Quinn Supports Tax Breaks For Top 1 Percent

In the post-Occupy Wall Street world that we live in, now comes New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has flip-flopped -- she has announced that she no longer supports her very own 2009 proposal to raise taxes on the 1%. Instead of raising taxes on the top income-earners in New York City, Speaker Quinn now favours not raising taxes on them.

Because she is ashamed of being outed as secretly supporting the 1%, "Ms. Quinn on Monday repeatedly declined to answer questions about her position on income taxes," The Wall Street Journal reported.

Is Quinn Using Taxpayer Money During A Recession To Promote Her Mayoral Campaign ?

Christine Quinn Continues the Practise By City Council Speakers Of Using City Resources -- And Your Taxpayer Dollars -- To Promote Their Political Ambitions.

During the Great Recession, at a time when there is a $600 million hole in the city budget thanks to the failed taxi medallion scam, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is using taxpayer-funded Public Service Announcements to promote her mayoral campaign, so says Michael Schenkler in his Not For Publication column in The Queens Tribune.

Mr. Schenkler was watching “Food, Faith & Culture,” a program on CBS Channel 2 last Sunday, and, in his newspaper column, Mr. Schenkler described Speaker Quinn's PSA :

“Hello, this is Council Speaker Christine Quinn” or something like that said the recognizable voice of the council boss and Mayoral wanabe. It was a 30-second, multi-cultural lovefest with terrible production values – as bad as you ever see on network television. But the message of “Love Love” and “Hate Hate” is of course a seller in our great city. At the end of the painfully bad commercial with a solidly good message, was the City’s logo (NYC) taking ownership for the spot.

Mr. Schenkler then criticised Speaker Quinn for using taxpayer money to promote herself in the lead up to next year's Democratic primary fight in the 2013 mayoral election :

"She is not to be lavished with promotional funds to spread her name around our city. She should not be the beneficiary of taxpayer funds or City-owned property to elevate her image as she prepares to run for Mayor. Not on our backs, Chris."

What do you think about Speaker Quinn using not only your taxpayer money for her slush funds, but now for this stealth self-promotional political marketing campaign ?

Bloomberg Quinn Impose Illegal Campaign Sign Fines On Thompson But Not On Hoylman

The New York Post hounds Bill Thompson over suspiciously large fines being imposed by the Bloomberg administration in what has all the appearances of a politically-motivated effort to suck the funding out of any competitors that are challenging City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for the Democratic Party primary in the 2013 mayoral election. Meanwhile, here is evidence that political allies of Speaker Quinn break the law, too. But do the Bloomberg-Quinn administration likewise fine Brad Hoylman out the ass to the tune of $600,000, too ?

Christine Quinn : Moving on Up While Poverty and Homelessness on the Rise

Gary Tilzer, the owner of the most in-depth political blog in New York City at True News From Change NYC, has posted a fair use political satire photo illustration of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's luxurious condo.

"For the next few days, True News will be inviting guests," to Speaker Quinn's new home, Mr. Tilzer has promised on his blog.

The magazine fluff piece about Speaker Quinn's luxury condo is the latest breach of journalism ethics by The New York Times. Activists have twice organised major demonstrations outside the world headquarters of The New York Times to protest what activists describe as an intentional campaign by editors of The NYTimes to only publish public relations articles about Speaker Quinn to help fluff up her mayoral campaign. On September 12, activists held this demonstration in front of The NYTimes building :

Prior to that, on August 28, activists held their first protest against the deliberate media bias, that promotes the political campaign of Speaker Quinn :

Activists have said that they believe that Carolyn Ryan, an editor at The NYTimes, is partly responsible for the editorial bias in the newspaper. Other activists also point out that because The NYTimes is losing money, as are other old mainstream media companies, the newspaper may be trying to curry favour with the billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who may end up having to provide financial support to fluff up The NYTimes.

Meanwhile, The NYTimes makes no connection between the political graft and corruption in city politics that is responsible for the 1% to live high on the hog, while the New York City budget shreds the social safety net, ignoring the rise in poverty and homelessness.

Tortious Interference With Democracy ?

When Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets all up in the faces of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and former Controller Bill Thompson, does Mayor Bloomberg intentionally damage the contractual or other business relationships of these mayoral candidates, their campaign workers, their paid consultants, their supporters, and other political or business relationships or activities ? Is there such an act as tortious interference with democracy ? What does New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn think about the appearances of Mayor Bloomberg interfering with democratic elections ?

