Scott Stringer

It was a rough two hours for MTA board commissioners this morning: tears and tongue lashings in public testimony followed a budget presentation that confirmed all of their worst fears.

“I think I speak for all the board members when I say, ‘Wow,’” said Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger after hearing the full slate of proposed cuts.

Without specifying the amount of a fare hike for New York City transit—besides a jump in express bus fare from $5 to $7.50—the 500-odd-page budget proposal includes a raise in “yield” of 23 percent, factoring in resulting reductions in ridership. Significant cuts include 2,269 jobs; the Z and W subway lines (with some corresponding line extensions to compensate); the entire station customer assistant program; and weekend service on 37 bus routes.

The board won’t take a final vote on its proposed budget for 2009 until its next meeting in December. But the proposal’s fare hikes and route cuts, leaked a few days ago by the Daily News, already had people hopping mad.  read more »

Michael Bloomberg’s political lifespan just got extended, thanks to the City Council. But at least he’s trying to make the rest of New York live longer as well.  read more »

Michael Bloomberg is already coming under criticism from City Council members over the budget cutbacks he proposed.

And according to Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf, that criticism will only make Bloomberg…stronger.  read more »

From our colleague Azi Paybarah at PolitickerNY.com: "Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who’s been contemplating a 2009 bid for citywide office, will seek re-election to his current post, according to a person with first-hand knowledge of the campaign. A formal announcement is expected sometime later today."

Here's our Sit-Down with Mr. Stringer in January, wherein he discussed his problems with some Bloomberg development initiatives and the taxation of vacant Manhattan sites.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who’s been contemplating a 2009 bid for citywide office, will seek re-election to his current post, according to a person with first-hand knowledge of the campaign.

A formal announcement is expected sometime later today.  read more »

Now that the public advocate’s office is being vacated, here’s a look at the prospective candidates.  read more »

News that Tom Golisano will oppose the change to term limits was, initially, seen as a boost to critics of the plan. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is suggesting a drawback to Golisano’s involvement.

Critics will lose their ability to push a populist argument if t they have their own billionaire supporter, he said.

Critics of Bloomberg's plan to extend term limits have seized on the fact that it hinges on a pact between two billionaires—Bloomberg and term-limits enthusiast Ron Lauder—.

Stringer, in his testimony, said that neither Lauder nor Golisano were elected to office, and therefore that their opinions on the matter shouldn’t carry as much weight as those already in office.  read more »

We like to think greening is more than a passing style, and that the idea of sustainability is taking root in our values and becoming a real presence in our communities. One of the neighborhoods that is working hard to re-brand itself green is the lower east side of Manhattan. In fact, the environment will be big in that community this Sunday, when a street festival will feature everything from chocolate apple truffles to CFL light bulbs. Dubbed Apple Day, the one-day event will highlight Go Green Lower East Side, a new environmental initiative kicking off this weekend by handing out 500 such eco-friendly bulbs to help educate households about going green.  read more »

After City Councilman John Liu told reporters he thinks Bill Thompson is a good comptroller and doesn't want to run against him, I asked Liu if he would run against Betsy Gotbaum (if term limits are extended and she chooses to run for re-election).

“Next year I’m going to put myself before the voters,” Liu said.

Liu had previously indicated he might run for comptroller.  read more »

City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson is continuing his assault on Michael Bloomberg. At a press conference yesterday, Thompson presented a study on crowding in city schools and said the administration would get a failing grade on the issue.

As the former head of the Board of Education, it's an issue on which Thompson can speak with authority.

DENVER—It's ultimately about Barack Obama (and Hillary too!), but for New Yorkers here for the convention, it’s hard not to think about next year’s mayor’s race. too. All three major candidates for mayor—Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner, are in town, and were at this morning’s New York delegation breakfast at the Sheraton.

“All we’ve done is move New York City to Denver,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who is also entertaining the idea of running for a citywide office next year. (His 2009 plans have become a source of considerable speculation). “It’s not like we’re shocked to see them in our midst.  read more »

Bill Clinton will speak at a fund-raiser tonight for Representative Ed Towns, whose challenger, Kevin Powell, is trying to frame Towns' support of Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary as a political liability.

