Monthly Archives: April 2010

The Times Has Spoken

Posted on April 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

Anthony Crowell, John Banks, Matthew Goldstein

You can be pretty sure that Saturday’s NY Times editorial condemning this year’s abbreviated charter revision timetable got the mayor’s attention.

The editorial directly criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to rush charter revision in order to advance a couple of initiatives he’s especially interested in: term limits and non-partisan elections.

At first glance, these seemingly simple changes to NYC’s political process look like things voters could handle without long analysis and discussion. But political changes, even the simplest ones, can have unintended consequences. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in 2010 NYC Charter Revision

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Press Coverage of Charter Revision Hearing

Posted on April 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

NYC Charter Revision Commission

Next-day coverage of the first public hearing of the 2010 NYC Charter Revision Commission was less than global. The most analytic piece may have appeared on silive, the news blog of the Staten Island Advance.

“Surprise sprung by Charter chair; L.I. attorney named to direct panel and Staten Island secession vet tabbed as research director,” was the silive lede. The story, by Peter N. Spencer, discussed the implications of charter chairman Matthew Goldstein’s choice of executive director Lorna B. Goodman and research director Joseph P. Viteritti for key commission staff roles. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in 2010 NYC Charter Revision

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Charter Panel Hears Pitch for Non-partisan Elections

Posted on April 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

Carl Paladino at NYC Charter Revision Commission Hearing 4/6/10

A surprise visit by Carl Paladino, millionaire Buffalo developer and newly-announced candidate for Governor, provided some media candy at Tuesday evening’s NYC Charter Revision Commission public hearing at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan. Paladino’s open disdain for New York’s partisan electoral politics brought passion to the dominant message voiced in Tuesday’s public testimony: Make NYC elections non-partisan. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in 2010 NYC Charter Revision

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Charter Revision: How to Reduce Conflicts of Interest

Posted on April 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Patricia E. Harris

Writing in The NY Times City Room Blog, Michael Barbaro calls attention to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s announcement naming “Patricia E. Harris, the second-most powerful official at City Hall, to be the chief executive and chairwoman of the multibillion-dollar Bloomberg Family Foundation.”

Barbaro notes that “in 2008, Ms. Harris and a City Hall aide, Allison Jaffin, obtained a waiver from the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board to work at the foundation while keeping her job at City Hall, arguing that her work was voluntary and involved minimal use of public resources. At the time, however, she held the title of president.”

Barbaro’s story has drawn dozens of comments from readers, most of them critical of Mayor Bloomberg’s use of his vast personal wealth to influence city policy. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in 2010 NYC Charter Revision

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Charter Revision Commission Announces April Public Hearing Schedule

Posted on April 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

The New York City Charter Revision Commission has issued its schedule of public hearings for April, 2010. One hearing is scheduled in each borough.

The first hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 6, at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, in the Proshansky Auditorium. This hearing, like all the others except for a 4 p.m. hearing in Brooklyn on April 20th, is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

The full public hearing calendar can be found here.

Leave a comment

Posted in 2010 NYC Charter Revision

Tagged , , , , , , , ,