Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a bill on Wednesday in Albany to offer a tax break for city residents who rebuilt or repaired their homes that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy. De Blasio was in the capital for a conference on disaster recovery alongside Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is backing the measure. The abatement would last a year, although it's extension is possible. The bill is drafted but hasn't been officially introduced in the state legislature - where it has bi-partisan support from state lawmakers, according to the mayor, and is likely to pass. But the City is hoping action will be taken before it sends out property tax bills next month. The day was a chance for de Blasio and Cuomo to put aside their recently fraught relationship. The governor also took the opportunity to criticize federal officials for trying to "poach" disaster relief funds.
New this morning at Gotham Gazette
The Industrial Boom Beyond Brooklyn
Kristen Meriwether went on a tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard with a city council delegation and reports on the interest in scaling the Navy Yard model to spur further business and job growth in the city.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
Cornegy on Lactation, Progressivism & Gentrification - Part 4 of a Video Interview with Gotham Gazette
Brooklyn Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. discusses several key topics, including his district facing "the crunch of gentrification."
Possible Primary Mess in The Bronx
David King reports on two potential primary battles with control of the State Senate on the line.
Other Stories We're Following
Transit Pact's $411 Million Price Tag (WSJ)
Hasidic Neighborhood Watch Members Indicted for Gang Assault (WSJ)
Proposal to Limit Prosecutions of Marijuana Cases in Brooklyn (NY Times)
Film at 9/11 Museum Sets Off Clash Over Reference to Islam (NY Times)
De Blasio Pollution Rules Get First Airing (Capital)
Deep Split in Port Authority Over Third World Trade Tower (AP)
Mayor, Commissioner Reject Council Plan for More Cops (Daily News)
Advocacy Group Pushes de Blasio for More Affordable Units (Daily News)
One-Third of Vital Infrastructure at High Risk of Flooding by 2050 (Capital)
City Flood Risk Rose 20-Fold Since Late 1800s: Study (Mashable)
>Median rents in the city rose 75 percent from 2000 to 2012, while median real incomes declined by nearly 5 percent over the same period, according to a new report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Low income residents paid 41 percent of income on rent in '12 compared to 33 percent 12 years prior. In the report the comptroller argues for a focus on those poorest residents and for the stabilization of the public housing system. Simply adding new affordable units is a losing battle, he argues, it is the root causes that must be identified and addressed. But Stringer notes all of the housing woes in the city can't be blamed on gentrification, which the report finds to be growing much slower than perceived. Loopholes in rent regulation are a bigger problem, he says. Landlords seeking to pay off debt from over-leveraged buildings by raising rents is another cause for the housing crisis, according to a separate report released on Tuesday by Council Member Daniel Garodnick.
New this morning at Gotham Gazette
Cornegy on Lactation, Progressivism & Gentrification - Part 4 of a Video Interview with Gotham Gazette
Brooklyn Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. discusses several key topics, including his district facing "the crunch of gentrification."
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
Possible Primary Mess in The Bronx
David King reports on two potential primary battles with control of the State Senate on the line.
Cornegy on the Keys to Helping Small Business - Part 3 of a Video Interview
Watch Council Member Robert Cornegy discuss his plans as chair of the Council's small business committee.
Law & Order: Smoking in Parks Banned, But Few Tickets
Adam Wisnieski reports on the inconsistent enforcement of the city's ban on smoking in parks.