The event is taking place at the home of attorney Sanford Rubenstein, on East 64th Street. Clinton is expected to speak around 7:30 p.m. Others expected to attend include Representatives Anthony Weiner and Yvette Clarke, and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

The invitation, which was forwarded to me by a reader, also lists notable figures like Governor David Paterson, City Comptroller Bill Thompson and Representative Charlie Rangel, although it doesn't say whether they will attend.

As noted earlier, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer threw his support behind Dan Squadron, becoming one of the most prominent Democrats to back him in his Democratic primary challenge to state Senator Marty Connor.

Connor has responded with this statement:

“The Manhattan Borough President and I have an excellent working relationship and I am confident it will continue once the voters send me back to Albany. I'm proud to be endorsed by the vast majority of the progressive unions, organizations and leaders in New York based on my strong record on education, affordable housing and quality health care.

“As the Democratic Senator with the most expertise on Senate Rules and practices, I look forward to adopting extensive Rules changes that promote open and honest government next year when we are in the majority.”

Borough President Scott Stringer has endorsed the city's proposed rezoning of the Lower East Side, giving a boost to a plan that would allow for more residential development while adding restrictions to other types, including dorms.

His endorsement of the plan, issued today, comes as the City Planning Commission gears up for a mega-hearing Wednesday, with throngs of community members expected to deliver testimony on proposed rezonings of the Lower East Side, the planned middle income-intensive Hunters Point South development near Long Island City, and the proposed redevelopment of Willets Point by Shea Stadium.

The Lower East Side rezoning cuts back on a density bonus given to "community facilities," which include dorms and buildings with medical offices and other uses, while allowing developers in parts of the neighborhood to build bigger if they include below-market rate housing.  read more »

On Tuesday afternoon, City Councilman Dan Garodnick called on Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village landlord Tishman Speyer to pay the legal fees of tenants who are proven to be legitimately occupying rent-stabilized apartments in the complex after contesting non-lease renewal notices from the landlord.

Under the proposal, which was endorsed by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and State Senator Tom Duane at a press conference, Tishman would also agree to a set of ground rules for attempting to evict tenants for allegedly breaking rent-stabilization rules.

“Over the last two years, we have seen an aggressive pursuit of tenants by Tishman Speyer, claiming that people are not using their apartments as their primary residence,” Mr.  read more »

Some other notable expenditures from city candidates, courtesy of intern Bharat Ayyar:

John Liu--whose reluctance to specify his intention for 2009 is keeping Grace Rauh busy--paid $29,340 to the Washington, D.C.-based Lake Research Partners for polling on February 22. He paid an additional $10,366.80 for a “voter survey” from the same company on March 31.

Scott Stringer, who isn’t term-limited in 2009 and whose intentions for the next election are not clear, paid Global Strategy Group $13,7000 for polling on June 27.

Dan Gardonick, a possible City Council speaker candidate, paid $1,020 in rent to State Senator Liz Krueger’s campaign.

Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president whose possible entry into the 2009 races has colleagues and political experts guessing, just sent out a call for contributions toward an unspecified "2009 campaign."

“Each dollar is so important in finishing this filing strong and in making sure that I have the necessary resources to build a successful 2009 campaign,” Stringer said in an e-mail to supporters just before 1 p.m.

“The first $175 donated by each New York City resident is matched 6 to 1 by the New York City Campaign Finance matching program. This means that your $50 contribution is actually worth $350 and your $100 contribution is actually worth $600 to us after the magic of matching!”

UPDATE: It's probably worth pointing out that on Stringer's web site, he's soliciting contributions of up to $3,850, the maximum allowed for a borough president's race, and not $4,950, the maximum allowed for a citywide race.  read more »

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and another reigning populist in city government, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, joined the media circus outside Cooper Union on Thursday evening to denounce the Rent Guidelines Board, right before the nine-member panel voted 5 to 4 in favor of one of the steepest rent hikes in years.

As of October, rents will increase by 4.5 percent for one-year leases and 8.5 percent for two-year leases. Tenant advocates and proponents of RGB reform claim the annual vote is little more than what Ms. Quinn called "a rubber stamp to rent increases every year," and have urged the board to come up with creative solutions.  read more »

Here's an invitation for a David Yassky fund-raiser tonight on the Upper West Side.

