved it in the last council administration,” Barron interjected mid press conference, chiding the mayor for not inviting him to the event. The mayor promised that East New York would get more attention in the future. It was actually the Bloomberg administration that launched the $90 million project in 2012. But de Blasio will be responsible for providing the low-income tax credits. The mayor has promised to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing during his tenure.* Whether de Blasio achieves his ambitious housing goal could depend on how he measures “affordable” * Livonia Developer Took Fee Cut(NYDN) Martin Dunn, the developer of the Livonia Commons complex in East New York, Brooklyn, took a 15 percent cut in his developer's fee to help Mayor Bill de Blasio achieve his affordable housing goals.



New Finance Dept Head Question in Hevesi Pension Scandal  . . . Saw Reported What?
.’s appointee to lead Finance Dept., Jacques Jiha, had, in 07, been questioned about Hevesi activity:

New finance commish: city property-tax system needs change*NYP)

From NY Sun 2007 Several weeks ago, investigators with the state attorney general's office and the Albany County district attorney's office spent hours interviewing Jacques Jiha, who served as deputy comptroller for pension investment and public finance between January 2003 and April 2004. In his position, Mr. Jiha, who worked previously as a deputy New York City comptroller under Hevesi, was in charge of managing the assets of the New York Common Retirement Fund, which was valued at the time at about $120 billion. Mr. Jiha told investigators that Jack Chartier, Hevesi's former chief of staff, would frequently approach Mr. Jiha and encourage him to meet with private equity managers about handling pension fund investments.NY Mag "As of Hevesi’s election, no one was better connected than Morris. Investigators say he helped force out Jacques Jiha, the chief investment officer for the state’s Common Retirement Fund, when Jiha didn’t pay enough attention to the equity-fund managers recommended by Morris and Jack Chartier, Hevesi’s chief of staff. Morris, investigators say, helped select Jiha’s replacement, then-33-year-old David Loglisci, a former investment banker."* New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Jacques Jiha as commissioner of the Department of Finance, and Jiha said the city was going to take a close look at property tax inequities, Crain’s reports:* De Blasio Picks Immigrants to Lead Two City Agencies(NYT) Mayor Bill de Blasio announced executive appointments Tuesday, including Jacques Jiha as finance commissioner and Feniosky Peña-Mora as Design and Construction Department commissioner.*Pension Fund Stringer pushes for supply-side diversity(Capital) The city comptroller asks companies held by NYC’s pension fund to disclose numbers on supplier diversity programs.



Big Gulp Ban II

New York City will appeal to the state Court of Appeals in a continuation of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s push to ban sodas that are larger than 16 ouncesBloomberg's soda ban bubbles back to life(NYDN) * New York City soda ban effort gets boost from health groups, hospitals(WABC)



 
Bloomberg People Still In Charge

Despite all the promises of Sweeping Change during campaign 2013 and de Blasio 100 day speech, not much has changed in the management of the city
New Mayor and a New Agenda, but Little Change Within the Ranks(NYT) While Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to stock the top levels of his administration, city records show the next rung of crucial decision-makers are mostly holdovers from his predecessor. While Mayor Bill de Blasio has named senior aides and commissioners who share his desire to break from Bloomberg-era policies, there has been little turnover in the leadership ranks on the levels below. When it comes to the next rung of crucial decision-makers... there has been strikingly little change." “Of the roughly 1,300 people in those ranks who have been identified as having ‘substantial policy discretion,’ only about 200, or less than one-sixth, are new to their positions,” the Times writes.



Barbara Walters Takes on the de Blasio's

Barbara Walters asks personal Qs about his tough upbringing; he said strong women in his family helped get him through it. . says "the strong women in his life" - his mother & her sisters - sustained him despite his father's alcoholism & suicide. Barbara Walters rolls out the "your father committed suicide" thing pretty early in her interview w/ . "I don’t think that we’re any different from other couples who work in the same profession," says. "We talk shop all the time."On their marriage, "I think Bill's mom objected more than anyone" says . But says they became best friends. * Whoopi Goldberg asks de Blasio: "Do you really think the people who make over $500,000 haven’t contributed much?" BdB and first lady are holding hands on national tv.* Mayor de Blasio: Business not fleeing NYC. * Bill de Blasio Proclaims Official ‘Barbara Walters Day’ for NYC(NYO) *Mayoral First Couple Talk About Love and Hard Times(NYT) Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, visited ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” on Monday and spoke of personal hard times, city initiatives and love. * De Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray covered little new political ground on ABC’s “The View,” with de Blasio touching on prekindergarten and affordable housing and the couple discussing their personal lives.



The Markowization of New York City
ForgetAboutIt Manhattan Elitists

The Brooklyn Revolution

Brooklyn Takes Over 100+ Years After the Merger. 
East and West Siders, This is No Trick or Treat Nightmare
De Blasio's cabinet mostly resides in Brooklyn(NYDN) Of the 23 commissioners de Blasio has appointed since taking office, 13 call themselves Brooklynite* "In de Blasio’s press team, nine of 10 flacks live in their boss’ favorite borough."Someone is watching the press NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has tapped Tom Finkelpearl, the executive director of the Queens Museum, as the city’s next cultural-affairs commissioner.* Museum Director to Be Commissioner of Cultural Affairs(NYT) Mr. Finkelpearl after spending 12 years with the museum, will be the city’s point person on the arts, overseeing a $156 million budget.* De Blasio Taps New Cultural Affairs Commissioner(WSJ)


How Do You Give the UFT A 9 Year Contract?

When the Mayor Says Parents Want to Shake Unacceptable Status Quo of Our Public Schools?   

