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Today's Lead: Scrutinizing Bloomberg's Legacy


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With only weeks left before the end of his tenure, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's legacy is being scrutinized anew. The Associated Press writes, "The city has never been safer or cleaner, a teeming metropolis transformed into a must-see attraction for more than 50 million tourists a year. " Meanwhile, City & State has published a series of interviews with key figures during the Bloomberg years, including Adrian Benepe, Katherine Oliver and Joel Klein. But all of this legacy talk isn't slowing down the Bloomberg administration: The New York Times reports that City Hall officials are pushing to get deals sealed on $12 billion in development before the mayor leaves office.

NEW IN THE GOTHAM GAZETTE — A Strategy for Paving the Way to Fewer Traffic Fatalities: What stops the city from enacting measures to stop traffic carnage? In one word: Albany. By David Howard King. READ MORE

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard. #deblasiosnewyork

 


 


Other Stories We're Following

City's Lawyer: FDNY Court Monitor Spending Too Much (NY Post)

 

Quinn Says Political Future Remains Undecided (Daily News)

 

Joe Lhota: 'I Am Going To Stay Active' (Yeshiva World)

 

Upstate District Finds Success With Common Core (Albany Times Union)

 

Public Housing Units Go Unoccupied For Years (NY Times)

 

Central Park Drive To Be Named After Mayor Lindsay (NBC)

 

Proposed Towers At Center Of Greenpoint Development Debate (Wall Street Journal)

 

Parents Fret About New Statewide Student Database (Associated Press)

 

The New Mayor's Biggest Challenge: Fixing The Schools (New York Magazine)

 

'Vapers' fight against proposed NYC ban of e-cigarettes (Crain's)

Today’s Lead: Feds Order Sweeping Safety Review of Metro-North


eyeopenerbw2Federal investigators say they will launch a 60-day review of the safety culture of Metro-North -- the first investigation ever conducted for a passenger railroad. Investigators cited the recent crash of a Metro-North Train that killed four and injured more than 70 as well as a number of other safety incidents for the impetus of the inquiry. The last similar safety investigation took place of cargo carrier CSX in 2006. Metropolitan Transportation Authority representatives say they have been conducting a safety review since this spring

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard.

 

 



Other Stories We're Following

Poll Finds Hope is Running High For Next Mayor (NY Times)

De Blasio Picks Bloomberg Official as Social Services Chief (NY Times)

De Blasio to Meet With Obama (Daily News)

Bloomberg Promises to Continue Fight Against Gun Violence (Daily News)

Cuomo’s Sandy Charity Benefits Private Equity Investors (NY World)

Bloomberg’s Last Appearance on The John Gambling Show (Wall Street Journal)

Bloomberg Appointee Criticizes Boss on Homeless Policy (Wall Street Journal)

Residents of Some Upstate Cities Get 30 Times As Much As NYC in Cuomo Contest (Capital)

Speaker Hopefuls Who Get Big Taxi Money (Capital)

East River Ferry Service Extended Until 2019 (Crain's)

Tenants of Soon-to-Be-Demolished Building Demand Answers (DNAinfo)

Today’s Lead: De Blasio to Live in Gracie Mansion


 

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After weeks of uncertainty Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that he would move his family into Gracie Mansion and out of their home in Park Slope. De Blasio announced the move in a letter posted to his website and signed by his wife and two children. Concerns about his son's commute to Brooklyn Tech high school were part of the decision-making but the letter from the de Blasio's cites security concerns as a major factor in the move to Gracie Mansion. De Blasio will be the first mayor since Rudolph Giuliani to call Gracie Mansion home.

 



Other Stories We're Following

Quinn Says Council Speaker Should be Pro-LGBT, Pro-Choice (Politicker)

New York City to Require Child Flu Shots (NY Times)

Montefiore Faces Neighborhood Opposition to Medical Center in the Bronx(NY Times)

Rangel Spends Chunk of Campaign Cash to Fight Censure (Daily News)

Cuomo Dismisses Pot Legalization (Daily News)

Cuomo Slow to Make Own Appointments to MTA (Capital)

When Bill Bratton Abandoned Muslim Mapping (Capital)

Researchers Study NYC Park Usage (Wall Street Journal)

Ray Kelly Recounts Successes, Criticism (Wall Street Journal)

De Blasio ay Allow Corporate Subsidies to Sunset (WNYC)

Upstate Casino Site Pool Growing (Albany Times Union)

Pricey Rockaway Bathrooms Get 24-Hour Security (DNAinfo)

New York City Gets Least Cuomo Development Cash (Crain's)

 

 

Today's Lead: Cuomo's Tax Relief Commission Ideas


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Gov. Cuomo's tax relief commission recommended a package of tax reductions costing $2 billion over three years. Much of its tax-cutting attention went to the suburbs and upstate, including a two-year property tax freeze that would apply to residents outside the city. There were proposals to help renters in the city, but details were sparse. Another proposal included lowering the corporate tax rate to 7.1 percent from 6.5 percent. The Assembly leader signaled some opposition to the plan, saying the state should focus on providing money for public education.