Other Stories We're Following
Lawmakers Demand Details on Federal Sandy Funding (WSJ)
Another Probe Into Delay in Fatal Fire Response (WSJ)
City's Public School Kids May Get Free Lunch (Daily News)
Rangel Used Campaign Funds for Law License Registration (NY Post)
Cuomo’s Plan to Undercut Working Families Party (Capital)
Mayor Announces Stregthening of Air Pollution Control Code (NY Observer)
Mayor's Horse Carriage Position Switched as Cash Rolled In (Daily News)
Council Wants to Add 1,000 Cops (NY Post)
NYPD's Twitter Outreach Backfires (Capital)
Construction Begins on Rockaway Boardwalk Rebuild (DNAinfo)
New York’s Case Against Airbnb Argued in Albany (NY Times)
Community Board Tug-of-War Over Barclays (NY Times)
Six Municipalities Certified as 'Climate Smart' (AP)
East River Floating Pool Moves Into Filtration Testing Phase (DNAinfo)
New Analysis Details Charter School Growth (ChalkBeat)
>Nearly half as many New York City children were put on a kindergarten wait list for this upcoming school year compared to last year, according to education officials. The decline is due to a new streamlined application process that allows parents to apply online at up to 20 schools simultaneously. The total number of soon-to-be kindergarten students on a wait list dropped from 2,300 last year to 1,200 this year. About 71 percent of kids were offered placement at their first choice school; about 18 percent were offered seats at another of their selections; and about 11 percent were not offered one of their choices. Meanwhile, the deadline for families to sign up for pre-kindergarten for next year is Wednesday.
New this morning from Gotham Gazette
Possible Primary Mess in The Bronx
David King reports on two potential primary battles with control of the State Senate on the line.
Cornegy on the Keys to Helping Small Business - Part 3 of a Video Interview
Watch Council Member Robert Cornegy discuss his plans as chair of the Council's small business committee.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
The Week Ahead in New York Politics
Key events and issues to watch this week via the City and Albany.
Law & Order: Smoking in Parks Banned, But Few Tickets
Adam Wisnieski reports on the inconsistent enforcement of the city's ban on smoking in parks.
Other Stories We're Following
Area Officials Blast Potential Loss of Sandy Funds (WSJ)
Union to Get $6 Million in MTA Pact (WSJ)
Voters Disapprove of Cuomo’s Shutdown of Corruption Panel (NY Times)
Officials Probe Delay in Response to Fire that Killed Siblings (DNAinfo)
Comptroller: State in Good Shape (Times Union)
Panel Tells Port Authority to Lessen Governors’ Sway (NY Times)
De Blasio Heaps Praise on Klein (Capital)
City Won't Release Seized Bikes From Sandy-Damaged Building (NY Post)
De Blasio Forges Ahead on Municipal IDs (Capital)
>Federal officials are considering opening up over $1 billion of remaining Sandy aid to other recently hit disaster areas outside of New York, according to the Wall Street Journal. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) believes it is required by law to spread out the funds. HUD is proposing a competition that would reward resiliency against future disasters. The news comes just days after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his plans for reform of New York City's Sandy recovery process, which includes asking for an additional $1 billion from the federal government. New Jersey and New York State have also requested billions more. Of the $60 billion Congress set aside for Sandy aid, $3.6 billion is left.
New this morning from Gotham Gazette
The Week Ahead in New York Politics, April 20
A preview of this week's key events and issues to look for in New York City and Albany.
Law & Order: Smoking in Parks Banned, But Few Tickets
An investigation by Adam Wisnieski into enforcement of the city's ban on smoking in parks leads to some interesting findings.
Other Stories We're Following
Port Authority Debates Third World Trade Center Tower (WSJ)
MTA Denying Access-A-Ride to Double the Riders (NY Post)
State's Workforce Training Deeply Flawed: Study (Crain's)
The Living Wage Bill for Big Businesses (Crain's)
New Manager and Supplier Could Fix Citi Bike: Study (Capital)
New Mayor and Agenda, but Little Change in Ranks (NY Times)
Two-thirds of City’s Airbnb Rentals Are Illegal Sublets: State (NY Post)
Affordable Housing Group Says Airbnb Exacerbates Problem (Daily News)
Imagining a Streetcar Line Along Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront (NY Times)
Paterson's US Senate Pick, for the Ages (Capital)
Country’s First Multi-Family Affordable Passive Building (Daily News)
Mixed Views of Gentrification Threat in East New York (Brooklyn Bureau)
>By the end of summer, construction will begin on 500 storm-damaged homes and another 500 reimbursement checks for repairs will have been mailed, according to a plan for reforming Sandy recovery aid outlined by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday. Over 4,000 additional residents will be eligible for compensation under the plan. To handle the workload, the mayor said he'd shift employees from the Buildings Department. He also committed to hiring local workers. It's been over 18 months since the storm hit, and construction under the Build it Back program has only begun on nine homes, though more than 14,000 people have asked for help. Officials estimate another $1 billion in federal funds will be needed, but Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm complained that the mayor never mentioned the need to him. The New York League of Conservation Voters also criticized the plan for a lack of resiliency planning for future storms.
