Results tagged “mayorbloomberg”

The San Gennaro Festival, the Romania Day Festival and the 6th Avenue Summerfest could all fall under Bloomberg’s latest category of cuts. To save the considerable cost of manning city street fairs with NYPD officers (last year there were 321 fairs costing $4 million in overtime) the mayor wants to reduce their numbers. Bloomberg is a long-time fair opponent—he’s said that they’re too numerous and they they’re all the same—but others argue the festivals are integral to city life. “Festivals give people an opportunity to take back the streets so they can walk, listen to music, see their neighbors and buy something if they want," argued fair producer Mort Berkowitz. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg says he won't dig into the city's wallet to help tenants of Stuyvesant Town take ownership of the foreclosed complex, saying he'd rather the deal go elsewhere. "That's not what we're here to do. We want to make sure that whomever does take it over has a profitable deal," he said. But the Daily News reports that residents think he's judging them unfairly. According to City Councilman Daniel Garodnick, who lives in Stuy Town, "the mayor should not underestimate what the city can do." more ›

Last night, 60 Minutes aired its segment about the lack of progress at the World Trade Center site, noting, "This was the year that Ground Zero was supposed to be transformed into a soaring statement of American spirit... So we wondered: why is Ground Zero still a hole in the ground?" more ›

Mayor Bloomberg, the richest New Yorker and 8th richest American (according to Forbes), is moving his billions to a new place: The NY Times reports that Bloomberg "decided to remove his fortune from a private equity firm founded by his longtime friend, 10 months after that firm became embroiled in a scandal involving the state pension fund." more ›

With his department under scrutiny for allegedly falsifying crime statistics, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is still landing high approval ratings, besting Mayor Bloomberg and matching the top cop's highest figures of all time. A new study found that 70 percent of New York voters approve of Kelly's performance, while earlier this week researchers revealed that only 60 percent approve of Bloomberg. Does that mean Kelly's could be a contender for Mayor in the next election? more ›

A new poll rated Mayor Bloomberg's job approval at 60 percent, down from 70 percent last year and the lowest it's been since 2005. After eight years, has the tender love affair between New Yorkers and their mayor turned to tepid mutual appreciation? Even if it has, "a lot of politicians would kill for that kind of number," observed pollster Maurice Carroll. more ›

A day after Vice President Biden called out Mayor Bloomberg for inflating the cost of trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected 9/11 plotters in a Lower Manhattan courtroom, Bloomberg said the Veep doesn't know what he's talking about. The Mayor—who wants a guarantee that the federal government will pick up the tab for the terror trial—insisted that his estimate of $200 million per year is "reasonable." more ›

With fires breaking out right and left—including one that originated in a furniture shop and wiped out a row of beloved mom-and-pop stores this weekend—Queens lawmakers are now saying there may not be time to make massive cuts to the FDNY. Mayor Bloomberg had previously proposed getting rid of 20 fire companies around the city, as well as those quaint street fire alarm boxes. According to NY1, Councilman Daniel Dromm and Assemblyman Jose Peralta say the Queens fire "proves the city needs to find a way to keep all of its firehouses open." Demolition crews are clearing out what's left of the eight businesses that were destroyed in Jackson Heights. Meanwhile, the city's other recent fire victims, especially those of a Brooklyn fire that killed five, continue to mourn and recoup from their losses. more ›

A candidate for Governor of West Virginia has threatened to make Mayor Bloomberg's out-of-state gun busts illegal. State Sen. Jeffrey Kessler says Bloomberg has gotten too involved in West Virginia politics, so he wants to pass a bill that would ban the Mayor from using private investigators to catch Mountain State gun dealers who violate federal laws by selling firearms to unqualified buyers. more ›

In case you missed it, we had some real fun with snow this week. Schools were canceled, slush was trudged through, and a new rivalry may have been born. But the fun's over now: it's time to start shoveling or else. more ›

