Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:53:43 -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/bloomberg-orders-15b-in-budget-cuts-over-next-two/86424/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Bracing for steep declines in revenues and an economy hamstrung by upheaval on Wall Street, Mayor Bloomberg is ordering city agencies to come up with another $1.5 billion in budget cuts. If the City Council approves the plan, no city agency would be spared from the budget ax: Each would have to cut 2.5% from its budget this year and an additional 5% next year. To comply with the directive, the Department of Education would need to cut more than $580 million and the Police Department more than... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-gives-20m-in-discretionary-funding/86581/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A City Council member endorsed by the mayor in the Democratic Senate primary, Simcha Felder, pulled in more money from the mayor for pet projects over the last six years than any other elected official. Mr. Felder, who represents parts of Brooklyn, collected $5.66 million in discretionary funding from the mayor, according to a memo released by City Hall yesterday. Over the past six years, Mr. Bloomberg has doled out about $20 million to council members for their member items, spending the most... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/politics-sneak-in-after-candidates-pay-respects/85742/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Senators Obama and McCain, while praising the role of community service in American society, are indicating that they differ broadly in their thinking on the role government should play in encouraging service work and tapping into the spirit of service that flourished in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Speaking at a forum at Columbia University on service and citizenship held last night on the seventh anniversary of the attacks, Mr. Obama said he favors a more... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/shoulder-to-shoulder-remembering-victims-7-years/85664/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:26:14 EST Relatives of those killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 stood shoulder to shoulder in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park this morning to remember the deceased. Hoisting photographs of loved ones into the air and wearing T-shirts and pins emblazoned with the names and faces of the dead, they stood for hours to listen to the reading of the names of the 2,751 victims who died as a result of the attacks. A 52-year-old who said he is retired and a volunteer for the Red Cross, Louis Jerez, stood... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-seeks-end-of-lmdc-more-control-of-ground/85647/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Seeking more control over the future of ground zero, Mayor Bloomberg is calling on Governor Paterson to dismantle a federally funded agency in charge of the project and turn over its development responsibilities to the city. Bemoaning the slow progress on the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday that getting rid of the agency run by the city and state, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., would remove one more layer of bureaucracy and help speed up the... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/thousands-of-illegally-posted-campaign-signs/85559/ Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Of the 2,792 illegally posted campaign signs pulled down by the city's Department of Sanitation during the run-up to yesterday's primary election, more than 45% tout one candidate: Milton Tingling, a state Supreme Court judge running in the Manhattan Surrogate's Court race. The city has pulled down 1,290 signs from Mr. Tingling's campaign between August 1 and September 8, according to its most recent figures, compiled at the request of The New York Sun. Each sign violation comes with a $75... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/racism-is-charged-of-opponents-of-voting-rights/85345/ Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST In advance of the 2009 citywide elections, a coalition of immigrant and advocacy organizations is reigniting a fight to give noncitizens the right to vote in municipal elections, drawing the ire of opponents who argue that voting is a right for American citizens only. At a rally outside City Hall yesterday organized by the New York Coalition to Expand Voting Rights, supporters of a City Council bill that would extend voting rights to 1.3 million noncitizen New Yorkers said it's unfair that... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/a-surge-of-support-for-the-sun-voiced-by-leaders/85268/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The city's political, cultural, labor, and religious leaders, reacting to news that The New York Sun may have to cease publication if it is not successful in raising significant new capital, rushed to praise the paper yesterday and expressed hope that it will continue publishing. The reaction followed the publication by the paper of a letter to the Sun's readers from its editor, Seth Lipsky, explaining the newspaper's financial situation and reporting that new capital would have to be secured... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/upstart-challenges-connor-in-democratic-primary/85259/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Daniel Squadron, the lean 28-year-old candidate for the state Senate introducing himself to voters outside a Brooklyn subway stop on a recent morning, had not been born when the incumbent he is trying to oust, Martin Connor, was first elected. But in this hard-fought race, age and experience don't seem to be stalling Mr. Squadron, a low-talking, bearded graduate of Yale University who is mounting a fierce campaign against his opponent and running on the line that he is best equipped to fix the... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/top-city-officials-report-assets-liabilities/85159/ Thu, 4 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The city comptroller carries thousands of dollars in credit card debt, the speaker of the City Council owns a four-bedroom home in Ocean Grove, N.J., that cost at least half a million dollars, and the public advocate is the city's second-most-wealthy top public official, coming in behind Mayor Bloomberg, a multibillionaire. Financial information about the city's top four officeholders was disclosed yesterday by the Conflicts of Interest Board, giving New Yorkers insight into the investments... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/citys-top-officials-make-annual-financial/85120/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:48:50 EST The City Comptroller owes up to $35,000 in credit card debt, the Speaker of the City Council owns a 4-bedroom home in Ocean Grove, N.J., that cost at least half a million dollars, and the Public Advocate is the second-most wealthy top public official, coming in behind Mayor Bloomberg. Financial information about the city's top four office holders was disclosed this morning by the city's Conflicts of Interest Board, an annual report that gives New Yorkers insight into the investments... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mailing-attacks-silver-over-handling-of-rape/85095/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The race to unseat the speaker of the Assembly is heating up with the release of a mailer attacking Sheldon Silver for his handling of an allegation of rape against one of his top political aides. The mailer was sent out yesterday to more than 35,000 residents in the Lower Manhattan district where Mr. Silver is facing a primary challenge from two political opponents. It includes a letter from Elizabeth Crothers, a former legislative aide who accused the speaker's former chief counsel of raping... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/state-officials-hide-what-those-in-city-must/85011/ Tue, 2 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST As the city's top lawmakers prepare to disclose their personal finances tomorrow, calls are mounting for the same disclosure requirements — at the very least — to be placed on holders of statewide office. Unlike city officials, who each year give New Yorkers insight into the amount of money they earn from outside jobs or have placed in investments, state officials have managed to find a way to ensure that their annual financial disclosure statements contain virtually no financial information... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-school-year-brings-new-seats-for-11000/84804/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST When the school year starts next week, more than 11,000 New York City public school students will head to class in the city's 18 brand new schools. It marks the largest number of new schools and school seats to open in a single year under the city's $13.1 billion, five-year capital plan. The schools are opening in all five boroughs. Despite rising construction costs in the city, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday that the average bids for new school construction now are "significantly lower" than... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/study-compares-situations-of-same-sex-married/84724/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST New York City is home to the largest number of same-sex couples found in any city in America. Among the nearly 26,000 couples, 62% live outside of Manhattan, and 15% are raising children, compared with 50% of married couples, according to a report released yesterday by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. The study compared same-sex couples to married couples, and found that families headed by same-sex couples have a lower average household income, with same-sex... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/prospect-park-is-now-eyed-for-ban-on-cars/84639/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Emboldened by a three-week experiment to shut streets to car traffic on the East Side of Manhattan, bicycle activists are preparing to press Mayor Bloomberg to rid Prospect Park of car traffic by arguing that a car-free park would become part of his lasting legacy. Advocates of a car-free Prospect Park say they have successfully whittled away at the number of hours that cars can use the park each day and are within striking distance of having them banned altogether. With vehicular traffic... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/paterson-skelos-ties-may-fray-over-budget-remarks/84609/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The amicable relationship the governor and the state Senate's majority leader have forged is souring after Governor Paterson reportedly told New York lawmakers in Denver for the Democratic National Convention that the Republican-led Senate was to blame for blocking additional cuts to the state budget. Majority Leader Dean Skelos fired off a statement yesterday challenging the veracity of the governor's remarks, and telling him to heed the advice of Senator Moynihan, who famously said that... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/legal-challenges-likely-in-term-limits-fight/84538/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST With speculation heating up that the City Council will attempt to vote to extend term limits, a 1961 Buffalo court case is on its way to the center of the fight. After years of scant mention, the case — in which the state Court of Appeals ruled that Buffalo's council could repeal a term limits law passed by referendum — is again being talked about around City Hall, where it is cited as evidence that New York's council has the authority to extend its term limits, even though New Yorkers twice... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-shifts-on-term-limits/84429/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST In a move that could open the door for a third term at City Hall, Mayor Bloomberg is staking out a new stance on term limits, saying he'd consider a bill to extend the time lawmakers can stay in office. His openness to extending term limits via a City Council vote comes amid increased chatter in political circles that the mayor and the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, are plotting to extend term limits to three terms from two. After previously stating that he would respect the will... GRACE RAUH http://www.nysun.com/new-york/millionaires-tax-at-heart-of-battle-for-state/84344/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST ALBANY — A plan to raise taxes on millionaires across the state could take center stage in the battle for control of the state Senate, with supporters of the tax hike promising to mount a campaign to pressure the Republican-led Senate into backing the scheme. The campaign would target regions of the state in which residents have been hit hard by soaring property tax bills, such as Long Island and upstate in Erie County, and reach New Yorkers through door hangings, mailers, the Internet, and... 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/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/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...