: "People in traditional schools, charter schools want to shake foundation of unacceptable status quo"
"The notion that children are "lucky enough to escape" district schools "speaks volumes," BdB says"
De Blasio Pushing for Unusual, 9-Year Contract With Teachers’ Union(NYT) The de Blasio administration, seeking to be generous to its allies in labor without jeopardizing New York City’s finances, is pushing for what would be the longest-ever contract with the teachers’ union: a nine-year deal that would let the city stretch out potentially huge retroactive pay increases.* De Blasio's Labor Team(City and State) * De Blasio eyes record 9-year deal with (NYP) teachers union * De Blasio Pushes a 9-Year Contract for Teachers(NYT) * De Blasio Proposes Nine-Year Contract for City Teachers(NY1) * Teacher back-pay math is tough, even on a nine-year timeline(Capital) Goodwin NYP On Proposed Contract "News flash: With City Hall and the teachers union negotiating a new contract, union boss Michael Mulgrew asked for the sun and the moon, then promised, “We’re not trying to bankrupt the city.” Whew — glad he cleared that up." More On Education and the new Chancellor, Charter Schools



de Blasio Ad Aims to Improve Poll Numbers

The campaign is not over, where is the govern

UPKNYC, the Bill de Blasio-backed nonprofit supporting his agenda in Albany, has turned its focus to New York City, where they are running a new $1-million ad campaign declaring victory on the pre-K battle, The New York Times reports. “From our family to yours, thank you,” says Mr. de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, in the ad. (UPKNYC wouldn’t disclose the source of their funding.) Pre-K Victory Ad With Mayor de Blasio’s Family Aims to Help Him Regain His Footing(NYT) The commercial begins with a photograph of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s smiling children as toddlers.

As a piano plays softly, his wife, Chirlane McCray, appears on the screen, extolling the education initiatives her husband has spearheaded in City Hall. Allies of Bill de Blasio spent nearly $500,000 to put the ad on the air, and they plan to spend more to keep it on through the month —and are expected to spend more than $1 million to keep on air this month—.  Scoop from : Bill Hyers is now advising de Blasio again, this time at City Hall as mayor resets:* Hey, de Blasio, what’s your plan for better schools?(NYP) * After nearly 100 days in office, it’s time for Mayor Bill de Blasio to provide specifics about his education plans, not just well-crafted rhetoric, New York City Parents Union founder and President Mona Davids writes in the Post: * De Blasio has hired Adam Cohen, who had been a special adviser to Andrew Cuomo and worked for NYT edit board (Capital)* 's first 100 Days: a mix of promises fulfilled and missteps, all dominated by pre-k fight:(AP) “Bill de Blasio, New York City’s first Democratic mayor in a generation, has been in office nearly 100 days, a time marked by political hardball over pre-kindergarten, second-guessing over snowplows and an unfortunate attempt to eat pizza with a knife and fork.” * Poll: NYers Don't Like What Mayor Has Done So Far With Charter Schools   * John Del Cecato—the political consultant behind de Blasio’s campaign ad featuring his son Dante’s Afro, and the mayor’s “tale of two cities” message—has been helping de Blasio craft his 100-day address, the Daily News writes


Secret City State Contract Negotiations



Back Pay  What does the MTA union deal mean for city unions negotiating with Mayor BdB? Say retroactive pay (WSJ)
Teachers As contract negotiations continue for New York City teachers, an issue has arisen over how to handle teachers who lost permanent jobs but keep receiving full paychecks as they fill in for absent staff from school to school for brief periods, The Wall Street Journal writes: * Parents and students may not be part of New York City teacher contract negotiations, but they should get a voice in the debate and common-sense language that any reasonable observer would see as important for the contract to include, Campbell Brown writes in the Post:  MTA and Union Contracts After more than two years since its last contract expired, Transport Workers Union Local 100 and the MTA appear to be nearing a new contract that would likely give workers a sizable raise, The New York Times writes: * Contract talks heat up between transit workers, MTA(NYP)


Mayor de Blasio has said it is part of his job to build and support union movement.

Daily News is Right de Blasio is Staying Close to Clinton . . . Wrong That is Listening to Cuomo's Advice

Mayor Clintons
de Blasio is So Happy That Cuomo and Albany Closed the Moreland Commission. By the Way the Clinton's Also Lose Thanks to A U.S, Attorney
Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted that being mayor brought a new intensity to his life that can be unnerving and said he has stayed in close contact with the Clintons and Cuomo for advice, the Daily News writesMayor de Blasio overcomes intense 100 days in office, seeking advice from Bill and Hillary Clinton. In an interview on the steps of City Hall, de Blasio spoke candidly about his life since becoming mayor. To keep his perspective, he's spoken to both Clintons 'a few times.' The conversations were enormously helpful, he said.* De Blasio on the next 100 days(WNYC)


de Blasio Rents 2 High, But No Rent Freeze
New Rent Board Members
De Blasio Announces New Rent Board Members Morning of First Meeting(NYO)The mayor has yet to select a chair for the nine-member rent board
New members of Rent Guidelines Board named(CrainsNY)
De Blasio Picks 5 Members for Rent Board(NYT)
De Blasio names four to rent board(NYP) de Blasio said Thursday that he’s “very sensitive” to the needs of tenants, but stopped short of endorsing the rent freeze he called for when running for City Hall

Why NYC is Losing the Middle Class?

 

Sharpton Also Has the Mayor's Ear
The Rev. Al Sharpton’s relationship with de Blasio has given the preacher his closest access to the city’s most powerful position since he became a top activist during the Ed Koch era, Newsday writes: * Video of the Day: “Saturday Night Live: ‘Undercover Sharpton.’” “There’s always an open line of communication. Always,” said Rachel Noerdlinger, a former top Sharpton aide who now works in the de Blasio administration. “I know there hasn’t been a thing that we have asked Mayor de Blasio to do that he hasn’t done.” Former Public Advocate Mark Green held little back in a weekend Daily News column blasting Mr. Sharpton, Mr. de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “I’m happy to grade these power-players because I don’t need to have lunch in this town again,” Mr. Green writes. Mr. Sharpton, he says for instance, has “such a high regard for the truth that he uses it sparingly.”


de Blasio Wants Control of All the Jobs
De Blasio Administration Wants Total Control of Hiring Process, Memo Shows(DNAINFO)
Mayor Bill de Blasio is demanding total control over the hiring process in his new administration — including direct oversight of deputy commissioners, chiefs of staff and press secretaries — and those with inside knowledge say it could be slowing down the process. * Mayor de Blasio wants control over top-level hires: memo(NYDN)


de Blasio Changing and Testing Relationship With the NYPD

De Blasio’s surprising praise for the NYPD(NYP) De Blasio should be congratulated for celebrating the intertwined spread of peace and prosperity throughout New York. Those triumphs occurred before his watch, however. Check those same crime and property-value maps in another five years to see whether de Blasio’s own policies have benefited the city or set it back.
More About Bratton and the NYPD


de Blasio's Ed 180 Respect to the Godfather

Bill: It is Not Personal It's Business
On charter re-set, de Blasio heard from Bill Clinton(Capital) Before delivering a conciliatory speech on charter schools last Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio chatted with Bill Clinton about the issue, according to three soures familiar with the phone call. During the conversation, Clinton told the mayor he understood his perspective on charters, but cautioned him to be careful not to give the impression that a substantive debate was becoming personal, the sources said.