The commissioner of the city's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications has agreed to give back $2,800 after skirting taxes by claiming two residences as her permanent address—one of them in Florida. While working for the city, Commissioner Carole Post had been declaring Florida residency and taking advantage of a tax exemption intended for full-time Florida residents, allowing her and her husband to avoid some taxes on their multimillion dollar West Palm Beach property. more ›

A "smoking gun memo" obtained by the Village Voice indicates that before being appointed the new commissioner of the FDNY, Salvatore Cassano repeatedly ignored warnings that the Deutsche Bank building—the site of a fatal 2007 blaze—was a safety hazard. According to the alt weekly, the longtime FDNY veteran was briefed on the possible dangers at the 9/11-damaged site, and "was more personally involved than [previous Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta] in the negligence that cost the lives of Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino and injuries to another 115 firefighters." more ›

Under Gov. Paterson's plan to rescue the MTA from a $400 million budget shortfall, New York City businesses would see a payroll tax increase by 59 percent, surging from .34 percent for every $100 of payroll to .54 percent. Meanwhile, the payroll tax in suburban areas would be cut in half. more ›

Former terror trial supporter and current terror trial opponent Mayor Bloomberg asked the federal government to offer some kind of guarantee that it would cover the costs of bringing Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected 9/11 plotters to justice in New York City. According to the Washington Post, Bloomberg said he is skeptical "because a lot of times the federal government promises to pay and then the monies don't come." more ›

In a year when charitable giving dropped among the nation's wealthiest people, Mayor Bloomberg handed out $254 million in donations—making him not only richest man in New York City but also the country's fourth biggest giver. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Bloomberg—who is worth an estimated $17.5 billion—donated money to 1,358 different nonprofits and dedicated $125 million to help six charities devise a plan to help reduce traffic accidents in developing countries. more ›

Could Brooklyn have skateboard parks? I like to skateboard with my cousin . . . I like to stop and kick the board up in the air and catch it in my hands and would like a skateboard park to ride in and do tricks. It's good exercise and burns lots of calories. Without a skateboard park, people will have to jump over a fire hydrant for a stunt. They would say, "This is boring, dude." I hope there is a skateboard park here one day. more ›

There are plenty of downsides to being a lifer for the MTA—like spending your youth vole-like in the city’s subterranean passages—but unlimited cards for life have always been a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe not for much longer though, since Mayor Bloomberg said recently that if free student cards go, so should MetroCards for agency retirees. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg was photographed yesterday wearing what appear to be hearing aids, but he refused to talk about the listening devices. While on a tour of the underground construction of the 7 train extension and later at a homeland security meeting, Bloomberg was spotted by the Daily News wearing flesh-colored devices in his ears that could be hearing aids, but also resemble ear plugs. Bloomberg—who turns 68 later this month—wouldn't talk about the hearing aids, and a mayoral spokesman declined to comment. According to 1010WINS, Bloomberg wasn't wearing anything in his ears at a press conference today, and when journalists asked him about hearing aids, he dodged the question, responding: "I couldn't hear what you had to say." more ›

The newly appointed commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications has saved $3,000 in taxes since 2005 by claiming residency in Florida—even though she has worked for city agencies the whole time. Longtime Bloomberg administration employee Carole Post and her husband have qualified for a homestead exemption, which is supposed to be granted to only full-time Florida residents, on their multimillion dollar West Palm Beach home, according to the Post. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg called for more anti-terrorism funding for NYC at a Homeland Security Advisory Council meeting in Midtown this afternoon. Hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mayor Bloomberg, in what passes as a passionate display for him, stressed that NYC is still a target for terrorists, and challenged Homeland Security to add funding for programs such as "Securing the Cities:" more ›

A recent city report revealed that traffic fatalities were down to the lowest they've been in a century—not only that, but bikers fared the best of everyone. The stats show that more than 50 percent fewer cyclists were killed last year than in 2008—12 died last year, down from 26 in '08, according to the DOT. Motorcyclists came in next, down 30 percent, and motorists died 20 percent less often, in spite of those faulty Toyotas. Poor pedestrians were the only group not to improve: 155 people died on foot in New York in 2009, four more than the year before. more ›

