Borough Taxis Draws Boos at Meeting by Steve Mosco - The Queens Courier

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Finding a taxi in Queens is a lot like catching a glimpse of Bigfoot – it’s a rare sight and worthy of snapping a photo for posterity.

However, that might soon change as a new law proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg aims to create an outer borough cab service for passengers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. The livery cab type service would do away with the need for unlicensed – and in some cases, unsafe – ‘gypsy cabs,’ which are usually the only outer borough option.

David Yassky, who heads the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), is charged with implementing the plan that Bloomberg unveiled back in January.

“As all New Yorkers know yellow taxis almost never leave Manhattan, except to go to the airports,” said Yassky. “The ‘gypsy cabs’ that fill the void in [the outer boroughs] are decidedly third-rate.”

The bill requires a vote from the City Council and, if passed, would equip For-Hire Base Station vehicles with meters, allowing them to pick up random fares. Borough taxis will be assigned a uniform color separate from yellow taxis along with GPS locators, meters and the option for customers to pay by credit card as well as cash. The fare structure will be determined

“While the system works pretty well in Manhattan, there is enormous room for improvement in the rest of the city,” said Yassky. “That's what this plan should accomplish.”

At a Community Board 10 (CB10) meeting on March 3, TLC representatives gave attendees a general overview of the proposal – many residents did not like what they heard and voiced their disapproval, stating that there are safety concerns as well as concerns that they already have with TLC transportation in the area.

“Before we get involved with another layer of cabs, we need to deal with the ones we have now,” said Betty Braton, CB10 chairman, who stated that current issues include problematic routes and off-street parking locations.

TLC representatives did not provide specific details about the borough taxi service, but only a general overview, which residents felt was not enough to convince them to support the proposal.

“It seems like you only have half a package and you are already visiting community boards,” said one community board member. “There are many questions you can’t answer.”

TLC is looking for passenger feedback on what customers would want to see from the borough taxis. A short survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYCTaxiSurvey.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority declined to comment on this story.

– With additional reporting by Laura Cimera and Will Sammon

Bill De Blasio and John Liu Win in Democratic Runoffs by Julie Bosman and Kareem Fahim - NYTimes.com

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Councilman Bill de Blasio, the nominee for public advocate, celebrating his victory with his wife, Chirlane McCray, and children.

Bill de Blasio, a councilman from Brooklyn running for public advocate, and John C. Liu, a councilman from Queens running for comptroller, easily defeated their opponents in the Democratic runoff election on Tuesday in two citywide races that drew scant interest from voters.

The nominee for city comptroller, Councilman John C. Liu of Queens, with his wife, Jenny, spoke Tuesday night in Manhattan of “the wonder and possibility of New York.”

The decisive showings by Mr. de Blasio and Mr. Liu were also a victory for the Working Families Party, the labor-backed group that endorsed both candidates and that mobilized its formidable field operation to turn out voters on a day when most polling sites were largely empty.

And both Mr. Liu and Mr. de Blasio, unlike their opponents, were vocal critics of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s successful effort to persuade the City Council to amend the term limits law so he could run for a third term.

With Democrats dominating New York City’s voter rolls, Mr. Liu and Mr. de Blasio are not likely to face much competition in the November election, and they would fill offices that could quickly make them strong contenders for mayor in 2013. Mr. Liu’s victory keeps him on the path to becoming the first Asian-American elected to citywide office.

Mr. de Blasio scored an overwhelming victory against Mark Green, who was the city’s first public advocate. With 100 percent of the vote counted, unofficial results showed Mr. de Blasio with 63 percent of the vote and Mr. Green with 37 percent.

In the comptroller’s race, Mr. Liu also won easily, with 56 percent of the vote, while David Yassky, a councilman from Brooklyn, had 44 percent.

Mr. Liu, standing with his wife and his 8-year old son at the headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers in Manhattan, thanked his parents, immigrants from Taiwan, for “providing a better life for me and my younger brothers.”

“No one appreciates the wonder and possibility of New York better than me,” he said, his voice hoarse.

Mr. Liu’s long list of thank-yous included labor unions and the ethnic newspapers. Mr. Liu said, “We won this campaign in the streets.”

Mr. Liu, who beat Mr. Yassky by eight percentage points in the primary two weeks ago, drawing on support from union members and Asian and black voters, fended off a late, somewhat unexpected attack from the mild-mannered Mr. Yassky, who accused Mr. Liu of dishonesty.

As a candidate, Mr. Liu, a former actuary, counted on allies he had made speaking out on issues like hate crimes, stands that struck a chord with immigrant and minority groups.

Mr. Yassky, less adept at cultivating a traditional base, promoted his support from the city’s newspapers and his former boss, Senator Charles E. Schumer.

The race turned bitter in its final week, as Mr. Yassky questioned his opponent’s honesty in television advertisements and mailers.

“Would you hire an accountant who doesn’t tell the truth?” a narrator in Mr. Yassky’s ad asked.