New this morning at Gotham Gazette
Building Back, Hiring Local
Kristen Meriwether looks at Mayor de Blasio's promise that Sandy rebuilding projects will be done, in part, by workers from devastated communities.
A Post-Budget 'Big Ugly'?
David King reports on the legislation on the agenda in Albany for the post-budget section of the legislative session.
The Next 100 Days
An op-ed by StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis outlining what she would like to see from the mayor and the chancellor, especially with regard to the teachers' union contract.
Other Stories We're Following
MTA and Union Reach a Deal (NY Times)
Muslims Unite on Push to Add Holidays to School Calendar (NY Times)
City Wins Two Charter Lawsuits (Daily News)
NYPD Commissioner Rolling Back Overseas Counterterrorism Efforts (AP)
Former NYPD Commissioner Had Shrunk Demographics Unit (Daily News)
Experts to Weigh in on Port Authority Reforms (WSJ)
Co-leader of State Democrats Is Out (Times Union)
Petition Challenges Fly in Recchia-Grimm Battle (NY Observer)
Old Timey Car to Replace Horse Carriages (AP)
City Jobs Up Again - So is Unemployment (Crain's)
>The MTA and the union representing city subway and bus workers appear close to agreeing on a new contract more than two years after their last one expired. The 34,000 transit employees of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) are likely to receive a significant raise, according to officials. The Daily News reports it to be an 8 percent raise over five years. To help close the deal, the union has asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo to get involved in the discussions. Talks between the MTA and the union began last fall, and the Authority appears to have backed off demands for a three year wage freeze after the union threatened to strike.
New from Gotham Gazette
Cornegy: Right the Economy Through Small Business - part 2 of a video interview of Council Member Robert Cornegy, Jr. by Gotham Gazette
Park Equity Begins with a Better Public Budget
an op-ed by Tupper Thomas, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
Cornegy: My Bill Will Save Lives - part 1 of a video interview of Council Member Robert Cornegy, Jr. by Gotham Gazette
Other Stories We're Following
Without Panel, Move to Monitor Lawmaker Income Thwarted (NY Times)
Cuomo’s Passage of Gun Law Was Legitimate, Judge Rules (NY Times)
New Rule Gives Homeless Added Time in Shelters (Capitol Confidential)
Fariña Says Arts Teach Other Skills (WSJ)
City Comptroller Launching Audit of Build it Back (Daily News)
Councilmember Asks Obama to Investigate Shooting (NY Observer)
State Has Sixth-Lowest Rate of Pedestrian Deaths (WNYC)
Lawmakers Push for Higher Wages at Big Businesses (NY Observer)
Mark-Viverito Rejects Paid-Vacation-Leave Bill (Crain's)
Richard Ravitch Chronicles Life in Government (Times Union)
De Blasio Can’t Find Communications Director (NY Post)
Fewer Commuters Take Cabs to Work: Study (NY Post)
New York Says 960,000 Enrolled in Health Exchange (WSJ)
New York's Long-Running War on Weed (Village Voice)
>The NYPD has disbanded the controversial unit that spied on Muslims and reassigned its officers, officials said yesterday. The Demographics Unit, later renamed the Zone Assessment Unit, was a secret program that sent undercover officers into Muslim communities to build detailed records on them. No lead was ever generated from the extensive surveillance. The NYPD's chief spokesperson, Stephen Davis, said that information “probably could have been just as readily obtained through other community outreach programs.” Mayor Bill de Blasio had promised to discontinue the practice while he was running for office, and officials say the unit has been largely dormant since he was elected and appointed police commissioner Bill Bratton. Muslim groups welcomed the change but still worry that spying and information gathering will continue.
New from Gotham Gazette
Cornegy: My Bill Will Save Lives
In part one of a video interview, Brooklyn City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. discusses his latest legislation with Gotham Gazette.
Deportation Deferred: Why Are NYC's DACA Application Rates So Low?
