Backroom Deal Breaker

Democrats Eerily Silent on Hevesi

2006-10-24T12:05:00.000-04:00

While Republicans lack all sorts of moral authority on matters of scandal, the extent to which New York Democrats have so wrongly played the Hevesi card is astonishing.

Unlike scandals of past, Hevesi provided Democrats a clear opportunity to show the world that they actually understand right from wrong. He did this by confessing to his own wrongdoings, at least $83,000 worth, and that should have been the end of it!

But no. In what seems a concerted effort to run out the clock on this election, Democrats would rather let all sorts of backroom "when should Hevesi resign" -processes play out first then take Alan Hevesi at his confession now.

Where are the Democratic reformers? Why has not one Democrat called for Hevesi's immediate resignation?

Instead, all we've gotten is this party line from Herman Denny Farrell, Chair of the NY Democratic Party:

“Alan Hevesi is a good comptroller who said today he is sorry for his mistake and will continue to cooperate fully with any inquiry,” Mr. Farrell said in the statement. “Voters will have an opportunity to make a judgment about him this November on the basis of his performance as Comptroller and his 35-year record of dedicated public service to the people of New York.”

Now, Roomie's read a bunch of crap, but this has to be one of the crappiest statements ever.

Imagine what would happen if Roomie or anyone of us sorta ... unknowingly ... you know ... stole $83,000 from wherever; and then, after being caught, tried to just go on with life with a simple apology. LOL. We'd be in the pokey so fast, it's not even funny. No LOL.

And then you have party line towers like consultants Jef Pollock and Howard Wolfsen who reiterated Farrell's argument on Inside City Hall last night, that this is a matter for the voters to decide.

Are you guys kidding us? This is no longer a matter for the voters to decide. This is a matter for the courts to decide. Your comptroller admittedly picked your pockets and ours - what else do you need?

Not only did Alan already confess to at least $83,000 worth of wrongs, he's already written a check to us in an effort to make it all go away. What is Roomie missing?

And then we have Eliot Spitzer whose mealymouthed inability to demand Hevesi's resignation is frightening. If this is what the maverick of Wall Street has planned for Albany, then looks like New York State's government will top the dysfunction list for at least four more years.

Driving Mr. Hevesi To The Slammer?

2006-10-23T16:54:00.000-04:00

Somebody, Puh-lease!

Roomie's been way deep in slumber lately, very much enjoying the hiatus. But, even Roomie couldn't help but get a wee bit excited about our NYS Con-Troller.

There's nothing more Roomie loves than pols who so brazenly disrespect the voters. Luvs it!

The way you had your wife driven around, Mr. Hevesi - 'twas super-fly (er, sly?)! The way you didn't even think about paying us back until after your opponent raised the issue - balls to the fucking wall!

And today, the way you just spat in the face of the State Ethics commission, despite their new, rather alarming findings - pure, unadulterated genius!

You, King Comptroller, are the man!

So, on behalf of all the voters, Mr. Hevesi, Roomie would like to extend to you a big FU for caring ... about the keeping of your job!

Quinn's Hillary Gambit

2006-08-31T11:35:00.000-04:00

Quinn Lends Staffer to Hillary

Because Hillary needs the help? Or, b/c ... Ramon Martinez's work at the City Council is done?

Roomie's confused, Ms. Speaker. Prey tell what you've done with this $180,000 resource.

Surely there's work on term limits to be done, no?

Bored At Work?

2006-08-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

State Comptroller Hevesi says that the State of New York is currently holding billions of your dollars in unclaimed funds - ranging from wages of yesteryear, to old bank accounts to security deposits, trust funds, estate proceeds, etc.

Does any of this cash belong to you?

Search away !

Search for yourself; search for your parents or partner; search for the putz in the cubicle next to yours ... just search!

A Quinn-Quinn Here...

2006-08-02T13:26:00.000-04:00

...and a Quinn-Quinn There

Nothing like not quite doing the peoples' biz - and circuitously, at that. Predecessor Miller was a pro at this, and his successor Quinn - not so shabby herself.

First it was the kissing of the ass (may he RIP). And now, it's the revengeful kicking of the ass.

Word on the street: the mighty Quinn is letting out her more political personnel to tackle all sorts of annoyances; one major one being maverick Council Member and Queens County hater, Hiram Monserrate.

Starting today, Quinn is committing some of her government folk to support Monserrate's State Senate opponent, John Sabini.

We say: Way to take it to your membership!

We ask: Speaker Quinn, do you care to disclose where else you're parlaying your/our resources?

We also ask: As you pursue further special interest/lobbying reform (and we strongly suggest you do - cuz simply pushing your lobbyists onto the steps of City Hall ain't gonna cut it), how about requiring Council Members, you included, to disclose loud and clearly when staffers do double duty?

Roomie's Take Home Pay

2006-07-12T15:41:00.000-04:00

So Let's See....

Where would Roomie rather work?

The East Wing of New York's City Hall or the West Wing of the White House?

Ummm. Hmm....

Well, if it pays to play (so to speak), then looks like Roomie would most definitely opt for that part-time gig in lulu-ville ... yeah, you remember the one ...

Cuz, take for example the role of Chief of Staff:

At the White House, the job of managing POTUS's rinky dink crew (which, btw, runs the US of A) earns Josh Bolten $165,200;

But at the Council, running Speaker Quinn's empire (which runs ... eh ... the East Wing of City Hall) earns the yet unchucked Chuck Meara $175,000. BAM!

Or take Karl Rove. Perhaps you've heard of him? He's that brainy little Senior Advisor/Deputy Chief of Staff dude who also earns $165,200;

Compare that chump's change to Speaker Quinn's First Deputy Chief, one Ramon Martinez III (perhaps you've heard of him as well???). Homey earns a cool $180K. ISHK!! Roomie likey this trend!

So, let's see ... New York City Council? White House? ... Council? White House?

The list of incomparables goes on, but Roomie will not bore you further with the sordid details.

Full list of White House salaries viewable right here.

Why Mommy Is Full of Shit!

2006-07-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

... and a Democrat As Well?

Excerpts from Why Mommy is a Democrat follow:

Note to Self: Remember what Roomie says - that if mommy ever, ever tries to brainwash impressionable little me like this - to just punch her in the face! One little memorable punch ... that's all.

Dem and Dumber

2006-06-15T12:56:00.000-04:00

Hold tight - cuz the asylum is about to get a bit more insane.

It's lookin' like the last bit of sanity (Rodney Capel) will soon be fleeing the coup, and that the State of NY's Dem-a-goguery is bound for even more misery.

Hard to believe that's possible, right?

One would think that Herman D. and Co. would take this precious opportunity to scout some new, fresh talent ... or just to scout - period.

But one would so obviously be wrong. For the second time in as many years, it appears the shit's just gonna continue to sail downstream, to the next puppet in line.

Now, Frank Hoare, could very well be a great guy; but, what the fuck??? Herman D. should at least pretend to work a bit harder.

Otherwise, we're not really sure how HDF can justify the oodles of duckets he pulls from the State Dem. Committee ($50,000+ in 2004, and that's in addition to his take as an Assemblyman)???

Problem is, Republicans a floundering does not a strong Democratic Party make.

A Mean Green Fighting Machine

2006-05-31T11:58:00.000-04:00

Come Again...??!?!?!?

So here's what the little shots would like to know:

Yesterday, embattled AG candidate Mark Green griped that party boss deals and threats cost him his support; and then went on to accuse the Cuomo machinery of threatening one East Side committee member with the loss of a valuable insurance contract.

Problem is, when pressed further to clarify his very public criminal accusation, the attorney-general-wannabe balked.

Apparently, all Mark could do was backtrack .... saying that it was a private contract, and a private conversation?!?!

Ahhh, we lovey the fresh smell of legal irony!!

Why Sylvia Friedman Should Lose!

2006-05-19T12:52:00.000-04:00

Two Words: Shelly Silver!

Sources say that at last night's Tilden Democratic Club endorsement meeting, (s)elected East Side Assemblywoman Sylvia Friedman was giddy with anticipation for her June 6th fundraiser in Albany, which will be hosted by ... Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver.

Apparently, Friedman - whose version of reform probably escapes Victor Hugo - told a little tale about how she "wasn't sure how she was going to get along with Shelly Silver when she went up to Albany," but then assured the crowd that she has found him to be an incredibly affable, "charming" man. Phewwwww!

Kudos to Silver for doing what he does best; settin' the Assembly's pimps and hoes straight. In very short order he's managed to collar the likes of Jonathan Bing and now, Sylvia Friedman. Who's gonna be next?

Here's what the Daily Smith had to say...

We Luvvv The NYC Council

2006-05-09T15:46:00.000-04:00

State This!

Perhaps love goes too far on the sarcasm scale, but ...

Here's the deal for tomorrow's Stated City Council Meeting:

First, Council Member Vallone will be re-re-re-introducing a bill for New York City to secede from the State; or at least to form a Commission that will look into said matter. We likey!

Second, Council Member Oddo will be triple-re-introducing a bill to prohibit the use of non-wooden bats. Apparently, they hurt less?!?!

Thirdly, our esteemed Public Advocate will be expressing her concerns by seeking to restrict the use of tanning beds in tanning salons. That is way too smart for us to understand...

Fourth, Council Member Fidler, he's looking into creating a joint taskforce on sidewalk maintenance. That's a JOINT TASKFORCE!

But all sarcasm aside, we do like Avella's direction. He'd like to prohibit elected officials (aight colleagues???) from using taxpayer funds for holiday, anniversary and congratulatory greetings in newspaper advertisements. TWO F*#KIN' THUMBS UP FROM US!

Suozzi to Silver & Bruno: YOU'RE FIRED!

2006-05-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

A Man After Our Hearts

This just off the wire: gubernatorial candidate Tom Suozzi just called for the wholesale firing of Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno.

