Fran Lebowitz Slams Bloomberg, City Council

Read Also : Fran Lebowitz And Frank Rich At The Town Hall : A Review Of The State Of The Union Conversation

---

Fran Lebowitz opines at the New York Faculty Against the Sexton Plan 'While We Were Sleeping: NYU and the Destruction of New York' book launch at McNally Jackson NYC on Jul 15 2012.

Ms. Lebowitz also slams City Council over the zone-busting development that is destroying to special social fabric of New York City.

Make a pledge today to support Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn on Kickstarter.

Christine Quinn NYU Expansion YouTube Video

NYU wants to "grow" in Greenwich Village with 2 million square feet of new construction costing billions of dollars. But how will NYU pay for it? They won't release the business plan... NYU's project will crush the Village—and its students will be crushed by debt. City Council: Stop the Bloomberg-Quinn giveaway to NYU! Watch the viral video now and join the fight at StandUp4NYC.com

Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics Of Christine Quinn

''Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn'' a book by Louis Flores

Hi, my name is Louis Flores, and I am a blogger and an activist.

I am writing a book that will take a ''behind the scenes'' look at New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's politics and ethics. I aim to show you how a politician, who claims to be transparent and ethical, has demonstrated herself to be just the opposite.

But I need your help to publish this book. Please make a pledge to support my book project.

Next year, Speaker Quinn is expected to publish her memoirs as a slick public relations stunt during the race for mayor of New York City in 2013. Her critics allege that the press does not hold Speaker Quinn accountable for her record of undermining democracy. In 2008 and 2009, Speaker Quinn worked hand-in-hand with Mayor Michael Bloomberg to purposely deny voters a referendum when they overturned term limits. Just the way that term limits were overturned -- a series of back room meetings (and some say, deals), all away from public participation and scrutiny -- still draws much heated discussion in New York. For years now, Speaker Quinn has been using discretionary funds to thwart the full participation of other City Councilmembers in the city's legislative agenda. Speaker Quinn has even gone along with Mayor Bloomberg's budget cuts to the office of the Public Advocate, at each turn choosing to go along with what is not right in order to get along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Speaker Quinn is undermining any oversight and accountability in public office. I am writing my book, so that the the other side of the story can be told.

This KickStarter project will help me to raise money in order to self-publish this book -- in order to to tell the whole story. This is how the money will be used :

• I need to pay $2,300 so that my manuscript can be transformed into a book by a self-publishing company.
• I am also raising the modest amount of $3,100 to pay for marketing materials and to promote my book on the Internet.
• KickStarter will keep $300 for hosting my fundraising campaign.
• Amazon will keep $300 for processing all of the secure payments made to support this KickStarter project.

With your help, my book can be used to educate voters about Speaker Quinn's political record. Can you make a pledge today to support my book project ?

Please help me to spread the word about my book by posting a link to this KickStarter project on your Facebook page. Thank you for everything you do.

Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn - By Louis Flores -- One Sheet

Anthony Weiner : Comeback Kid ?

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner is still considering a race for 2013.

Lots of talk last weekend that Anthony Weiner, who has a campaign war chest of approximately $4.5 million and another $1.5 million in potential public matching funds, is still considering a run for either mayor or Public Advocate in 2013. From The New York Times :

If nothing else, the buzz showed that Mr. Weiner was still capable of generating chatter in a mayoral field that seems to be solidifying despite its lack of star power.

With his war chest, Mr. Weiner would have an edge over several of the likely Democratic candidates. William C. Thompson Jr., for instance, a former comptroller and a declared mayoral candidate, has raised only $1.5 million for the race so far, according to a statement by his campaign on Sunday.

Still, Mr. Weiner faces substantial obstacles, including that several of his former aides have now signed onto other mayoral campaigns. His former pollster, Joel Benenson, is now working for the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, while two former political consultants, Jim Margolis and Anson Kaye, are working for the Manhattan borough president, Scott M. Stringer.

Already, Mr. Weiner seems to be finding encouragement from folks, who believe that if people can look beyond the fact that Christine Quinn was sued for back rent four times, then we can look beyond Mr. Weiner's Twitter controversy.

