Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:38:17 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jill Gardiner :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Jill+Gardiner istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/raise-subway-bus-fares-bloomberg-says-maybe/65333/ Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is leaving the door open to supporting a possible hike of the city's subway and bus fares. The mayor — who often touts that he carries a MetroCard and takes the subway to work — yesterday said he had not yet seen the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's books, but if it turns out the state agency is being run efficiently and is still expecting future deficits, "there's nothing wrong with" asking straphangers to dig deeper into their pockets. "The city is certainly doing its... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/citys-pension-fund-soared-in-latest-year/65204/ Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST The pension fund that invests the retirement money for more than 320,000 current and former New York City employees saw an 18.27% net rate of return for the fiscal year ending June 30, but has seen sharply reduced growth since then. The New York City Employees' Retirement System saw a return rate estimated at 2.43% between July 1 and October 19, according to a document obtained by The New York Sun. A spokeswoman for the city comptroller confirmed the 2.43% return, which drops down to 2.3% when... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/revenue-sharing-split-could-close-city-otb-parlors/64906/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST This might be a good time to place a wager on the future of the city's Off-Track Betting Corp. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg threatened to close down the city's OTB parlors if Albany lawmakers don't change the revenue-sharing formula, which favors the state. "We have a legal obligation to make the payments. It is a function of the percentage of revenue. If we close it down there won't be any revenue and then we can stay compliant with the law," Mr. Bloomberg told reporters. "We will send them... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/con-ed-may-sue-lawmakers-steamed/64780/ Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Elected officials are piling on Consolidated Edison a day after the utility filed paperwork saying it may sue the city for $25 million in connection with the July steam pipe explosion near Grand Central Terminal. Mayor Bloomberg, who has been one of Con Ed's biggest defenders, said yesterday the city does not believe there is "any merit" to the utility's claim. He said he assumed the move was "procedural," but that there is no reason to think the city contributed to the problem. The speaker of... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-disaster-if-trash-plan-fails/64722/ Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST If Mayor Bloomberg's trash plan gets tabled in Albany next week, it would mark a second stinging defeat on a major economic development project. Mr. Bloomberg, whose proposed West Side Stadium died in Albany in 2005, is again ramping up efforts to get the green light for a key portion of his 20-year plan for dealing with the city's garbage. Yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg gathered with supporters to call on the Assembly to approve legislation next week that would allow the city to reactivate a... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-introducing-itself-to-the-world/64328/ Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST New York City already exports music, fashion, and art. Now, it's ramping up efforts to export itself as a brand name. Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday that the city is launching a worldwide advertising campaign that will, for the first time, include a TV commercial. It will air in Spain, Ireland, France, and Britain. "If you want to be successful, this is like selling any other product," he said. The $30 million "This is New York" campaign also includes print and outdoor advertising in... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/business/new-york-war-with-london-takes-a-turn/64241/ Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Things are looking up for New York: Not only does it appear Congress is backing off legislation to raise taxes that would hit the city's private equity industry, but now London has announced plans to do just that. Yesterday, Prime Minister Brown's administration announced it would introduce an 18% capital gains tax and do away with the tiered system that allows private equity firms to pay only 10% tax on profits from shares of companies held for at least two years. The news was met with... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-talks-defense-but-does-settle-lawsuits/64168/ Tue, 9 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's statements that baseless lawsuits should be battled don't quite square with his actions. For the second time in the last week, Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday that he believes that "when somebody alleges something that's not true, fight it and not worry about anything else." The comment — which comes while his financial news company, Bloomberg LP, is facing a gender discrimination suit — seems to contradict a legal settlement he made in 2000. Just before running for public... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/ex-labor-leaders-anticipated-trial-on-tap/64140/ Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST A once prominent labor leader who was indicted on corruption charges for stealing $2.2 million from the government, his union, and a Little League baseball association, is gearing up this week for the beginning of his much-anticipated trial. Brian McLaughlin, who served 14 years in the Assembly until he stepped down last year, has a pretrial conference in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Thursday. The case will start jury selection on Monday. Mr. McLaughlin's freefall as a major powerbroker... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/role-of-mayor-at-bloomberg-lp-is-eyed/63992/ Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's role at the financial news company he founded is coming under increased scrutiny in the wake of a federal lawsuit against Bloomberg LP for discrimination against pregnant employees and new mothers. Since taking over as mayor and stepping down as chief executive of the company, Mr. Bloomberg rarely, if ever, publicly talks about his precise role with the global news behemoth. While he regularly mentions his company and that he still owns a big chunk of it, he's left the... