The Cuomo administration’s top energy official defended a plan that would all but privatize the Long Island Power Authority, arguing that a competing proposal to restructure it as a fully municipalized public utility would be unwieldy and could perpetuate political meddling. “Municipalization could take many of the problems LIPA has had for years and make them even worse,” Richard Kauffman, the governor’s chairman for energy and finance, said in an email to City & State on Thursday. “It would mean… [More]

On the northeastern end of former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s district, which once straddled Brooklyn and Queens, voters are not looking forward to the disgraced former congressman’s potential candidacy for mayor of New York City. On a street corner in the Queens neighborhood of Bayside, it is hard to find anyone who would say that they would give Weiner another shot if he jumps into the race. Most residents said there was no chance at all that he would get their… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has taken a number of steps to revamp New York’s energy policy since taking office, but critics still have found plenty to criticize in the direction the state is moving. At City & State’s State of Our State conference in Albany on Tuesday, panelists took issue with the governor’s proposed overhaul of the Long Island Power Authority, a portion of the New York Energy Highway initiative to upgrade transmission lines, the fate of hydraulic fracturing and more.… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has done plenty to please environmentalists over the past few months. In his State of the State address Cuomo called for stricter caps on greenhouse gases, unveiled a new “energy czar” and announced plans for a $1 billion “green bank” and a statewide network of charging stations for electric cars. Environmental groups praised the budget he signed this year, which boosts funding for mass transit, increases capital spending for parks and diverts more money to the state’s… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will have the final say over whether hydraulic fracturing is allowed in New York—but some hydrofracking opponents are shifting their focus to lawmakers to pass a two-year moratorium on the controversial method of drilling for natural gas. Drilling foes see a potential for a breakthrough in the state Senate, which has traditionally been more supportive of hydrofracking but where state Sen. Jeff Klein and his breakaway Independent Democratic Conference could be in a position to play a… [More]

The union endorsements keep rolling in for New York City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin in her bid to become Manhattan’s next borough president. Today, the Lappin campaign will announce that it has the backing of the Mason Tenders District Council, which follows on the heels of endorsements from 32BJ SEIU and the Teamsters Joint Council 16. “Jessica Lappin has been a powerful advocate for working New Yorkers throughout her career, whether it’s fighting for fair wages or getting paid sick leave for working… [More]

The Partnership for New York City today is releasing its “NYC Jobs Blueprint,” an analysis of New York City’s economy that includes more than 30 recommendations outlining ways that that the public and private sectors can work together to keep New York City a “strong, inclusive city of opportunity” in coming years. Joining the Partnership will be Laurence Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren, and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman. The blueprint comes as the race for mayor of New York City is gaining… [More]

New York’s racetrack casinos posted record growth in slot machine revenue in the first quarter of this year, according to figures compiled by the New York Gaming Association, an industry group. The state’s nine racetrack casinos saw gross revenues rise by about $23 million to $472.9 million, an increase of more than 5 percent. At the same time, competitors in Atlantic City, Connecticut and Pennsylvania experienced declining revenues. “The numbers don’t deceive,” James Featherstonhaugh, the New York Gaming Association’s president, said… [More]

In the wake of the CityTime scandal, New York City officials have taken steps in recent years to increase oversight of outside contractors, including a joint transparency project with the city comptroller, a new city technology development corporation, and the passage of a law requiring a cost-benefit analysis before any outsourcing that could replace city workers. But for critics, still more changes are needed to prevent another debacle like CityTime, a computerized payroll system that went hundreds of millions of… [More]

Ari Fleischer arrived on the national stage as the first White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, serving in that role until mid-2003. These days, he lives in Westchester County and is focused on another area where top-notch communications advice comes in handy: sports. While consulting through his company, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications, he also keeps a hand in politics with regular appearances on CNN. He also helped author a recent Republican National Committee “autopsy” report on how… [More]