CHANGES TO COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENTS
By Dan Rivoli
A city task force has announced recommendations to public benefit agreements, in which a developer does something positive for the neighborhood in exchange for the ability to build larger or get a subsidy.
Comptroller John Liu, who convened the task force, believes these agreements can be unenforceable and are often done on a project-by-project basis. Read more
General Election Picks
Mayor: Michael Bloomberg
As we mentioned back in September, the key to governing the city at this critical juncture is nursing a more diverse economy back to health while maintaining and building on the gains of recent years in education, business, public safety and the vibrant culture that defines New York City. We think Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is running as a Republican and Independent, is best qualified for this job.
Throughout the past eight years, Bloomberg has advanced ambitious plans to overhaul the largest public school system in the country, mitigate traffic and congestion, increase and improve green space, foster arts and culture and rezone the city to fit the residential and business needs of tomorrow—all while driving crime to record lows and keeping a vigilant eye on a terrorist threat that still lingers. Read more
Decision ’09: General Election
This November, two citywide offices are up for grabs, and several local incumbents are facing Republican challengers at the polls. To give voters a better idea of the men and women vying for their support, we asked each of the candidates to fill out a brief questionnaire explaining their positions and goals in 300 words or less. Responses have been edited for style and clarity. Read more
Race to the Run-off
Just a handful of Democratic voters will likely choose the city’s next comptroller and public advocate, in what is expected to be a very low-turnout run-off on Sept. 29. On primary day, Sept. 15, only 11 percent of the city’s voters bothered to come out. The races for public advocate and comptroller were the nail-biters of the day, with no candidate broaching the 40 percent mark needed to avoid a run-off. And in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a large margin, the winners of these two contests next Tuesday will likely cruise to an easy victory in November. Read more
Disenchanted Voters
To the Editor:
Unless you’ve been living in a cave all summer, between campaign mailings, newspaper ads, radio and television commercials, debates along with articles and editorials, everyone knew there was a primary election. With 3.2 million registered Democrats, only 10 percent, or 351,000, voted. Ninety percent, or 2,849,000, stayed home, making “None of the Above” the real winner. Bill Thompson (mayor), John Liu and David Yassky (comptroller), and Bill de Blasio and Mark Green (public advocate) all failed to close the deal with voters on the merits of their respective candidacies. Read more
Our Run-off Picks
New York City’s Democratic voters will probably pick the city’s next C.F.O. and ombudsman in a run-off election on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Since no candidate in the four-way primary races for comptroller and public advocate reached the 40 percent threshold needed to avoid a run-off, the top two vote-getters are now facing off. And because registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in this city by such a large margin, whoever gets the majority in this upcoming contest will likely emerge victorious in the November general election as well. Read more
Primary Day Is Over, But Races Continue
The primary election was in some ways a sleepy affair, with only 10 percent of the city’s voters turning out. Comptroller Bill Thompson, as expected, won the Democratic Party’s nomination for mayor handily, with 70 percent of the vote, according to unofficial returns. But two citywide races will now have run-off elections between the top two candidates, and voters gave Cy Vance a decisive win in the hotly contested Manhattan district attorney race.
Moments after the polls closed, the general election between Thompson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg began, with both candidates lobbing blistering attacks at each other. Read more
Election Cheat Sheet
During the past few months, these papers have provided ongoing coverage of the various candidates vying for office this fall, as well as overviews of the mayor’s race focused on a different topic each month. To help readers before they head to the polls on Sept. 15, we’ve created a simplified roundup for each candidate in the Democratic Primary. Read more
Election Briefs
SPLIT ENDORSEMENTS FROM MANHATTAN POLS—Three Manhattan elected officials have made split endorsements in the race for comptroller.
Borough President Scott Stringer and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal threw their support to John Liu, a Council member from Queens.
Liu has racked up most of his support from unions and the city’s black and Latino lawmakers. Stringer and Rosenthal’s endorsement gives him a boost in the Upper West and East Sides, where Democratic primary voters come out to the polls in droves. Read more
Decision ’09: Primary Profiles
With two major citywide races and one Manhattan-wide contest this September, Democratic primary voters could be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. On primary day, a total of 11 candidates will vie for three high-profile positions: city comptroller, public advocate and Manhattan district attorney. This week we continue a series of profiles featuring one candidate from the comptroller, public advocate and district attorney races. Read more
