Mendez’s passing was first reported by Gerson Borrero.

Mendez was defeated in 2004 by Jose Serrano, who was a City Council member at the time.

More on that in these 2004 stories from Michael Cooper and Jonathan Hicks.

The new president is Melissa Mansfield of Newsday, whose been covering Albany 2002. When she's not running the organization or punching out stories about legislators, she's playing her accordion. (Really.)

The former LCA president was Michael Cooper of the New York Times, which recently decided to no longer participate in the kind of reporter-legislator roasts that are among the LCA's main activities.
Besides the Times' withdrawal from such activities, the LCA's annual show had trouble selling tickets this year because of stricter bans on gift to legislators.

In previous years, it was easier to sell tickets to such shows because lobbyists would buy a bunch of whole tables and give those seats to legislators. That's no longer allowed, so the LCA has its work cut out for it.
And yes, behind Mansfield is the photo of another woman who also wants to be president of something.

UPDATE: So, a few people who are actually members of the organization say they've had a woman as president before, including Liz Benjamin. So much for LCA sources. 

A movie about the perfidy of Hillary will have a little bit less Dick Morris than originally planned.

Michael Cooper tries reading the Bloomberg-Spitzer tea leaves.

The only New York Democrat to vote against a plan to set a specific timeline for pulling troops out of Iraq explains his vote.

The Daily News wants to see Mathieu Eugene's medical degree, which he's not supplying.

Who is working security in Kiryas Joel?

Barry Popik lays claim to the idea of putting parking regulations on line.

Chris Shott can't get inside a certain eatery known for its rats.

And above is a clip of John Edwards in midtown last night.

-- Azi Paybarah

You can thank Michael Cooper for this.

This slide, entitled "Funding Partnership with New York City," shows New York City paying $532 million in 2007-08 and $5.39 $2.22 billion by 2010-11. The state, according to Spitzer's plan, would pay $639 million in that first year and ramp up to $3.17 billion by 2010-11.

That's quite a lot for the city to pay in those later years. Is the city obligated to do so?

Asked yesterday by Cooper to explain his school spending numbers for the city, Spitzer came up with this artful answer:

The mayor will testify in Albany on Monday about all of this.

Any guesses as to what he'll say?

-- Azi Paybarah

But there is, apparently, an unfortunate flaw in the system: the thank you email sent to at least one applicant was also sent to everyone else who was applying for that same position, with the addresses of the other job-seekers visible in the CC section of the email. The result, amazingly, is a decidedly unconfidential list of people looking for jobs in the new administration.

The letter, which was sent out yesterday and forwarded to me by one unhappy applicant, showed about 100 email addresses of people looking for the same "public information officer" job this person wanted.

The email is below, but the addresses of the other applicants -- and of the transition staffer who outed them -- have been removed.

UPDATE: Another unhappy recipient of the letter writes in to say that he got three copies of the letter, and to point out that the names were actually in the "TO" section of the email, not the "CC" part.

UPDATE II: Michael Cooper has more on the story, including an apology from Spitzer's people, here.

-- Azi Paybarah

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: xxxxxx.xxxxx@govtrans.state.ny.us

Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007 18:14:10 -0500

Subject: Public Information Officers

Thank you for submitting your application to the Spitzer/Paterson administration, and for sharing your enthusiasm and interest in the work that Governor Spitzer and Lt. Governor Paterson have pledged to undertake.

As we proceed with the challenge of assembling the Spitzer/Paterson administration, the Communications Director will be managing the process of hiring public information officers throughout the administration. We have provided your application to the Communications Director and his staff, and they will be in contact with you should they determine that an open position is available for someone with your qualifications.

We appreciate your continued patience as the Communications Director and his staff consider your application.

Thank you again for your interest in becoming a part of New York's future.

Sincerely,

Appointments Office

I noted yesterday that Hevesi isn't listed as one of the people endorsing Cuomo.

Anybody remember if Cuomo ever endorsed Hevesi?

-- Azi Paybarah