"We must demand that the Speaker of the New York State Assembly and the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate be replaced, because they have failed to fight for the reforms that we seek," said Suozzi.

Nuf' freakin' said!

Now, we are curious ... Mr. Spitzer, what say you?

Thug-Gate

2006-05-03T00:37:00.000-04:00

Catch Him, If You Can!

Kimberley Strassel, Wall Street Journal edit head, thinks lil' Eliot has some explaining to do.

Here's how she starts her piece in today's Opinion Journal:

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer appeared on Comedy Central late last year, admitting to host Stephen Colbert that as a kid he was the "enforcer" on the soccer team, the guy who "took people out." "You play hard, you play rough, and hopefully you don't get caught," he said. The AG was trying for a laugh, but it may have been one of the more revealing insights into his career...

Read more...

NO, You Show Me The Money!

2006-04-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

So Says Speaker Quinn

Hmmmm .... forget what we said the other day. Quinn just wants more money - period.

No mention of givebacks, no mention of Council Members paying for more of their healthcare coverage, no mention of pension adjustments or agreement to work additional hours, and no mind the working New Yorkers who have seen little to no quality of life improvements over the past decade.

Quinn wants a raise for Council Members and apparently, that's that!

Alrighty....

Show Us The Money!

2006-04-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

Or Not?

Since the establishment (especially ours) tends to move in lockstep, should be interesting to see whether or not the Mayor's salary panel, the City Council Speaker and our other elected officials follow Hillary's lead on this one:

Sen. Clinton wants no raise without a minimum wage boost

Questions is, what can Council Members, BPs, the Public Advocate and others offer New Yorkers first, before suckin' on the public trough?

Curious minds (and taxpayers) want to know...

Fresh Kill

2006-04-17T15:48:00.000-04:00

Have At It!

Alright all you salary pimps and whores.

The 2006 list of all city employees and their salaries (as of April 1, 2006) was just released.

Your tax dollars hard at work ... or not.

Enjoy!

Last names A-L, click here

Last names, L-Z, click here

Salary Scheming

2006-04-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

Deal or No Deal?

The edit heads at the Daily News vote No Deal today for City Council pay raises (of which, Barry Popik reminds us).

But we here at Backroomie, we're in to matters even more ludicrous. And that's the panel that Mayor Bloomberg created to render advice on this matter.

Frank Lombardi of the said News recently reminded us that this panel historically is but a facade for money-hungry lawmakers, and that in the past 23 years they have never NOT recommended a salary increase. OK.

But here's what we'd also like to know. Have the panelists' interests and/or conflicts thereof been fully disclosed. B/c, if so, we certainly haven't been privy to that information.

So, for starters, here are some things you may want to know about your salary judges:

1. Tom A. Bernstein, president and co-founder of Chelsea Piers, has made campaign contributions to the following pols: Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Council Member David Yassky; and also to Attorney General candidate Mark Green.

2. G. G. Michelson also contributed to the coffers of Public Advocate Gotbaum.

3. Stephanie Palmer, of the New York Mission Society, contributed to former Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields.

Someone want to check if either Chelsea Piers or the New York Mission Society receive City funding?

Oink! Oink!

2006-04-07T17:43:00.000-04:00

The Council's Phat Pork

EJ McMahon of the Manhattan Institute did a very good thing last week in releasing his research of all that is Albany's pork. Simply put, that shit was so obviously fat and yuuuuuuuummmy!

We were inspired. So we thought we'd give you a glimpse of all that is the Council's pork. Because we know that shit is just as yummy.

What's most interesting, though, is to really see one's truest "priorities". And it appears that Giffie's priorities were the gay community (Hetrick Martin Institute got $229,000), some Jews (United Jewish Organization of Williamsburg got $350,000) and of course, the High Line - of which he's a very good friend (they got $250,000).

Interestingly, the Hetrick Martin Institute alone received more money than all the organizations with the word "Harlem" in their names combined. Go figure!

UFT's A Foot Drag

2006-04-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

Let Stossel Teach

It wasn't so long ago that we reported on Randi's Pavlovian response to John Stossel's "Stupid in America" segment on ABC's 20/20.

After ABC aired this controversial piece, Randi brought out the troops to bash Stossel and ABC. But remarkably, Stossel responded by going outdoors to face the angry mob. At the protest, he also accepted what was then a very loud invitation to teach for a week at a school of the UFT's choosing.

But, predictably...

Like most of our dealings with the union, nothing was easy. It took weeks of phone calls to make any sort of progress. I suspect this will not surprise public-school parents.

...Then there were more meetings. Finally, four days before what was supposed to be my first day of class, they canceled. Officially, "they" were the public school administrators who said it might be "disruptive" and that it might "set a precedent" that would open their doors to other reporters.

Too bad. Letting cameras into schools would be a good thing. Taxpayers might finally get to see how more than $200,000 per classroom of their money was being spent.

I wonder why the union even made the challenge. I suspect the UFT didn't expect me to say yes. When I turned out not to be easily intimidated, the teachers' union and the government school monopoly folded. Perhaps there's a lesson there.

Quinn, A Yankees Fan?

2006-04-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

That's The Word

Today's a big day at the Council. A sold out crowd is anticipated in the Council Chambers as Members, lobbyists and Yankee fans anxiously await the Council's approval of the Yankee stadium deal.

And from what we hear on the proverbial street, la Speaker Quinn has no intention of disappointing.

Quinn has taken the not-so-unusual, Giffie-style-step of warning her rogue-est of Members - Barron, Avella and James, to be exact - that should they fail to fall in line with the Yankee deal that they might as well kiss their sweet pet projects good-bye.

Ahhhhhh ... nothin' like the sweet smell of reformia!

[and to keep ourselves in check, we hereby resolve to publish any response la Speaker Quinn would like to send in - publicsway@yahoo.com]

A Mean Green Fighting Machine?

2006-04-03T13:29:00.000-04:00

That's How We Like Our AG's

Fred Dicker of the New York Post really stuck it to a man today. And that man? Attorney General Candidate Mark Green.

Not only did Dicker humiliate Green by highlighting what appears to be his all but inevitable failure to get onto the ballot by way of backroom Democratic politicking, but he continued to sucker punch Green with these nasty blind quotes:

"Green will have a hard time getting to 25 percent - that's become clear," said one of the state's most important Democrats, who is neutral in the attorney general's race.

"People just don't like him. He's obnoxious. And while Cuomo is arrogant, too, he is able to hide it.

"He's turned on the charm and is more compelling and seemingly sincere. Mark is forced. He can't mask it," the insider added.

Journalistically, not such an impressive feat on Dicker's part; but what is of interest to us is how Green will respond, if at all, and why he hasn't already. Because we can't imagine an Attorney General candidate simply rolling over... especially one that seems to grasp the potential of the blogosphere.

As an aside, Adam Nagourney of the Times wrote an interesting piece this past weekend on how politics and politicians are facing sweeping changes by way of the net. The question for Green, then, is will he get swept under this wave or find a way to surf it?

Hopefully Green won't go the way of Dicker by stickin' it to himself!

'Tis All About Degrees of Separation

2006-03-29T14:11:00.001-05:00

Oh Let Us Count 'Em

Some New Hires at the City Council:

Jeffrey Baker: $65,000

John Collins: $46,000

Jonathan Ettricks, $100,000 (a recent increase)
A lot of moola for a Legislative Policy Analyst, wouldn't you say? Perhaps the fact that Ettricks comes from the Anoroc Democratic Club, home of Queens Chief Tom Manton, didn't hurt his cause?

Ronnie Franks, Jr.: $38,000

Laura Gordon: $42,000
Legislative Investigator

Keith Gugliuzza: $90,000

DeNora Johnson: $60,000
Counsel to the Committee on Governmental Operations

Scott Kirkland: $44,000

Omar Lopez: $45,000

Omany Luna: $60,000

Sylvia Maraia: $8,345

Ululy Martinez: $145,000
Former aide to Bronx Dem Boss, Jose Rivera, who had front row seats at Quinn's inauguration. Also serves as the proud pappa of Council Member Joel Rivera.

Lucy Mayo: $95,000
Quinn confidant; now Policy Director

Brian Nahman: $45,000

Robert Newman: $140,000 (recent increase)
Council's Legislative Director

Troy Outlaw, Jr.: $40,000 (recent increase)

Shauneeq Owusu: $45,000

Desiree Pagan Venegas: $50,000

Richard Persky: $53,000

Christopher Riley: $80,000
Former Spokesperson for the Board of Elections

Antonio Rodriguez: $95,000
Husband of Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera who is the sister of Council Member Joel Rivera, both of whom are the children of Bronx Chief Jose Rivera (see above).

Paul Thomas: $60,000

Ricardo Trinidad: $30,000

Maribel Valencia: $70,000 (recent increase)

Angelisa Ramirez: $30,000
Here we go again: daughter of Roberto Ramirez, famed puppetmaster of Freddy Ferrer and the Bronx gang.

Rangel's Roundin' Up the Troops

2006-03-29T01:26:00.000-05:00

For DeBlasio

Looks like the Harlem Charlester is whippin' up the troops for the soon-to-announce Staten Island Congressional candidate Brooklyn Council Member Bill de Blasio. How's that for a triple play?

In a note that went out to the NY Congressional Delegation yesterday (click here to view), Dean Rangel directs his colleagues to "indicate to me what your level of support will be if Bill should decide to run," and concludes by saying that "...I am certain that Bill is deserving of our support."

Doin' the yeomen's work, we tell ya ... luvin' it!

The Council's White Fudge

2006-03-28T01:19:00.000-05:00

Yummy!

Ok. Roomie's back.

And here's the deal. We are now fully rested individuals ... and are ready to talk turkey.

As promised (tho it took longer than we ever expected), we ran some numbers regarding Quinn's firing techniques ... and we'll gladly share with you what we discovered.

