Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
If you think you forged a close personal connection with former New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi during his frequent COVID-19 Taxi TV commercials, just wait until a commissioner is behind the wheel of your cab. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do passed his TLC driver’s license exam in January, allowing him to hit the streets to get a taste of what cabbies and for-hire vehicle drivers experience daily. But even with ride-hailing drivers’ upcoming pay raise, Do’s $243,171 salary puts him a little out of touch with his agency’s drivers.
James Gennaro -
Dirty heating oils might have thought they’d seen the last of New York City Council Member James Gennaro, who’s been trying to phase them out since at least 2007. But the longtime Queens pol is back in the Council, and much like Adonis Creed, he got back in the ring for another fight. And with Mayor Eric Adams signing Gennaro’s bill into law, Jimmy the Kid won by TKO over no. 4 fuel oil moving up the date to ban it – a date he himself had set years before.
Suri Kasirer -
All anyone in the lobbying world could talk about the past year was the recent sea change in local government. Would a new New York City Council and mayor shift the power structure in the field we euphemistically refer to as government relations? With the latest city lobbying disclosures out, we have our answer: No! Kasirer ranked No. 1 for the sixth year in a row with $17 million rolling in in 2022. So we continue to pray: In the name of Suri Kasirer, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, Chanel suits without end. Amen.
Arun Subramanian -
Arun Subramanian won U.S. Senate confirmation this week as the first South Asian to serve as a federal judge in the Southern District of New York. A partner and pro bono chair at Susman Godfrey, Subramanian was a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Subramanian could be a new black robed uniter and not divider, with his 59 yes votes ranging from Bernie Sanders to Mitch McConnell.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tried to make a fashion statement with her infamous “Tax the Rich” dress at the 2021 MET Gala. While the Bronx Congress member has been met with open support and criticism for the questionable fashion choice for over a year, it’s safe to say the House Ethics Committee may not be a fan. An investigation by the committee found AOC may have broken House ethics by allegedly accepting gifts for the event. AOC’s campaign did eventually pay (only after an ethics committee started to inquire). But hey … perhaps the payments were simply fashionably late?
Sandra Beattie -
What a difference a month makes. In February, Sandra Beattie was living large, stepping in for Robert Mujica to serve as the acting state budget czar when the governor presented her spending plan. Now, she’s out of a job after a sudden departure less than a month before the budget is due. Beattie left soon after Gov. Hochul announced her new permanent budget director under a potential ethical cloud as the state examines whether government contracts she worked on went through the proper procurement procedures.
Catherine Rinaldi -
If the sheer number of disgruntled New Yorkers is any indication, Long Island Rail Road interim president Catherine Rinaldi has had a busy week. Commuters ranging from mildly annoyed to outraged have dealt with packed trains and longer waits since the system’s new service plan began. As riders raged against the railroad’s new schedules to Grand Central Madison on Manhattan’s East Side, Rinaldi and other transit leaders embarked on damage control. They’ve vowed to make adjustments, but commuters are far from pleased.