Week in Review

Council Member introduces Resolution on Iran’s stance on Israel. Council Member David Weprin, a Democrat from Queens, who is also seeking the Speakership, introduces a resolution denouncing comments made by President Ahmadinejad of Iran last month. The NYC Council does not have a say in America's foreign policy.

The chairman of Manhattan’s Libertarian Party, James Lesczynski, expects to appeal Judge Paul Feinman’s recent ruling that Mr. Lesczynski lacked the standing to challenge the city’s campaign-finance rules. Mr. Lesczynski had asked the judge to declare the rules unconstitutional. He argued that matching funds force him and other New Yorkers to fund speech they object to - a violation of an individuals free speech.

Roughly half of all students who enter city high schools do not earn any kind of diploma in four years. It was also reported that only 10% of black and Hispanic students earn a Regents diploma compared to one-third of white and asian students. Only 18% of NYC high school seniors earn a Regents diploma compared to 58% statewide.

Judiciary submits budget requests for Fiscal Year 2006-2007. The state’s top judge says her colleagues deserve a raise. The state’s judicial branch yesterday submitted its $1.96 billion budget proposal to the governor and legislature. The request, a 7.1% increase over the current budget, includes $69.5 million for judicial raises. The last time New York judges got a raise was in 1999. Governor Pataki proposed raising the judiciary’s pay earlier this year, but lawmakers balked.

Gubernatorial hopeful John Faso expects to be the Republican designate after the December 12 meeting of the 62 Republican County Chairman up in Albany. Also seeking endorsement are former Massachusetts Governor, William Weld, who has the support of State Party chairman Stephen Minarik, Pat Manning, an Assemblyman from Dutchess County, who is the only candidate to receive endorsements from six Conservative County Committees, and Randy Daniels, former secretary of State, who says he will seek the Conservative Party line if the Republican Party selects a candidate who is not suited for the party (i.e. Weld or Golisano).

Mayor Closes Deal on Four Remaining Private Bus Lines. The deal has reached $25 million to acquire the city’s four remaining private bus lines, allowing the MTA to operate all fleets by the end of February. The city had missed half a dozen self-imposed deadlines to take over all the private bus lines because negotiations failed to resolve concerns over the fate of both union and nonunion workers operating private fleets.

On December 1, The New York Sun wrote an editorial to the NY GOP to fire Stephen Minarik, Republican State Chairman. The Sun sites the leadership has not provided New Yorkers with an open process on candidate selections and by squashing the possibility of statewide primaries.

On December 1, The New York Sun wrote an editorial titled “Up to Code” which says Mayor Bloomberg has signed into law the first major revision of the city’s building code in nearly 40 years. Currently, New York City laws are considered “unfriendly” to builders in the Big Apple and slow the growth of economic development. Though the law lacks significant change, the Sun says it is a step in the right direction to open the market for new construction.

$1.1 Million of tax payer money went to city council candidates without competitive races. A preliminary review by the Campaign Finance Board said public money was doled out to candidates who won by 60% to 80% of the vote. Critics of the current system are sure to use the findings as ammunition against the program.

City Council Member, Tony Avella, announced his support for term limits in a letter to the 50 other members. “I find the thought of ignoring the wishes of the citizens of this city by plotting to overturn term limits offensive,” he wrote. Six of the seven candidates for Council Speaker publicly support plans for overturning the law.

The New York City Comptroller’s office released results of the third quarter job growth rate, which shows New York City lags behind the national average. Economic watchdogs at the Manhattan Institute explain the slow growth rate in New York has to do with high taxes and too many regulations that create “road blocks” on growth.

On December 5, the New York Sun reports thousands of residents reap the benefits of rent regulation, while living out-of-town. Rent Stabilization was created to protect middle-income residents from leaving New York City, but today, many enjoy the benefits of below market apartments, which forces the rental rates of available apartments to be higher than normal. Free market advocates say too many regulations and high taxes impedes the creation of housing for the middle class and believe an open and friendlier market to development will lower the currently high market rates. Supporters of Rent Laws say regulation is important for middle-income housing and deny the problem of abusing the laws is systemwide.

City Council Minority Leader, James Oddo responded to the NY Sun’s story on the abuse with regulated rents and called for the Department of Finance to investigate. Council Oddo says the report “cries for further investigation. We always hear about landlord-gouging. This is gouging by the tenants. Rent regulation has a chilling effect on private investment.” On Sunday, December 4, about 40 advocates rallied outside Mayor Bloomberg’s home asking the mayor to wrest more control over housing policy from Albany.

New York Sun columnist Alicia Colon says she called 800-FOR-VOTE and asked for a bunch of voter registration cards so she can switch her party registration from Republican to Conservative. Ms. Colon says she feels disenfranchised by how the NY State GOP is “fixing” the process of “selecting” candidates for next year’s statewide elections. The extra registration forms she receives she intends on distributing among her family.

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved a $5 billion budget for 2006 that increases security spending and does not call for a fare-hike before 2007. The budget also provides funding for 340 new PATH trains, airport upgrades and continued work on the WTC transportation hub.

The City Council voted to override a veto by Mayor Bloomberg to include the Hindu holiday of Diwali as one of the days when alternate side parking is suspended. It is the first Hindu holiday to warrant the parking regulations.

City Council Member Gail Brewer introduced legislation that would force community board members to file annual disclosure statements in order to avoid conflicts of interests with companies seeking commercial permits. community board members are subject to conflicts of interest laws but are not yet required to file financial disclosure forms.

On December 9, NY Sun columnist J.P. Avlon writes that the NY State GOP needs to get its act together, yet he doesn’t necessarily believe republicans should call for a primary. He sees the candidacy of William Weld as a step in the right direction and says a ticket with John Faso or Randy Daniels as Lieutenant Governor could bring across the state unity for state reform. Mr. Avlon sees republicans as one election away from irrelevance, similar to the current situation in New Jersey.