One of the event's hosts is Andrew Tomback, a long-time Yassky contributor who has also given some money to Eric Gioia and, once, back in the day, to Alan Hevesi.

Other notable names include John Alschuler, who has contributed to progressive Democrats like Mark Green and Ruth Messinger. Alschuler has also given money to another comptroller candidate, Melinda Katz ($250 on July 7, 2007).

And there's also Charles Simon, who ran in a special election for an Assembly seat, but was defeated by Linda Rosenthal.  read more »

On the top of this invitation for Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's June 5 fund-raiser is a name I haven’t seen associated with his campaign before: Patricia Lynch.

She’s a major Albany lobbyist who most recently was charged with getting congestion pricing passed in the capitol. Lynch is also an experienced fund-raiser--last year, Bill Clinton headlined one of her events.  read more »

In the latest in a string of outer-borough events, one of which recently took Scott Stringer to Queens, today the Manhattan borough president was in Brooklyn filming an appearance on Brooklyn Community Access Television (BCAT), a public affairs channel that serves viewers outside Stringer's home turf.  read more »

Protesters and politicans plan to rally in Chelsea on Saturday against the displacement of a handful of small businesses on Ninth Avenue by landlord Morris Monian.

Eight stores along what organizers are calling “the last ungentrified block in Chelsea” —including Chelsea Liquors, the Ninth Avenue Gift Shop, Sweet Banana Candy Store, New Barber Shop and Famous Deli—have between three months and two years before their lease expires.

Organizers said the shops cater directly to residents of the Fulton Houses affordable housing complex across the street.  read more »

The Queens County Line Democratic Club just announced that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who has not said whether he will seek higher office in 2009, will be speaking to the organization tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Sholom in Glen Oaks.

A quote from Democratic District Leader Henry McCoy included in the release reads, "Scott Stringer has visited our organization several times including during his prior service as a Member of the Assembly and our members and friends look forward to learning about his possible plans for citywide office."

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, Councilman Dan Garodnick, and assorted community groups are hosting a town hall meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the issues facing Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village residents.

The non-renewal notices from landlord Tishman Speyer that are allegedly flooding the mailboxes of both legal and illegal rent-stabilized tenants will be on the agenda; so will rent protection for market-rate tenants, roof improvements, and development concerns for the Con Edison site along First Avenue, according to a release issued today.  read more »

Speaking at the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats club last night, public advocate candidate Norman Siegel said he doesn't plan to use the office of public advocate as a stepping stone.

The civil rights lawyer has said before that he is interested in protecting citizens' civil liberties, but he doesn't want to make the painful decisions that an executive has to make. According to one attendee, Siegel said, as an example, that he couldn't bring himself to close libraries on Sundays as a cost-saving measure.  read more »

This Sunday, likely mayoral candidates Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner are among those expected to deliver remarks at a breakfast organized by the West Side Community of Orthodox Jewish Organizations.

Notably absent from the invitation is Christine Quinn, another likely mayoral candidate who does, after all, represent parts of the West Side.

The March 30 event is taking place at the New York Historical Society, and will also include remarks from Representative Jerry Nadler and a tribute to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.  read more »

If the city does not get behind a proposal to build a public park on the Murray Hill segment of the East River esplanade now when a trio of high-profile construction projects are in various stages of development, the five-year-old plan to build a green space in the area may never be realized.

With the public review process for Sheldon Solow’s 6.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development from 36th to 41st streets on First Avenue wrapping up—the plans are in the last stage of the approval process with City Council—and a hearing about the neighborhood’s rezoning approaching on Monday, a host of community groups and local politicos politely reminded city and state officials just how much they want a park.  read more »

Here is another indicator that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer may be looking to run for a citywide office in 2009.

According to this flyer from the Independent Neighborhood Democrats, a political club in Brooklyn, Stringer will be a guest speaker there later this month.  read more »

Location: What do you think about the concept behind the city’s plan to rezone 125th Street, where the city wants to allow for significantly more development along much of the corridor?

