Cathie Black is Unqualified to be Schools Chancellor, reports Quinnipiac Poll

Quinnipiac Poll: Most NYC Voters Oppose Cathie Black As Schools Chancellor, reported Karen Matthews on The Huffington Post.

The Quinnipiac University Poll released Tuesday shows New Yorkers believe by a 2-1 margin that Black is not qualified for the job. The poll found that 51 percent of New York City voters believe Black does not have the right experience to serve as schools chancellor. Just 26 percent said Black does have the experience for the job, and 23 percent were undecided.

Asked specifically about Black's appointment, 47 percent said they disapproved and 29 percent approved. Twenty-five percent were undecided.

"If it was a public vote, thumbs down," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Cathie Black is Unfit to be Schools Chancellor, say Activists

Mayoral Control Queen : Cathie Black Press Conference

Watch the YouTube video of the press conference held in front of Tweed Couthouse. Various speakers voiced their united opposition to the nomination by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of Cathleen Black to become the next New York City Schools Chancellor.

Cathie Black Flunks Public Opinion

Mona Davids of the NY Charter Parents Association on Cathie Black

Mona Davids of the New York Charter Parents Association offers her thoughts on the selection of publishing executive Cathleen Black as New York City Schools Chancellor, in "Your 2 Cents," a series of on-camera, unedited editorials delivered by prominent New Yorkers.

Cathie Black Nomination Triggers Angry Voter Reaction

Reaction to Mayor's School Chief Candidate is a Litmus Test of the Bloombo Dicto Administration

The way that New Yorkers either ''support or oppose'' Cathleen Black's appointment to become the next chancellor of the New York City public school system has become a ''proxy'' for what the public thinks of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his ''imperial style of running the city,'' reported Elissa Gootman in a news analysis published by The New York Times.

Sarah Palin Met Michael Bloomberg

Sarah Palin Visited NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

In October 2007, back when she was still Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. On July 8, 2009, The New York Daily News asked for copies of photos of their meeting, but the newspaper did not receive them until after Bloomberg was elected for the third time.

Mike Bloomberg and Cathleen Black - Cosmo Sex App Scandal

Mayor Mike Bloomberg's Schools Chancellor Nominee Cathleen Black Urges Sex App ; She Says Sex App Can Help You Save Money on Hookers !!

On a radio show, Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines and the nominee to become the incoming chancellor of New York schools, said a Cosmopolitan magazine iPhone App was "cheaper than a hooker," according to The New York Times and the True News From Change blog.

Meanwhile, on her blog, Suzannah B. Troy wrote that she wants to know if there is a NYC Government corruption app.

Vote No on Charter Revisions

There is no legitimacy to the work done by the Charter Revision Barter Commission appointed by Mayor Bloomberg.

The ballot questions regarding term limits are tainted by fraud in the inception. Please vote NO to every question. Do not validate the charter revision questions. Rebuke Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Ronald Lauder for their insider deals.

Michael Bloomberg endorses Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman's business experience makes her just as equally unqualified to be governor of California as Mayor Michael Bloomberg's business experience makes him unqualified to be mayor of New York City.

On Friday, Mayor Bloomberg appeared at a campaign event with Ms. Whitman, where he said that Ms. Whitman's personal campaign spending -- $141.5 million -- allows her to enter office with no strings attached, reported the PolitiCal blog of The Los Angeles Times. "She's my kind of candidate," he said.

Good luck, California.

We've heard this same rationale expressed by Mayor Bloomberg about himself, but it was like a Three Cup Shuffle Scam : there's a slight of hand that we don't see coming.

Mayor Bloomberg's observations about Ms. Whitman were made a few days after The Gothamist website published a news report that the Bloomberg administration had run out of ideas on how to save taxpayer money, so it had begun a cyber suggestion box, where taxpayers could submit ideas on how New York City can save money. (Remember, this was the same Mayor Bloomberg, who in 2009 insinuated that his rationale for extending term limits was because he could rescue New York City's economy from the economic crisis.)

Let's see what he said about Ms. Whitman in their joint campaign appearance in California :

Just like his new cyber suggestion box suggests, just because you can spend over $100 million in a self-financed campaign for public office, it doesn't mean that a wealthy candidate actually has any good ideas about how to save the local government's budget. Spending money doesn't mean you know how to save money.

But there is more of the Mayor's math that doesn't add up. We'll explore that soon.

New Yorkers demand hospital to replace St. Vincent's

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Speaker Christine Quinn were missing as New Yorkers gathered in the West Village to demand a hospital to replace the former St. Vincent's.

''Demonstrators at the ::100 Days Without A Hospital Community Rally:: say closing Saint Vincent's has put public safety at risk because it leaves thousands of people without quick access to emergency care,'' reported NY1.