But first, we must mention this one caveat ... that unlike the Council, we DID NOT have access to Council records, and only had limited access to Council staff. And so, our numbers are only as good as we think they are. But we will share with you our calculations anyway, and they follow:

On February 22, 2006, Quinn staff said:

1. That 46% of staffers fired were people of color.

We agree; 45.9% to be exact.

2. That 43% of staffers fired were women.

Ummm ... apparently ... genitalia ... not the Council's strong suit. 44.26% were women, to be exact. And we're not sure how we could give the Council any leeway here.

3. That before the firings, 45% of the Council's central staff was female.

Again, off on the genitalia tip; 46.4% is our answer.

4. That before the firings, 43% of the Council's central staff were people of color.

And we say - NO WAY! Our number is 39.21%. And under our most generous of scenarios, the Council only gets up to 40.6%.

Under the most generous scenario, the numbers would look like this:

Non-Hispanic White: 165 (59.35%)
Non-Hispanic Black: 52 (18.71%)
Hispanic: 41 (14.75%)
Asian: 20 ( 7.19%)

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves...

In Case You Haven't Noticed!

2006-03-21T17:55:00.000-05:00

Roomie Is On Hiatus...

At least for the next few days...

Will be back soon with gusto!

Columbia University Students

2006-03-20T17:09:00.000-05:00

Not So Active in NYC Politics

Just an interesting stat: in a recent survey of 310 students, only 9.6% of out-of-state Columbia coeds were registered to vote in NYC.

The Columbia Spectator has more to say about this...

Rangel's Meek Cadi

2006-03-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Not So Cheap

In the world of completely useless expenditures on behalf of the taxpayers are these:

Charles Rangel, Dean of the NY State Congressional Delegation, is driven around his 16-square mile district in a Cadillac Sedan Deville that costs us taxpayers about $1,000 a month.

And even worse is Queens Rep. Greg Meeks who drives a Lexus at a cost of $1,062.85 a month.

Just as a point of comparison, former Mayoral candidate and Queens Representative Anthony Weiner leases a Chevy Impala, which costs us $219 a month.

The edit heads at the Daily News chime in today about this nonsense.

Hack It!

2006-03-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

Yowsers!

Wanna see all that is... well... NOT SO GOOD with the NYC Democratic Party?

Check out Ed Helm's hilarious flick about Paul Hackett (who's not the problem), and NYC political consultant, Hank Sheinkopf.

Please, just shoot us now! (video)

Roomie's Still Workin'...

2006-03-14T00:49:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the Delay

But here's the deal ...

At issue for us is how to adequately determine the race and gender of Council staffers. Not as easy as one might think...especially since we don't work at the Council (and therefore, must rely on a variety of sources to help us pinpoint every attorney, analyst, secretary and messenger; to help with the effort, please email us at publicsway@yahoo.com).

But, we're still working on it ... and do plan to have a final analysis for you ... hopefully sooner rather than later.

In the mean time, though, we thought it most appropriate to release to you all the information that was released to us in response to our FOIL request. No reason for us not to share...

The only thing we're not currently including - for technological reasons - is in Part III, the list of the entire central staff of the City Council prior to the dismissals (which in the short term, we'd be happy to email to you if you contact us at publicsway@yahoo.com).

-------------------------------------------

Part I: The Council's Official Response (as given to us)

March 9, 2006

Backroom Deal Breaker

Re: FOIL request

Dated: February 23, 2006

Dear The Editors, Backroom Deal Breaker:

Enclosed is the Council’s response to your above dated request. This response consists of the following:

1. list of central staff terminations;

2. list of central staff prior to terminations; and,

3. statistical information for staff.

Very truly yours,

Edward F. O’Malley
Records Access Officer

-------------------------------------------

Part II: The List of Dismissals (as given to us)

ANGELO, Larian; ANNAMUNTHODO, John; ARBELO, Rick; BAFFI, Giselle; BUTLER, Steven; CASTANEIRA, Evelyn; CHERRY, Claude; COLON, Richard; DAMASHEK, Jay; DARGAN, Denise; DILLON, Alexander (Sandy); DOULALAS, Athanasios; FINGERMAN, Daniel; FONTANO, Joseph; GARDNER, Kebra; GLADSTONE, Seth; GOLDEY, Mark; GOLDSTEIN, Stuart; GRAHAM, John; GROOTFAAM, Barbara; GRULLON, Santiago; GUILLERMO, Angela; IEN, Michael; JACKSON, Tisha; JEDREZYK, Agnes; JOYCE, Patrick; KHAN, Sandra; KURUVILA, Bikku; LaBONTE, Marie; LENNY, Andrew; LIFRAK, Saphora; LOTITO, Natalie; LUHMANN, Daniel; MA, Hui Jin; MARK, Troy; MENSAH, Evans Gyima; MIKUTEL, Sarah; MULLEN, Gloria; PAUL, Ajay; PENA, Pedro; PEREZ, Giovanna DeCastro; PEREZ, Julissa; RANNEY, Nora; ROBIN, Sean; RYBATSKY, GalinaSABALVARO, Maria Christy; SANCHEZ, Luisa; SANTORELLI, Michael; SARICH, John; SERVENTI, Jenny; SOLOMON, Stephen; STEIN, Perry; STROMAN, Kim; THELEMAQUE, Carl; TIXE, Kanessa; TRAMONTANO, Frank; TURRIAGO, Daniel; WILLIAM, Joy Leshaunda; WITZ, Doris Robin; WONG, Yan; ZUBEL, Paul

-------------------------------------------

Part III: Council Calculations (as given to us)

HEAD COUNT 278

TERMINATED 61 22%

WOMEN 26 / 61 43%

MINORITY 28 / 61 46%

AGENCY TOTAL

58% WHITE

42% MINORITY

54% MEN

46% WOMEN

-------------------------------------------

Clooney to Dems: FU

2006-03-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

From One Liberal to Others

Senior Clooney is on a mad rampage ... again. The Oscar's most poetic waxer lets loose in the Huffington Post today. But this time Clooney takes aim at what he calls spineless Dems. Spineless? Lol!

Among them, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and John Edwards - albeit not by name, but by association. The Daily News has the story.

The Council FOIL Clock Stops!

2006-03-10T00:15:00.000-05:00

14 Days & 14 Hours

That's how long it took the Council folk to fully respond to our FOIL request.

Not bad, not bad at all. Kudos, in fact!

We received the response in its entirety late this afternoon; and to our surprise, it came with no ifs, ands or buts.

We're now processing the information, and hope to have something for you by the end of the weekend.

And with the response, we also close the polls. The results were pretty cut and dry:

72% of you thought Speaker Quinn had something to hide.
28% of you did not.

Only time will tell... we will release to you our analysis as well as all of the documentation the Council sent our way.

Stay tuned!

Randi's Pavlovian Response...

2006-03-09T09:51:00.000-05:00

... To John Stossel's Lesson Plan

We never thought we'd say this, but there's much the NYC school system could actually learn from ABC's 20/20 reporter John Stossel.

Recently, Stossel ran a segment called "Stupid in America," (video) highlighting all the "nasty" things going on in our public schools, and challenging the system to finally face up to them.

But in one part of the segment, Stossel cornered UFT chief, Randi Weingarten, about the negative impact unions are having (video) on our children's education.

Needless to say, Randi was not so happy with Johnny. And predictably, she did what Randi does best; organized a demonstration outside his office to protest his treatment of teachers.

But here's the kicker: unlike the UFT, which has yet to refute any of Stossel's assertions, John Stossel came out and faced the angry mob himself - and in the process not only accepted an invitation to visit a NYC classroom (his previous request to visit was denied), but he also accepted an invitation to debate Randi.

Very refreshing!

And Stossel also notes:

Ironically, before I did "Stupid in America," the New York teachers union wanted to give me an award. The United Federation of Teachers' Social Studies Conference wrote: "Our organization, ATSS/UFT, would be proud to present you with the Hubert H. Humphrey Humanitarian Award for the outstanding work which you have done for social causes. ... Your development and generous sponsorship of In the Classroom Media provide students with the opportunity to enhance their civics education. This is the highest award that we can give to an individual. Past honorees have included Mario Cuomo, Shirley Chisholm, Charles Schumer, Dolores Huerta, Major Owens, Charles Rangel..." (click here to read more)

Faith-O-Meter

2006-03-08T00:31:00.000-05:00

Hi. We're Still Here!

Lucky 13 ... today is the 13th day sans peep from the Council about our FOIL request, aside from ... well ... that one day when they barely acknowledged receiving it.

So in celebration of this reality, we'd like to take a poll.

And no. It's not of the how-many-Council-staffers-does-it-take-to-fulfill-a-FOIL-request variety.

It is: Do Quinn and her gang have something to hide?? Yey or Ney.

That, friendlies, is our question.

Please vote in the sidebar. And feel free to comment as to why you think the Council footsies are a draggin'. Because at this point, we simply do not understand why the information is not being released.

Disrespectin' the Sphere

2006-03-07T08:42:00.000-05:00

What Up With That?

Truth be told. We weren't going to say anything. We were just going to sit here and enjoy whatever offline press coverage we got.

But Ms. Sabater, over at Daily Gotham, reminds us that we should expect more; much, much more from those who utilize our services. And in doing so, she goes straight for the Times' jugular.

Needless to say, we couldn't agree with her more, and owe Liza a BIG THANK YOU for watching out for us all!

Roomie's Got Sun!

2006-03-05T01:29:00.000-05:00

So Says the Times

Obviously, we can't complain when the Times writes a monstrous piece on our sunlighting abilities.

Now ... if they'd only write a piece on how long it takes our government to turn around mindless Freedom of Information requests ... life would be grand!

Enjoy! Today's piece refers to this discovery.

Is This Significant?

2006-03-03T13:12:00.000-05:00

We Just Don't Get It???