 
The Mandate That Never Was

De Blasio’s out of touch with New York(NYP) He ran full-tilt away from another potentially titanic confrontation with Gov. Cuomo last week — this one about housing subsidies — after absorbing an astonishing public thrashing from the governor in February over gouge-the-rich taxation and charter schools, among other things. Clearly de Blasio had learned an important lesson: If you’re going to tug on Superman’s cape, bring kryptonite — which, too bad for the mayor, is in short supply in Metropolis these days.
 Which is to say that the towering tsunami of a mandate that de Blasio insists carried him into office was in fact something much less — a tidal surge, maybe. There were, in fact, two elections last year, and de Blasio underperformed in both: The first was the pratfall-filled Democratic primary (lookin’ at you, Carlos Danger!) de Blasio won it by default, having made fewer mistakes than his opponents — much like the speed-skater who grabs Olympic gold after all the other skaters fall down in the final turn. Then there was the general election, which de Blasio won handily — but with the backing of a minuscule 18% of New York’s registered voters. The remaining 83% either voted for somebody else — or, overwhelmingly, simply didn’t vote at all. The Q-poll pegged de Blasio’s own job approval at an embarrassing 45% — a sharp drop from 53% in January. Disapproval, on the other hand, leapt from 13% in January to 34% in the current account. Support for chartered public schools is real and growing, and this is reflected both in the polls themselves, and in increased backing from acutely poll-conscious politicians like Cuomo. That seemingly began to change this month — right after Quinnipiac reported that 79% of city voters essentially approve of charters, at least in principle. De Blasio’s willingness to respond to public opinion in so dramatic a fashion suggests that — when it comes to mandates — he finally understands that he ain’t got one.

Morning Show Hosts Who Interview Mayor's Not Registered in the City

ALL TALK?: Three of the four hosts of The Hot 97 Morning Show, which Mayor Bill de Blasio has made several appearances on, appear to not be registered to vote in New York City, City & State reports





O’Reilly: The New York City commune(Newsday)
The cornerstone of de Blasio’s and Mark-Viverito’s republic is the municipal identification card that was just proposed in the City Council, which is widely expected to approve it. The ID card will be available to any New Yorker, but it’s really being created for undocumented city residents who can’t otherwise get official government ID.

Everyman Bill Charm Offensive
 De Blasio said he wants people to drop his formal title and call him Bill and is looking for an “I work for them” sense of connection with his constituency, the Daily News writes DE BLASIO LOOKS PAST PRE-K: The mayor is nearing the 100-day mark, and he’s looking toward the next phase of his agenda. Next week, he’ll deliver a major, forward-looking speech to outline his post-pre-K plans. In the meantime, he’s trying to mend his relationship with City Hall reporters, who he previously accused of being distracted by “sideshows” like his phone call to the NYPD on behalf of a political supporter, and his motorcade’s flouting of traffic laws. He spoke to Chris Smith of New York magazine for a friendly feature (below). Earlier in the week, he invited reporters for a roundtable, and tonight, the mayor goes one step further, hosting Room 9 reporters for an off-the-record party at Gracie Mansion.  --DE BLASIO, LOOKING BACK AT THE FIRST (ALMOST) 100 DAYS -- New York’s Chris Smith: “After three months of bruising negotiations over pre-K, are de Blasio and the governor still friends? ‘Of course!’ the mayor replies amiably, reaching for a mini brownie. ‘Bloomberg and I are very different in that sense. I think he saw the public process, the political process, through the prism of elites. I see it through the prism of the grassroots. I’ll work with anyone. But I think the wellspring of social progress comes from the grassroots … We’re going to focus on teacher retention, which I think is a huge difference-maker, because we’re hemorrhaging quality teachers … Why is Finland so wonderful? Because teachers are incredibly well prepared, and they do it as a lifelong career. That’s where I’m trying to move us, and I think we can get there.’” “We’re going to focus on teacher retention, which I think is a huge difference-maker, because we’re hemorrhaging quality teachers,” he said of his future plans. “Why is Finland so wonderful? Because teachers are incredibly well prepared, and they do it as a lifelong career. That’s where I’m trying to move us.” * “Then I started experiencing the booing. Of course it was not a surprise. Any elected official is going to get that. But it was a lot!” Mr. de Blasio said of being booed at the Mets game. “I was surprised at the sheer feeling of it. The volume. Then I tried to focus on Travis d’Arnaud, my batterymate, who was totally a bro.”* And, via NYTrue.com, here’s video of Mr. de Blasio praising staffer Emma Wolfe as his “Greek secret weapon” at a Gracie Mansion reception last night:* O'Reilly Talks Tough About NYC Mayor de Blasio: 'I Want to Beat Him Up'(AUDIO)


Daily News: de Blasio Blames Slow Start On Communications Team
Message Trumps Policies, Actions and Decisions
Democratic Operatives to the Rescue of New Mayor
Friday Update 
De Blasio To Mark 100 Days With Speech(WSJ) * In an appearance at a Manhattan prekindergarten classroom with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, de Blasio called Albany a “strange and mysterious land,” while in an interview he said he wasn’t surprised by the boos at Citi Field on Opening Day, the Daily News writes:

The NYT Give the Mayor A Good Spin
Leading the Country on Pre-K(NYT Ed) The agreement to finance prekindergarten for all children is a major victory for New York City. The New York Times writes that Mayor Bill de Blasio can call the state’s financing of prekindergarten expansion a political victory for him and a victory for the tens of thousands of children who will benefit* Call him Bill: Mayor de Blasio wants to be ‘connected’ with residents(NYDN)


