Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:35:06 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Davidson Goldin :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Davidson+Goldin istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/cuomo-is-noticeably-absent-at-swearing/73114/ Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST ALBANY — Mario Cuomo's picture could wind up on the side of state Capitol-area milk cartons following his conspicuous absence from Governor Paterson's party-like swearing-in ceremony that could mark the end of Andrew Cuomo's gubernatorial ambitions. There were plenty of governors alongside Senators Schumer and Clinton in the same heavily-guarded V.I.P. section where Mayor Bloomberg was sitting, representing three states neighboring New York — Jon Corzine of New Jersey, Jodi Rell of Connecticut... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-meaning-for-day-one/72665/ Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Before Client no. 9 had any idea he'd one day become Client no. 9, he told an interviewer his wife didn't think it was worth being governor of New York State if his family had to endure the personal pain of the Troopergate scandal. "She looks at me and says: 'Do you really want this stuff? And do you want this for your kids and do you want them to see this stuff?'" Governor Spitzer lamented. "She says, you know: 'What was wrong with going into the family business? That wouldn't have been so bad... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-next-stop-albany/72202/ Mon, 3 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Running for president was always an unlikely next step for Mayor Bloomberg. Running for governor is likely, and becoming more so. Mr. Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer don't get along very well. They understand their mutual need to accomplish individual goals while in office, but as individuals they don't have much in common beyond liking a coffee shop situated near their Upper East Side residences. Don't expect to hear much talk from the Bloomberg camp about running for governor. The nonstop talk... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/to-spitzer-careful-what-you-wish/71864/ Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Sometimes when you win, you lose. Governor Spitzer will learn that the hard way if Democrats win control of the state Senate. That could happen soon. A Democratic win in today's upstate special election would leave the Republicans with just a one-seat margin. Flipping one Republican senator to the Democratic side would give Mr. Spitzer's party control right away. And in any event, this November's elections — when voters have a say about all 62 Senate seats — will likely return the Senate to... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/so-long-subway-series/71271/ Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Not too long ago, there was a real possibility the presidential election could become a "subway series" — with New Yorkers having a choice among two locals for national office. There was even a third in on the on-deck circle. And a fourth hopeful never suited up. We now know there won't be a presidential match-up between Senator Clinton and Mayor Giuliani. While Mayor Bloomberg remains poised to enter the race, he's not likely to become a candidate. And Governor Pataki wanted to run but did not... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloombergs-bid-the-mccain-factor/70725/ Tue, 5 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Look for Mayor Bloomberg's limerence with running for president to fade away as Super Tuesday's votes are counted tomorrow night if they show Senator McCain as the presumptive Republican nominee. The rationale for a Bloomberg candidacy was always predicated on the expectation both parties would nominate partisan extremists — leaving moderate and independent-minded voters searching for a post-partisan alternative. The irony is that the same fuel that fired Bloomberg aspirations filtered down to... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/congestion-pricing-plan-needs-some-tweaks/70080/ Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST The city is a week away from finding out how government officials plan to reduce traffic and at the same time raise money for mass transit by charging drivers to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan. Congestion pricing makes sense, but only as part of a broader plan to combat gridlock and keep cars, trucks, and buses moving at a reasonable clip in the nation's most crowded business district. There are four ideas now on the table: • The mayor's original plan claims it would reduce traffic by 6... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/big-expansion-projects-bring-even-bigger-delays/69725/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Neat ideas are easy. Making them happen is hard. Like the 2nd Avenue Subway, 30 years behind schedule and finally — perhaps the more accurate word is "supposedly" — on track for completion. This scenario might sound familiar: New York lawmakers authorize a rail tunnel between Brooklyn and Staten Island. Construction begins but unexpected costs drive up the price and the money runs out. The project is scrapped fairly quickly, leaving big holes in the ground near what would have been the entrance... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/national/promises-of-change-fall-flat-without-hope/69004/ Mon, 7 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Change without hope is hopeless. Senator Clinton is learning this the hard way, as her campaign risks floundering because her full-throttle embrace of "change" is tinged with anger, not optimism. Just moments after declaring during the ABC News/Facebook debate that "we need somebody who can deliver change," Mrs. Clinton complained that "we don't need to be raising the false hopes of our country about what can be delivered." But hopes are what this election — any election — is all about. Leaders... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayors-2008-move-depends-on-primaries/68408/ Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST When Michael Bloomberg was deciding whether to run for mayor in 2001, winning was the goal but the idea of losing wasn't particularly scary to him. Mr. Bloomberg viewed the opportunity to emerge as a leading voice for change in the city as worth the risk of losing the election. As he nears a decision on whether to run for president, though, Mr. Bloomberg is no longer pining to make his opinions about what he considers the most pressing issues of our time relevant to the political discourse... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/dr-evils-magic-laser/68142/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST Congestion pricing is beginning to feel a bit like Dr. Evil's "laser" in "Austin Powers" — we know it's there, but we're not exactly sure what it does. The good news for Mayor Bloomberg is that he's likely to win some sort of "congestion pricing" plan by the spring now that the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, is on board with developing a plan to reduce Manhattan traffic by charging a fee to drivers. This is noteworthy because Mr. Silver has played the recurring role of obstructionist to some... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/pataki-nod-is-delayed-by-mayor/67966/ Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's potential presidential aspirations are now taking their toll on actual candidates. Even as Mayor Giuliani and the other Republican candidates court George Pataki, the former New York governor is staying on the sidelines in part because Mr. Bloomberg is viewed as increasingly likely to run. "He's a billionaire, he's the mayor of New York City, they're actually friends — not exactly a bridge you burn lightly," observed one political insider who is familiar with the politics... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/common-wisdom/36939/ Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's much-criticized response to Con Edison's deceit-laden incompetence in Queens should hurt his standing with New Yorkers — at least that's the conventional wisdom. No doubt Fernando Ferrer is wishing the blackout had been a year ago. Mr. Bloomberg still has a chance to reverse his mistaken nonchalance of the past ten days if he can pressure Con Ed to forego all profits this year and put that cash into improving the electrical infrastructure of feeder cables, transformers, and... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/can-you-hear-me-now/36376/ Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST Here's a job for New York's City Council: a law requiring companies to provide customers with contact information for the highest-level customer service department upon request. Sounds simple. But many companies reserve their most helpful customer service experts for those of us who become detectives to track them down. When companies initially sell us a service, government should have no regulatory role beyond banning fraud. At that point we're not customers yet and the free market allows us... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/being-fair-with-all-new-yorkers/35993/ Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST Albert Pirro is lucky. Of course, he probably considers himself unlucky for getting a speeding ticket for going a reported 98 mph in New Rochelle a few days ago. He's lucky simply because he was in Westchester — and not because his wife is the Westchester district attorney who's running for attorney general. Pirro is lucky simply because he wasn't in the city. He'll probably beat the ticket, or at least plead it down to a lesser violation that doesn't require suspension of his driver's license... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/when-a-fine-is-a-discount/35620/ Fri, 7 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST Bernard Kerik made out pretty well for a convicted criminal. He was this close to spending time in the jail that bore his name until he became eligible to become an inmate. Mr. Kerik's lawyer repeatedly emphasizes that his client pleaded guilty only to two misdemeanors, not the more serious category of felonies. This is substantial for several reasons: He can vote, he can keep his coveted pistol permit, and he can keep being referred to as "Mr." in newspapers that drop the "Mr." for convicted... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/between-city-and-state/35356/ Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EST Between the city and the state, government took in $10 billion more of our money than was really needed over the last year. That's absurd. The city and state budgets are both up about 6% over the last year, with the city growing from $50 billion to $53 billion and the state from $106 to $113. There could have been another $10 billion in tax cuts and the government would've had enough money to function. For obvious reasons, officials would rather be in the black than in the red - so they... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/will-news-take-a-holiday/34910/ Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EST The arrival of summer is always thought to bring the beginning of a slow news period. But year after year news has a habit of breaking out. There are of course the seasonal events like hurricanes that depend on the warm weather. And then there are perennial possibilities that just happen to thrive in heat and humidity. Here's a look at what might (or might not) happen this summer * Governor Pataki has just six months left as the nation's longest-serving governor. What will he do to make a... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/hillarys-double-play/34510/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EST Look for Senator Clinton to spend aggressively in her easy-to-win re-election campaign that's doing double-time as a presidential exploratory committee. Mrs. Clinton has raised more than $40 million since she took office five-and-a-half years ago, and she's spent about half her cash already. That's a huge sum considering her paltry opposition. And the spending is about more than ensuring a big win in November. By the time Mrs. Clinton is officially running for president, she'll already have a... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/faso-today-bloomberg-tomorrow/34130/ Thu, 8 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg isn't really a Republican but he'll soon be the state's most powerful Republican. Whether that's irony or tragedy depends on your politics. John Faso can't beat Eliot Spitzer for governor, K.T. McFarland and John Spencer will fare even worse against Senator Clinton, there's barely a challenger to Alan Hevesi and while Jeanine Pirro could become Attorney General her felonious husband's criminal past will haunt her forever. The majority leader of the State Senate, Joseph Bruno... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/hillary-factor-stand-with-me/33714/ Thu, 1 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EST Hillary Clinton dropped the ball in Buffalo. While her colleagues who share responsibility for representing New York went ballistic over Washington's 40% cut in anti-terrorism funding for the city, Mrs. Clinton wouldn't be diverted from acting like the presidential contender she intends to become. She constantly commanded New Yorkers to "stand with me" in her fight for the national spotlight. But Mrs. Clinton didn't even try convincing voters how she'll fight for us during a second term in the... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/book-on-schumer/33395/ Thu, 25 May 2006 00:00:00 EST Senator Schumer's Sunday press conferences will attract less attention in an era of Governor Spitzer and Senator Clinton, a presidential frontrunner. So the astute politician is rolling out a relevance-retention plan. The senior New York senator who won reelection by a record margin has selected next January to release a new book - the same time Eliot Spitzer would become governor and Senator Clinton would become a presidential contender. Mr. Schumer isn't exactly friends with either of his... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/taxpayers-spurn-wtc-memorial/32965/ Thu, 18 May 2006 00:00:00 EST If World Trade Center planners needed yet another reason to reconsider plans for a copious September 11, 2001, memorial, perhaps they should listen to New Yorkers who are speaking with their wallets. Or, more precisely, their tax returns. This was the first year New Yorkers could donate to the memorial on their state tax returns. The process couldn't be easier: Just check a box and write in the amount of money. Yet of the 7.6 million tax returns filed last month, only 14,707 included World... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/giuliani-in-carolina-full-of-praise-for-bush/32754/ Tue, 16 May 2006 00:00:00 EST RALEIGH, N.C. - Rudolph Giuliani says he'll run for president only if he thinks he can win. There's little doubt he hopes the answer will be yes. As Mr. Giuliani lays the groundwork for a national campaign, he's trying to build support by shedding his reputation as a lone ranger who could easily support a Democrat if he were in the mood. Mr. Giuliani spent yesterday afternoon in North Carolina - building political capital with local Republican leaders by doing them the favor of being here. He... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/introducing-imperial-rudy/32597/ Thu, 11 May 2006 00:00:00 EST The heartland is getting to know Rudolph Giuliani. The early reviews are in, and America's Mayor has some softening up to do: "His five-SUV caravan, security guards and staged media events for his national press entourage bring to mind other big-state politicians - like then-California Gov. Pete Wilson - who misfired in Iowa because they didn't understand the need to do one-on-one, grassroots work." - 5/9/06, David Yepsen of The Des-Moines Register, complaining about Mr. Giuliani's imperial... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/breaking-the-bank/32418/ Tue, 9 May 2006 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's recent opposition to breaking the bank for the World Trade Center memorial follows years of behind-the-scenes complaints about the project's cost. In a confidential and previously unreported meeting with the World Trade Center Memorial Jury on August 7, 2003, Mr. Bloomberg worried about the memorial's cost and spoke in highly personal terms about his own mortality. He argued that money would be better spent prolonging lives being lived - rather than building a vast monument to... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/giuliani-gets-a-big-boost-from-bush/32228/ Fri, 5 May 2006 00:00:00 EST President Bush is lending Rudolph Giuliani some big-money muscle for his potential presidential bid. When Mr. Giuliani traveled through Iowa on a scouting trip Monday, reporters didn't recognize the woman at his side, Anne Dickerson, who was on her first road trip since discreetly becoming Mr. Giuliani's lead fund-raiser a few weeks ago. (The hiring of Ms. Dickerson was first reported on The New York Sun Web site yesterday.) Ms. Dickerson rose to prominence during the Bush-Cheney re-election... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-fund-raiser-signs-on-with-giuliani/32193/ Thu, 4 May 2006 17:14:39 EST When Rudolph Giuliani made his way through Iowa on a pre-campaign swing the other day, reporters didn't recognize the woman at his side. She was Anne Dickerson, who recently signed on as his top fund-raiser and was on her first road trip with the new boss. Ms. Dickerson was in high demand for the 2008 presidential cycle, given her tremendous success recruiting legions of $200,000 Rangers and $100,000 Pioneers for President Bush in the 2004 crash for cash. Mr. Giuliani planned to announce her... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/how-the-gop-wooed-suozzi/32155/ Thu, 4 May 2006 00:00:00 EST Governor Pataki did try, and failed, to make a Republican out of Thomas Suozzi, the Nassau County executive - a Democrat who is running for governor as a Long Island long shot. Two of Mr. Pataki's closest confidantes approached Mr. Suozzi earlier this year and promised fund-raising help if he joined the GOP. Mr. Suozzi immediately ruled out the idea of leaving the Democratic Party. Mr. Pataki himself was not directly involved in the effort. This all comes from Republican sources familiar with... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/flight-93-soars-ziegfeld-follies/31766/ Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST A hundred relatives of United 93 passengers were seated together for the premier of "United 93" at Tuesday night's opening of the Tribeca Film Festival. They were asked to stand before the film began, and within seconds the whole theater joined them with a standing ovation. Nearly two hours later, the screen faded to a silent black and the sounds of sobbing overtook the Ziegfeld Theater. The relatives clearly had been crying for quite a while - but the actors' screams on the big screen had... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/unintended-consequences-2006-04-25/31591/ Tue, 25 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST There's nothing quite like the law of unintended consequences. California billionaire Ronald Burkle thought he was going after a gossip columnist when he accused a Page Six writer of extortion. But he's inadvertently turned an unwelcome spotlight on his friend's wife, who just happens to be the Democratic frontrunner for president. We all know the back-story by now: New York Post gossip-monger Jared Paul Stern paid several visits to Mr. Burkle's SoHo loft, where he allegedly asked Mr. Burkle to... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/time-to-shut-the-tram-to-roosevelt-island/31391/ Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST The Roosevelt Island tram's two gondolas are now safely tucked away on solid ground. That's where they should stay. The money-losing tourist attraction, operated by a state authority, is obsolete and unsafe. We've all heard the good news from Tuesday evening's malfunction: The 68 people trapped in midair when the trams stalled were all eventually retrieved safely. Police and fire rescuers worked as a team. Private industry pitched in with a crane. While skill and hard work made these successes... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/take-the-money-and-run/31353/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg convincingly complains that Washington takes billions of dollars more from city residents than we get back in federal aid. So why is he turning down free food stamps for poor New Yorkers? Washington seems willing to exempt New York City from the three-month limit on food stamps for healthy adults under 50 who don't have children. But Mr. Bloomberg nixed the idea - arguing that the free money is counterproductive. By denying food stamps to people capable of working, Mr. Bloomberg... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/corzine-gets-in-the-way/30912/ Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST The original cultural groups were kicked out. The original Memorial design isn't attracting donors. And now the new New Jersey governor is getting in the way. It's time for Governor Pataki or Mayor Bloomberg to go to the World Trade Center site, hold a major press event with worldwide symbolic value and declare they're once-and-for-all taking over and turning this worldwide embarrassment around. Here's a game plan to help get them in the game: (1) Governor Corzine should be told in the clearest... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/paycheck-showdown/30649/ Fri, 7 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Give them their checks. State lawmakers should get paid regardless of whether the budget is on-time. Now that they've passed two consecutive budgets by the April 1 deadline, it's time to eliminate the silly and ineffective gimmick of withholding lawmakers' paychecks until they approve a spending plan. After 14 consecutive late budgets, Governor Pataki offered lawmakers a deal in 1998: They could have a 38% pay raise - but only if they agreed to put their checks on ice when the budget is late... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/window-for-debate/30273/ Mon, 3 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST "Our economy is getting worse," began Governor Pataki's first ad a dozen years ago when he began his longshot bid for the state's top job. The candidates this year don't have to worry about defeating a brand-name incumbent like Mario Cuomo, but they are following the predictable script that Governor Pataki borrowed from President Clinton's War Room: "It's the economy, stupid." Eliot Spitzer recently compared the upstate economy to the Appalachia, the American emblem of economic distress... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/da-and-the-significance-of-lies/29756/ Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST "Oh, I've been lied to before. I've gotten over it. When that becomes a crime, I think we should all get out of this business." Who said this yesterday? a) A teacher whose student lost his homework; b) A parent whose child missed a curfew; c) The nurse who takes your weight at the doctor's office; d) The Brooklyn district attorney discussing the murder of Imette St. Guillen. Unfortunately, the most disturbing answer, d), is the correct answer. At a press conference discussing the first-degree... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/budget-crunching-villains/29704/ Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Lawmakers in the city and Albany are having more influence than normal during budget negotiations. Funny how peace has a way of breaking out when the mayor and the governor aren't worrying about the next election. A press release from the City Council yesterday was a metaphor for the warm relations between Speaker Christine Quinn and her presumptive adversary, Mayor Bloomberg. The east and west sides of City Hall are teaming up to crack down on the influence of lobbyists. This announcement... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/binding-arbitration-for-ground-zero/29319/ Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Terrorists changed everything when they flew planes into the twin towers. Larry Silverstein thinks his rights as the World Trade Center leaseholder should survive what his buildings couldn't. That's why Mr. Silverstein is now taking such a painful hit on his reputation and his legacy - and part of the reason that binding arbitration would make sense as a way out. The "greedy" accusation lodged against Mr. Silverstein by Governor Pataki's loyal lieutenant, Charles Gargano, was the opening salvo... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/st-guillens-lingering-questions/29280/ Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Over the last few weeks, the brutal torture, rape, and murder of Imette St. Guillen has raised countless questions - not only about the crime, but about our way of life in New York City. In most places throughout the country, bars are shut tight by 4 a.m. Here, nightlife is still bustling at the hour bartenders call last call. St. Guillen disappeared at closing time on February 25. She'd left alone, we were first told, prompting fears of Mexico City-style abductions. But if The Falls' bouncer... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/falls-could-be-facing-last-call/29008/ Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Last call at the Falls could happen soon now that authorities officially have a suspect in the murder of Imette St. Guillen, who was last seen leaving the SoHo bar around 4 a.m. on February 25. A week ago, the New York State Liquor Authority and city prosecutors were eager to take action after word leaked that a bar manager had lied to detectives and that the bar had illegally employed a convicted felon. Sources say the New York Police Department asked them to back off - because police wanted... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/plenty-of-questions/28867/ Thu, 9 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST The case was cold last Friday. Cops were stumped about who'd killed Imette St. Guillen six days earlier. They couldn't exactly announce that to the world, especially with the press frenzy building at an exponential rate. Police commanders needed a new development to feed the press - after all, reporters have to fill their stories with something, and the news cycle won't wait for actual news. That's why 150 uniformed cops were diverted from their normal duties and ordered to fan out across the... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/no-one-in-charge/28446/ Thu, 2 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST What began as a national tragedy is now morphing into a worldwide disgrace. Terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, but the failure to make progress redeveloping the site is our fault alone. Mayor Giuliani had the right idea when he suggested the entire trade center site should become a park. That would have been both elegant and efficient - providing a reasonably priced memorial to remember and honor the 3,000 office workers and rescue workers who were killed. Instead of sticking with a... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/suozzi-can-liven-up-election/28286/ Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST What a difference a year makes. New Yorkers anticipated a vigorous mayoral campaign at this time last year. A Bloomberg landslide wasn't in the cards. Then again, no one predicted the Democratic candidates would prove so inept. There were also unrealistic expectations about the then-distant race for governor. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer appeared on his way to a free ride among Democrats after Senator Schumer decided to direct Democrats' long-shot efforts to take control of the U.S. Senate... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/its-all-politics/28071/ Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST State lawmakers should extend their winter break. There doesn't seem to be much for them to do when they return to Albany next week - so they may as well save taxpayers the $125,000 a week it costs to feed, house and transport them. So far this year, policy matters haven't dominated discussion in the state capitol. Instead, politics is center stage for the first time in a decade. Until political battles that don't involve lawmaking are settled, lawmakers won't accomplish much. Since 1995... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/budget-dance-begins/27581/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is a big fan of the phone. First there was 311 to make the city bureaucracy accessible. Now he wants New Yorkers makes the case for increased state funding of New York City schools by calling state lawmakers and the governor directly. 311 is cheaper than 411 if you need their phone numbers. Announcing this $6.5 billion telethon was momentous enough to bring Mayor Bloomberg and the new City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, together in City Hall's Blue Room for the first time... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/tenets-for-politicians-to-live-by/27331/ Thu, 9 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Consistency. Sincerity. Lack of Anger. Three tenets for politicians to live by. Consistency is easy enough to gauge. Sincerity is more subjective, but voters know it when they see it. Anger is easy to judge thanks to television. John Kerry never got past his inconsistent image as a flip-flopper. Fernando Ferrer never got passed the insincere moment he told a gathering of NYPD sergeants he no longer considered the police killing of Amadou Diallo a crime. Howard Dean never got past his nationally... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/silversteins-predicament/27167/ Tue, 7 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Larry Silverstein could learn a lesson from Mayor Bloomberg's losing quest for a West Side Stadium: Sometimes the jig is up even while you're still fighting. Mr. Bloomberg was wheeling and dealing with Albany up until last June's stadium deadline, truly believing his good faith efforts to make the stadium happen actually had a chance. They didn't. The stadium had been doomed for months because the powers-in-charge, two leaders of the state legislature in Albany, were determined to block the... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/opinion/why-did-golisano-drop-out/26954/ Thu, 2 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Maybe Thomas Golisano is afraid to win. Mr. Golisano was a sure loser for governor in 1994, but that didn't stop him from spending more than $6 million to win 4% of the vote. At the time, Mr. Golisano had just helped create the Independence Party and his candidacy seemed more about putting his new party on the map than putting himself in Albany. But Mr. Golisano's motivation looked more personal in 1998, when again he ran with no chance of actually winning. $13 million brought him 8% on... DAVIDSON GOLDIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/kellys-cousin-complains-against-police/26436/ Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST Arthur Heller is among the 3,000 New Yorkers a year who formally complain about police brutality or misconduct. His case stands out because Mr. Heller's cousin is the city's police commissioner, Raymond Kelly. Mr. Heller claims he was beaten by two plainclothes officers after his MetroCard didn't work properly two weeks ago. Cops have been cracking down on MetroCard abuse, and Mr. Heller apparently found himself caught up in an ongoing effort to prevent subway fraud. Mr. Heller, 27, is the son...