Bill De Blasio Wikipedia Rewriting

City pols rewriting records : Wiki-sneaks ‘fix’ their pages

From The New York Post :

Wikipedia entries for some of the candidates running for mayor next year are being re-written — by aides to those candidates.

The biography of Public Advocate Bill de Blasio used to report that he was born Warren Wilhelm.

On May 8, however, a de Blasio staffer removed that name and replaced it with word that he is of “German-American and Italian-American heritage.”

“Of course, we update the page,” said de Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell unapologetically. “That’s become standard practice for public officials.”

The public advocate has said that he began phasing out the use of his given name while in high school because he was raised by his mother’s family. It’s not a secret, but most voters aren’t aware of the story and presume a guy named de Blasio has to be Italian.

The changes were made by what could be deemed to be a "sock puppet account."

But as much as there were public relations aspects to the changes made to Mr. De Blasio's Wikipedia page, his pages does not bear the "neutral point of view" badge of shame (screen shot at right) that hangs over New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's page.

HHC Healthcare Cuts

City Budget Cuts Will Privatize Dialysis Services at NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC)

The closing of nine hospitals in New York City since Christine Quinn became Speaker of the City Council wasn't enough.

Now comes the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), which is undertaking a four-year plan of healthcare cuts, which were approved in the last New York City budget.

Among the shocking cutbacks in the city budget are plans to slash funding to HHC, which is translating into dangerous healthcare cuts to the city's underinsured and uninsured citizens.

Among the dangers of privatized dialysis services is higher mortality rates, or, in plain English, patients are more apt to die if they receive dialysis treatment from privatized healthcare companies than if they continue to receive dialysis treatment from HHC.

"Patient survival rates are worse than expected at two Atlantic Dialysis clinics in the Bronx and Brooklyn, according to Medicare.gov, and some patients have left River Renal for dialysis services at HHC-run facilities even if they have to travel further," according to DC 37.

Alec Baldwin Still Interested In Running For NYC Mayor In 2013

NBC's "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin's interest in running for mayor of New York City in 2013 is still "very real," Reuters reported, according to statements made by Alec's younger brother, actor Billy Baldwin.

Quinn Uses NYPD To Thwart Dissent

Links to The Wall Street Journal blog post about New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's alleged use of NYPD to thwart ''bad publicity.''

Here are some links to the Internet conversation, which The Journal article has triggered, about Speaker Quinn's use of NYPD to suppress free speech :

• ''Mayoral Hopeful Quinn Uses Cops To Protect Her From Bad Publicity'' on Thee Rant Forum on Yuku.com ;
• ''Protesters Say Quinn Used NYPD to Thwart Them (WSJ)'' on Morning Headlines : Must-Reads from the WNYC News Hub ; and
• ''Christine Quinn Illegally Uses the NYPD to Block LGBT Protestors from Photographing'' on Mayor Bloomberg King of New York blog.

So far, Louis Flores, the activists who was pushed around by NYPD Officer Lamonica, has received no communication from either the Civilian Complaint Review Board or Speaker Quinn's office.

Scott Stringer Campaign Headquarters Break-In : Theft Of Two Laptops : Police Are Investigating Political Motives

Was Scott Stringer A Target Of A Worth St. Watergate Break-In ?

The Village Voice crime blotter reported :

'' Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s mayoral campaign office at 40 Worth St. was burglarized over the June 23-24 weekend and two laptop computers were stolen. Campaign workers are trying to determine whether the computers, which were not used personally by Stringer, had any politically sensitive documents. ''

ABC News reports that, ''Investigators are working to determine whether the theft was politically motivated and what information was on the computers.''

WSJ : Does Christine Quinn Use NYPD To Thwart Protesters ?

The Wall Street Journal : "Protesters Say Quinn Used NYPD to Thwart Them"

Earlier today, Michael Howard Saul from The Wall Street Journal reported that ... "Louis Flores, who describes himself as an activist and a blogger, filed a complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board accusing a police officer of pushing him during a protest outside a fundraiser for Quinn in Chelsea on Wednesday."

