Eyebrows are being raised in Queens Democratic circles today after word went out that Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. was honored last night for a “leadership award” by the Queens Conservative Party.
Vallone is exploring a run for the Queens borough presidency or the district attorney after he is term-limited out in 2013.
“Why would Read More
The Bloomberg Administration has waged an all-out war on smoking, doing the unthinkable seven year ago by banning butts from bars across the five boroughs. With its success (or failure, for those with a pack-a-day habit), cities across the country have followed suit.
Now, the mayor and the City Council want to extinguish smoking Read More
At about the same time Hiram Monserrate will be at federal court filing a lawsuit to halt his expulsion from the State Senate, and prevent a March 15 special election to replace him, those who do support the decision to expel him will be having their own meeting.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other Read More
Criticism of the Department of Homeland Security isn’t hard to come by this morning, after Janet Napolitano said yesterday “the system worked” after a passenger nearly set off an explosive aboard a plane Friday.
(On the “Today Show” this morning, she said, “Our system did not work in this instance.”)
Will there be a Sean Bell Way in Queens?
Al Sharpton hopes the city will so honor the late 23-year old, who was shot and killed by police officers in 2006. The detective’s union thinks it’s a “disgraceful” idea. The City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee voted in favor of the idea Read More
The City Council is considering renaming a street in Queens after Sean Bell, a 23-year-old who was shot and killed by police on his wedding day in 2006.
The union representing detectives is opposed, as are at least two City Council members.
Jimmy Oddo, a Republican, told me via email he is against Read More
Michael Bloomberg’s “major policy announcement” today was, actually, to say he’ll support tougher gun laws here, including one that makes it a felony to carry a gun while drunk.
Another proposal would broaden the definition of what are considered illegal bullets, and to increase penalties for possession of those bullets to “a minimum of one Read More
An email to me from Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., regarding U.S Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to hire a prosecutor to look into alleged CIA interrogation misdeeds:
“aww did we scare the baby killing, head sawing little terrorists? good! the president needs to stop this political witchhunt now, before americans actually do get hurt Read More
Somehow, videos shot for the official New York City Video Voter Guide got leaked a month early, and are appearing on webcastr.com
Above is a screen capture from one of the videos, shot by City Council candidate (and blogger) Rock Hackshaw.
A reader with firsthand knowledge of one of the videos called Read More
The City Council just held a moment of silence for Michael Jackson.
Apparently in protest, several council members quietly walked out of the room just before it began.
Republicans Jimmy Oddo and Eric Ulrich, along with Democrats Peter Vallone Jr. and Lew Fidler all left the Council chambers just before Inez Dickens and Helen Diane Read More