''St. Vincent’s plight has been portrayed by public officials and the media as a story of local misfortune—a community losing a vital piece of its infrastructure and a centerpiece of its identity to a combination of mismanagement, the recession, and bad luck. The truth, though, is considerably more alarming,'' reported New York magazine.

We Need Protection From Mayor Bloomberg

A powerful citizen's complaint against Michael Bloomberg.

Clayton Patterson describes how Mayor Michael Bloomberg is destroying New York for working-class and poor people. Mr. Patterson discusses quality of life issues, such as rent hikes, over-development, mass evictions, landlord abuses, freedom of artistic expression, parking tickets, NYU expansion, and criticisms of mainstream media.

He acknowledges the importance of bloggers, such as Suzannah B. Troy, who resist, or call for a change in, the policies of the Bloomberg administration. The net effect is a powerful citizen's complaint against Mayor Bloomberg.

Bloomberg to continue to funnel NYC taxpayer money to questionable agency connected to Vito Lopez

From one political boss to another,
Mayor Bloomberg to Assemblyman Vito Lopez :
''Who's your money honey ?''

In the midst of several investigations into fraud, mismanagement, and possible corruption at the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said that taxpayer money from New York City will continue to be paid to the questionable organisation, The Brooklyn Paper has reported.

New York City will pay taxpayer money in the amount of $135 million to Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council for home attendant services that the organisation reportedly provides in Brooklyn and Queens, wrote Aaron Short, a reporter for The Brooklyn Paper. The outlandish amount of money comes under two contracts with New York City, and the performance of such contracts have to be called into question if there is illegality involved by Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council. Here are some additional facts from Mr. Short's article :

'' Last month, the city delayed pending contracts to Ridgewood Bushwick in light of a city investigation that found fraudulent billing for nonexistent programs and clueless board members who approved huge raises for the nonprofit’s top executives.

'' The state then announced that it would halt all new and existing contracts to Ridgewood Bushwick amid two federal investigations, as the attorney general’s office conducts a thorough review of its most recently submitted audit.

'' The nonprofit has also drawn scrutiny for its workers’ role in allegedly encouraging voters to [pull] the lever or fill in their ballot bubbles for the charity’s founder, Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who is also the Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman. ''

Meanwhile, community reaction has been one of outrage, disbelief, and anger.

Mr. Short reported that Elaine Boardman, who is associated with the Jewish Association for Services of the Aged, said that she was ''outraged'' that, during the financial scandal investiations, New York City would continue to pay money to Ridgewood Bushwick.

Oct. 17 St. Vincent's Hospital rally

Oct. 17 rally for a new hospital in Lower West Side - St. Vincent's Hospital - Call to Action

Please join us for a rally on Sunday, October 17, at 2 p.m. We are meeting outside of the main building of the former St. Vincent's Hospital at the corner of 7th Avenue and West 12th Street.

Click here to register to attend the 100 days without a hospital rally.

We want to express to our politicians that the community is united in believing that we need a hospital in the Lower West Side of Manhattan.

St. Vincent's Hospital closed on April 30 under shady conditions, with no notice to the public. In an emergency, every minute counts. Meanwhile, here we are now way past 100 days that the Lower West Side has been without a hospital.

This rally is fully-accessible for the disabled. For the hearing impaired, a transcript of the video follows :

I want to encourage folks to come to the rally on October 17th. We really need a hospital in this neighborhood. Having an Emergency Room close by is very important.

The closing of St. Vincent's was really a disaster for this neighborhood.

Hello, please, you must come to our rally on October 17th in front of St. Vincent's at 2 p.m. We are hoping we'll get 1,000 people -- at least. Your life could count and depend upon having a hospital in our community.

Unless we have over 1,000 people come out on October 17th at 2 p.m., the powers that be and politicians will think that we are accepting this. And that is wrong, because everybody that I talk to knows that it's wrong, and they are very upset over the closing of St. Vincent's Hospital.

We've heard of 45 minute waits for ambulances, to start with, and then trying to get cross-town on 14th Street ?

When you are having an emergency, every minute counts.

Is that enough to convince you that your life depends upon attending this rally. Thank you. I look forward to seeing you there.

Bloombo Dicto to Bloggers : Drop Dead

''Mike Bloomberg Still Thinks Bloggers Are Lawless Partisans''

The Village Voice today published a post on its Runnin' Scared blog about comments that Mayor Michael Bloomberg made in an interview with The New York Times :

---

By Jen Doll, Mon., Sep. 20 2010 @ 10:38AM

​Today the New York Times City Room (blog) runs excerpts from an interview with Mayor Bloomberg in which he's asked a range of questions about whether he'd run for president (no, but maybe), how much he likes shaking hands (a lot), how much he likes being "popular" (well, who doesn't?), and, oh yeah, how does he feel about bloggers?