Both Mr. Flores and the protest organizer, Donny Moss, "accused the speaker of using taxpayer-paid employees to prevent them from taking photos of her entering and leaving the fundraiser. Quinn, a Manhattan Democrat, is preparing a campaign to run for mayor next year," Mr. Saul reported.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, "A spokesman for Quinn, Jamie McShane, declined to comment."

"The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment," Mr. Saul added.
Read more : http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/06/29/protestors-say-quinn-used-nypd-to-thwart-them/

Louis Flores filed a complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

Here is a .pdf scan of the complaint, which was filed online ; it has been redacted to remove his address.

2012-06-28 Scan of Redacted CCRB Complaint Filed With NYC Gov About NYPD Use of Excessive Force Against LGB...

Two days later, Mr. Flores has not yet been contacted by the Civilian Complaint Review Board, nor has he received an explanation or apology from Speaker Quinn's office.

Christine Quinn Tainted Donations

Read Tom Allon's editorial in The New York Daily News :

"I used the database set up by the law — and Quinn’s public disclosures — to find at least $250,000 in campaign funds she has raised for this election cycle under the old rules. ... Straight away, the Council should amend Local Law 34 to make it retroactive."

Read More : "This campaign cash is tainted — Quinn must give it back : Fundraising rules from 2008 should apply retroactively"

Christine Quinn uses NYPD to curb free assembly

Does the NYPD ban the rights to assemble and free speech ?

In support of Christine Quinn's effort to prevent activists from taking pictures of her with protesters in the background, the NYPD not only violated our first amendment right to free assembly but also pushed a blogger with a camera who was trying to take a photo. The end of the pushing episode was caught on camera.

Our tax dollars are paying for an entourage of Quinn's handlers and a chauffeur to take her to her campaign fundraisers and for her security detail and the NYPD to block our right to free assembly.

Quinn Book Kickstarter Campaign

Stay tuned for the Kickstarter campaign that will help fund the upcoming book about New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

The blogger and activist Louis Flores promises to launch a Kickstarter campaign soon to fund his self-published book about the political corruption that has taken place under the Christine Quinn administration.

Stay tuned.

Quinn Schedule Black Out

NY1 Exclusive : More Than 600 Hours Blacked Out Of Speaker Quinn's 2011 Schedule

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's schedule for 2011 is full of holes.

NY1 received Council Speaker Christine Quinn's schedules through a Freedom of Information Law request.

More than 600 hours were blacked out. Hours council officials say include events that if disclosed would be an unwarranted invasion of the speaker's personal privacy.

They could be instances when she goes to spinning class in TriBeCa. They could also be certain instructions to staff or interagency deliberations that aren't finalized.

"It seems that there might have been names, names of staff members for example, public employees, other people that Ms. Quinn might have met that did involve the performance of her duties," said Robert Freeman of the State Committee on Open Government. "It would be difficult to understand why those names would be redacted."

The schedules do reveal that Quinn has met with at least four campaign fundraisers during the work week. Half were in the council's offices.

One of them had an application to develop a parking lot before the City Council. His office says the meeting wasn't about the project, but about banning horse carriages, an issue stalled in the Council.

The project was approved five months after the meeting and four months after he bundled nearly $27,000 for Quinn's campaign.

Quinn also met with a senior executive at Related, who raised nearly $28,000 for her campaign.

According to the schedules, none of these meetings were related to her potential mayoral campaign.

The speaker also steers clear of most so-called "political events" like ribbon cuttings during the work week.

According to the schedules, much of her time is spent on conference calls, meeting with staff and discussing public policy.

She met at least 10 times about Walmart. Hours were spent on the controversial living wage proposal.

And, of course, she makes time for Mayor Bloomberg. She is by his side at press conferences on average every other week.

Tom Allon Education Reform Speech

Yesterday, mayoral candidate Tom Allon delivered a major speech about reforming New York City's education system. His common sense approach is refreshing, given Mayor Michael Bloomberg's top-down approach to mayoral control.

Video will be posted soon. Keep coming back.

2012-05-23 Tom Allon Education Speech-2013 NYC Mayoral Candidate