What does this mean for Mr. Suozzi or Mr. Spitzer? As reported in the New York Post today:

March 3, 2006 -- ALBANY - Long-shot gubernatorial hopeful Tom Suozzi won a round in his battle against Eliot Spitzer yesterday, as leaders of the Democratic Rural Conference agreed to let Suozzi speak at their nominating convention in Ithaca tomorrow.

DRC officials had initially claimed that Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, couldn't speak because none of the delegates expected at their gathering was willing to nominate him.

But Suozzi has now been told that if he can't find a nominator, "We'll find one for him," said DRC spokesman Brad Mintener.

Who cares?

As the Clock Ticks

2006-03-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

FOIL-A-RAMA

So, now that the Council process of reviewing our FOIL request is officially underway, we thought it would be appropriate to see exactly how long it takes the Council folk to determine whether or not the material we requested "is available".

And again, here's a quick refresher of our requested material:

1. A list of the Council's central staff before the firings.
2. Either the list of the 61 staffers fired (or, if it makes it any easier, a list of the central staff after the firings)
3. The calculations behind the percentages they put out by way of a Council spokeswoman on the day of the firings.

We would assume that this information would be ready to go. And we know that if Speaker Quinn wanted this information on her desk, it would be available to her within the hour.

But in the mean time, we sit and we wait, and we watch the clock in the sidebar tick-tock.

And lastly, while we are happy to pay the $.25/copy, we'd prefer to review the efficiently processed information by email. Just pdf the darn thing...

The Council Responds

2006-03-02T00:16:00.000-05:00

Better Late Than Never?

At 6:04PM yesterday, 5 days and 5 hours after our initial FOIL submission, we received the Council's official acknowledgment of our request, saving us the hassle of having to file an immediate appeal with la Speaker Quinn.

The document, btw, was created at 5:25PM yesterday. And as you can see (by clicking on the image on the left), a lot of work went into this arts & crafts project; we didn't even get the Council letterhead treatment?!?!? No matter.

We commend the folks at the Council for taking the time to engage. This is a good thing.

Now we just need to know when we'll be gettin' the info ... that much wasn't made so clear.

But, patience is our virtue. We've got nothin' but time...

Pissin' On the Peeps

2006-03-01T15:20:00.000-05:00

Time's Up!

Unfortunately, it seems like the Council is more interested in prolonging the story of Quinn's Presidents Day massacre (which, given our propensity for cheap web hits, we're more than happy to continue pursuing) than they are in following the law, and sharing with us any of the information we FOILed.

In fact, we haven't even received as much as an acknowledgment - as required by New York State law:

"Each entity subject to the provisions of this article, within five business days of the receipt of a written request for a record reasonably described, shall make such record available to the person requesting it, deny such request in writing or furnish a written acknowledgment of the receipt of such request and a statement of the approximate date when such request will be granted or denied..."

So, we're now going to pursue the next step available to us ... and will file an appeal with Speaker Quinn:

"...any person denied access to a record may within thirty days appeal in writing such denial to the head, chief executive, or governing body, who shall within ten business days of the receipt of such appeal fully explain in writing to the person requesting the record the reasons for further denial, or provide access to the record sought."

And in the mean time, Council folk, we'll be doing our part to keep this story rollin'....count on it!

A Looming - Ummmm - FOIL

2006-02-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

How Do You Like Dem Apples?

To FOIL or not to FOIL? 'Twas never our question...

Our question was simply to challenge what we've all come to know as Council shenaniganism.

For our purposes here, Council shenaniganism can be simply defined as a protective, heavily spun, institutional mindset that leads a collective group of people to drink so much kool aid that their misstatement of reality becomes inevitable.

And while, admittedly, our FOIL request was written in haste, all we wanted to double check is whether or not the Council was aptly stating reality. Were the percentages quoted to the press of women and people of color on central staff accurate? Or were they more like Miller's $37,000-turn-$1.6 million mailings?

And we'd like proof. Not just with a copy of their calculations, but with back-up documentation as well. And since we know a lot of people currently and previously on staff at the Council, we thought the full list of names before and after the firings would suffice.

We'll find out how the Council responds tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Y B Lame?

2006-02-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Times Wants to Know

The edit heads at the Times kick in their two cents worth today about the Spitzer-Suozzi showdown that could be (if the Democratic establishment gets out of the way). Here's what they've got to say:

New York Democratic leaders are understandably more interested in victory than in an enlightening, hard-fought campaign, but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to fall in line. While it is far too early to choose favorites in this contest, we do believe that competition is better than coronation.

Albany has long been enamored of elections that are over before the nominating conventions begin. And that may be one of the reasons the state government has such a dismal reputation. Win or lose, if Mr. Suozzi manages to engage Mr. Spitzer in a clash of ideas on how to make Albany work better, he will have served the voters well.

Absolut Lame!

2006-02-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

And Unimpressive

No matter what you think of Tom Suozzi, and whether or not he ultimately stands a shot at the Governorship, we've gotta ask ... what up with Spitzer's ballot balk?

Trying to block your opponent from the ballot? We could not imagine a more insiderish maneuver.

Same shit. Different candidate.

Staffed Central

2006-02-24T09:59:00.000-05:00

Truth Be Told

Experience (and sources) tell us that there's the possibility - and we stress - a possibility - that ... well ... at the Council, things are never as they seem; that there may be a bit of hocus pocus going on.

So, we thought we'd check out the magic tricks first hand.

When the Council released an official statement to The Politicker and other publications (including The New York Times) about the percentage of its staff, that prior to last Friday's massacre, it considered to be of color, a Council spokeswoman had this to say:

"...before the firings, 43% of the staff were people of color, and 45% were women."

What she did not make clear in her statement was whether or not the "staff" she was referring to - the denominator in the calculation - was comprised of the entire City Council staff (which would have included the independently hired staff of each of the 51 Council Members) or, only the Speaker Quinn-controlled "central staff".

We've emailed the Spokeswoman, and emailed Quinn's Chief of Stuff, but so far, have gotten no reply.

So yesterday, we sent the Council's new General Counsel a request under the Freedom of Information Law (click on the image to view and enlarge the request).

Not a peep from them as of yet!

Ducket$ Before; Ducket$ After

2006-02-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

Ummm ... Give or Take

Is the trend our friend? Here are two recent examples of how our City Council set, but then failed to meet, our expectations.

Miller Mailings

Before: $37, 000
After: $1,600,000

Salary of Ramon Martinez, Quinn's Deputy Chief of Staff

Before: "Slightly higher" than $160, 000
After: $180,000

Can't Say We Didn't See This Coming...

2006-02-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

... From a Mile Away!

This was left for us in our comments section. Can't say we completely agree with the policy position, but massive entertainment value indeed.

Brought to you by the producers of the website, http://www.vitolopez.com at extension "/staffterm-tshirt.jpg"

Quinn's Reassurance

2006-02-22T00:26:00.000-05:00

What's It Worth Now-a-Days?

Apparently ... not so much.

The massive bloodletting at the Council, and especially the manner in which the blood was let, seems to be backfiring a bit on la Speaker and her not-yet-chucked Chief of Staff.

Winnie Hu of The New York Times writes in today's paper about Quinn's seemingly rushed attempt to clean up her mess. She held a marathon of morale boosting meetings yesterday with the witnesses to the massacre, those now left behind to serve at the pleasure of la Speaker. And we quote:

Ms. Quinn spent several hours meeting with every division at the Council's offices at 250 Broadway, across the street from City Hall, Council aides said. But when asked directly by a staff member, she refused to rule out additional action, said several people who attended the meetings.

And of the way the firings transpired, Hu had this to say:

The employees received hand-delivered letters, were locked out of their computers within the hour, and were told to leave by the end of the day.

NICE.

Also worth noting: The Politicker logged in over 330 comments on the Quinn firings thread - the most comments ever for one posting (for at least as far back as we can remember).

And this blog has been on the receiving end of a vociferous and mixed bag of criticism and support for starting to publish a list of Quinn's axed political targets and new hires.

Which, btw, also led us to publish the public source of our salary information; which subsequently got an extraordinary number of hits.

Go figure!

No Shirts, No Shoes, No Service?

2006-02-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

The Code

Frankie Edozien of the New York Post reports this morning in a strangely constructed article about the Speaker's new Council dress code. Edozien makes sure to insert mention of last Friday's bloodbath, though arguably there is no direct relation between Quinn's firings and the dress code memo. But the attempt at relevance was enjoyable no less.

Though worth mentioning, is that Quinn's new dress code will now put a disproportionate burden on lower wage, back-office staff who never have or will interact with the outside world ... ummmm ... a regressive tax of sorts?

Click here for your viewing pleasure.

Let Your Fingers Do the Talking!

2006-02-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

A Salary Free-for-All

Just to make sure that every reader out there has equal access to everyone's information, not just of those who were recently let go (and those who were and will be hired to replace them) allow us to guide you to publicly available resources.

For a list of salaries of any public employee in New York City ... hired, fired or otherwise, as of April 2005, click below:

Last names: A - L, click here

Last names: L - Z, click here

This moment of transparency in government brought to you by the New York City Department of Records ... enjoy!

Correction: The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) is actually responsible for the production of the lists. We are told that the Department of Records simply posts DCAS's lists.

Quinn's Hit List

2006-02-20T00:31:00.000-05:00

We're Working On It

But, obviously, don't yet have access to all the records. So whatever you know, please email us at publicsway@yahoo.com or post in the comments section, and we'll update this list over the coming hours and days. And btw, we have included the last published salaries to which we have access. And for those without salaries, we probably don't have the correct spellings of their names.

Also, to the employees who were let go ... since we assume most of you were let go for political reasons (and none other), we are happy to link your current email addresses to your names should you desire to make yourselves available to potential employers. Simply email us your email address to publicsway@yahoo.com.