NYTimes Media Bias Protest Featuring Suzannah B. Troy as Christine Quinn

Suzannah B. Troy mocked the media bias by editors, including Carolyn Ryan, at The New York Times, which promotes the mayoral candidacy of Christine Quinn.

Were Wire Taps on John Liu Politically-Motivated ?

From : Was John Liu Wire Tapped as part of a Political Hit Job ? by Suzannah B. Troy :

"John Liu exposed CityTime and ECTP 911 tech corruption -- bigger than CityTime. Liu called for criminal investigation on ECTP based on audits. Where are the investigations ? Liu killed major deals, but leading billionaires as well as SAIC that gets bail-outs -- oops contracts from Pentagon -- and are connected to The White House."

John Catsimatidis WABC News Interview

In video posted to YouTube by http://nycresistance.blogspot.com, John Catsimatidis is interviewed by Channel 7 Eyewitness News :

After just falling short of telling how much money current Mayor Michael Bloomberg was going to spend to usurp a 3rd term as mayor of New York City, Bloomberg's lackey John Catsimatidis chokes when Eyewitness News reporter asks him a question about Raymond Kelly's Stop & Frisk policy.

He desperately tries to defend the illegitimate policy as he fumbles with words to justify the unconstitutional and racist program that overwhelmingly targets young men of color and the poor. If all politicians were this stupid, America wouldn't be the fascist police state it is today.

Does Carolyn Ryan At The NYTimes Protect Christine Quinn From Critical Journalism ?

Does Carolyn Ryan, an editor at The New York Times, prevent any journalism that is critical of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn from being published by the newspaper ?

Instead, we get fluff pieces, like the one that the bloggers Gary Tilzer and Suzannah B. Troy refer to as the "Betty Crocker story," the main point of which was to show that Speaker Quinn knew how to bake pies.

Meanwhile, nobody knows exactly how much taxpayer money Speaker Quinn has given to Brooklyn political boss, Vito Lopez.

For more information, please visit the blog : Christine Quinn Sold Out.

Who Can Ban The Horse-Drawn Carriage Industry In New York City ?

WHO can end the carriage trade in New York City and why are they not doing anything about it considering that every online poll since 2006 has shown between 75 and 80 percent of respondents want this business to be shut down?

Animal rights activists are escalating the pressure on elected officials to ban the horse-drawn carriage industry in New York City over renewed safety and public health concerns for passengers, drivers, and the horses, themselves. Here is an excerpt from a blog post, written by Elizabeth Forel, and posted to Facebook earlier today :

• Mayor Michael Bloomberg can use his influence to get such bills passed. But he supports this business. Why? The real truth is anyone’s guess because it simply does not make sense. His daughter is a world-class equestrian, known to oppose this trade – surely she knows that New York City is a very bad environment for horses and I am sure she would never subject her horses to these conditions.
• The Speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, can do the same. She, too, is a big supporter of the carriage trade. Why? It is clearer here because of her allegiance to the Queens Democratic Party, which put her in power. It is all politics. But then, Quinn has killed every meaningful animal issues bill that has been in the Council since she became Speaker – so she obviously does not care.
• The City Council - The Council is not a democratic body. For the most part, which means almost always, Council Members vote the way the Speaker tells them. If not, they risk losing their committee chairs and lucrative stipends that the Speaker doles out. Unfortunately, there are virtually no City Council Members with a backbone to stand up to Quinn and say – “Enough is Enough! Let’s get those horses off the street before someone is killed.”
• The State Legislature – there is a real chance here with the bill sponsored by Senator Tony Avella and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal. The bill is essentially the same as the historic one Senator Avella introduced in the City Council in 2007 when he was a Council Member. One big problem with this bill is that it needs a Home Rule approval memo from the City Council, which is unlikely to happen. However, the bill will be reintroduced in January when the State Legislature reconvenes and it will address these issues. Stay tuned.
• A new humane mayor. Ah there is the rub. Who will it be?

Read more : STOP THE INSANITY! Carriage Horses - NYC : Commenting on and exposing the inhumane carriage horse industry in NYC.

$600M NYC Budget Deficit From Failed Taxi Plan

What are New York City Council Christine Quinn's ties to the taxi industry lobbyist, Emily Giske ?

When it was announced in June, the Bloomberg-Quinn budget plan to balance the New York City budget relied on $635 million in revenue from the expected sale of new yellow taxi medallions, The New York Daily News reported.