In their final debate, Mr. Yassky sought to draw a contrast with his approach to the comptroller’s job, suggesting that he was a stronger advocate for pension reform than Mr. Liu was.

The comptroller acts as the city’s accountant and earns an annual salary of $185,000, manages a staff of more than 700 people and oversees the city’s five pension funds, now valued at about $80 billion.

Mr. Liu, a forceful and sometimes confrontational advocate for reform in city agencies, talked about using the comptroller’s audit power to eliminate waste in government. He will face a Republican, Joseph A. Mendola, in November’s general election.

Mr. Yassky, speaking to his supporters at a club in SoHo, said, “I hope that none of you here will take this defeat as a reason to stop believing in the possibility of politics, and the possibility of good politics.”

Mr. de Blasio will certainly be a more outspoken and visible public advocate than the one he would replace, Betsy Gotbaum, who kept a low profile. Ms. Gotbaum said last October that she would not run for a third term.

In a speech to supporters at a bar in Manhattan near Mr. Green’s campaign office, Mr. de Blasio offered a preview of his willingness to attack Mr. Bloomberg, invoking the term limits fight. “When a mayor ignores the will of the people, we set back the notion of ‘one person, one vote,’ ” Mr. de Blasio said.

As he has done throughout the campaign, Mr. de Blasio promised he would fight for the needy and the working class and stand up “when a mayor ignores the little people.”

“This means supporting senior citizens and the working poor, supporting the homeless and the hungry,” Mr. de Blasio said. “And more than anything, it means protecting our children from danger.”

The public advocate is the city’s ombudsman and second-highest elected official, responsible for monitoring and reviewing city agencies, and is next in line to succeed the mayor if he is unable to serve. Mr. de Blasio will face a Republican, Alex T. Zablocki, in November.

Mr. Green got into the race in February, explaining that even though he vowed in 2006 that he was finished running for office, he was motivated by his anger over Mr. Bloomberg’s move on term limits and his concern about the city’s fiscal troubles.

Overnight, Mr. Green became the front-runner, largely because of his name recognition and a general sense that, as public advocate from 1994 to 2001, he was an effective foil against Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

The mood was subdued at a small gathering at his campaign office, even before the results were announced. Still, there was a cheer when Mr. Green entered the room to give a two-minute concession speech.

Mr. Green said again that he planned not to run for another elected office.

“For now, I’ll go back to writing, commenting, perhaps teaching and Air America Radio to keep the progressive voice strong around the city and country,” Mr. Green said. “You’ll be hearing from me, but not in elected office. I leave that to politicians more skilled than I. For me, campaigns were a route to public service, not an end to themselves.”

Mr. de Blasio, who came in first in the primary on Sept. 15, proved too formidable an opponent. He raised nearly $1.9 million, more than twice Mr. Green’s total, and collected the lion’s share of endorsements from prominent labor unions. On Tuesday, the de Blasio campaign hired 200 voters to promote him throughout the city.

Mr. de Blasio’s connections became ammunition for Mr. Green, who said Mr. de Blasio was a “quintessential political insider” who could not be trusted to be independent.

The race turned particularly negative after the primary. In the final two weeks before the runoff, Mr. Green and Mr. de Blasio sparred in a debate, with Mr. de Blasio questioning the relevance of Mr. Green’s experience, and Mr. Green suggesting that Mr. de Blasio had improperly accepted $33,000 in consulting fees while on the City Council.

William C. Thompson Jr., the city comptroller and the Democratic candidate for mayor, appeared at Mr. Liu’s victory party and exuberantly tried to build excitement for the Democratic ticket heading into the general election.

“Now it is Bill de Blasio, John Liu and Bill Thompson,” Mr. Thompson said. “Looking forward to, on Nov. 3, having a Democratic sweep across the board!”

He then led the crowd in a chant of “Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!”

Reporting was contributed by Flora Fair, Ann Farmer, Colin Moynihan and Joel Stonington.

Councilmembers Crowley and Yassky Issue Guide to Federal Stimulus Package for Small Businesses...

Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley and Council Member David Yassky, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Small Business, today issued a guidebook that will help small business owners navigate the benefits made available to them in the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. The stimulus package provides $288 billion in tax relief to individuals and companies, but it is difficult to understand the particular programs made available in the 1,000 page law.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the City’s economy, and during these difficult economic times, it is critical that small business owners understand all of the benefits and programs that are available to them through the federal stimulus package,” Council Member Yassky said. “While I do believe that we need to do more for our small businesses, President Obama’s American Recovery & Reinvestment Act lays the groundwork for economic recovery, and we hope that this guidebook will provide the roadmap to get us there.”

“Local businesses are a necessity for economic stability,” said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. “As we face great challenges, we must revaluate how we spend our money. The best way to contribute to our economy and to a sustainable city is to buy locally grown, produced and manufactured goods. The federal government is creating public and private partnerships with the Stimulus dollars. It is essential that we make sure that entrepreneurs and local businesses of all sizes are aware of how to bring those dollars to our neighborhood’s main streets.”