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard.

NEWS FROM CITY HALL —
The City Council approves a law, named in memory of a 4-year-old girl struck and killed by an SUV fleeing from police, that will require more detailed reporting of emergency response times. By Chester Soria. READ MORE

PLUS — Council approves lobbying reform ... As well as Kingsbridge Armory plan for ice-skating rink.

Other Stories We're Following

Corruption Probe Appears To Target Hikind, Maimonides (Crain's)

City Launches Nation’s Largest Free Public WiFi Network (NY Observer)

New Data Shows Hospital Charges All Over The Map (WNYC)

Two City Colleges Draft Rules That Restrict Protests (NY Times)

Walcott Admits Charter School Rollout Could've Been Better (WNYC)

Report: Hospital-Acquired Infections Decline (Associated Press)

Port Authority Inspector General Investigating Bridge Closures (Wall Street Journal)

The Man Who Makes Cuomo's Commission Look Credible (Capital)

As Bloomberg Departs, A Soccer Arena Deal Emerges (Capital)

New York Asks Cellphone Carriers To Explain Antitheft Switch Rejection (NY Times)

Incoming Police Commissioner Wants To See Supervisors' Resumes (Daily News)

Tourism Set To Bring In Record 55 Million Visitors In 2014 (Daily News)

Push To Diversify City Contracting Falls Short Of Goals (City Limits)

Today's Lead: Brooklyn DA Names No. 2, Education Chancellor Search Continues


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The incoming Brooklyn District Attorney, Kenneth Thompson, named Mark Feldman as his chief assistant yesterday. The former state and federal prosecutor previously served in three different city district attorney’s offices as well as the U.S. attorney’s office. Meanwhile, the Post reports that Bill de Blasio's first pick for education chancellor, Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond, turned down his offer to take the post, although she denies it. Other sources tell Capital that de Blasio is trying to convince his longtime adviser, Carmen Farina, to fill the position.

Other Stories We're Following

NYPD Sergeant First To Fall In Ticket-Fixing Scandal (Daily News)

The Story Of One Of The City's 22,000 Homeless Kids (NY Times)

Advocates Seek Overhaul Of State Board Of Elections (Albany Times Union)

Are Ethnic Enclaves Bad for Immigrants? (WNYC)

City Subpoenas Secret Tapes By Police Officer (NY Times)

Major Retailers To List Shoppers' Rights (Associated Press)

Record Snowfall Expected Tuesday Morning (DNAinfo)

 

Today's Report

Thousands of City Homeowners Could Lose State Property Tax Break
The Basic STAR tax abatement for homeowners has been around for 15 years, but this is the first year they are required to register for it. The deadline is December 31 and only half of eligible New York City homeowners have registered for the $300 tax break. The statewide average of 66 percent. (read the full report)

Recent Reports
Building a Progressive Policy Framework to Educate All of New York’s English Language Learners, One In Five NYC Children Hungry, Loose Change Means Millions For MTA, Spike In Heating Costs, City Payphones Turn Profit, more recent reports.

Today's Lead: Metro-North Safety Improvements


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A week after a Metro-North train derailment killed four people, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it was making “immediate” safety improvements at “critical curves” and movable bridges. The MTA also said it had upgraded its signal network at the curving section of track north of the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx where the crash occurred on Dec. 1. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Federal Railroad Administration called for the safety improvements. U.S. safety regulators have also called for Metro-North to use two train operators during some stretches on routes. Also on Sunday, two Senators called for cameras to be installed on Metro-North Railroad trains to help prevent similar deadly accidents.

Why Ban Foam Food Containers? The Recycling Program Bloomberg Doesn't Want: Foam makes up one half of one percent of New York City’s total waste, takes decades if not centuries to biodegrade and can end up polluting waterways. And it could cost the city millions a year to recycle. By Chester Soria. READ MORE.