His answer:

The bloggers -- you know, the New York Times, for better or worse, has some standards as to who they hire and how much experience you have to have. And then they have an editor who looks at the story and sees whether it's fair and accurate and that sort of thing. And they have lawyers that make sure they don't violate the law. Bloggers don't have any of that. And that also leads to some of the partisanship.

And thus, a nation of bloggers dismissed in one fell swoop. Except, presumably, for those at the New York Times City Room (blog). Bloomberg, how 'bout you just call us all writers and we'll call it a draw? Seriously, some of us even get dressed in the morning these days!

Anyway, last we heard, that "popularity" was in question. Probably the fault of some bloggers.

[via New York Times]

Bloomberg's 3-Tier Campaign Finance Structure

In motion papers filed yesterday, lawyers for indicted campaign worker John F. Haggerty, Jr., asserted that Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2009 reëlection campaign had structured ''donation'' payments from the mayor's private bank accounts to the Independence Party, with the participation of Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey.

"Bloomberg's money went into the party's 'housekeeping account,' which is supposed to support only general party activities," reported Adam Lisberg from The Daily News.

Besides the millions that Mayor Bloomberg spent from his campaign committee account, he also has spent unknown millions from his personal (private) bank accounts, as well as having made millions of dollars in ''donations'' to charitable organisations in exchange for their political support in overturning the term limits law.

Here we begin to see clear evidence of a three-tiered campaign funding operation, where only one tier was ever meant to be disclosed or reported.

We like @billthompsonnyc, but is he really in the mayoral race to win it ? nyc-mayor-2013.blogspot.com/p/bill-thompso… : Financial reliance on @mikebloomberg

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) February 18, 2013

Haggerty, Sheekey planned to hide campaign payments

''Indicted campaign aide John Haggerty points finger at Mayor Bloomberg's former deputy mayor,'' reports The New York Daily News.

In motion papers filed yesterday, lawyers for indicted campaign worker John F. Haggerty, Jr., asserted that Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2009 reëlection campaign had structured ''donation'' payments from the mayor's private bank accounts to the Independence Party, with the participation of Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey.

"Bloomberg's money went into the party's 'housekeeping account,' which is supposed to support only general party activities," reported Adam Lisberg from The Daily News.

"...Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey convinced Bloomberg to hire the state Independence Party to do the monitoring - instead of using his own campaign team," The Daily News reported.

But how could it come to be that Deputy Mayor Sheeky was planning the mayor's reëlection campaign strategy in respect of monitoring activities ? Whatismore, was it Sheekey who proposed the use of private monies to pay for the campaign activities, or was it Mayor Bloomberg, who told Sheekey to use the mayor's personal accounts -- instead of the mayor's campaign committee accounts -- to funnel money through the Independence Party, in order to pay for Haggerty's election day operations ?

Besides the millions that Mayor Bloomberg spent from his campaign committee account, he also has spent unknown millions from his personal (private) bank accounts, as well as having made millions of dollars in ''donations'' to charitable organisations in exchange for their political support in overturning the term limits law.

The journalist Aram Roston has reported that in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaigns in each of 2005 and 2009, the mayor paid money out of his private accounts that were ultimately funneled to the political operative John Haggerty.

Much like President Richard Nixon, whose political campaigns had carried out a long set of activities to attack and disrupt the Democrats way before the Watergate Hotel break-in, here we have Mayor Bloomberg's political campaigns of 2005 and 2009 engaging in funneling secret payments out of the mayor's personal accounts to political parties for use in campaign activitis.

The mayor has a track record of spending money for his political campaigns out of his private accounts, in addition to his official campaign committee accounts. Therefore, the amounts that the mayor has reported and certified as being his campaign finances cannot be neither true, accurate, nor complete.

Add to that the fact that it has been alleged that Mayor Bloomberg has paid millions to charitable organisations in exchange for their political support, and you begin to realise that we really don't know how much money he has spent on campaigning or electioneering to be mayor.

Here we begin to see clear evidence of a three-tiered campaign funding operation, where only one tier was ever meant to be disclosed or reported.

After Freak NYC Storm, UCT 911 Dispatch System Criticised

Firefighter criticises Mayor Bloomberg's draconian budget cuts to FDNY and controversial Unified Call Taker-911 dispatch and emergency call system.

On the Queens Crap blog, an anonymous FDNY firefighter has submitted a comment that draws attention to the complete failure of New York City's UCT-911 emergency call system. "Over 10 preventable fire fatalities so far because of UCT911[.] DONT LET THIS CONTINUE!!" wrote the firefighter, who submitted the anonymous comment. As far away as the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom, it was reported that, as a result of yesterday's tornado-like microburst storm, "The city's 911 switchboards were inundated with calls of injuries, a Fire Department spokesman said."

The New York Daily News has criticised the Bloomberg administration's funding of the controversial UCT 911 dispatch system for its dangerous flaws. The Uniformed Firefighters Association has also criticised the UCT 911 dispatch system for errors that can result in threats to public safety.