Small businesses are the backbone of this economy – about 95% of businesses in NYC are considered small businesses - and throughout this City, in every borough, these businesses are feeling the drastic effects of the credit crunch. The guidebook will bring the stimulus incentives directly to the New York City small business owner – incentives ranging from tax breaks for purchasing new equipment and hiring veterans, to training vouchers for small business owners’ employees, and special incentives for installing energy efficient windows.

They were joined by representatives of the Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Bronx Chambers of Commerce on the steps of City Hall on Sunday, where the groups applauded the Council’s efforts in this area and pledged to distribute the guidebooks to their members.

To get copies of the guidebook, please contact Council Member Crowley’s office at (718) 366-3900.

Interview with City Councilman David Yassky and with NY1 Political Commentator Gerson Borrero on The Perez Notes on Wednesday March 11th at 6pm...

On Wednesday, March 11th at 6PM, Roberto Perez will be interviewing City Councilman David Yassky who is running for City Comptroller at 6PM.

At 7PM he will be interviewing El Diario La Prensa's Gerson Borrero who is also a Political Commentator for NY 1.

To listen to the interviews go to:
www.lagcc.cuny.edu/webradio.

THE PEREZ NOTES airs every Wednesday from 6-8PM so spread the news and tell a friend.

Working Families Party Hit List by Sal Gentile - City Hall News

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The Working Families Party is gearing up for the 2009 City Council elections—and getting ready to pick a fight with anyone who voted to extend term limits. There are a few Council Members who seem especially vulnerable, according to political insiders, either because they would make for potential examples or because their voting records have rubbed the WFP the wrong way:


Alan Gerson: The WFP proved that it had a formidable ground operation in lower Manhattan when it helped put Daniel Squadron over the top in his primary challenge to 30-year incumbent Marty Connor in September. Gerson was known as a good-government type until his vote on term limits, making him an especially appealing target. And the WFP has experience going up against Gerson: the party endorsed one of his opponents, Rocky Chin, in 2001. He came within 700 votes then, and the Chinese-American community—which also went for Squadron this year—has only grown as a political force since then.

David Yassky: The WFP has already targeted Yassky once this year, with mailers in his district urging constituents to contact his office about term limits. Their point person—and the only WFP member on the City Council—Letitia James has been openly coordinating with some of Yassky’s potential opponents on her lawsuit against the mayor’s bill. And the WFP has proven its strength in North Brooklyn, where its progressive and labor-friendly issues resonate especially well.


James Sanders: The WFP essentially made Sanders a City Council Member in 2001, when he failed to get the backing of the Queens Democratic Party. But Bertha Lewis, the national chief organizer for Acorn and a leader in the Working Families Party, publicly called him out in The New York Times in September for his prolonged indecision on the term limits issu. He was also a target of the WFP’s term limits mailers, and once he voted for the bill, one of his main opponents—Marquez Claxton, who has won the endorsements of some of Sanders’ fellow council members—began courting the WFP.

Darlene Mealy: Mealy is another Council member who owes much of her success to the WFP. She defeated a much more established candidate, former Assembly Member William Boyland, in 2005 with the WFP’s strong organizational support. But she made herself one of the most public figures in the term limits debate when she came out strong against the mayor’s bill—only to reverse herself, and cross the WFP, in the final vote. The WFP may want to make an example out of her as well.

Kendall Stewart: Stewart was viewed as vulnerable even before he voted for the mayor’s term limits bill, after the indictments of two of his staffers on charges of fraud and embezzlement. That ethics cloud crippled his campaign for State Senate this year, in which he was defeated by Sen. Kevin Parker, who won the WFP endorsement. Stewart’s district is two-thirds black, and the WFP is particularly strong in the predominantly black communities of Brooklyn. Stewart has shown difficulty raising money and institutional support, so the WFP may see him as an easy target. Not to mention that one of his opponents—Rodrick Daley, a teacher—is a member of the United Federation of Teachers, which also opposed the mayor’s bill.

Larry Seabrook: Before term limits were extended, Seabrook’s Northern Bronx seat had already attracted one of the more crowded fields in the city. He was one of the more prominent players in the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded over term limits, reportedly helping convince Darlene Mealy to change her vote. The WFP has never backed Seabrook, and may look to make inroads in his district, which is predominantly black. Plus, Seabrook has attracted a lot of criticism for his financial dealings over the years—he was fined by the campaign finance board for abuses of campaign funds, and was implicated in the slush fund scandal for his use of discretionary funds. He has not been charged.

Helen Sears: Should she run for re-election, Sears will face two well-established challengers who have said they will go ahead with their campaigns regardless of the term limits extension. Daniel Dromm, a longtime gay rights activist and teacher, was expected to get the backing of the Queens Democratic Party before term limits were extended. And Alfonso Quiroz has raised a sizeable war chest for his Council campaign. Sears has kept a fairly low profile in the Council, and the demographics are changing in her district—there are growing Hispanic and Asian-American communities there—both of which might make her a prime target for the WFP, should it back one of her opponents.