Plan B: Romancing the Press
Mayor de Blasio Shifts His Press Strategy(NYO)Mayor Bill de Blasio appears to by trying to turn a new leaf with the city’s frustrated political press corps, shaking up his press strategy with a rare round of outreach this week. Mr. de Blasio’s schedule today includes a blitz of face time with local reporters. First, he’ll tape a set of interviews with local television stations in the Governor’s Room of City Hall. This will be followed by a roundtable with radio reporters and then another roundtable with City Hall bureau chiefs of the city’s papers.
The mayor has been criticized in the past for the amount of time he’s spent filming national television hits instead of local spots. Mr. de Blasio’s team has also scheduled a reception at Gracie Mansion this Friday evening, where the city’s press corps will have the chance to mingle with the mayor’s press office and senior City Hall staffers. (“This invitation is non-transferable and the event, ironically, is off-the-record,” the invitation notes.) .EXCLUSIVE: Mayor de Blasio is expanding communications team adding director, speech writers and digital aides(NYDN) At least two Democratic press operatives have been contacted to interview for a communications director position with the New York City mayor, sources have confirmed to the Daily News. Three months after t+aking office, Mayor de Blasio is retooling and expanding his communications team, hiring speech writers, additional digital press aides — and a director to oversee the entire operation. Yhe moves come as supporters say de Blasio has lost too many public relations battles during a string of brutal snowstorms, fights over charter school closings and a fight with Gov. * The New York Times and Associated Press further look into how Mayor Bill de Blasio is retooling his press operations. “Though some of de Blasio’s allies have complained the press has focused too much on media issues that matter little to the public, members of the mayor’s inner circle have begun to interact more with reporters, candidly saying that they wanted to improve relations,” the AP reports.Among the tactics: yesterday’s sit-down with newspaper reporters. “But for all the informality of the occasion, the sit-down had an element of something more deliberate: a re-energized attempt by the de Blasio administration to reboot after a bumpy first few months in office,” writes the Times. “Mr. de Blasio and his team are eager to begin a new phase with the public and the press.”“Still, there were flashes of Mr. de Blasio’s controlling side … Three of the mayor’s press handlers carefully watched over the conversation; when a reporter from The Wall Street Journal tried to ask a question out of turn, Mr. de Blasio quickly turned to him. ‘Dude, that’s really inappropriate,’ the mayor said, to uneasy laughter. ‘You’ll get your chance.’” the Times continued. Mr. de Blasio also did a round of local television interviews, including NY1, PIX11, NBC4 and ABC7. Asked by ABC7 why he just can’t catch a break with the press, Mr. de Blasio replied, “I don’t think it’s about me catching a break or not, it’s about what we’re going to get done for people.”* DE BLASIO’S RESET WITH THE MEDIA -- Times’ Michael Grynbaum: “On Tuesday, Mr. de Blasio met separately with small groups of television, radio and print reporters, and a reception is planned for Friday evening at Gracie Mansion, where the mayor and members of his senior staff plan to host the City Hall press corps for an informal mingling session. (Invitations mailed to reporters on Monday specified that ‘the event, ironically, is off the record.’) “Privately, the mayor’s team has also been speaking with candidates for a newly created position of communications director, to work with Mr. de Blasio’s public relations apparatus. City Hall is seeking a veteran press aide with deep ties to New York’s close-knit media ecosphere … de Blasio’s team was quick to make the most of the week’s outreach. Moments after the 35-minute meeting ended Tuesday, photographs were posted on the mayor’s Flickr page, portraying a jovial-looking Mr. de Blasio holding court as smiling print and web reporters looked on.” http://goo.gl/qr34ZU

Yes, I now that you feel you are not strong enough. That’s what the enemy thinks too. But we’re gonna fool them. — Knute Rockne
 
Win One 4 the de Blasio
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Public Advocate Letitia James, eight City Council members, parents and advocacy groups all filed suit against Mayor Bill de Blasio to overturn his decision to open 14 charter schools in city-owned buildings, the Post reports:  * De Blasio is creating a task force to recommend ways to relieve overcrowding and improve the charter school co-location process, and hre is including charter supporters on the panel, the Post reports: 

“The governor has gone ‘Lord of the Flies’ on the mayor as of late, nearly demanding subservience,” added columnist Michael Powell. “Just this week, he administered a slap, suggesting the mayor’s request to excise a few regulatory phrases was akin to asking to alter the wording in Magna Carta.” * De Blasio puts charter-school leaders on co-location panel(NYP) * Stand and deliver(NYP Ed) As the denizens of Albany work out the final details of the state budget in their usual fashion — in secret, in their backrooms — we urge them to seize the opportunity before them to put a decent education within reach of more children. This opportunity takes the form of two measures. The first fixes a gap in the law that makes charters the only public schools not guaranteed space or the funds to get it themselves. The second provides tax credits for donations to support either programs at public schools or scholarships giving more children the chance to attend a good private or parochial school their families otherwise could not afford.* Families for Excellent Schools mount $1M charter school assault against Mayor de Blasio (NYDN) The charter school advocacy group is investing a lot in TV ads slamming Mayor de Blasio that will end during the week ending March 31.*  11TH HOUR CHARTER CLASH: At a rally against the influence of the charter school movement on state politics, some City Council members were wary of criticizing Mayor Bill de Blasio of striking a more conciliatory tone with charter schools in New York City, City & State reports * Bill de Blasio Hires Top Christine Quinn Aide for Pre-K Push(NYO)Mayor Bill de Blasio has hired Michaela Daniel, a senior City Council policy analyst, to assist in the roll-out of his prekindergarten and after-school expansion, the mayor’s office confirmed to the Observer today.* Cuomo, leaders discuss two-tiered reimbursement for pre-K(Capital) Pre-K programs using certified teachers would get more money per pupil


* In celebration of Earth Day, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced “the most sweeping update to New York City’s Air Pollution Control Code since 1975,” according to his office, The Observer reports: http://goo.gl/QjhFa4

Mayor to Name Rent Board Chairwoman
Scoop: de Blasio to name new Rent Guidelines Board chair(CrainsNY) On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio will name Rachel Godsil—a former assistant U.S. attorney and law professor with expertise in land use, environmental justice and race—as the new chair of the city's Rent Guidelines Board, according to City Hall sources. 