Legislative Records
C. Cherry, $116, 975

Appointment Investigations/General Counsel's Office
J. Damashek, $165, 202
S. Lifrak, $92, 466
S. Goldstein, $103, 607
J. Graham
B.

Press Office
D. Luhman, $53, 892
S. Gladstone
S. Mikutel, $37, 500
E. Castaniera, $44, 334
T. Doulalas, $31, 518
K.

Investigations
D. Fingerman, $37, 000

Administrative Services
E. Gyima-Mensah, $74, 865
R. Arbelo, $52, 831

Computer Services
P. Zubel, $119, 760
T. Mark, $77, 564

Finance
L. Angelo $165, 050
F. Cheech Trammantano, $128, 750
K. Stroman, $67, 117

Member Services
J. Perez, $35, 092
L. J. Williams, $50, 000

Infrastructure/Central Staff Attorneys/Policy
M. Goldey, $69, 830
S. Dillon
B. Kuruvila, $66, 950
N. Ranney

Resignation
M. Nieves, $143, 360

The Management Team/New Hires
C. Meara, $175, 000; Chief of Staff
R. Martinez, $180, 000; Deputy Chief of Staff
M. Keaney, Deputy Chief of Staff
L. Mayo, Director of Policy
M. Keogh, Director of Finance
S. Crowley, Deputy Director of Finance
U. Rafael Martinez, Deputy Chief of Staff
M. Alvarado, $90, 000; Press Secretary
K. Wardally, $108, 150; Deputy Chief of Staff
E. Fine, $160, 000; General Counsel

Conservative on Compassion?

2006-02-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

Behind the Massacre

The dailies go all-out today on Quinn's demolition derby at the Council yesterday.

The N ew York Times, the Daily News, and the New York Post.

Turns out, in her path were 61 Council staffers, from low-level $25,000/year secretaries to high-level management earning over $160,000, from press officers to the Director of Finance to the attorney who brought allegations of sexual harassment against the Council and former Queens Council Member Alan Jennings.

But the backstory seems to include a thread of nastiness in the way the firings were executed ('xcuse the pun). No biggie, right? Because isn't that how it's done in the private sector? So seems to go the argument of proponents of Quinn's methodology.

But with so much noise coming out of Quinn and her Council about workers' rights (for example, see here), tis hard not to take notice of the irony and hypocrisy of letting longtime staff members go in such a callous manner, without even a discussion of outplacement services, etc.

Where's the love?

Word On the Street

2006-02-17T16:50:00.000-05:00

Meet the Council's New Finance Director

As The Politicker reminded us today, Quinn had a massive urge to purge. And in the depths of her purge was Larian Angelo, the Council's Miller-time Finance Director.

We've gotta say, our hopes were riding high for all of the last few hours. We thought maybe, just maybe, Quinn would bring some real life into the Finance position - which indeed, has suffered tremendously over the years. We thought maybe Quinn would try to recruit some stars from the private sector to match Bloomberg's financial savvy.

But unfortunately, it appears that this will not be the case. Sources say Quinn has tapped - of all people - Queens boy Michael Keogh, husband of Clinton New York State trooper, Karen Persichilli (also of Council fame) to lead Finance. Not too long ago, Keogh served as the General Counsel to the New York City Districting Commission.

It's official, boys and girls, Quinn's hack attack continues!

And Just to Make It Official

2006-02-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

We Were Off By 3%

Straight from the Council's Press Office:

The Council is in the midst of significant restructuring. A number of staff
members will be notified that effective the close of business today, their
empoloyment will be terminated. In total, 60 individuals - 22 percent of
the City Council's central staff - will be notified.

Staff appointments will be announced over the coming weeks.

The Messy Massacre

2006-02-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

The Faucet is Leaking

Apparently we're not the only ones privvy to the rumors that the Council staff is about to get chopped in quarter.

Frankie Edozien of the Post had this to say today:

Speaker Christine Quinn will soon hand out pink slips to as many as 60 City Council employees, The Post has learned.

The firings, some of which could come as early as today, involve many mid-level staffers hired under her predecessor, former speaker Gifford Miller.

Reformia

2006-02-17T01:25:00.000-05:00

Part Deux

We've got to hand it to our new Speaker, Christine Quinn. She seems to be playin' her cards just right.

Yesterday, the Council jefe stood side by side with el Mayor B, as they announced their intentions to pass a package of lobbying reforms ... which we likey very much!

It's a five point plan that seeks to accomplish the following:

ban gifts from lobbyists to government officials
strengthen enforcement of the lobbying law and double the maximum penalties for violations
mandate that lobbyist disclose information about their political consulting and fundraising clients
create an online filing system for lobbyists, enhancing the speed and accuracy of public disclosure
close the gaping loop-hole that allows lobbyists' contributions to be matched with public funds

Again, no complaints from us. We just hope that Mayor B did not in any way trade reformia for term limits.

Stay tuned!

A Shift in Power

2006-02-15T13:59:00.000-05:00

Mayor Gets More

Yesterday, the State Court of Appeals ruled that the Mayor no longer has to enforce laws that he deems to be illegal, reducing the City Council's balance of power even further.

Speaker Quinn, admitting that this is indeed a setback for the Council, had this to say in The New York Times:

"What this says is if the mayor disregards our law, I have to sue first as opposed to the reverse," she said. "So that's a technical matter of who assembles their lawyers first, and you know, I hope we don't have to do that but we are fully prepared to do that if and when we have to uphold the law."

The legal professions, again, proves a good place to be!

Better Know a District

2006-02-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

Or Better Know Your Love Life?

Jerry Nadler, of New York's 8th Congressional District, probably had some explaining to do when he got home last night ... something about a wife and a girlfriend.

Take a look. This is from last night, care of Comedy Central's Colbert Report.

Mikey to Albany: FUs All Around

2006-02-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

At Least to Pataki, Silver and Bruno

We very much likey the latest path of Mayor Mikey. And we must say, 'twas quite refreshing to see Democratic strongholds Randi Weingarten and Speaker Quinn backing up the Mikester.

All the papers this morning have something to say about it:

David Herszenhorn and Jim Rutenberg of The New York Times wax here.
Erin Einhorn and David Saltonstall of the Daily News focus on Mike & the gang's FU to Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver, here.
David Seifman of the New York Post says it here.
Bryan Virasami of Newsday, right over here; and
Russell Berman of the New York Sun, writes here.

Frontal Attack

2006-02-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

Quinn's Snow Job?

It seems like Winnie Hu is as puzzled as are others about Speaker Quinn's sudden case of reformia. In a piece today in the Times, Hu profiles Quinn's latest bout of reform against a backdrop of ass-kissing and cynicism.

The ass-kissing continues to come from colleague Council Member Eric Gioia, whose balls Quinn so obviously squeezed in a manner he's never experienced before. And the cynicism, well, it comes from the likes of advocate, Gene Russianoff (the scrappy Straphanger) and Council Member Charles Barron (the "mental health = slapping white people" dude).

For what it's worth, here's our thought of the day ... Could it be that Quinn is simply laying the land for a more favorable term limits battle?

Yes, you can count us in the cynics' corner...

Winners and Losers!

2006-02-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

It's That Time Boys and Girls

So we wrap up our coverage of the 2005-2006 Speaker's race, now that the dust has settled, with your winners and losers. You emailed and commented, and we've compiled 'em right here.

Winners

Queens Honcho Tom Manton (like the house, always wins)
Christine Quinn (as we state the obvious)
Mayor Mike (for wielding his backroom wand)
Brooklyn Honcho Vito Lopez (for getting Brooklyn a seat at the table)
Newbies: East Side Council Members Garodnick, Lappin, Mendez, White & Dickens
NYC Real Estate (ownership)
Quinn's Opponents: Council Members Fidler, Katz, Comrie, Rivera and Weprin (for maintaining or improving their lots in life)
Quinn's Other Colleagues: Council Members Oddo, Reyna and Jackson
The LGBT Community (gayphoria rocked the country)
Unions (for scoring Bill's bill scorning the CFB's single-source ruling)
Backroomie (to toot our own horn)

Neutral

Quinn Opponent and Runner-up: Council Member Bill de Blasio (for folding and sealing a leadership post, but also leaving his supporters in the lurch)
Bronx Honcho Jose Rivera

Losers

de Blasio supporter Council Member Leticia James (for playing a bad game of poker)
de Blasio supporter Council Member Mike Nelson (sitting in the back of the room with a lulu reduction)
de Blasio supporter Council Member James Sanders (loses Economic Development post)
de Blasio supporter Council Member Charles Barron (now sitting under the watchful eye of Thomas Jefferson)
de Blasio supporter Council Member Gale Brewer (left holding the term limits bag)
de Blasio supporter Council Member Yvette Clarke
The Parkside Group and others in the Miller lobbying establishment
Council Member Eric Gioia (friend or foe?)
The Voters (who twice enacted term limits; can you say bye-bye?)
Newbies: Council Members Mealey, Vacca and Mark-Viverito
Some Miller and Vallone staff holdovers (though they may not all know it as of yet)

Mikey to Give Bruno His Fair Share!

2006-02-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

As NYC Waits and Waits and Waits for Its...

Kenneth Lovett and Stephanie Gaskell of the New York Post report this morning that Mayor B is fanning the flames in the war against Albany ... setting six fires, to be exact.

Bloomberg aides are now whispering that Serph Maltese is but the first - and obvious - target in Bloomy's campaign to destroy his party's choke-hold on the State Senate.

Other targets on the agenda include: Frank Padavan in Queens, Kemp Hannon and Carl Mercellino in Nassau County, Ceasar Trunzo and Owen Johnson in Suffolk County, and Nick Spano in Westchester.

Why is the Mayor going out of his way to take on Bruno's posse? Simply to get NYC its fair share of overdue education resources...

We likey!