"The $2-billion project is meant to shave seconds off emergency response times, and it includes the Unified Call Taker system, which Fire Department unions have condemned, saying that it resulted in units being sent to wrong addresses."

Meanwhile, according to the following YouTube video : "Leaders of three FDNY uniformed unions joined together to speak out and detail how the Bloomberg Administration's new 911 Unified Call Taking (UCT) dispatch system is 'fatally flawed.' "

NYPD Gay entrapment case update

City Fails in Bid to Block Porn Bust Suit ; Judge rules Robert Pinter’s allegations, if proved, show no probable cause for arrest -- Gay City News

"A federal judge Tuesday refused to toss out a gay Manhattan man's malicious-prosecution suit against the city, saying the NYPD's actions in arresting him appeared 'unsettling and inappropriate,' " The New York Daily News reported.

Mr. Pinter had been arrested in 2008 under a systematic and organised progam by NYPD that targeted sex shoppes ; by early 2009, community backlash to the entrapment arrests had begun to culminate in protests ; one such protest took place near New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse. The mayor oversees and is ultimately accountable for the actions by the NYPD.

The NYPD have to end their systematic, organised, and targeted discrimination against the GLBT community. And the mayor has to do something about it, he can, you know? So, let's see him put his money where his MOUTH is.

Mayor Bloomberg is responsible for appealing a 2005 court ruling that favoured marriage equality ; meanwhile, Bloombo Dicto marches in Gay Pride Parades ; meanwhile, Bloombo Dicto recruited homophobic Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, who refused to acknowledge Gay Pride in Indianapolis ; meanwhile, GLBT politicians still align themselves with this two-timing mayor.

By 2009, Bloombo Dicto was again courting the GLBT vote by supporting marriage equality, but this time GLBT voters had begun to wise up. It is high time for more voters to take Mayor Bloomberg, and his enablers, to political divorce court.

Haggerty Obstruction of Justice ?

Photo Credit : http://truenewsfromchangenyc.blogspot.com/2010/09/steve-rattner-pension-rat-rats-on-white.html

Mayor Bloomberg is trying to thwart the corruption investigation of John Haggerty, Jr.
In the criminal corruption investigation of the possible misuse of $750,000 by campaign worker John Haggerty, Jr., the office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg refuses to release additional e-mails on the grounds of "personal privacy," so reported The New York Post.

''The skimpy exchanges that were provided with Haggerty indicate he was close as could be to top mayoral aides,'' reported David Seifman, the reporter from The New York Post. Mr. Haggerty is charged with stealing $750,000 from payments that were made from Mayor Bloomberg's personal bank accounts, money that was meant for the Independence Party's Election Day poll-watching operations.

Henry Stern criticises Term Limits Deal

Bloomberg Charter Revision Commission : Henry Stern, Interviewed by Suzannah B. Troy, says that Two Term Limits should Take Effect Immediately. He Calls the Extension of Limits to Three Terms by the Charter Commission to amount to ''Golden Parachutes.''

Henry J. Stern, the parks dept. commissioner under each of Mayors Koch and Giuliani, was interviewed by Suzannah B. Troy about the controversial decision by the Charter Revision Commission to delay the return of limiting politicians to two elected terms.

On the blog for New York Civic, Mr. Stern has published commentary that has been critical of the Charter Revision Commission. He has focused on the logically-flawed argument that freshmen City Councilmembers first elected last year deserve to make full use of the brief existence of thr33-t3rm limits.

"The rationale behind this gift of time is that, since in 2009 the three-term limit was in effect, the candidates ran with the expectation that they would be entitled to seek three terms and the city is in good faith bound to honor their belief. Those members first elected in 2005 would require the gift of a third term to have them serve into 2017. However, the public will presumably by 2010 have voted three times (1993 and 1996 were the first two) for a two-term limit."

Mr. Stern completed his blog post with these cautionary words : ''The City of New York should not provide golden parachutes. Not in dollars, not in years. Let the new elected officials take their places, and may they serve the public, not themselves.''

Term Limits Swindle

What I want to know is the history on Terms Limits in the first place. In respect of Question 1, the Charter Revision Barter Commission seems to want to let current f1rst t3rm politicians to be eligible to run for office for a total of 3 consecutive times. Thus, if Question 1 is fully approved, it won’t fully go into effect into 2021. What I want to know is how were f1rst t3rm politicians treated when voters first approved two-t3rm limits ? Were they allowed to run for sequential terms in infinity ? No, once the law changes, everybody must change along with it. Why do we have to create exempted classes of politicians, to whom the laws don’t apply ? Are some politicians more above the law than others ? Is that the real message that the Charter Revision Barter Commission wants to send to voters ? Like Suzannah B. Troy is asking, is anybody listening ?