Hayley Camacho reports on the barriers to immigrants applying for Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Other Stories We're Following
Internal Affairs Warns Against Making Arrests for Overtime (Daily News)
City Heat Study Stalls Due to Lack of Funding (Capital)
Public Advocate Letter Prompts New Homeless Policies (Capital)
Why Democrats Have Turned Against Cuomo (The Atlantic)
Unpaid Interns Gain the Right to Sue (NY Times)
Mark-Viverito Gave Zero to Charity: Tax Records (NY Post)
Espaillat and Rangel Neck-and-Neck in Money Race (NY Observer)
Cuomo's New Book Helped Boost His Salary to $358,000 (Daily News)
Study: New York No Longer Worst State to Do Business (Crain's)
Cuomo Signs 'National Popular Vote' Bill (Associated Press)
>New York State and the federal government have come to a deal to use $8 billion in Medicaid savings to, in part, help revive Brooklyn hospitals. Struggling hospitals will receive $500 million of the funds for short-term survival, while $6.42 billion will go to help hospitals and other institutions across the state find long-term solutions. Brooklyn hospitals including Interfaith Medical Center, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and Brookdale University Hospital are expected to be saved by the funds. Mayor Bill de Blasio made saving Brooklyn’s hospitals one of his major campaign platform planks. Last summer, De Blasio was arrestedprotesting the closure of Long Island College Hospital, which is still open. A tentative deal on the Medicaid savings was reached between the feds and the State in February, but a final agreement was announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "We will finally be able use the billions in savings we generated by reforming the state's Medicaid system to protect and improve health care services for millions of New Yorkers," Cuomo said in a statement.
The latest from Gotham Gazette
Other Stories We're Following
Moreland Chair Defends Commission (Daily News)
Cuomo Staffer Wrote Moreland's Report (City & State )
Mark-Viverito, Unhappy With Albany, Seeks Clarity on Mayoral Control(Capital)
Developer Pushes Tower Proposal, Without Midtown East (Capital)
Cuomo Refuses to Call Special Elections Despite Plethora of Vacant Seats (NY Observer)
Mark-Viverito Still Hasn't Opened Bronx Office (NY Observer)
Port Authority Commissioner Resigns Amid Investigations (WSJ)
Landlords to Repay Over $1 Million in Fees (NY Times)
Espaillat Picks Up Bronx Endorsements (NY Times)
Cuomo Accepts Pro-Charter Role (Times Union)
City to Cut Homeless Population By Half At Controversial Shelter(DNAinfo)
Politicos are marveling at the fact that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing a problem he can’t make easily go away now that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has seized the files of The Moreland Commission on Public Corruption and made clear that he is willing to investigate the governor’s influence on the commission as well as broader legislative corruption. Capital New York writes that Cuomo won’t be able to disembowel Bharara like he has his political rivals in the Democratic Party because Bharara’s position is so powerful and independent of the governor. Members of Moreland continue to speak anonymously about the Cuomo Administration’s meddling and “bullying” and a group has launched an ad blitz attacking Cuomo for abandoning his fight against corruption. The trouble comes for Cuomo as he gears up for reelection and tries to keep the dissatisfied Working Families Party from endorsing a challenger on his left. Cuomo already faces the criticism of Republican opponent Rob Astorino and Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, as well as good government groups and other activists.
Other Stories We're Following
Hard Choices on Health Exchange Spell Success (NY Times)
City Hires Housing Firms That Cheat Workers Out of Wages (Daily News)
City Will Send $10M to Raise Salaries for Pre-K Teachers (Daily News)
Jewish Community Raising Funds For Tainted Charity Exec (Daily News)
Carneb Farina in Her First 100 Days (Capital)
Assault Weapon Deadline at Hand (Times Union)
Spano on State Board of Elections (Times Union)
Google Needs More Offices in New York (WSJ)
The Mayor’s Next 100 Days (Crain's)
Playground Renovations, Mobile Library Win Participatory Budget Funds(DNAinfo)
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara escalated his criticism of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to shutter the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption, which had only just begun. “It was disbanded before its time,” he said on WNYC's "Brian Lehrer Show." “Nine months may be the proper and natural gestational period for a child, but in our experience it is not the amount of time necessary for a public corruption prosecution to mature.” Bharara's office had a truck pick up documents from the commission yesterday, files full of "unseemly" information on elected officials. Bharara went on to stress the importance of independence in an investigative body, and said if there was interference into the commission's probes, it should be taken very seriously. Cuomo defended his actions, saying the commission was never meant to be a permanent body and that it produced tangible positive results. It was created after a rash of arrests of state lawmakers, brought on by Bharara's office.