Who's Who in City Hall(CrainsNY) A chart connecting City Hall agencies to their bosses
So what if de Blasio is slow on appointments? A former deputy mayor weighs in.(CrainsNY)The mayor is right in taking his time: Quality is better than speed * Daily News editorial: What Mayor de Blasio must bring home from contract talks with the teachers (NYDN Ed)
Rudy Giuliani on Mayor de Blasio: He's 'moving the city in the wrong direction'(NYP) Giuliani said de Blasio's policies represent an "emphasis on dependency" and on "big-city government"



A Quinnipiac poll shows that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s approval rating dropped nearly 10 percent since January to 45 percent, while his disapproval rating more than doubled to 34 percent

Clouds return and the mayor’s ratings slide
Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Approval Rating Takes Hit, Quinnipiac Poll Shows(WCBS) A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday says that 45 percent of New Yorkers approve of the job de Blasio is doing. Thirty-four percent disapprove. De Blasio’s rating is down from Quinnipiac’s last poll, which was released Jan. 16 — a little more than two weeks after he took office. In that poll, 53 percent approved of the job he was doing, and only 13 percent did not. The numbers are slightly better than a Marist College poll earlier this month that showed 39 percent of registered New York City voters believe the mayor is doing a “good” or “excellent” job. White voters most strongly disapprove of the job de Blasio is doing (45 percent) while black voters (60 percent) overwhelmingly approve.* Mayor de Blasio's approval ratings drop in new poll(NYDN) . approval rating lower than those of , finds * De Blasio’s approval rating continues to sink(NYP) * De Blasio’s Approval Slips, a Poll Shows(NYT) * Poll: Mayor's Approval Rating at 45 Percent (NY1) * De Blasio aides tout polls, without getting ‘too fixated’(Capital) Q Poll blow for Blas tax hike mandate: voters prefer Cuomo plan 54 – 35 percent***Full Poll




Fourth of July fireworks will return to East River this year(NYDN) * July 4th fireworks move to East River will cost NYC extra $500K(NYPMoving the 38th annual Macy’s pyrotechnic extravaganza to the East River – rather than keeping it on the Hudson River across from New Jersey, where it’s been for the past five years – will run the city an additional $500,000 in security costs, officials said Monday.* Fourth of July Fireworks Show Will Move Back to East River(NYT)


NYT de Blasio Pre-K Winning Email Dumping

The Computer In Box is the New Spin Room
Michael Powell offers a cynical take on Mr. de Blasio’s pre-K victory. “O.K. It is a splendid advance, and the mayor deserves credit for his doggedness, not to mention his ability to never lose his grin even as our governor offered a 43-part seminar in intricate ways to humiliate a new mayor,” he wrote “City Hall, however, might consider tempering the stream of triumphal emails, which now seem to arrive in reporter inboxes at a rate of two an hour.”*Testing Effects of Pre-K Asked if city will study effects of expanded pre-K, says quality is very important, but doesn't explain how city will measure.* Massive City Hall PR push for pre-K will include ads on buses, robocalls to families in public housing, multilingual canvassing effort.* Cap NY: "Beyond ensuring that charters can grow without having to pay the city a dime, experts say [new] laws also accomplish something much broader, and potentially more consequential: the erosion of mayoral control of schools."* What the state’s charter push did to mayoral control(Capital) Experts say new charter school protections in the state budget diminish the powers won by Bloomberg* Being able to serve new communities, to provide more parents w/ great educational options, is what drives us to continue to open new schools* Charter schools in demand despite City Hall disdain(NYP)



 de Blasion 2.0
 
The Post writes that with state budget talks wrapping up, it’s time for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to deliver on his vow to save charter schools
Charter school executive Eva Moskowitz praised New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s softened tone on charters, though she said she still wants permanent state protection for charters, the Daily News reports: 
The Daily News writes that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new rhetoric on charter schools delivered Sunday  should be a milestone for his young mayoralty, and he must apply the lessons of pragmatism to his entire administration “It may not feel like spring yet, but the atmosphere in the New York City Council chambers, where members are discussing Mayor Bill de Blasio’s preliminary budget, is warmer than it has been in years.”*Moskowitz: Charters need state-level protection(NYDN)*Charter school head plans giant rally before state exams(NYP) *Applicants flood city for pre-k teaching positions(NYP) *Mayor de Blasio wants pre-K teachers to get fair pay(NYDN *

"The Italian Stallion" Will There Be A Rematch?
Former Cuomo aide Steve Cohen compares BdB to failed heroes of 70s cinema--Rocky, Butch & Sundance, Cool Hand Luke *Sandy De Blasio faces few more dramatic governing challenges than helping Hurricane Sandy victims still struggling 17 months after the storm to recover, the Times’ Michael Powell writes: continuing hardship of Sandy victims storm that state & local govs were warned of 10 years ago* An unnamed adviser to Mayor Bill de Blasio also does not appear to be a Cuomo fan. “You can’t deny that Andrew is a genius of opportunism,” the de Blasio adviser told New York about the pre-K and charter school back-and-forth between the mayor and the governor. “But it’s also why I hate him at times.”*Pre-K . asks whether there will be 2-tier system for pre-K teachers since CBOs pay less. Predictably, says no.* De Blasio is keeping the focus on teacher retention. The statistics are more mixed than he and the union imply:* Asked how attracting teachers affects . He says pre-K includes public, religious schools & CBOs & morale as imp as salary*First Lady Activist First Lady Chirlane McCray says "activist blood" runs in her family(NYDN)

City Names New Job Czar, Announces Effort to Shake Up Workforce Development(NYO)


2014 As Mayor Limits Access Press Warms to Him With Selfie

de Blasio dramatically limits the press's access to him. The liberal media says nothing * De Blasio Talks With Press on City Hall Steps(NY1)
De Blasio talks getting 'out of the bubble,' snaps selfie with press corps(SI Advance) * De Blasio clowns with press, takes selfie on City Hall steps * De Blasio has a message problem, but who’s to blame? (Nation)

 Little Red Temp School House?
Push to Rid City of Classrooms That Are Anything but Temporary(NYT) Over 7,000 city students are learning in trailers, which were intended to be a temporary solution to crowded schools but are a testament to the struggle to keep up with teeming neighborhoods.