But now comes Dana Rubinstein from Capital New York, with a shocking inside story about the $600 million budget meltdown over the failed taxi plan : /p>

On August 22, 2012, Speaker Christine Quinn "dodged a barrage of questions about the mayor's stalled outer-borough taxi plan, what role she has played in its failure, and what role she plans to play in repairing the subsequent budgetary damage."

By all accounts, the [state] legislature told the mayor's office that no home rule request was necessary. Nevertheless his staff and the speaker negotiated for months to reach some sort of agreement. It remains unclear why they were unable to, and Quinn told me in an interview that she couldn't say why the administration chose to go around the Council, in effect, by going straight to Albany."

Ms. Rubinstein goes on to point out that :

Quinn has never publicly expressed support for the mayor's plan. Nor has she publicly derided it.

The speaker, who's running for mayor next year, has a habit of avoiding politically touchy subjects, though she did recently express some muted displeasure with the judge's decision, since, among other things, it leaves a gap of more than $600 million in this year's budget.

Speaker Quinn has close ties with the powerful lobbyist Emily Giske, whose firm inteferes with government policy on behalf of special interest groups, such as the taxi industry.

Related : Quinn's Friendship With Taxi Lobbyist May Pose Test in Mayor Bid (NYT)

Are Campaign Endorsement Promises Being Made In Exchange For Council Redistricting Favours ?

Are Quinn and Bloomberg Engaged In An "Endorse-to-Play" Quid Pro Quo Over The City Council Redistricting ?

Council Redistricting Corruption Silence

From True News From Change NYC, written by Gary Tilzer :

Many of his fellow reformers felt that Citizens Union puppet general Dick Dadey sold out last year when he supported Albany's compromise to put off independent redistrict for 10 years. But nothing can compare to Dadey and the rest of the goo-goos, editorial boards', and reformers' silence on the corruption going on with the City Council redistricting operation. For starters, the appointed council redistricting commission is controlled by two people supporting Quinn for mayor in 2013 : the council speaker herself and her puppet master the mayor. Although the redistricting commission work has just begun, there are already reports that county bosses Crowley and Lopez, ethic and minority leaders are already dealing with Quinn operatives to cut districts favorable to them or those they support in exchange for their endorsement for Quinn's 2013 mayoral bid.

Family and Friends Hold City Hall Vigil For Man Who Died Without Paid Sick Leave

Supporters of sick-leave bill say Council Speaker Christine Quinn is partially to blame for death of Brooklyn grocery store worker

Supporters of a paid sick-leave bill suggested Wednesday that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is partially to blame for the tragic death last month of Felix Trinidad, a Brooklyn grocery worker.

Healthcare and other activists organised a memorial vigil in tribute to Mr. Trinidad, 34, who died of stomach cancer after "putting in 12-hour days, six days a week, at the Golden Farm supermarket in Kensington, which does not offer sick days," reported The New York Daily News. The vigil was organised outside City Hall. “He would have been better if the bill had been passed because he wouldn’t have had to worry so much about having to miss work,” his widow, Anastacia Gonzalez, 31, told The New York Daily News.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to that entire family,” Speaker Quinn said. “That said, my position on paid sick leave legislation has not changed.”

Speaker Quinn has repeatedly said that she does not support giving paid sick leave days for people, who are sick and may be dying.

According to The New York Daily News report, Speaker Quinn has "refused to allow a Council vote on a bill requiring most employers to offer at least five paid sick days a year[,] and advocates of the bill have been pressuring her to change her mind as she prepares to run for mayor next year."

David Seifman Examines Christine Quinn's Campaign

Political journalist and author, Dominic Carter, talks with The New York Post City Hall Bureau Chief, David Seifman, in this interview on Richard French Live.

Mr. Seifman spoke to Christine Quinn's campaign to be mayor, Bill Thompson's candidacy, the possibility of a run-off, and investigation of John Liu's campaign, and other political issues.

Paid Sick Leave, Death, And Taxes

Christine Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg blockading vote on NYC’s paid sick days bill

From Death And Taxes :

New York City’s paid sick days bill would provide those individuals and families who risk their health to attend work, lest they be fired, to have the health and financial security they need. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, however, are blockading the measure. Apparently Bloomberg is more interested in battling 32-ounce Big Gulps than insuring the health and financial wellbeing of his city’s poor and disadvantaged. ...