Mr. Stringer: It’s one of the more famous streets in the world and a rezoning is appropriate. But this community needs much more than just a sliver rezoning, so we need to think beyond 125th Street.  read more »

Scott Stringer, the guy whose 2009 intentions are still not clear, is having a fund-raiser at Butter, a chic place on Lafayette Street, on January 9, according to an invitation a reader just sent me.

Tickets range from $50 to $1,000. But, according to the fund-raising email that accompanied the invitation, “Members of political clubs and students can purchase tickets at the reduced price of $45.”

Speculation as to which office he’ll seek, can be made here for free.

Also worth noting are the members of the host committee, as outlined in the email: Jennifer Cunningham, an influential advocate for 1199, Patrick Gaspard, another influential labor leader, Risa Heller and Ryan Toohey, both consultants at Global Strategies, Allen Roskoff, an outspoken gay rights activist, Maura Moynihan, daughter of the late senator, and Brice Peyre, an aide to congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.

Here's an invitation to a November 14 fund-raiser for state Senator John Sabini of Queens, which is being organized by Scott Stringer, the Manhattan Borough President.

Sabini is in a safely Democratic seat in Jackson Heights, Queens, but he may face a strong challenge from the Democratic City Councilman who almost beat him in a previous race, Hiram Monserrate.

For Stringer, the benefits of making friends outside Manhattan could pay off if and when he decides to seek higher office.

Andrew Cuomo will introduce Scott Stringer at a fund-raising breakfast tomorrow in the Time Warner Building, according to an item in Crain’s today.

(The event is tomorrow morning, at 8 a.m. at Landmarc.)

Stringer, right now the Borough President in Manhattan, hasn’t said what office he’ll be seeking in 2009. He's term-limited in 2013 [updated].

Scott Stringer is looking for interns to help with campaign fund-raising.

Adolfo Carrion is hiring a research analyst.

And an Assembly member in Queens is looking for a community liaison.

As more and more New York politicians are preparing their candidacies for the 2009 citywide races, Scott Stringer too has a decision to make. He can either coast to a second term as Manhattan Borough President or pursue a more ambitious, and hard-to-win, position.

His consultant, Josh Isay, seems to be leaving Stringer's options open. 

“He’s had the job for less than two years," Isay just told me. "He’s accomplished a lot in that period of time and is continued to stay focused on the substantive agenda he has as borough president.”

Stringer's hand is somewhat forced in the matter. If he doesn’t run for an open seat now, he’ll face the prospects of being term-limited as Manhattan Borough President when every citywide elected position is held by an incumbent.  read more »

Here's a shot of some firemen searching City Hall last night around 7 p.m. after the building was briefly evacuated because of a possible smoke condition.

As quickly as the orders came to evacuate, the firemen gave the go-ahead for everyone to return.

Line of the Day came from Scott Stringer, whose tribute to Italian-American culture was abandoned as the dozens of attendees were forced out onto the City Hall Steps. His (deadpan) reaction: "Was it something I said?"

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is looking for a director of community affairs.

He's also hiring a director of communications.

The Transport Workers Union, which is fighting the effects of penalties levied against it for an illegal strike, wants to hire a political assistant.

Local 32BJ is hiring a director of communications.

The US-Ukraine Foundation needs a political analyst in D.C.

A private contractor in D.C. needs a writer to help the “Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Office.”

And campaign staffers are needed immediately in D.C. $15 an hour. No experience necessary.

Columbia University pledged today to spend more than $32.5 million in West Harlem on affordable housing, a new park, landscaping for public housing complexes and the like. In return, the school’s expansion plan received the endorsement of Borough President Scott M. Stringer.

It was, if you think about it, a small investment to make, given that the new 17-acre campus, north of 125th Street and generally west of Broadway, is going to cost something like $6 billion.

President Bollinger, who shared the podium with Mr. Stringer at a press conference this afternoon in the borough president’s offices, said, however, “We want to do our part… This is not a trivial amount.”

Mr. Stringer’s endorsement is not binding; only the City Planning Commission, the City Council and the Mayor have a real say in rezoning. But it helps turn around a narrative that has been dominated by community opposition to the plan, including the local community board’s 31-2 vote against Columbia.