de Blasio Walks Back Charter Fight
Anti-de Blasio Charter Ads and the Poll Dive Cause 180 Turn
First Reset  With Eye Toward Polls, de Blasio Softens Tone on Charter Schools (NYT) de Blasio tried to mend fences on the charter school issue by emphasizing common ground while being clear that he won’t drop his agenda of focusing on traditional public schools through pre-K and after-school program expansion* De Blasio takes blame for charter-school impasse(NYP) * De Blasio says pre-K expansion will curb student suicides(NYP)  * The Post writes that a gap in law that leaves charter schools without space makes them vulnerable to political vindictiveness. But these words mean nothing without a permanent fix on space. The solution is to provide charters either co-located space in other public-school buildings they find acceptable — or the funding to rent or buy their own facilities. To channel Mayor Bill, these public-school students require a “dedicated stream of funding.” Plainly, the charter parents need it. But there are other kids who need those fixes, too — not least, the 50,000 New York City schoolchildren on charter waiting lists.* Charter School Decision Wasn't Clear, Mayor Says(WSJ) * De Blasio tries to ‘right the ship’ on charters(Capital)
Sought to clarify his stance on the issue, which has tripped him up during his time in office


Mayor, Bishop, NYPD, Transparency Meet Nixon's Rosemary Woods 18 1/2?
Wednesday Update
 amNewYork writes that the more time that passes without answers about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s involvement with the legal case of Bishop Orlando Findlayter, the more questionable the mayor’s position becomes:
 
Monday Update
"I dont comment on the details of the FOIL process," de Blasio says ...*
De Blasio Dodges FOIL Questions(NYO) * Asked about FOIL requests, de Blasio says he’s no lawyer(NYO) * De Blasio said he was “not a lawyer” when asked about his administration’s refusal to release documents related to the arrest and release of a political ally, Capital New York reports:

No Emails Exist? 
After 3 Months and A Foil Request Mayor's Office Reports That They Never Existed
De Blasio’s Office Says No Bishop Findlayter Emails Exist (NYO) The Wall Street Journal, which first reported Mr. de Blasio’s inquiries into the status of Mr. Findlayer after the bishop, an early campaign supporter, said specifically that, “The mayor’s office sent emails to the NYPD officials and Deputy Chief Royster said Mr. de Blasio called her to inquire about the arrest. He didn’t ask that the bishop be released, she said.”
Capital New York detailed its extensive efforts to get Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s administration to release information on the arrest of Bishop Orlando Findlayter. In short: Records officers appeared to do their best to ignore and delay repeated inquiries before one said that “he had not been authorized to release the information.” Mr. de Blasio championed information transparency as public advocate.
Mayor de Blasio First 3 Months 
de Blasion 2.0 After the Albany War 

 Journalism in NYC is No Profile in Courage
NYC Media Run Away From the Observer's Email Story Even WSJ Which Was the First To Report on the Emails has No Story 
Update: CapitalNY Has A Story Also
De Blasio FOIL: No record of Findlayter correspondence(Capital)

New York Emmy Awards Journalism Winners No Profiles in Courage

Taco Mayor Scandal. January 24, 2012. (WPIXTV).Mario Diaz, Reporter
Occupy Wall Street Erupts October 5, 2011. (WABC-TV).Jeff Pegues, Reporter
Mace In Your Face? May 7, 2012. (WABC-TV).Sarah Wallace
9/11 We Remember. September 10, 2011. (WNBC-TV).Chuck Scarboroug



Miranda's Patronage: Wife Get A Job in the City
Christine Marinoni, the wife of actress Cynthia Nixon, has landed a job with the de Blasio administration as a special adviser for community partnerships in the Department of EducationCASH IN THE CITY: Cynthia Nixon’s wife lands $120K job as advisor for community partnerships in de Blasio administration(NYDN) A $120,000-a-year gig in the de Blasio administration. Nixon was in Albany yesterday to lobby for more public education aid. * Cynthia Nixon doesn’t appear interested in pursuing her own career in politics. “I do not think I will run for office,” the actress said on Capital Tonight last night when asked about the possibility of running for governor. “I do not think so. It is very flattering that peple would think I would but no.” Ms. Nixon nevertheless had harsh words for Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “I want that Andrew Cuomo back. I want that Andrew Cuomo who knows that the overall price tag on education may be really high, but the money’s that’s being spent on kids in the lower income districts is just worse and worse,” she said.
 BdB says Bloomberg administration was rushing and was willing to cut some corners on co-locations. BdB re-approved vast majority of them.* Mayor de Blasio On Charter Schools, Storified(NYDN) * Bill de Blasio paves the way for more charter co-locations(NYO) * Why Mayor de Blasio Is Softening His Talk on Charter Schools (NY Mag) * Mayor expands on his comments about charters and co-locations in yesterday's education speech.  * De Blasio Gets a Laugh and Defends His Choices on Charters | The Nation *Mayor de Blasio Says He'll Allow More Charter School Co-Locations After Rules Are Revamped(NYDN) * Tuesday De Blasio: I will open more charter schools(NYP) * De Blasio needs to extend olive branch in charter school war(NYP Ed) * Shake it up, baby(NYP Ed)In the course of admitting he didn’t have a good reason for taking a good school away from kids in Harlem, Mayor de Blasio said that to fix a “broken” city school system, we have to “shake the foundations.” Today, some 1,500 students and teachers from Success Academy charter schools will be doing that at the Armory on the Hudson. They are holding a giant pep rally as they head into next week’s tests. It’s called “Slam the Exam!” And it’s a terrific example of how to “shake the foundations” of a public-school system mired in low expectations and even lower performance.* Mayor de Blasio says charter schools can share district space(NYDN)

Like to Know What They Think Of Mayor de Blasio, Not Where Are They Now
Mayoral Candidates: Where Are They Now?  (NYO)Since her loss, former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has been laying low—very low—spending time with her family while plotting her next move. She declined an interview request and has not been spotted at a single known political event, including the recent St. Pat’s for All Parade, where the city’s first openly LGBT and proudly Irish speaker had long been a staple.