Countdown to Approval For Rockaway Pipeline Project: Today is the last day the public will be able to submit comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement for major sections of the Rockaway pipeline project. By Sarah Crean. READ MORE.

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Other Stories We're Following

Tale Of A Small-Time Pot Arrest (BuzzFeed)

The Season's Most Dangerous Toys? So Says One Group (am New York)

De Blasio Family 'Close' To Decision On Gracie Mansion (Capital)

City Releases New Online Map of Crime (NY Post)

Encounter With Ray Kelly (New York Magazine)

This Is Bloomberg's Poverty Researcher (NY Times)

School Construction Authority Hit With Staggering Insurance Increase (Crain's)

Opening Of Whole Foods Expected To Transform Gowanus, Brooklyn (Wall Street Journal)


Today's Lead: Operator Error Most Likely Cause Of Derailment


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Investigators into the Metro-North derailment are leaning towards operator error since the engineer admitted to losing focus on the controls. Criminal charges are uncertain. His lapse in attentiveness is being referred to as "highway hypnosis." Regulators have called for mandatory safety retraining of Metro-North workers and the creation of a confidential reporting system that lets employees report safety concerns. The train apparently had a warning system to alert inattentive operators, but it was in the locomotive on the other side of the train.

Other Stories We're Following

De Blasio Appoints Anthony Shorris As First Deputy Mayor (Wall Street Journal)

Corruption Prosecutions: Albany VS Manhattan (Wall Street Journal)

The Extent Of Crime Lab's Errors In Handling Evidence: Report (NY Times)

Poor Black And Hispanic Men Are The Face Of HIV (NY Times)

Embattled 34th Precinct Council President Removed By NYPD (DNAinfo)

Cuomo: Legislature Has History Of Corruption (Wall Street Journal)

Council Considers Electronic Cigarette Ban (Wall Street Journal)

Cuomo: Corruption Panel's Split On Public Funding No Surprise (Albany Times Union)

Councilwoman’s Talk Of Black-Jewish Resentment Called Racist (Daily News)

Today’s Lead: Driver Lapse Could Have Caused Derailment


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Union officials said yesterday that the driver of the Metro-North train that derailed on Sunday in the Bronx might have had some sort of lapse of concentration as the train headed into a dangerous curve at high speeds. The resulting derailment killed 4 and injured over 60 people. Federal investigators said they found no mechanical problems with the train. The National Transportation Safety Board has dismissed the union as an investigative partner for violating a confidentiality agreement. Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Thomas Prendergrast said that he is considering new safety measures that could limit train speed in dangerous areas. Hudson Line service resumes today

 


Other Stories We're Following

Corruption Panel’s Report Offers Look at Payback Culture of Albany (NY Times)

Outsize Role for De Blasio’s Wife Expected (NY Times)

Lawmakers Wonder Why Moreland Didn’t Look at Cuomo, Schneiderman (Buffalo News)

De Blasio Refunded Nearly $250 K (Daily News)

Cuomo Still Backing Public Financing of Campaigns (Daily News)

Bloomberg Not Ready to Endorse Cuomo Re-election (NY Observer)

How Long Can City Hospitals Survive? (Capital)

The Cuomo-de Blasio Drama to Come (Capital)

De Blasio Keeping Quiet on Schools Chancellor Candidate (Wall Street Journal)

Katz Picks Former Rival as Deputy (DNAinfo)

City’s Biotech Industry Bolstered (Crain's)

MTA Braces For Lawsuits (Crain's)

Today's Lead: Derailed Train Was Going 82 MPH


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The Metro-North train that derailed Sunday was speeding at 82 mph when it came to the Bronx turn that sent it off the rails, federal investigators said yesterday. The turn is one of the system's sharpest, and trains are not supposed to go faster than 30 mph in that zone. Even the straight-away leading up to it has a speed limit of 70 mph. The National Transportation Safety Board said it looks like there was no problem with the brakes, but it was still unclear if the train's speed was due to human error or faulty equipment. The engineer driving the train had a "good reputation." Law enforcement is mounting their own investigation to determine if a crime was committed. Experts say decades-old crash avoidance technology could have prevented the accident. The crash is the latest in a series of problems for Metro-North.