Some $20 million will be devoted to an affordable housing fund that will partially offset the indirect displacement that the new campus is expected to cause outside the footprint.

But given the fact that it costs, conservatively, somewhere around $400,000, and sometimes as much as $1 million, to build an affordable apartment in Manhattan, the contribution would only go so far in alleviating the indirect displacement. The draft environmental impact statement, for instance, says that “approximately 3,293” nearby residents would be forced out because of gentrification.

In addition, Columbia said it would turn a piece of its campus into a park, pay for its maintenance, and make other improvements around the area, including $11.25 million over 25 years to keep up a new waterfront part nearby.

Mr. Stringer said he would recommend against the use of eminent domain in the plan, but did not make that a condition of his support. (The university has already forsworn eminent domain to take residential property.)

Nick Sprayregen, owner of storage facilities in the footprint who could see his properties taken by eminent domain (albeit with "just compensation”), e-mailed to say, “Mr. Stringer is now in effect backing Columbia’s continued forced relocation of tenants and the threatened use of eminent domain against all who refuse to sell to Columbia with the threat of condemnation hanging over their heads.”

Councilman and all-but-announced city comptroller candidate Simcha Felder of Brooklyn hired another staffer: Eric Kuo, who will be the new new press person.

Kuo previously did press for Councilman Vincent Gentile, a Democrat in the conservative-leaning Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn (the same area that produced Democratic operatives George Fontas, Scott Gastel and Sam Cooper). He also worked for Councilman Oliver Koppell in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. (There are probably some notable operatives from there too, but I'll need some help on that one.)

More on Kuo after the jump.  read more »

About that talk going around that City Councilman David Yassky of Brooklyn will enter the already-crowded City Comptroller’s race in 2009...

"I’m not trying to be coy about it," Yassky just told me. "I want to stay in government. I love this work. I think I’ll want to keep doing it after my term is over. And I think I’ll be in another election," but 2009 is "too far away and I have not decided. We’re not there."

Though there are at least five candidates, it's not that outlandish for Yassky to calculate that there may be room for one more. The list of announced and likely candidates for comptroller include Simcha Felder and James Brennan of Brooklyn, and John Liu, Melinda Katz and David Weprin of Queens, if I'm not missing anyone. The pool of voters in Manhattan, in the absence of another entrant (Scott Stringer, maybe?), are anything but locked down.

Yassky is popular with the New York Times and with Michael Bloomberg, who has already held two fund-raisers for Felder, but has shared national TV time with Yassky. So, if he can line up backing uptown and in his part of Brooklyn... who knows?

Here is a one-minute interview with Assemblyman-elect Micah Kellner circa 11 p.m. last night after giving his victory speech to supporters at a bar on Second Avenue. He says it’s great to be a 28-year-old heading into public office, hopes to vote for a gay marriage bill, and wants to block development of a waste transfer station on East 91st Street.

Among the people celebrating Kellner's victory last night were his old boss, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Council members Dan Gardonick, Jessica Lappin, and Vinny Gentile, to name a few. Not there was one of his key consultants, Evan Stavisky, who spent most of his day overseeing the election of several candidates in local New Jersey primaries.

Here are Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at a luncheon of the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn on Saturday.

At the event, Stringer explained to the crowd he had simply made a "wrong turn" and ended up there.  read more »

• Horrifyingly, the basement lounge at the Chelsea Hotel (where Leonard Cohen remembers you well) has been transformed into "an offbeat retreat." Designer Richardson Sadeki even had the gall to drop in some dead-Sex Pistols references. [Interior Design]
• After taking seven bad hits of L.S.D., Robert Scarano reimagines Stuy Town as a post-apocalyptic, post-Blade Runner wasteland [above]. [NY Post, via Curbed]
• Manhattan Prez Scott Stringer organized a city-wide preservation love-train. "It was great to have Uptown talking with Downtown," he said, "East Side talking with West Side and all of them talking with me." People all over the world, join hands. [Villager]
• Now that the Jitney has come to Brooklyn, The Great Jitney War of '07 is heating up! In a nutshell: West Side psychoanalysts are furious. [Sun] - Max Abelson
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