Paybarah's Payback's a Bitch

2006-02-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

...for the NY Press

Quick shoutout of fellow blogger Azi Paybarah and his colleagues on the editorial staff of the New York Press. They all walked out last night after the publisher of the Press backed down in the last minute from printing the Danish cartoons at the center of the global crisis, the cartoons depticting the prophet Mohammed.

Editor-in-Chief Harry Siegel sent out this email last night on behalf of the editorial staff (hat tip to The Politicker):

New York Press, like so many other publications, has suborned its own professed principles. For all the talk of freedom of speech, only the New York Sun locally and two other papers nationally have mustered the minimal courage needed to print simple and not especially offensive editorial cartoons that have been used as a pretext for great and greatly menacing violence directed against journalists, cartoonists, humanitarian aid workers, diplomats and others who represent the basic values and obligations of Western civilization. Having been ordered at the 11th hour to pull the now-infamous Danish cartoons from an issue dedicated to them, the editorial group—consisting of myself, managing editor Tim Marchman, arts editor Jonathan Leaf and one-man city hall bureau Azi Paybarah, chose instead to resign our positions.

We have no desire to be free speech martyrs, but it would have been nakedly hypocritical to avoid the same cartoons we'd criticized others for not running, cartoons that however absurdly have inspired arson, kidnapping and murder and forced cartoonists in at least two continents to go into hiding. Editors have already been forced to leave papers in Jordan and France for having run these cartoons. We have no illusions about the power of the Press (NY Press, we mean), but even on the far margins of the world-historical stage, we are not willing to side with the enemies of the values we hold dear, a free press not least among them.

This was not an easy decision. I've been reading the Press since 1988 and have dreamed of running it for nearly as long. The paper's editorial staff has worked impossibly hard hours and has come quite a ways in only a few months towards restoring the paper's tarnished editorial reputation and credibility. I'm proud of the work we've done, and wish we'd had time to finish the job. I wish the Press all the best, and hope that under new ownership and leadership it can again be an invaluable read for all good Gothamites.

And Bruno-a-Mano

2006-02-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

Right Back at Ya, Mikey!

Apparently Senate Majority Leader Bruno does not take kindly to threats, veiled or otherwise.

The NY Times and New York Post report today that Bruno had these words of warning for the Mayor:

"I know that people that know me know that the way you deal with us is not to bully and not to threaten," Mr. Bruno said. "The mayor is smart enough to know that. And the mayor is also smart enough to know that bullies end up getting bloody noses."

We hear at Backroomie are siding with the Mayor on this one. Truth be told, we find it quite hard to give a damn about anything anyone in Albany has to say, especially when it comes to helping the City of New York.

Mano-a-Bruno

2006-02-07T09:33:00.000-05:00

Watch Bloomy Go!

We admit, we're completely entertained! Watching Mayor B squeeze whatever life is left out of his party is proving to be an interesting exercise in (a)political maneuvering.

Paybarah covers the payback at the NY Press, providing great coverage of the ins and outs of Mike's latest attempt to bitch-slap the Senate Majority Leader. Click here to peruse! And the Urban Elephants add their own coverage to the mix.

Meanwhile, Michael Saul of the Daily News picks up on the story today, quoting Bloomberg as saying:

"I'm going to do the best I can for New York City - that's the only criteria I will use in determining who to support," said Bloomberg, a Republican.

And Marc Humbert of Newsday, has this to add.

Caught on Tape

2006-02-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

The Shooting of Councilman James Davis

Over the weekend, CBS news released a chilling tape of that day in 2003 when Councilman James Davis was gunned down by his political rival, Othiel Askew, in the balcony of the Council Chambers.

In this piece, reporter Scott Weinberger gives a well deserved shout-out to City Council clerk Vincent Bonavita for maintaining his cool, and helping direct officers to the gunman.

But while Bonavita doesn't think twice about protecting the people around him, take a look at your Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum... the game whackamole comes to mind!

Click here to view!

Friday Bloody Friday!

2006-02-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

Wam, Bam, Thank You Ma'am?

Speaker Miller made famous the Valentine's Day Massacre. Now, word on the street is that Speaker Quinn just axed, or is about to ax, a sizable chunk of the Council's central staff (Miller and Vallone holdovers).

More to come...

Money in the Lobby

2006-02-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

Actually, It'$ Everywhere

In case you had any lingering doubts, doubt no more. Politics has truly become the art of getting paid.

The New York Times and New York Post report this morning how more and more political consultant's are making their money as lobbyists; often lobbying the same elected officials they put into office.

Top on the list of violators last year was The Parkside Group, according to a report just released by Citizens Union..

And Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, had this to say in today's Times:

...the growing trend underscored the need for the city to strengthen its lobbying laws. He said elected officials who pay consultant-lobbyists for their advice, and then encounter them in their role as lobbyists, face potential ethical dilemmas.

"When a consultant recommends to the candidate that the candidate take a position on a particular issue, how impartial is that advice?" said Mr. Dadey. "When a campaign consultant invoices his candidate, but is also working for a lobbying client, will the consultant discount the bill because the consultant knows there may be greater access in the future to the candidate if elected?"

Christine Q's Poll Dance

2006-02-02T12:27:00.000-05:00

In the Gayphorosphere

Speaker Quinn's favorables after nearly one-month in office seem quite high, 16% to be exact according to today's Q Poll.

This might be an all-time record for new Speakers, though we admit that the list of comparison is rather short.

But will it last? How far does gayphoria take you, some wonder...

The New Budget Process

2006-02-02T08:46:00.000-05:00

What Is It?

We have a very simple question to ask anyone who may know. What is this new budget process that Speaker Quinn is proposing?

We've heard a lot about it, but so far haven't a clue what it actually means.

Please advise!

Winners & Losers

2006-02-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

We're Listenin'

Speaker Quinn is approaching her one month anniversary. Committee posts have been decided, lulus inflated, bosses pleased, favors curried, lobbyists promised ... and on and on ...

We just want to know the winners and losers. Who's up, who's down? Who's in, who's out?

You tell us. Tell us in the comments section or tell us by email at publicsway@yahoo.com.

We'll publish the results next week. Stay tuned!

Backroom Judiciary

2006-01-31T08:25:00.000-05:00

Kudos to the Judge

Ahhh ... what the heck! We thought we'd give one more shout-out to reformist Judge Margarita Lopez Torres (not to be confused in any way with former Council Member Margarita Lopez) for the historic decision that came down last week to rid the party bosses of their powers to handpick our Supreme Court justices.

Joyce Purnick of The New York Times talked to Judge Lopez Torres yesterday, and Errol Louis of the Daily News comments on the verdict today.

"But the trend of history has always been towards more transparency. I'm gratified that the process has been revealed for what it is, a sham. I have to have confidence in the process. And I do." (- Judge Lopez Torres in The New York Times)

Musical Chairs, Council-Style

2006-01-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

Yay!

An interesting read. Dan Barry of The New York Times wrote a fairly irreverent column this weekend about the Council's practice of doling out seat assignments to Council Members. It's a practice equally steeped in backroom politics as is the process of selecting the City Council Speaker.

Council Members who supported the new Speaker got their plum choice of seating. And for those who weren't so supportive ... well ... they ended up in the back of the room (standing no chance of landing on your evening newscast) or sitting in front of the statute of Thomas Jefferson - as was the case with oft-dissenting and Jefferson-loathing Council Member Charles Barron.

But ne'er mind that ... what we found most entertaining was the flagrant obnoxiousness emanating from the Council; and twas a battle at that.

On the one hand, you had Quinn Chief of Staff Chuck Meara who " said he found it hard to believe that anyone would care about seating assignments in the Council chamber," ... "and dismissed any idea that those assignments have been used as subtle punishment. "

Oh please!

And on the other ... well ... we've said enough already. You can read it here.

Bye-Bye Judicial Conventions!

2006-01-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hello Sanity!

We've gotta say ... we never thought this day would come.

Yesterday, Federal Judge John Gleeson of the United States District Court in Brooklyn opened up a can of whoop-ass on the establishment for the way they have chosen their judicial nominees - a tip of the hat to democracy! The ruling bars the establishment from the practice of selecting candidates for State Supreme Court justice at sharply controlled nominating conventions that effectively rob voters of their say of who ultimately makes it to the bench.

Judge Margarita Lopez Torres who brought the case hailed the decision as "a victory for the judiciary and a victory for all New Yorkers and for democracy. It's also a victory for candidates who are well qualified but who have been shut out of the process." So reported William K. Rashbaum of The New York Times.

Quinn's Arc

2006-01-27T12:56:00.000-05:00

Starts with Promising Reforms

Question is, will it be a happy ending?

The edit heads at El Diario/La Prensa seem to be cautiously pessimistic, noting that Quinn's predecessor and close confidant, Speaker Miller, started his tenure similarly. Further, the piece notes that while on the one hand Quinn is dishing reforms, on the other she's still lulu-fied the Council, potentially negating the impact of all of her reforms combined.

We shall see...

More Lulu Ga-Ga!

2006-01-26T21:54:00.000-05:00

Randomness!

David Seifman of the New York Post reported today that Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez will be getting another $6k for doing more of nothing. How's that for a reformed perk?

Gonzalez will now chair the Committee on Juvenile Justice, which previously was just a Subcommittee that oversaw the same agency. What has frustrated some is that while chair of the Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice, Gonzalez held hearings at a once-a-year-clip. Blah!

"We're very disturbed," declared [Alex] Parker (president of Local 1457, which represents workers in juvenile facilities). "She's actually going to be paid for not holding meetings for two more years."

And while we're on the topic of lulu-givers and lulu-takers, we too couldn't help notice Council Member Eric Gioia's change-o-'tude...

Last week, Gioia had this to say of newly minted Speaker Quinn:

...by linking leadership positions with cash, and by deciding the stipend amounts in private, they undermine people's faith that we act solely in the public interest.