Rudy Giuliani Looking to Attack de Blasio
“Giuliani: de Blasio taking city ‘in the wrong direction’”


Rudy's Daily Press Attacks
"The city was on a very good course.. and he's kind of turned it around." Watch Greg and with Rudy Giuliani he dishes on Charters, Carriage Horses and * Rudy Giuliani Weighs In On Carriage Horses, de Blasio's Job Performance | New York Daily News * * Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani pushed back against the de Blasio proposal to ban horse and carriage rides, saying that when horses bred to work are put on farms, they die, the Daily News reports:


Mayor Tired of Some Special Interests

Bill de Blasio wasn’t on hand to accept an award from the Council of Jewish Organizations breakfast yesterday, choosing instead to give an education school speech in Morningside Heights. “The mayor is sick and tired of how each and every organization plays as if they are the most important organization on the horizon,” a “source close to the mayor” told Yeshiva World News.






de Blasio Found His Honeymoon With the Press, At Least For One Night
De Blasio plays ‘Honeymooners’ at Inner Circle roast(NYP) Mayor de Blasio hammed it up as a “Honeymooner” — dipping and kissing wife Chirlane McCray — at the Inner Circle showcase to spoof media and politics Saturday night. McCray rocked an apron to channel her inner Alice Kramden, and “Boardwalk Empire” star Steve Buscemi joined the fun at the Hilton in Midtown as Ralph’s sewer-worker best friend, Ed Norton.* THE FRO: Mayor de Blasio pokes fun at himself during Inner Circle dinner(NYDN) * Mayor De Blasio Pokes Fun At Himself At Annual ‘Inner Circle’ Show(WINS) * Mayor turns comedian, delivers laughs at 'Inner Circle'(WABC) * Bill de Blasio enlists celebs to poke fun at himself at show(Newsday) *NYC mayor turned into Robin Hood at annual show * Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered a solid comedic performance at the annual Inner Circle show Saturday night(WNBC * Video: Bill de Blasio Dons Afro for Inner Circle Comedy Act(NYO)
--SEATING CHART: Table 18: Valerie Berlin, Ashley Cotton, Micah Lasher, Elizabeth Mann, Christine Mann, Christine Marinoni, Cynthia Nixon, Deb Rosen, Jonathan Rosen, Amy Rutkin … Table 37: Bill de Blasio, Zack Carter, David Dinkins, Nancy Hollander, Chirlane McCray, Peter Ragone, Ken Sunshine, Al Sharpton, Anthony Shorris …  

Mayor Fights for Some Co-Locations

 A tale of two co-locations(NYP Ed) If Bill de Blasio stands for one thing, it’s the notion that co-location is unfair, because it means people who aren’t as well off having to share space with those who have more resources. Or does he? But it’s also true that when it comes to affordable housing, he applies the opposite principle. That’s one of the less-noticed takeaways from the mayor’s intervention in the Domino Sugar development. Under the agreement reached during the Bloomberg years, the developer was to reserve 660 of the 2,300 units for “affordable housing.” After pressure from de Blasio, the developer agreed to build 700 of these units.


De Blasio didn’t mention Eva Moskowitz by name
.: "students in traditional schools, charter schools and religious schools are all our children and we have to care for them." * The notion that children are "lucky enough to escape" district schools "speaks volumes," BdB says * : root causes: poverty, hunger, joblessness. System is only working if "every child has opportunity." * on improving ALL schools RT : From Inner Circle to inner sanctum:Mayor speaks at Riverside Church* In ref to Harlem, BdB says city will find "a good home" for the 194 students, but not "at the expense" of special ed kids* says he's going to right the shop when it comes to dialogue about Charters.* Private money, public gain(NYDN Ed)

De Blasio so far: attempted charter school reset, blunter assessment of system than he and Fariña generally give. And of course, pre-K.* "we will make sure 194 students have a good place in sept but not at the expense of children w disabilities" * de Blasio @ Riverside Cathedral: 6% of children in charter schools, 94% in traditional schools. All need to succeed * . on blocking charters: "I didn’t measure up when it came to explaining those decisions to the people of this city" * De Blasio On Charter School Students: ‘We Need Them To Succeed’ « CBS New York * De Blasio softens rhetoric: I will reach out to all of the children, in traditional public schools, in charter schools, in religious schools * De Blasio Discusses Inequality in City's Education System During Church Visit(NY1) * Mayor de Blasio changes tone on charter schools, says he will find 'great' place for Success Academy students (NYDN) The mayor admitted Sunday that he could have done a better job of explaining some of his controversial decisions, including yanking free classroom space from 194 Success Academy charter school students. In a dramatic retreat, de Blasio said he was working with Success Academy head Eva Moskowitz — his longtime political foe — to find another space for the students.
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Just saw a new Families for Excellent Schools ad vs. de Blasio's charter school co-location decision, this one with a teary mom * Charter parents blast Bill: Give our kids same chance as Dante (NYP)

Queens District Leader Joins de Blasio Administration

Bill de Blasio Taps Queens District Leader to Join His Administration(NYO) Rebecca Lynch, a district leader in eastern Queens and a registered lobbyist for the teamsters union, recently joined Mr. de Blasio’s community affairs unit. While her exact role is not immediately clear, Ms. Lynch will likely assist Mr. de Blasio’s outreach efforts to Queens’ civic groups, nonprofits and community organizations.






De Blasio booed by Mets fans during 1st pitch(NYP)

Cuomo over funding universal pre-K in New York City. Some Democrats expressed surprise that the team had so many senior aides and that another one was coming on board to help direct the messaging operation. Senior aides acknowledged the start has been rocky, and that they’ve been actively trying to change course, reaching out to reporters and attempting to make the mayor more accessible. “Boy, lots of chiefs,” said a veteran Dem. Press secretary Phil Walzak declined to comment about the retooling of the communications team.* With Pre-K Fight Behind Him, De Blasio To Shift Focus To Affordable Housing(WCBSTV) * News Closeup: Former NY politicians evaluate Mayor de Blasio’s performance(WPIX)* “The governor was trying to embarrass him the whole time, and the mayor never took the bait, never called Cuomo a liar on the money, because we weren’t there to win a public relations battle,” a de Blasio adviser told New York. “Getting into a war of words would have played into what the governor wanted.”* de Blasio booed by Mets fans after throwing out first pitch(NYDN)* De Blasio appered unperturbed by the boos, saying: “I’m a sports fan and I think sports fans have a right to express themselves any way they want.”* One of the booing Mets fans yesterday was upset at Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s positions on charter schools and pre-K, the New York Post reports. “Is school a day care or education system?” said the fan, Jodi Freed. “At least he wasn’t the only one who drew the crowd’s ire. And he pitched better than the Mets’ bullpen did, that’s for sure,” noted ESPN.
More on Lobbyists the New Permanent Government 


FOIL Delays
How de Blasio Can Fix FOIL(City Limits) As public advocate, he saw shortcomings in the city's compliance with the public information law. A City Limits test of transparency in his young administration finds room for improvement remains.