Since Mayor Bloomberg's new budget is projected to cut 18,500 jobs, he's launching a reality show to help New Yorkers find new ones. In addition to propaganda for the city's jobs programs, the show—which poses the question "you lost your job, now what?"— will feature "expert advice" on resume-writing and interviewing and the real-life job quests of New Yorkers of all ages and stages. "Job Hunt" even tackles fashion! According to the press release, "Loehmann’s, a leading national, upscale off-price apparel retailer headquartered in the Bronx, hosted several fashion makeovers as job seekers find the perfect look for their interviews." more ›

A former deputy chief of staff to Council Speaker Christine Quinn has been fined for soliciting campaign contributions for Quinn while working for her City Hall office. City laws bar Council staffers or anyone with "substantial policy discretion" from working on their bosses campaigns, but a board found that Maura Keaney solicited contributions from union representatives for Quinn's re-election campaign in 2007. According to the Times, Keaney—who last year took a gig with Mayor Bloomberg's re-election campaign and landed a $150,000 bonus—was fined $2,500. Just hours after the city's Conflicts of Interest Board ruled against her, Bloomberg's school's chancellor Joel Klein announced that Keaney had been appointed as the Department of Education's executive director of external affairs for $143,000 per year. more ›

At 7:30 a.m. Staten Island Chuck very reluctantly came out of his winter home and did not see his shadow, therefore predicting that Spring is just around the corner. However, over in Pennsylvania, Puxsutawney Phil predicted more winter! Maybe a robot would be more accurate. The two have differed before, but for the record, Chuck has had correct predictions 80% of the time since the 1980s. more ›

This Tuesday Staten Island Chuck will perform his annual duty of predicting more winter or an early spring—no matter how much the PETA troupe lobbies for his robot replacement. The question is: who will be his next victim? Last year he took a bite out of Bloomie, and the Staten Island Advance has video footage of Chuck plotting his next move. Since the Mayor will face his fears and attend the event again, there could be a rematch. more ›

If Gov. Paterson's proposed budget is approved and Mayor Bloomberg is unable to negotiate pay concessions from the teachers' union, city educators may face significant layoffs for the first time since 1976. About 11,000 of the city's 79,000 teachers might be fired, and others might be shuffled around the city to different schools, the Mayor said. more ›

Under Mayor Bloomberg's proposed budget, 20 fire companies would close, 834 city workers would lose their jobs, and thousands wouldn't get raises. The Mayor's budget calls for shutting down four more firehouses than he requested to close last year (City Council rescued them last year) and firing 299 libraries employees, 186 workers at cultural institutions, and 141 Health Department staffers. Police, firefighters, sanitation workers or corrections department workers would be spared from layoffs. more ›

Gov. Paterson has added his name to the growing list of New Yorkers who oppose President Obama's plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected 9/11 plotters in a Lower Manhattan courthouse. "What we really might think about are some suitable alternatives that would fall within the court's jurisdiction but for the public at large would be a better place to hold the actual trial," he said. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg spoke out today against having the upcoming terror trials in NYC, although he seems more concerned about the expense than the safety issues. “It would be great if the federal government could find a site that didn’t cost a billion dollars, which using downtown will,” Bloomberg told reporters. The Mayor said he'd be "very happy" if they could find another location for the trials, and joins an increasing number of people against having the trials here. Previously, the Mayor had been in support of the trials, and even called the trials proximity to the WTC "fitting." more ›

Even though Mayor Bloomberg says he might be forced to lay off 18,500 city workers—including 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers, and 1,050 firefighters—he has hired 15 members of his campaign staff. The Times notes that as the Mayor calls for "a leaner government that reflects the economic downturn, he is finding money in the budget for those who engineered his unexpectedly close re-election," paying many of the City Hall newcomers six-figure salaries and allowing several other city workers who left their jobs to work on the campaign to return to their posts with higher pay. more ›