Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:22:39 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Grace Rauh :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Grace+Rauh istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/tax-vote-aims-at-paterson/84159/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST In an affront to Governor Paterson, Assembly Democrats are preparing to vote to raise taxes permanently on New Yorkers earning more than $1 million a year. The so-called millionaire's tax bill would raise the personal income tax rate of people earning more than $1 million, and boost the tax rate even higher for people earning more than $5 million. The increases up for consideration are higher than had been proposed earlier this year and, unlike the previous plan, would not be restricted to a... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/a-budget-deal-may-embolden-governor-paterson/84257/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST ALBANY — With lawmakers on the brink of voting through more than $1 billion in cuts to the state budget over two years, Governor Paterson appears to be on his way toward emerging from a special legislative session emboldened. Lawmakers said last night that they were prepared to cut more than $400 million from this year's budget and some $600 million for the following year. With those cuts in hand, Mr. Paterson could be expected to tout the savings as a sign that he is a fiscally responsible... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/paterson-boosts-troopers/84088/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Weeks after state police troopers padded Governor Paterson's campaign war chest with a $25,000 contribution, the governor is awarding the troopers a 14% pay raise over four years. The contract agreement with the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers could present a problem for Mr. Paterson, as he has been sounding the alarm over the health of the state's budget and has summoned lawmakers back to Albany for a special session tomorrow to trim the budget by $600 million. He... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/rock-music-museum-announces-ny-branch/83858/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is coming to New York, with the Cleveland institution set to open its first museum annex in the city in November. Alongside the singer Billy Joel, the music industry executive Clive Davis, and Bruce Springsteen's first car, a yellow 1957 Chevrolet convertible with orange flames painted on the hood, Mayor Bloomberg announced the opening yesterday outside the future location of the annex, at 76 Mercer St. Mr. Bloomberg, who called himself a "die-hard rock... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/top-bloomberg-aide-opposes-third-term/83764/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's chief political adviser and the architect of his shadow campaign for president is often credited as the force behind an effort to convince the mayor to extend term limits and run for a third term, but it turns out that this latest drumbeat is coming from New Yorkers outside City Hall. Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey, who famously fanned the flames of the mayor's public flirtation with a White House bid and promoted him as a vice presidential candidate, told The New York Sun that he... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/air-conditioned-businesses-face-fines-for-leaving/83770/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Business owners who leave their doors open while an air-conditioner is running are about to face a fine for the offense. The City Council is poised to approve new legislation on Thursday that would bar stores from keeping their doors open when air-conditioners or central cooling systems are in use. Any store or restaurant in violation of the new rule will first be issued a written warning and charged fines for subsequent violations. The second time within an 18-month period that a business is... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/council-could-benefit-on-rent-as-it-seeks-control/83599/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The City Council's efforts to gain more control over the board that oversees the city's rent-stabilized apartments stand to benefit Speaker Christine Quinn and the other council members who pay below-market rents for their apartments. Critics of rent regulation say that if the council wins its fight and is allowed to confirm all mayoral appointments to the Rent Guidelines Board, the nine-member panel that sets annual rent increases for almost 1 million rent-regulated apartments in the city, the... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/claimants-against-new-york-get-a-boost-from/83491/ Fri, 8 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Even as New York City faces billion-dollar budget gaps, Comptroller William Thompson Jr. is making it easier for New Yorkers to sue the city over property damage incurred during last year's storm flooding. Mr. Thompson, a likely candidate for mayor, announced yesterday that he is taking the unusual step of extending by six months the deadline for claimants to take legal action for losses from the flooding, which his office says was triggered by storms last April, July, and August. The... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/homelessness-rises-with-spending-to-prevent-it/83475/ Fri, 8 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The number of homeless families in the city is on the rise even as spending on homeless prevention programs and shelters increases, according to a new report released by the city's Independent Budget Office. There were 8,848 homeless families in shelter in the city's most recent fiscal year, which ended July 1, up from 8,712 in 2004, the report found. The number of single adults in shelter has gone down by 1,456 since 2004, to 6,976 from 8,432. The report indicates that Mayor Bloomberg's... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/poll-voters-support-tax-the-rich-scheme-prefer/83309/ Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Nearly four out of five New York State voters support a tax-the-rich plan, first floated by state Assembly Democrats, that would raise income taxes on people who earn more than $1 million a year. When a recent poll by Quinnipiac University asked voters to state whether they support or oppose the proposal, 78% of voters surveyed said that they back the plan. Among Democrats, 91% of voters said they are in support of the so-called millionaire's tax, and 7% said they oppose it. Among Republican... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/former-council-speaker-seeks-extension-of-term/83292/ Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A former speaker of the City Council, Peter Vallone Sr., is trying to pull together New Yorkers in an organized effort to extend term limits in the council. Mr. Vallone, who represented Astoria, Queens, between 1974 and 2001, says term limits cripple the council's ability to counterbalance the mayor's wing of City Hall. He wants to see term limits abolished altogether, but said he would be open to an effort to extend term limits to three terms, up from two. "I think it's an abomination, as far... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/lauder-is-key-to-a-third-term-for-mayor-bloomberg/83214/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The city's leading champion of term limits is privately signaling a new openness to a third term for Mayor Bloomberg. Several business leaders who have spoken with businessman and philanthropist Ronald Lauder have left with the impression that he would not challenge an effort to extend term limits by a referendum, a source with knowledge of the conversations said. A private indication by Mr. Lauder that he would sit on the sidelines during an effort to extend term limits could embolden... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/on-obamas-birthday-mayor-fetes-clinton/83100/ Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST It's Senator Obama's 47th birthday today, but Mayor Bloomberg is seeing to it that Senator Clinton will get a party of her own. The independent mayor, who did not endorse a candidate during the presidential primary and has avoided taking sides in the general election, is throwing a welcome home party for Mrs. Clinton at Gracie Mansion tonight. Rep. Charles Rangel, the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, and the city comptroller, William Thompson Jr., are among the expected guests... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-spends-millions-on-empty-offices/83044/ Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The city's Department of Transportation is paying millions of dollars in rent for six floors of premium office space that are sitting empty. The department's move into the space will be delayed by at least one year, by the agency's estimation, and will cost the city a minimum of $11.8 million — the annual rent for the 368,147 square feet of office space at 55 Water St. in Lower Manhattan that the department will someday call its headquarters. The stalled move and the city's payments for empty... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/nypds-kelly-may-be-asked-to-stay-at-post/83045/ Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST As Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly considers a run for City Hall, the likely mayoral candidates are lining up to praise his record and indicating that if elected mayor, they could try to keep him on as commissioner. Businessman John Catsimatidis, a Republican, said he would love to have Mr. Kelly on his team, and the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, a Democrat, said New York is lucky to have him and would be lucky to keep him. Two other top candidates, Comptroller William... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-cautions-against-selling-subway-system/82957/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg argued yesterday that the city's subway system should not be sold to the private sector, as he jumped into a larger debate over the possibility that the state would sell off public properties as a way to save money in the face of widening budget deficits. At a press conference in Staten Island, Mr. Bloomberg cautioned against turning to private companies as a solution to the state's budget woes — a specter raised by Governor Paterson this week — saying that while he is a "very... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/catsimatidis-readies-for-2009-mayoral-run/82960/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Democrat-turned-Republican businessman John Catsimatidis is laying the groundwork for a 2009 run for mayor by forming an exploratory committee and pulling together a team of political aides to run his likely campaign. A veteran of Republican politics who ran Governor Pataki's 1994 campaign, Robert Ryan, will be the committee's executive director. A retired deputy CEO of Deloitte & Touche, Alan Bernikow, will serve as its treasurer, and an election lawyer who worked on the mayoral campaigns of... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/paterson-warns-of-state-financial-crisis/82740/ Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST With the city and state bracing for a financial hit from an uncertain economy, Governor Paterson is arguing that the city's public employees don't seem to understand the extent of the trouble and the pressure they are putting on the city's budget. Speaking at the annual meeting of the state's Financial Control Board in Manhattan yesterday, Mr. Paterson said public employees are failing to recognize "the need to address these situations earlier and faster." RELATED: Mayor Bloomberg's Prepared... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/comptroller-projects-budget-shortfall-for-city/82704/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The city, already under pressure from an economic downturn and an anticipated loss of tax revenues, is facing larger-than-expected budget gaps, according to the city comptroller. Comptroller William Thompson Jr.'s budget projections, which he will present at today's meeting of the New York State Financial Control Board, mark the second time a fiscal monitor is reporting that the city is underestimating its financial shortfall for future years. Mr. Thompson projects that weak tax revenues and... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/report-ny-area-is-powerhouse-economy-of-us/82643/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST New data show the New York metropolitan area is the largest contributor to America's gross domestic product, but its position at the top of the national ranking may be due more to the inclusion of neighboring economic powerhouses such as Greenwich and Stamford, Conn., than its own economic strength. New York City actually is responsible for less than half of all economic activity in its own metropolitan area, the data show. According to the city comptroller's office, its economic activity... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-calls-for-action-on-us-infrastructure/82636/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is headlining a $100-a-ticket fund-raising breakfast for the Independence Party of Minnesota on Friday, before appearing with Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania to make an announcement about national infrastructure. Messrs. Bloomberg and Rendell are on a two-day tour to promote infrastructure investment that began yesterday at the National Conference of State Legislatures gathering in New Orleans. The officials said yesterday that they are expanding an organization they co-founded... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-gates-teaming-on-smoking/82538/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is ramping up his international antitobacco campaign by pumping in an additional $250 million and by teaming up with a former chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates, who is contributing $125 million to combat tobacco use. The funds will target smoking in the developing world, with an emphasis on China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Bangladesh. Mr. Bloomberg's funding will support projects that seek to raise taxes on tobacco, promote negative images of smoking, help people quit... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-york-soon-will-be-found-in-translation/82466/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST In addition to English, city agencies will be required to communicate with New Yorkers in the six foreign languages most commonly spoken in the city: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Italian, and French Creole, under a new program that broadly expands the city's translation and interpretation services. An executive order signed by Mayor Bloomberg yesterday establishes for the first time a uniform language policy for all city agencies that directly interact with New Yorkers, requiring that... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/weiner-argues-against-opening-big-box-chains/82393/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The first battle of the 2009 mayor's race may be over being perceived as the candidate most closely aligned with Mayor Bloomberg. Rep. Anthony Weiner, a longtime critic of Mr. Bloomberg, appears to be laying the groundwork for a campaign that will link him to the popular mayor's legacy. During a speech in Manhattan yesterday, he praised Mr. Bloomberg's leadership and willingness to lean into problems. Mr. Weiner also pledged to ensure, as much as possible, that the Bloomberg administration's... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-attacking-waste-at-board-of-elections/82363/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is denouncing the city's Board of Elections for using money set aside to implement the Help America Vote Act to pay for salaries and regular budget expenses. The board "couldn't be more wrong here," he said, calling it a "terribly run organization that should be ashamed of saying exactly what they've done." "Everybody in this city — every city agency has an obligation to do more with less, and they certainly don't have a record that they should be proud of," he said. "Maybe it... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-dispels-notion-he-may-be-presidential/82365/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg may be dishing out plenty of free advice to the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, but he says he isn't interested in serving as an official economic adviser to the next president. "Being an adviser is not something I'm particularly good at," Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday at the kickoff of a national campaign in support of free trade that will cross the country and visit the Democratic and Republican national conventions. "I don't think there's a position for me... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/free-traders-taking-case-cross-country/82273/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg, a vocal advocate of free trade, is lending his support to a cross-country campaign aimed at convincing Americans that free trade is good for the nation's employers and employees. The 30-state, seven-week bus tour organized by the Consumer Electronics Association, whose 2,300 members include Apple, Google, and Microsoft, begins today in Lower Manhattan and will include visits to the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Mr. Bloomberg, who once toyed with the idea of... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayors-deal-with-merrill-lynch-may-expand-his/82087/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's deal to buy back the 20% of his company that was owned by Merrill Lynch confirms that his net worth is about $20 billion and opens the door for him to use it after leaving office in ways that might have been constricted by having a publicly held minority partner. The deal reportedly values the 20% of his company that was owned by Merrill at $4.5 billion, making the financial information company Bloomberg LP worth $22.5 billion — exactly the estimate in a 2006 New York Sun... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/poll-voters-warm-to-mayor-cool-to-easing-term/82007/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:19:35 EST When New York City voters are asked whom they'd like as their next mayor, Mayor Bloomberg is the top pick. The problem is, the mayor is term-limited and a majority of voters, 56%, say they are opposed to extending the city's term limits to allow him to run for re-election, according to a new poll. When New Yorkers are given the names of seven potential next mayors, Mr. Bloomberg wins support from 38% of voters. Commissioner Raymond Kelly is the second-most popular pick for mayor, followed by... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/liu-taps-new-set-of-donors-for-2009-citywide-run/81983/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST John Liu, the first Asian American to be elected to the City Council, is tapping a new set of political donors for a campaign for citywide office that outpaced two mayoral candidates in fund-raising over the past six months. Of the 44 donors who contributed $4,000 or more to his campaign since the last filing period ended in mid-January, 25 of them had never donated to a New York City campaign before, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board's latest figures. A political... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-may-overhaul-or-repeal-cabaret-law/81875/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is looking to overhaul or repeal a city law that bars dancing in establishments that don't have a cabaret license. Under the law, which dates to 1926, businesses are not permitted to allow three or more people to dance unless they obtain a special license. "What we're trying to do is just balance between letting people have fun and to assure people in the neighborhood that they won't be disturbed by what goes on," Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday. He said the police department is... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-attempts-to-redefine-poverty/81790/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Nearly one in four New Yorkers are living below the poverty line, according to Mayor Bloomberg, who says the federal government is underestimating the number of poor people in the city. The Bloomberg administration is adopting a new poverty measurement that raises the rate of poverty in the city to 23% from 18.9% by accounting for the cost of food, clothing, shelter, and utilities, as well as tax credits and government subsidies received. The federal poverty measure, adopted in 1969, is... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/vallone-seeks-rollback-on-campaign-rules/81687/ Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A City Council member who helped pass the city's new campaign finance rules is now trying to roll back a key component of the effort to crack down on political donations from lobbyists and business owners. Council Member Peter Vallone Jr., a Democrat of Queens, said he is proposing to amend the campaign finance rules so that political candidates would no longer be required to ask contributors to disclose their relationship with the city when making a donation. Under the rules, which began going... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/possible-city-charter-overhaul-sparks-anxiety/81558/ Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's plan to permanently change the structure of local government is prompting anxiety among public officials and community leaders. There is talk in political circles that a commission to be appointed by the mayor to perform a top-to-bottom review of the city charter would seek to curtail the authority of borough presidents and the public advocate, or do away with their positions altogether. Officials say they also are hearing that the commission may attempt to restructure the... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/in-new-york-obama-makes-late-plea-to-aid-clinton/81587/ Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Senator Obama is sweeping through New York in an attempt to unify the Democratic Party before the general election by appearing alongside Senator Clinton at a fund-raiser this morning and encouraging his supporters to help retire her campaign debt. Last night, at a Manhattan fund-raiser for Mr. Obama attended by some 1,000 supporters, including former supporters of Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic nominee praised his primary rival and said he was a better candidate because of her. In what appeared... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-paterson-seek-to-chart-unified-course/81400/ Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Breaking from past tradition, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson, along with staff members, will hold monthly meetings to talk about the World Trade Center site, progress on the Moynihan Station project, and the city's plans for a waste transfer station on the West Side, among other topics. The first monthly meeting was held yesterday afternoon at the governor's Manhattan office. Mr. Bloomberg, who spoke to reporters after the sit-down, said it went well and credited the governor for making... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/size-of-budget-spending-increases-up-for-debate/81110/ Wed, 2 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Just how much is spending increasing in the city under the new budget? It depends on whom you ask. Mayor Bloomberg and his aides have emphasized that spending this fiscal year is almost flat, with a slight increase coming in below the rate of inflation, but budget experts say spending is much higher. That's because the administration and outside observers are not comparing the same figures. When city officials talk about spending increases, they are referring exclusively to the spending of city... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/weiner-scores-bloomberg-as-he-sets-sights-on-2009/81037/ Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Rep. Anthony Weiner, a candidate for mayor in 2009, is acting as if he'll be facing off against Mayor Bloomberg next year, even though the incumbent is not running for re-election. RELATED: Weiner: Cities Should Be Reimbursed For Employees Deployed to War. The Democratic congressman who represents Queens and Brooklyn critiqued the mayor's record during a recent interview with The New York Sun, saying Mr. Bloomberg hasn't done enough to successfully push the city's agenda in Albany, protect New... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/budget-could-be-worse-next-year-bloomberg-says/81015/ Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is warning that, based on projections, the city's budget for next year will make the latest budget negotiations look like "child's play." He said that if it turns out the city was "too prudent" in its budget cuts, adjustments would be made, but he said that groups impacted by the budget should assume that the city's finances won't change. The City Council approved the budget on Sunday night despite objections from both council members and social service providers, who said it... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/not-a-budget-any-of-us-wanted-to-pass-quinn-says/80937/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Many City Council members are raising objections to the $59.1 billion budget the council adopted late Sunday night at City Hall, as leaders of social service organizations said it unfairly slashes funding for groups working with elder, young, and other New Yorkers. Speaker Christine Quinn, who reached a budget agreement with Mayor Bloomberg on Thursday night and sealed the deal with a kiss and a handshake in the rotunda of City Hall, said Sunday that it is "not a budget any of us wanted to pass... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/tax-increases-avoided-as-city-budget-deal-is/80857/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Sounding a somber note, Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council announced a budget deal that provides new funding for schools, avoids tax hikes, and would increase overall spending only slightly. The centerpiece of the $59.1 billion budget agreement, reached last night at City Hall, is the restoration of $129 million in cuts to schools that had been proposed by the mayor. Speaker Christine Quinn said the funding boost would protect classrooms from budget cuts. Rather than sustain cuts that the... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-sees-benefit-in-guns-decision/80827/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The Supreme Court's gun ruling is driving a wedge through the ranks of Mayor Bloomberg's Coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. As mayors from across the country denounced the decision to overturn the Washington, D.C., ban on handguns, Mr. Bloomberg issued a statement saying it would "benefit" his coalition, and predicted it would have no impact on the city's regulation of handguns. His remarks were a sharp departure from those made by mayors Richard Daley of Chicago and Gavin Newsom of San... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/state-city-battle-over-recycling/80723/ Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A plastic bag recycling law set to take effect in New York City next month may be relegated to the trash pile. Proponents of the legislation, which was introduced and approved by the City Council, say it will be gutted by another recycling bill that was approved by Albany lawmakers earlier this week, much to the surprise of council members. The speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, is calling on Governor Paterson to veto the state bill, arguing that it would cripple the city's ability... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/property-tax-rift-divides-council-mayor/80649/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A fight over property taxes is derailing budget talks between Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council, with council leaders walking away from negotiations and insisting they won't agree to a property tax hike they say the mayor is pushing. The impasse reflects just how far the mayor and council are from reaching a deal before a July 1 budget deadline, even though both sides are proposing tax increases as a way to help the city through an economic downturn. Council Member Lewis Fidler of Brooklyn... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/council-gets-set-to-press-a-tax-on-hedge-funds/80482/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A majority of the City Council is backing a tax-the-rich plan that would require hedge fund and private equity fund partners to pay a city tax on income generated by investments, making it more likely to gain traction in Albany. Assemblyman Micah Kellner, who represents the Upper East Side, recently introduced a bill that would change the city's tax law so it would apply to hedge fund and private equity managers. Twenty-six of the council's 51 members signed a letter in support of the tax... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/role-of-lobbyists-examined-in-council-slush-fund/80413/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST City investigators probing the City Council slush fund scandal are examining the relationship between lobbyists, council members, and nonprofit organizations seeking public funding from the city, a source said. Bringing lobbyists into the picture would be a logical extension of the city's Department of Investigation probe of the council's finances and distribution of public funds, which has led to the indictment of two council aides for allegedly embezzling $145,000 from a city-funded... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-bloomberg-balks-at-proposed-hotel-tax/80397/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is balking at a proposal by City Council members to increase the hotel tax to 8% to avoid budget cuts to public schools. "We don't want to have more taxes that would hurt the economic well-being of this city. For example, a tax on tourists is a terrible idea. We desperately need tourists from around the world," he said yesterday. "International tourism is down throughout our country something like 17%. It is up 9% in New York. Killing the golden goose is not a smart thing to do... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/paterson-wins-mayor-places-in-otb-deal/80059/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Narrowly averting a shutdown of the city's Off-Track Betting parlors and the possibility of a hostile takeover by the state, Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg have reached a last-minute deal that will allow the state to run the gambling centers. Under the agreement, the city will receive a portion of the surcharge related to bets placed on races at tracks within the city, a figure that totaled $4.25 million in 2007, as well as an additional $3.25 million a year that the state has agreed to... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-airs-strong-hints-about-future/79965/ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Signaling that he may be pursuing a future in philanthropy instead of politics, Mayor Bloomberg issued one of his strongest denials yet about a possible run for governor, while handing over more money than ever to a New York foundation to which he sends anonymous donations each year. Using language similar to that which he relied on in February to end months of speculation that he would run for president as an independent candidate, Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday: "I am not, and will not be, a... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/poll-voters-like-bloomberg-best-for-2010-governor/79890/ Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:47:43 EST Mayor Bloomberg is the state's top pick for governor, according to a new poll released this morning. When voters were asked whom they would want elected governor in 2010, 30% named Mr. Bloomberg, 26% named Mayor Giuliani, 23% named Governor Paterson, and 15% named Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Quinnipiac University poll found. Mr. Bloomberg has led the university's last three polls regarding the 2010 gubernatorial race, although he did drop 2 points in the match-up from the last poll...