Other Stories We're Following

What Cuomo Has to Fear in 2014 (Capital)

Corruption Commission Report: Reform Can't Wait (Albany Times Union)

Despite Campaign Promise, De Blasio To Pick Schools Chancellor In Private (Daily News)

Prosecutor Sees Danger In Budget Cuts (NY Times)

NYPD Lieutenant Branded Whistleblower Detective A 'Rat' (Daily News)

Suit May Force Cuomo To Address Fracking (NY Post)

De Blasio Pushes Lawmakers For Pre-K Plan (Associated Press)

Minority Members: Diversity ‘Quota’ Not Met For Speaker’s Race (Politicker)

De Blasio May Not Want Speaker To His Left (Crain's)

Mark-Viverito Drops Controversial Advance Group For Speaker Bid (Politicker)

Demystifying de Blasio (Capital)

Macy's, Bloomingdale's Hit With Subpoenas Over Shop-and-Frisk (DNAinfo)

State Subpoenas Websites In Effort To Curb Payday Lenders (NY Times)

 

Today's Report

One In Five NYC Children Hungry
One in six New York City residents still face food insecurity and hunger, while food pantries and soup kitchens faced a 10 percent increase in demand, according to the New York City Coalition Against Hunger’s annual survey. In the 2010-2012 time period 1.4 million residents – including one in five children – lived in households that lacked sufficient food. (read the full report)

Recent Reports
Loose Change Means Millions For MTA, Spike In Heating Costs, City Payphones Turn Profit, Flood Maps Will Increase Insurance Costs, Immigrants and Workers of Color More Likely to Be Injured on Construction Sites , more recent reports.

Today's Lead: Fatal Metro-North Derailment


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Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a horrifying Metro-North commuter train derailment in the Bronx that killed four people and injured over 60 others, 11 critically. Sunday's accident was the first with passenger fatalities in the 30-year history of the commuter rail line, the second-largest in the nation. A team with the National Transportation Safety Board was sent to the crash site to help determine the cause.

Reports indicate that the train derailed after turning a whiplash bend near the under pass to the Henry Hudson Bridge. Reports also indicate that the operator of the train applied the brakes just before the crash. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was being criticized for not appearing at the site of the crash, but his aides deflected by saying that it was a state matter because it involved a state agency.

NEW IN THE GOTHAM GAZETTE — Why The Legislature Is Fighting The Governor’s Anti-Corruption Commission: Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the leaders of the state Legislature are headed for a legal showdown over subpoenas issued by an anti-corruption commission that is seeking information about lawmakers’ outside income and clients. By David Howard King. READ MORE


Other Stories We're Following

2 May Battle Rangel For His Seat (Daily News)

De Blasio To Meet With State Democrats (Daily News)

Which Courts Collect The Most Fines? [Interactive] (the Post Standard)

Common Core Is Unifying Cause For Opponents (Buffalo News)

Moreland Commission Poised To Issue Recommendations (Newsday)

De Blasio's A-List Inauguration Committee (Daily News)

Business Community Wary Of De Blasio (Wall Street Journal)

Process Servers Struggle After Council Changes Push Up Costs (Crain's)

Today's Lead: Court Strikes Down New Homeless Policy


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The state's highest court struck down Mayor Bloomberg's policy requiring single adults to prove they have nowhere else to go before being accepted into a city shelter. The decision was based on procedural grounds, not its merits. The state Court of Appeals affirmed two lower court rulings that the administration had not notified the public or provided hearings about the policy. It would have required applicants to provide documentation of finances, mental and physical health, and housing history. The City Council and the Legal Aid Society brought the suit. The shelter population has surged 69 percent under Bloomberg's tenure to more than 50,000.

City Council Approves Campaign Donations Via Text Message: The City Council passed a bill (Intro 764-A) on Tuesday that would allow the campaigns of candidates running for local office to collect donations up to $99 via text messaging. By Chester Soria. READ MORE

Other Stories We're Following

NYPD Whistleblower Schoolcraft Can't Be Hit By Countersuit (Daily News)

Councilwoman Mark-Viverito May Have Violated Ethics Rules (Daily News)

State, City Differ On Focus Of Sandy Aid (Wall Street Journal)

Advocates Want Larger Portion To Fight Hunger (Albany Times Union)

De Blasio's Ideas Had Success In Other Cities (Wall Street Journal)

Cuomo Predicts State Budget Surplus (Crain's)

Council Looks At Lower Speed Limits (NY Times)

Councilman Levin Racks Up Unpaid Parking Tickets (NY Post)

Cuomo’s Tax Focus Threatens de Blasio Plan (NY Post)

Make Or Break Deadline For Willets Point Businesses (WNYC)

Outer Borough Taxis Cluster In Small Number Of Neighborhoods (NY World)

Report: Airports Account For $63 Billion In Economic Activity (Crain's)

 



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