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/independence-party-chief-hits-road-to-enable/64007/ Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST The new head of the Independence Party of America is embarking on an 18-state barnstorm that could help lay the groundwork for Mayor Bloomberg to run for president. The Independence Party leader, Frank MacKay, is leaving next weekend for a two-week excursion to mobilize support for his movement among longtime political activists, including some who worked in the presidential campaigns mounted by Ross Perot, ballot access experts, and other key political players. Mr. MacKay, who has been vocal... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-himself-named-in-bias-lawsuit/63916/ Thu, 4 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST The three women involved in a federal suit against Bloomberg LP that charges gender discrimination are now saying Mayor Bloomberg and other top managers at the company created a culture hostile to pregnant women and new mothers. The women filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Manhattan yesterday to add to the lawsuit filed last week by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the financial news information company. The new 66-page complaint — which seeks nearly $482... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/lawsuit-mayor-fostered-bias-in-workplace/63910/ Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:49:20 EST The three women involved in a federal suit against Bloomberg LP for gender discrimination are now blaming Mayor Bloomberg and other top management at the company of creating a culture hostile to pregnant women and new mothers. The women filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Manhattan this morning to add to the lawsuit filed last week by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the worldwide financial news information firm. The women — Jill Patricot, Tanys Lancaster, and... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-you-will-be-watched/63741/ Tue, 2 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST LONDON — Saying that "we live in a dangerous world" and people "want to have security cameras," Mayor Bloomberg is making the case that New Yorkers need to get used to being watched. "I do think that in this day and age, if you think that cameras aren't watching you, you are very naοve," he said during an appearance at London's riverfront City Hall with the city's mayor, Ken Livingstone. Mr. Bloomberg went on to say that "we are under surveillance all the time," and noted that the first thing... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/surveillance-is-fact-of-life-mayor-says/63734/ Mon, 1 Oct 2007 13:50:19 EST LONDON — Mayor Bloomberg is making the case that New Yorkers need to get used to the idea of being watched. Security cameras are capturing their every move, he said this morning. "I do think that in this day and age, if you think that cameras aren't watching you, you are very naοve," Mr. Bloomberg said during an appearance at London's riverfront City Hall with the city's mayor, Ken Livingstone. Mr. Bloomberg went on to say that "we are under surveillance all the time." "The people of London, I... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-talks-of-fiscal-lunacy/63658/ Mon, 1 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST BLACKPOOL, England — Mayor Bloomberg used an international stage to repudiate fiscal conservatives in America, saying their British counterparts were far better at practicing what they preach. "Too many of them want to run up enormous deficits," he told the annual Conservative Party Conference in this northern seaside town. "That's not conservatism — that's alchemy, or, if you like, lunacy." Looking and sounding very much like a presidential hopeful (the mayor even gave a candidate-like... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/london-booster-switches-to-new-yorks-team/63687/ Mon, 1 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST In baseball terms, Diana Torres has signed with the Yankees after playing for the Red Sox. About two years ago, Ms. Torres, a British transplant , launched the New York office for Think London, a group whose primary mission is to get American businesses to set up shop in the British capital. Now, with competition growing fiercer between New York and London for financial security businesses, tourists, and others investment, Ms. Torres has switched teams. The Cambridge University graduate has... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-networks-with-political-elite-in-paris/63649/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:50:01 EST LONDON — Mayor Bloomberg toured Paris yesterday, dining at fine restaurants and meeting with French officials to discuss the environment, poverty, and other challenges that the two cities face. As part of his four-day European tour, Mr. Bloomberg met with the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, and the French minister of ecology and sustainable development, Jean-Louis Borloo. "I think if France and the United States, Paris and New York do things [for the environment] you will find an awful lot of... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-bid-may-be-hurt-by-suit-against-his-firm/63557/ Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST New allegations of gender-based discrimination against Mayor Bloomberg's financial news company, Bloomberg L.P., could be a political liability for the mayor if he opts to run for president. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company yesterday on behalf of three women who say they were discriminated against either during pregnancy or upon their return from maternity leave. The EEOC, which acts on only a fraction of the discrimination complaints it receives, claims that... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-lp-sued-over-sex-bias/63545/ Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:31:30 EST Mayor Bloomberg's financial news service company has been slapped with a lawsuit by the federal government accusing it of discriminating against three female employees after they become pregnant. The lawsuit, which was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this morning, alleges that the company demonstrated a pattern of discrimination against female employees based on their sex and pregnancy. The suit accuses Bloomberg L.P. of decreasing their pay, scaling back their... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/socialized-medicine-not-all-that-bad-mayor-says/63425/ Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg inserted himself into the national debate over health care last night, saying something that none of the declared presidential candidates dare to: that the European socialized medicine model "may not be all that bad." When Tom Brokaw, the moderator at a forum at Cooper Union, asked the mayor for his thoughts on critics who say the Democrats, including Senator Clinton, are putting forward socialized medicine plans, Mr. Bloomberg said the model wasn't "all that bad." He's noted in... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/draft-bloomberg-group-sees-many-signs-of-growth/63336/ Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST When Mayor Bloomberg arrives at Cooper Union tonight for a panel discussion on national policy matters, he can expect to be greeted by a small group of people waving signs and trying to convince him to run for president. So far, the Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg is a low-budget organization with a Web site that was recently spruced up by the boyfriend of one of the members, yet its push to get Mr. Bloomberg into the race as a third-party candidate is gaining momentum. The head of the New... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mailing-misdeeds-of-gifford-miller-detailed/63197/ Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:27:33 EST More than two years after the former City Council speaker, Gifford Miller, used his office's dime to send out millions of glossy fliers that touted his accomplishments, an explosive report is saying that he flouted the city charter and a slew of other regulations. A report issued yesterday by the city comptroller, William Thompson Jr., found that on Mr. Miller's watch the council circumvented city printing rules, including its own, to avoid a competitive bidding process — a fact that was first... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/governor-may-backtrack-on-tax-cuts/63116/ Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Citing a softening economy and slowdown in state tax revenue, the Spitzer administration may be backpedaling on the governor's promises to increase education spending and cut property taxes. Governor Spitzer's budget director, Paul Francis, began laying the groundwork yesterday for a spending rollback, saying that lower-than-expected revenues mean the administration will have to make painful decisions to fill a deficit in a budget that for the past several years has been flush with cash from a... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/business/borse-dubais-stake-in-nasdaq-is-questioned/63110/ Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:01:23 EST This morning's deal to sell a 20% share of the Nasdaq Stock Market to an Arab financial holding company, Borse Dubai, is already setting off a round of questions about whether it is wise to sell a portion of America's financial markets over to a foreign government. As part of the deal, the Middle East company will not only gain a 20% stake in the Manhattan-based financial exchange, it will also get Nasdaq's 28% share of the London Stock Exchange, making it the largest stakeholder in that... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayors-management-report-is-mixed-crime-murder/63085/ Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Drivers in New York may want to be more wary of blowing through red lights — and not just because it's dangerous. The number of drivers being fined for failing to stop for red lights is on the rise. The figure is one of thousands of statistics released yesterday in the Mayor's Management Report, a trove of numbers showing how the city is performing on everything from rodent complaints to traffic fatalities. The report, which covers fiscal year 2007, shows mixed results for the 12-month period... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/finances-of-possible-bloomberg-successors-are/62853/ Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST While most New Yorkers have long known that Mayor Bloomberg is worth billions of dollars, the finances of his potential successors are now coming under the microscope as the 2009 mayoral race gets closer. According to disclosure reports released yesterday by the Conflicts of Interest Board, the city's public advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, is the wealthiest contender to replace Mr. Bloomberg. The documents show that Ms. Gotbaum has assets of between $699,000 and $2.4 million, not including her city... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-senator-seek-to-end-gun-buys-by-terrorists/62845/ Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is calling on Congress to back new legislation to keep guns away from terrorism suspects. Yesterday, the mayor and Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey, a lead sponsor of the bill, said current federal law has an inexcusable loophole that allows individuals on terrorism watch lists to purchase guns legally. The mayor said Congress cannot wait and must act before a terrorist opens fire in a restaurant, train station, school, or other public location. "How many more warning signs do... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-set-to-export-his-political-brand/62731/ Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg, who has crisscrossed the nation talking up his nonpartisan policy-making, is now exporting his independent politics to other countries. Those who follow British politics say his planned appearance September 30 at a Conservative Party conference in Blackpool, England, could help the party establish itself as a more centrist alternative at a crucial time. Mr. Bloomberg adds a marquee name to the roster of speakers attending the conference after Governor Schwarzenegger pulled out... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-philanthropy-foundation-takes-shape/62748/ Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's new foundation is taking shape and philanthropic experts say it will most certainly enter into the country's top tier of foundations once it's in full swing. Yesterday, the World Health Organization announced a two-year, $9 million grant from the Bloomberg Family Foundation to conduct a pilot program in Vietnam and Mexico designed to reduce the number of traffic deaths. The grant is the second the mayor's personal foundation has doled out. The first was $125 million to combat... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/cuba-could-trip-up-new-york-divestment-movement/62641/ Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST A push to rid New York State's pension fund of companies invested in nations identified as backers of terrorism could be derailed by America's longtime pariah state: Cuba. While some are pressing to make New York a leader in the divestment movement — which is attempting to wield America's economic muscle against its enemies — legislation that's been introduced in Albany has a built-in snag. In addition to listing Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Sudan, the legislation also includes Cuba, which is... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-offers-money-as-prod-out-of-poverty/62548/ Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Fifty dollars for opening a bank account. That's what some poor New Yorkers will receive under Mayor Bloomberg's new anti-poverty program. The pilot program, which has never been tested in America, will pay participants up to $5,000 a year for doing things like attending parent-teacher conferences, going to the doctor, and opening bank accounts. "What we are trying to do here is use capitalism to encourage behavior," Mr. Bloomberg, who traveled to Mexico earlier this year to learn about a... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/fulani-is-calling-for-hillary-vs-obama/62571/ Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST In an attempt to ensure that Senator Clinton does not make off with New York's black vote without a fight, Independence Party activist Lenora Fulani is calling for a presidential debate at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Ms. Fulani, who has been a political lightning rod after making comments that many viewed as anti-Semitic, is seeking a solo debate between Mrs. Clinton and the only black candidate in the race, Senator Obama of Illinois. A news release sent out yesterday by a group Ms. Fulani is... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/pelosi-backs-new-fund-to-compensate-ground-zero/62370/ Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said she backs legislation to reopen the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. The fund, which closed in 2003 after distributing more than $6 billion to those who lost family members in the World Trade Center attacks, would appropriate a new pot of money to compensate those with illnesses stemming from their exposure to toxins from ground zero. When asked whether she would support a measure that would include opening the fund, Ms... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/at-city-hall-pelosi-backs-9-11-medical-fund/62328/ Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:00:34 EST The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said today that she would back legislation to provide health coverage and financial compensation to responders who get sick from exposure to toxins at ground zero. Speaking this morning at a new conference alongside Mayor Bloomberg in City Hall, Ms. Pelosi said she would support the re-opening of the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund to pay for the medical expenses of those who have suffered serious illnesses from breathing in... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/local-employment-figures-to-be-released-this-week/62291/ Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST New York economists are anxiously awaiting the release of new local employment figures, due out later this week, to see whether the city is defying national trends and staving off an economic downturn. With Friday's news that the nation shed 4,000 jobs between July and August, followed by Mayor Bloomberg's memo to all city agency heads to tighten their fiscal belts, those monitoring the economy here say the next batch of economic indicators will be a crucial barometer of the city's fiscal... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/burlingame-rejoins-fray-with-a-campaign-on-iran/62092/ Fri, 7 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Two years ago, Debra Burlingame rose to national prominence as the leader of the charge to quash the International Freedom Center at ground zero. Her quest proved successful when Governor Pataki pulled the plug on the center, after she argued that its plan to tell the story of global freedom was morphing into an anti-American history lesson that was excluding the tragedy that took place at the site everyone would be coming to see. As the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/national/edwards-to-speak-near-ground-zero/62045/ Thu, 6 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Less than a week before the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, Senator Edwards will be blocks from ground zero outlining a plan to "make America safer." The Democratic presidential contender is scheduled to deliver what he is billing as a major policy address tomorrow at Pace University in Lower Manhattan. The appearance comes just days before two of his main rivals — Senator Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, and Mayor Giuliani, the GOP... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/could-president-bloomberg-keep-his-company/61881/ Wed, 5 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Would Mayor Bloomberg be pressured to relinquish his majority stake in his lucrative and beloved financial services company if he were to become the country's commander in chief? That is the question some government watchdogs and Bloomberg LP employees are asking as the 2008 presidential contest gets into full swing. While there are no federal requirements that prevent a sitting president from owning a company, some financial consultants and ethics professionals say the nature of Bloomberg LP... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/national/president-and-senator-clinton-will-make-the-talk/61718/ Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST The Clintons are planning a week of appearances with some of the highest-rated talk show hosts in the country, including Oprah Winfrey, who has already announced her support for Senator Obama in the 2008 presidential race. Senator Clinton kicked off the TV barnstorm last night with her seventh appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman," a regular stopover for presidential contenders. On Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton will join comedian turned daytime host Ellen DeGeneres for her show's season... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/just-ask-the-locals-city-is-telling-tourists/61596/ Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is chastising the federal government for neglecting the money-generating business of tourism. The mayor said tourists are being deterred from visiting America because it involves too much red tape and because surveys show they believe American immigration officials are "rude" and "disrespectful." "This is one more of those things that is diminishing our competitive edge," Mr. Bloomberg said at John F. Kennedy International Airport yesterday. "Poor customer service is not what... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-on-mission-to-redeem-surly-city/61566/ Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:43:13 EST The federal government is not doing enough to make New York and the rest of the country welcoming to international tourists, Mayor Bloomberg said this morning. Speaking at the newly constructed American Airlines terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the mayor said that international tourists complain that American immigration officials are "rude" and "disrespectful." "This is one more of those things that is diminishing our competitive edge," Mr. Bloomberg told a crowd that... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/poll-clinton-ahead-of-giuliani-in-new-york/61477/ Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Giuliani may be known as "America's Mayor," but a new public opinion poll shows he would probably lose his home state if he ran against Senator Clinton in the presidential election. A Rasmussen Reports poll released yesterday found that the former first lady, a Democrat, would capture 58% of the vote in New York, while Mr. Giuliani, a Republican, would win 33% if the election were held today. New York has traditionally fallen in the Democratic column. A separate Rasmussen Reports poll... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayors-support-seems-tepid-for-aid-after-storm/61457/ Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is offering only a lukewarm public endorsement to the idea of pursuing a federal disaster designation for areas of the city dealing with damage from the Category 2 tornado that touched down earlier this month. While federal law puts the burden on states to request a disaster declaration from the White House, Mr. Bloomberg has never been shy about using his bully pulpit. Yesterday, however, he didn't seem to be fully on board the bandwagon of elected officials aggressively... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/in-income-release-ritual-mayor-is-coy/61274/ Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:04:16 EST Mayor Bloomberg made more money this year in royalties from his past cameo appearances on the television show 'Law & Order' than he did from his $1-a-year salary. That's one of the few specifics one can glean from the heavily redacted tax returns that Mr. Bloomberg released today in a yearly ritual. Reporters were allowed two hours to review the mayor's 2006 tax returns, but were barred from taking copies. Many elected officials release their tax returns each year, but they are not required to... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/after-sale-of-dans-papers-founder-readies/61222/ Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Dan Rattiner has made a career of finding offbeat stories amid the glitter of the Hamptons celebrity scene. Now the founder of Dan's Papers, the weekly publication read by those who vacation on the East End, is getting ready to tell his own story. Mr. Rattiner is set to publish his first memoir next spring. And while no book tour is yet set, he will likely be reading excerpts at places such as Book Hampton and doing television and radio interviews to get the word out. The 67-year-old editor... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayors-golf-game-improves-honestly/61091/ Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg has played the most exclusive golf courses in the country, made regular appearances at charity golf outings, and has the money for all the lessons he could ever need. So, how good is his game? By most accounts, he is a decent but very determined golfer. The world's no. 3-ranked professional golfer, Phil Mickelson, who played 18 holes with Mr. Bloomberg early yesterday during a charity event at Westchester Country Club, tipped his hat to the mayor's game. "I was actually... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/quality-of-life-inspectors-will-scoot-in-the-city/60710/ Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is deploying a team of 15 inspectors armed with scooters and BlackBerrys to drive down every street in the city once a month and report potholes, property damage, missing traffic lights, and a laundry list of other quality-of-life infractions. The inspectors, who started traversing the 6,000 miles of city streets earlier this month, will all carry BlackBerrys equipped with global positioning systems that will allow them to punch in complaints and instantaneously beam them to the... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-warns-parents-of-smoking-lawsuits/60706/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:27:06 EST Mayor Bloomberg said today that he has not decided whether to back a soon-to-be introduced bill in the City Council to prohibit smoking in cars with minors. He warned parents though that their children could target them in second-hand smoke lawsuits if they engage in the practice. "I've always thought, someday, somebody is going to sue. Some kid is going to sue their parents," the mayor said when asked whether he would back the legislation. Mr. Bloomberg said he would have to look at the... JILL GARDINER http://www.nysun.com/new-york/campaign-finance-law-may-mean-less-lobbying-more/60637/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST The lawyers who helped craft the city's soon-to-be implemented campaign finance law may also be the ones who have the most to gain financially from it. While several City Council members say the new legislation will crack down on influence peddling in politics, they also said the law will also mean more time consulting with lawyers. "These rules are considerably more complicated than what we had in the past and there is just a much greater risk of violating rules without meaning to," Council...