The world’s richest 500 people are currently worth $8.4 trillion, up over 40% in the 18 months since the worldwide pandemic started its devastation. In the interim, the economy’s greatest champions, the tech enterprises that made a significant number of these tremendous fortunes, pay lower tax rates than a clerk. And their uber-rich founders can … Read more
Former Bronx Borough president Adolfo Carrión Jr. is seriously considering running for city comptroller, a bid that would make him the first Latino to hold a citywide office in New York City, say some of his associates and Bronx political insiders. “He’s got more than $2 million burning a hole in his pocket,” said a … Read more
John Liu’s political ambitions took a hit this week when the New York Times took a closer look at his campaign finance filings and found a lot of anomalies. But candidates have bounced back from less, and voters have short term memories. Things are getting hectic down at Zuccotti Park, but until the dust settles, let’s take … Read more
The grand larceny and money laundering charges against John Haggerty will finally go to a Manhattan Supreme Court jury this morning, but after weeks of testimony and 4-1/2 hours of closing arguments yesterday, one mystery remains unanswered. It goes back to 2008, when the City Council extended the two-term limit for city politicians so Mayor … Read more
As New York labor unions prepare to rally in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protesters today, many of their leaders are grappling with the fact that a ragtag group of youthful agitators has been more successful than professional labor organizers at capturing the mood of the country. Unions have staged half a dozen major … Read more
* Dan Cantor, the head of the labour-backed Working Families Party, is taking their losses in the Ninth Congressional District and the 54th Assembly District in stride. Asked if more could have been done to help put Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin over the top, Cantor said, “The answer to that is always yes.” He defended his party’s … Read more
The Republicans who broke Democratic hearts in the Ninth Congressional District last night tried to cushion the blow with a simple message: It’s not you, it’s us. “This is a universal vote – Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Independents,” said Republican Brooklyn Sen. Marty Golden. “Even though the [Democratic] apparatus played some role, it was the people … Read more
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly should have been a loser this week, with dozens of shootings, a secret Muslim surveillance program unveiled and a city councilman in handcuffs. Yet Kelly’s personal popularity remains unsullied by the actions of his department, such as staying on top of recent, credible terrorist threats, making him a winner. Plenty of … Read more
Astute political insiders like yourself know that not all of this week’s winners and losers were on the ballot on Tuesday. And while a host of pundits and bloggers have already offered their verdicts – Ed Koch is a winner, Joe Crowley is a loser, etc. – there are still a few less obvious winners … Read more
On paper, Marty Golden is at the top of the list of Senate Republicans that Democrats are expected to target in 2012. But the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee may have to face up to a difficult reality: You can’t beat someone with no one. Three Brooklyn Democratic sources say the DSCC has been actively approaching … Read more