New today from Gotham Gazette
De Blasio 100: What the Mayor Said, and Didn't
Ben Max examines the mayor's speech on "the future of New York City," noting some key elements included and missing.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
Kill Fee: The Price of Silencing Moreland
David King reports on the money spent by the corruption commission convened and disbanded by Governor Cuomo with minimal results.
De Blasio's Hundred Days, Then and Now
Ben Max outlines Bill de Blasio's first hundred days as mayor, as public advocate, and as a city council member, finding some common threads.
Other Stories We're Following
De Blasio, 100 Days in, Says ‘Grass Roots’ Will Drive Agenda (NY Times)
NYPD's Most-Sued Cop Taken Off Streets (Daily News)
Bill Would Freeze Rent for 24,000 More City Seniors (Crain's)
City Developers Pushed on Access for Disabled (WSJ)
Bronx Grassroots Campaign Calls for Open Discovery Laws (Daily News)
De Blasio Speech Uses Praise From Relative of Freed Bishop (NY Post)
Green Advocates Press de Blasio, Amicably, on Sustainability (Capital)
Rangel and Challengers Meet in First Debate (NY Times)
State Education Commissioner Laments Common Core ‘Battles’ (Capital)
Debit Card Skimming Device on MetroCard Machine (WSJ)
Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Should Be Reopened, Group Says (DNAinfo)
>Standardized state tests will no longer be the dominant factor in deciding whether students in third through eighth grades in city schools are held back or promoted, Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced Wednesday. Now, teachers will compile "promotion portfolios," which can include test scores, writing samples, projects, and report cards. The final promotion decision will be made by school principals, with oversight from district superintendents. Meanwhile, students will no longer be given a test at the end of summer school, instead the students' summer work would be added to their portfolio. The practice is used in private schools, charter schools, other districts around the state, and even city high schools. The changes, due to take effect this spring, come in response to legislation passed as part of the state budget and push-back against the previous policy, which was adopted a decade ago by the Bloomberg Administration and has left many parents upset. Despite the change, the number of children held back is expected to remain about the same. The plan needs to be approved by the city's Panel for Educational Policy in May, but is expected to pass.
New this morning from Gotham Gazette
Kill Fee: The Price of Silencing Moreland
David King reports on the money spent by the corruption commission convened and disbanded by Governor Cuomo with minimal results.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
De Blasio's Hundred Days, Then and Now
Ben Max examines Bill de Blasio's first hundred days as mayor, as public advocate, and as a city council member, finding some common threads.
City Council Member Item Process Continues
Kristen Meriwether obtained a second internal city council document and follows up on the ongoing rules reform and discretionary funding processes in the Council.
100 Days of De Blasio (Public Statements)/
A visual representation of the 50 words appearing most often in a large sample of the mayor's speeches, press releases, and public statements.
Other Stories We're Following
US Attorney Criticizes Cuomo’s Closing of Corruption Panel (NY Times)
Council Members Vent Sandy Frustrations (Crain's)
Twenty de Blasio Promises, 100 Days In (Capital)
Missteps Aside, de Blasio to Focus Anew on Activist Style (NY Times)
Immigrants Bolster Housing Values (WSJ)
Atlantic Avenue Speed Limit Lowered to 25 MPH (WSJ)
Businesses Waiting for Sandy Aid, Too (WNYC)
Here's Green Party Candidate Howie Hawkins (Capital)
Black Boxes Might Come to Taxis to Catch Speedsters (Daily News)
City Food Inspectors May Get Google Glass to Record Reviews (NY Post)
J&R Shutting Down Electronics Store (Daily News)
>