And today, Gioia had this to say:

"I think Chris is taking the Council in the right direction in terms of reform. It needs to be our goal to rebuild people's faith in what we do."

Valentines Day Massacre?

2006-01-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

All's Quiet at the Council

But will it last? That's the concern of Council staffers, many of whom have survived through two Speakers already. Could their time be running out? Will there be a major shake-up? Will there be a repeat of Speaker Miller's 2002 VDay performance?

Ahhhh. Only time will tell. What we know now is that Speaker Quinn is readying herself to meet with all the Council departments individually next week. What tone will she set?

Stay tuned!

The Gift of Lulu

2006-01-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

Edit Heads a Slappin'

In an editorial today entitled, "They're not all pigs," the Daily News edit heads give Council Member Tony Avella a loud-ass shout-out for turning down his lulu'd leadership for the fifth consecutive year. They have this to say:

Accepting a lulu "binds the recipient to the will of the leadership," Avella correctly notes. "Independence and freethinking ... [are] lost as a result." Along with putting one's constituents' concerns ahead of any other agenda.

And in the same piece, the edit heads give Lulu-come-lately-Council Member Eric Gioia a tiny tip of the hat for giving away his lulu to charity, saying:

Nice, but the money still comes out of taxpayers' pockets while Gioia gets credit for largess.

What's the Deal?

2006-01-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

With Pols and Mailings...

They just can't keep their hands off of them ...

First, twas Speaker Giffie, with his $1.6 million dollar spread.

Now, it's C. Virginia Fields.

Frankie Edozien reports in today's New York Post that the former mayoral candidate and Manhattan Borough Prez, felt it necessary to detail for Manhattan residents her accomplishments in an 8-page spread.

Cost to taxpayers: $40,000

Benefit to taxpayers: $0

That Fields and Miller are no longer in office: some might say ... PRICELESS!

Quinnister Motives

2006-01-20T09:18:00.000-05:00

Sans Reform

The edit heads at the Daily News this morning call Speaker Quinn on her bluff. Dubbing her the "Princess of Pork," the piece opens this way:

For a brief and fleeting moment, we had allowed ourselves to hope that Christine Quinn, newly installed as speaker of the City Council, would lift the municipal legislature from its piggy-feeding trough, but, alas, we were wrong.

For Quinn, hailed as a reformer and lauded as a path-breaker, has proven herself as much a patronage-dispensing, favor-doling, taxpayer-abusing, anti-democratic hack as any of her predecessors. She plans to get what she wants the oldest-fashioned way: by paying.

And in a separate Daily News piece, Frank Lombardi reports that Council Members Darlene Mealy, Melissa Mark-Viverito, James Sanders, Leticia James and Andrew Lanza share the distinction of being on Quinn's shit list ...

DOUBLE OUCH!

The Lulu-fication of the Council

2006-01-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

Big Money, Big Money

Yesterday probably marked the end of the warm beginning of Christine Quinn's term as City Council Speaker - at least vis-a-vis the NYC press corpse.

Today's stories about the half-million dollars worth of lulus Speaker Quinn doled out during yesterday's Stated Council Meeting reminded us of ... well ... how shall we say this ... Miller time!

So what are you waiting for? Start reading...

Frank Lombardi of the Daily News opens up his piece with this:

She's the first gay woman to serve as City Council speaker, but Christine Quinn followed the time-honored tradition of her good ol' boy predecessors when it came to doling out committee posts yesterday.

Meanwhile, Frankie Edozien of the New York Post, noted this:

Council members from Queens and The Bronx were the obvious winners in payback from Quinn to her powerful supporters, Queens Democratic leader Tom Manton and Bronx Democratic boss José Rivera.

Gioia's Got Quinn's Back

2006-01-19T00:49:00.000-05:00

...With a Knife

We here at Backroomie ... we must admit ... we luuuvvv the meandering loyalties of our politicos.

Take Council Member Eric Gioia of Woodside, Queens, for example. He, Quinnie and Giffie were once three peas in a pod - and not so long ago at that. And it also wasn't so long ago when Gioia was doin' the lulu as good as, if not better than, many of his colleagues.

So suffice it to say that we were a bit taken aback both by the fact that Gioia suddenly gave up his $8,000 stipend, and also by Gioia's quote in today's Newsday where he says this of Quinn's lulu-making process:

...by linking leadership positions with cash, and by deciding the stipend amounts in private, they undermine people's faith that we act solely in the public interest.

OUCH!

Here's the Line-up

2006-01-18T11:24:00.000-05:00

Inside sources say:

(continuously updated)

Queens keeps Finance and Land Use.
Education will go to Jackson.
Housing will go to Lopez fave, Dilan.
Sanders will be removed from Economic Development in favor of oldie but newbie Thomas White.
Fidler and de Blasio, ironically enough, will become ... get this ... Assistant Majority Leaders ... which seems like as good a justification as any for higher lulus.
Comrie will become Deputy Majority Leader & Chair Consumer Affairs.
Newbie Inez Dickens will become Majority Whip and will also Chair the Ethics Committee.
Yvette Clarke will no longer Chair Fire and Criminal Justice, but Miguel Martinez will.
Barron remains on Higher Ed.
Rivera becomes Chair of the Health Committee, replacing Speaker Quinn.
Reyna will Chair the Rules Committee.
Oliver Koppell will replace Margarita Lopez as Chair of Mental Health.
Aging will go to Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Contracts goes to Yvette Clarke
Waterfronts goes to Mike Nelson.
Small Business goes to David Yassky.
Civil Rights goes to Larry Seabrook.
Juvenile Justice goes to Sara Gonzalez.
Planning sub goes to Dan Garodnick.
Landmarks goes to Jessica Lappin.

Backroomie By the Numbers

2006-01-18T00:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks for Reading!

As we await the official word (from City Hall) as to who's in and who's out ... of the Council Committees - and we do await with baited breath - we thought we'd give you a quick rundown of Backroomie's stats to date.

Since we launched just a few months ago, we've had:

Nearly 17,000 unique visitors
Over 10,000 returning visitors
Over 30,000 page views

Not bad for a nichey little mag...

Oh ... and yeah ... we'd also like to thank the following organizations for allowing employees to read Backroomie while on the job... a lot!

New York City Council * The Mayor's Office * NY State Division for Youth * Con Edison * NY State Assembly * New York Times * Daily News * New York Post * Newsday * New York Observer * New York Press * New York Sun * NY1 * News Communications * Columbia University * NY Public Library * Fordham University * Waterfront Commission of NY Harbor * Eagle Clothing Corp * Housing Works * RC Dolner * Tribune Company * Partridge Hill LLC * Baruch College * WNYC * WCBS * WABC * WNBC * New York University * New York Law School * Citizens Union * US House of Representatives * US Senate * New York Courts * George Washington University * Citizens Budget Commission * Campaign Finance Board * Prime New York * Skadden Arps * Consortium for Worker Education * Bear Sterns * Global Strategy Group * Paul Weiss * Media Log * NYPIRG * Towerstream Corp *Duane Morris Hecksche * Civil Service Employees Association *

This is a tiny sample of the universe from where our readers hail ... we'll add more to keep you entertained (and certainly feel free to email us or comment if you'd like to have your organization added to the list sooner rather than later).

It's Committee Time Boys and Girls

2006-01-17T13:10:00.000-05:00

Who's Gonna Get Kicked Where?

Lots of speculation, but no hard facts as of yet. Tomorrow is the big day!

We're willing to bet on Council Member Barron gettin' somethin' ... but short of a kick in the ass, we haven't a clue.

What we are certain of is that Manton, Lopez and Rivera allies will be treated quite well.

We know ... we're quite smart that way!

Stay tuned!

Council Potty Training

2006-01-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

When You've Gotta Go...

... you've gotta go ... and apparently, Council Member Simcha Felder just couldn't hold it in any longer - especially as the roll call to vote on lesbian Christine Quinn's election as Speaker approached the F's.

A profile in courage or simply a case of too much porridge? That's the question rolling around City Hall now-a-days.

Though it appears the gastric pains may have been caused by the ultraorthodox wing of Felder's constituency, which has reservations about all things gay.

The Politicker reported this tidbit yesterday, and David Seifman of the Post followed it up today.

Pay Day

2006-01-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

Kickback #1: Ramon Martinez

Queens Boss Tom Manton, the dude who engineered Speaker Quinn, recently started cashing in. His first take is Public Advocate Gotbaum's Senior Advisor, Ramon Martinez.

Thanks to Manton, he has been hired as Quinn's Deputy Chief of Staff - and will be making an amount "slightly higher" than the current $160,000 he earns with Gotbaum - according to Council sources. That's what Frank Lombardi of the Daily News reported today.

Word on the street: The good Quinn's Chief of Staff, Chuck Meara, could possibly do apparently remains uncertain - and he may need to start watching his back.

The People's House?

2006-01-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

(photo from New York Times.com)

Not So Much

Columnist Joyce Purnick of the New York Times takes a look today at one of the unintended consequences of the term limits law, the ridiculous growth and power of lobbyists. She notes:

Their number and power have grown so noticeably that when Councilwoman Christine C. Quinn became speaker eight days ago, the Council chamber couldn't hold all the lobbyists who turned up.

Which makes the assertion that Speaker Quinn made during her acceptance speech - that "...we are the People's House," ring a bit hollow.

So here's our question. Will Speaker Quinn walk the talk? Your guess is as good as ours, but in the mean time here's what she had to say of the lobbyists influence at City Hall:

"It's problematic, something we need to be vigilant about, to make sure that the familiarity does not cross over the line," Ms. Quinn said in an interview.

The Honeymoon is Over!

2006-01-11T09:42:00.000-05:00

Perhaps, The Shortest Ever?

Now that didn't take long.

It started with a teaser from the New York Sun yesterday, and continued with the New York Post today.