Hotel Union Test How Much Power They Have Under de Blasio and New Council

Hotel Development Union Check Proposed
The Hotel Trades Council is pushing for stricter public review of new hotel development—which could help it gain members—setting up a test pitting de Blasio’s promises to developers against his relationship with labor, the Journal writes: * Bill would force hotel developers to submit plans to community(NYP)


Is the Council Giving Departing UPK Manager and Union ManagerA Gift?

UPKNYC Campaign Manager Returning to Union Gig(NYO) Josh Gold, who’d taken a leave of absence from the powerful Hotel Trades Council to manage the campaign, is in the process of transitioning back to his former job. Josh Gold, a de Blasio campaign aide who ran the mayor’s efforts to get universal prekindergarten, is returning to his old role at the Hotel Trades Council, a sign the lobbying push is over




Lower Water Rate Promise?
Some lawmakers and residents are demanding that de Blasio follow through on a campaign promise to lower water bills, which have surged as of late, CBS New York reports: 

de Blasio Flip Flops on A Restaurant Ploy?
Giving Restaurants Something Back After Sick Pay Law Passes 
City to revamp Bloomberg’s restaurant grades(Capital) City Hall and Council to make system less punitive* New York City reportedly plans to revamp its restaurant grading system to ease fines on business owners who have long lamented the penalty structure.* De Blasio has ‘change of heart’ on health fines(Capital)Mayor Bill de Blasio, who last year accused Christine Quinn of a "cynical ploy" to lower restaurant fines, embraced those same changes after they were announced on Friday.


 City to revamp restaurant grades(Capital) De Blasio and Council promise to make a Bloomberg system less punitive* In Reprieve for Restaurant Industry, City Is Proposing Changes to Grading System(NYT) * New restaurant grade guidelines to ease penalties(NYP) * In Reprieve for Restaurant Industry, New York Proposes Changes to Grading System(NYT) Officials proposed tweaks to the current rating system so that restaurants would have more chances to appeal — and in some cases, avoid — financial penalties for many violations.* New Rules Aim to Reduce Restaurant Fines(WSJ) * City will dish out lower fines for sanitary violations, keeping the letter-grade systems for restaurants(NYDN)  * The Post writes that Mayor Bill de Blasio has taken a step in the right direction by overhauling New York City’s restaurant inspection rules: 

Lobbyist  JOSHUA GOLD Hotel, Restaurant & Club Employees & Bartenders Union Local 6 * UPKNYC is run, in part, by the mayor's former campaign aides. Its lobbyist works for the city's massive hotel workers' union, JOSHUA GOLD and his contract allows him to work for both groups at the same time * NYC.Hospitality Alliance  Yoswein New York


De Blasio Makes Surprise Stop at ABNY Breakfast

Bill de Blasio talks about ties with rich people (NYO) Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pre-K victory lap made a stop at an Association for a Better New York breakfast this morning, where his deputy mayor for housing and economic development, Alicia Glen, was giving her first major speech.

The Real NY Job Killer
In 2011, New York Was Tops In State And Local Taxes(YNN) * City Names New Job Czar, Announces Effort to Shake Up Workforce Development(NYO)





Child Welfare Tale of Two Cities Widens 
De Blasio's child welfare reforms falling flat, officials say: (DNAINFO) A key component of the mayor's child-safety reforms — implemented in January in the wake of 4-year-old Myls Dobson's death — has been stymied by child welfare workers who don't file required paperwork and often fail to show up for court hearings, officials said.

de Blasio's Wall Street Guy 4 Eco Development


De Blasio Naming Ex-Banker as Economic Development Corp. Chairman(NYT)
Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to name Michael Schlein, a close friend with deep ties to Wall Street, as chairman of the Economic Development Corporation * Mr. Fix-it(NYP Ed)At the same time his administration touts figures showing employment in Gotham’s technology sector far outpacing job growth in the rest of the economy, the mayor made clear he will bully companies into following his plans for “economic justice.” The mayor’s immediate target is Verizon, though presumably others would be affected too. A hint of where this is going is that he’s turned over the issue to Maya Wiley, a civil-rights attorney de Blasio recently named his counsel. Michael Schlein—a former aide to two mayors, former senior executive at Citigroup and chief executive of microfinance firm Accion—as the city’s next Economic Development Corp. chairman.  The Post writes that the de Blasio administration is aiming to lower prices for Verizon’s internet service, but the free market does a better job of making prices affordable than the government ever will


Big Union Party 
De Blasio’s union allies blew $800K on year-end party(NYP)The hospital workers union that rode Bill de Blasio’s wave to City Hall spent nearly $800,000 on a year-end blowout — where the mayor and his wife made a guest appearance, records show. Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union East — a 300,000-member working-class outfit — rented out three floors of the Sheraton New York for a holiday soiree that doubled as a political victory bash. “[There’s] a phrase we use in New York City politics: We say, ‘We remember who we came to the dance with,’ ” de Blasio told the raucous crowd, a YouTube posting of the speech shows. “And all I can say, on behalf of Chirlane and myself, is we came to the dance with 1199 — and we are very, very proud of that fact.” As public advocate and during last year’s campaign, de Blasio made keeping open struggling medical institutions a priority. Local 1199 returned that support — shelling out $231,000 in independent expenditures for advertisements and flyers backing their candidate.The filings newly show that the union spent more than $361,000 on politically-related mailings to its members — money that isn’t required to be publicly reported under city campaign-finance laws.





 Last July, during the mayoral race, he wrote to Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott to oppose a Success co-location expansion, saying: "These changes appear to be a part of a sustained pattern to privilege Eva Moskowitz's Success Academy schools with space and resources at the expense of the traditional public schools with which they share buildings." Education observers said de Blasio turned the fight personal partly to score political points. "The vast majority of public school parents detest Eva Moskowitz," said Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters. "Every time he said something about her at a debate, hundreds of parents would applaud." But Moskowitz's admirers are equally intense. Jacob Mnookin, executive director of Coney Island Prep, a Brooklyn charter, said Moskowitz is a target for the mayor because "she's a tireless advocate for her students and families."


No Boos This Time 4 Shabbos Goy Mayor Met

METS-EL-TOV: Mayor de Blasio dons Mets yarmulke at temple(NYDN) Still feeling amazin' even after he got booed throwing the first pitch at Citi Field on Monday, Mayor de Blasio donned a “Mets-themed” yarmulke given to him by the team at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and sang the team’s praises.





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