The Post edit heads ... well ... how shall we say it ... they call Quinn and her labor pals ... liars!

Not a pretty piece by any stretch of the imagination, a piece that concludes this way:

It's not an auspicious start to Quinn's career as Speaker.
Color us not surprised.

Koch Reads Tea Leaves

2006-01-10T20:04:00.000-05:00

Calls Quinn's Bluff

On tonight's Wise Guys segment of NY1's Inside City Hall, Mayor Ed Koch told host Dominic Carter that he's not buyin' what Speaker Quinn is selling.

What she was selling tonight was an extension of what she started selling last week - a full on backpedal on term limits.

Koch had this to say:

My own belief is that she [Speaker Quinn] committed herself to legislative action to the members of the City Council, and that if she puts it aside for now its only because the press has put a lot of pressure on her. ... I believe that if she gave her word to her members that we're going to see term limits on the legislative agenda for change...

In Case of Emergency...

2006-01-10T14:16:00.000-05:00

Dial 1199

In the world of sending signals, smoke or otherwise, the edit heads at the New York Sun seemed less than impressed with Speaker Quinn for standing side-by-side with 1199 for her first official press conference.

They were particularly bothered, not only by the continued appearance of Millerism, but by the fact that the press release announcing Quinn's Principles came from the union rather than her government office.

Nevermind that. But the piece did reminds us of the unusual hold that 1199 has on the Speakership. Speaker Miller's first major initiative was the Living Wage Law, seen by most as an 1199 payback.

Hmmm ... where is Speaker Quinn headed?

Will the Real Speaker Quinn...

2006-01-10T08:14:00.000-05:00

... Please Stand Up

Christine Quinn will make her first appearance tonight as Speaker on NY1's Inside City Hall.

And we're certain that if nothing else, two things are going to happen.

1) The Speaker will be congratulated, and lauded for being the first female and lesbian to hold the post; and

2) She's going to face a line of questioning on the Council's plans to alter their own term limits legislatively - in spite of voters twice willing term limits into existence.

Problem is, we're not sure which Speaker Quinn is going to show up tonight. Will it be the one who made this promise to her colleagues? Or, will it be the one who most recently started inching backwards?

We are as curious to find out as you are...

The Foregone Conclusions

2006-01-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

In Our PermaGov

Last week, columnist John Avlon of the New York Sun took the most insightful look we've read to date on the Speakership race that was, and then wasn't. Much like Backroomie, Avlon took great issue with the process, saying:

...Initially, there was a crowded and competitive field, but just days before the final vote was scheduled, all the other candidates miraculously dropped out to leave only Manhattan's Christine Quinn standing.

When election results are determined before the election itself is held, it is a bad sign. Unanimity is antithetical to democracy.

He goes on to note that:

If this is progress, it deserves to be taken with a side shot of skepticism. It marks less a change than a continuation of influence by the unelected. The fact that Ms. Quinn has retained outgoing City Council Speaker Gifford Miller's chief of staff indicates what is occurring.

We could not have argued the point any better!!

Expectations Riding High

2006-01-09T00:44:00.000-05:00

So Says the New York Times

Yesterday, the edit heads at the NY Times gave the newly minted Speaker Quinn a whole-hearted welcome, concluding:

New Yorkers have reason to have high hopes for Ms. Quinn. She has a strong activist spirit and has always been good at working with communities at the grass roots level. Her straightforward manner should serve her well. She has said she wants her tenure to be one of big ideas. It's a goal worthy of the city she will help to lead.

But not without first taking the time to issue a few stern warnings.

Here was one of them:

It's also important that she establish priorities independent of the county party bosses and other forces who helped to elevate her to speaker. The concern is no small one. Democratic leaders in Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn helped engineer the near-unanimous vote; the lone abstainer was Charles Barron, from Brooklyn, who spoke for many New Yorkers when he took issue with the insider-only process.

Strollin'

2006-01-06T14:17:00.000-05:00

Bloggy Style

It's been a long week for Backroomie. Lots 'o action. And now, we're tired. So let's stroll...

We start off with our brethren, PO Boss. Per the new ad in our sidebar, the Boss takes a satirical and cynical look at who exactly is the boss of whom and gears up for the next major battle, term limits.

Over at The Politicker, Ben & co. take a look at the reemergence of former City Council President Tom Cuite by way of his opposition to a gay rights bill 30 years ago. And also take a whack at the gayphoria that gripped the Council this week.

Meanwhile, Fifth Estate recounts how de Blasio could not get beyond the number 17. He was ... how shall we say it ... stuck.

And over on Wonkster, Gotham Gazette's blog, Joshua goes after our heart of hearts ... peering into the backrooms of the Speaker's race. Guess we should've welcomed them as well!

The Times & Newsday Enter the Backroom

2006-01-06T00:41:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

We're happy you're here.

Now that gayphoria is subsiding, New York Times City Hall reporter Winnie Hu and Newsday columninst William Murphy decided to turn their attention to Speaker Quinn's powerful friends.

The concern over the influence Kingmakers Manton, Lopez and Rivera (the County bosses who sat "prominently in the front row like doting uncles" during Wednesday's crowning ceremony) might now wield over Speaker Quinn is becoming more and more real.

In Murphy's piece, CUNY Professor Doug Muzzio had this to say:

"This was deja vu all over again. It's a repeat of 2001 and once again Tom Manton won big," Doug Muzzio, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College, said yesterday.

"Tom Manton got exactly what he got in 2001 - a lot," said Muzzio, who moderated a post-election forum in November with the leading candidates for council speaker.

Hu concluded her piece with this insight from former Speaker candidate Lew Fidler:

"She's [Speaker Quinn] very much an inside player," said Councilman Lewis A. Fidler of Brooklyn, who had also vied for speaker. "I don't think she ever pretended that she was anything else."

Read the NYT piece in its entirety here!

Updated, 8:45am

So ... So Gay

2006-01-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

But the Gayest in America?

Admittedly, there is no way we could do this next story justice. It's a satirical piece from Chris Davis of MichNews.com.

You're better off reading it for yourself ... but to get you started, here's a snippet:

Christine Quinn wept several times during a passionate speech to the 51-member council, thanking her father and her partner, Kim Catullo, who looked on from the audience, making New York the most diverse city in America.

“Let me say that I am incredibly proud that in the most diverse city in the world, diversity is seen as a strength, and not an impediment,” Quinn said. “You won’t find a gayer city in America. Say what you will about San Francisco, but they just marry them, we elect them here in New York. So start spreading the news!”

Click here to read the piece in its entirety.

Old Skoooool

2006-01-05T09:31:00.001-05:00

WNYC Took Notice

Kudos to WNYC reporter Amy Eddings for questioning the bizarro world that is NYC politics.

In this short but useful news segment, a day before Quinn's crowning, Eddings asks her colleague Bob Hennelly this rather comical question:

"So tell me, Bob, how does it happen that we have Christine Quinn basically giving her acceptance speech a day before the actual event happens?"

Click here for Bob's response! (mp3)

It's all good...

The Hammer's Still Got It

2006-01-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Year

So the coverage from yesterday's Speakership election is voluminous ... not just in NYC, but all over the United States. Click here for a sampling c/o Google News.

But nothing, and we mean NOTHING, beats the quote from Queens County Party Boss Tom Manton, after he presided from his front-row perch over Quinn's crowning.

Here's what Manton told Michael Scotto of NY1:

“I think she [Speaker Quinn] on her own merits could have done this [win the Speakership]. It's just maybe an afterthought that the county organizations or the bosses got involved in it.”

Now that's Chris Quinn, laugh-out-loud, freakin' hilarious!

We Love Our Toys

2006-01-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

Especially the Speakermobile

We thought it random enough when the minister at today's ceremonies prayed for "Speaker Quinn," before she was officially Speakerized. But given what we recently discovered, he may not have been so far off base.

It so happens that Speaker-select Quinn (aka Council Member Christine Quinn at the time) drove up to the City Council in the black Suburban Speakermobile, with full security detail in tow (Gifford Miller style).

The aesthetics ... ummmm ... odd.

It's Official...

2006-01-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

Speaker Christine Callaghan Quinn

[compilation of earlier live posts]

Speaker-select Quinn walked into a standing room only City Council Chambers, a room packed with insiders ... lobbyists, party bosses, union heads, elected officials, staff, friends and family.

Kingmakers Manton, Rivera and Lopez had front row seats, as did UFT chief Randi Weingarten. Oddly enough, she was the only union head sitting in the elected officials' section (hmmm...note to self), and just behind arch nemesis, former Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz, no less (that's entertaining because...).

Quinn received a prolonged ovation. There appeared to be recognition of the significance of the moment: Quinn is a woman and openly gay, a Speakership first. Recognition is good!

Following a flawed roll call in which one former Council Member's name was called (Margarita Lopez) and one current Council Member's name was not (Miguel Martinez), a Brooklyn minister prayed for the crowd, and for "Speaker Quinn" ... even though the vote to make her Speaker and all hadn't yet happened. But no worries, that's just backroomie feeling a little funny inside.

Another odd moment came during Quinn's final words, after giving an impassioned speech. She recounted a story where her father recently yelled at the television set because the reporter - after mentioning that Quinn was a woman and openly gay - forgot to mention that she was Irish as well. Cute story indeed.

But what wasn't so cute was the exchange that transpired immediately thereafter between Quinn and a very excited Irishman, Queens Boss Tom Manton. The two had this wink-wink back and forth finger-pointing, I love you thing going on. Made backroomie feel even funnier inside.

Live Webcast

2006-01-04T11:36:00.000-05:00

In the Sidebar

Simply surf on over to the sidebar if you'd like to witness today's proceedings live - starting at 12:00 noon.

Except for one or two rambunctious objectors, expect to see a near unanimous vote for Speaker Quinn - courtesy of County Kings Manton, Rivera and Lopez.