News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Mayoral, comptroller candidates debate — Albany session falls apart

Friday, June 11, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Mayoral, comptroller candidates debate — Albany session falls apart — Critics pan Cuomo's MTA shakeup

Jun 11, 2021

By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio

Presented by Equinor

Eric Adams decided to show up for last night's CBS2 debate after all, and was quickly greeted by rivals questioning whether he secretly lives in New Jersey. Adams released E-ZPass records earlier in the day, attempting to show that he has only occasionally traveled to New Jersey, where he owns an apartment with his girlfriend. But debate moderators cut straight to the chase: "Do you believe that Mr. Adams lives in New York City?"

Andrew Yang took a moment to reflect on "the oddness and the bizarreness" of the situation — remember, a mayoral candidate decided to let reporters photograph the contents of a refrigerator this week — before saying that no, he doesn't believe it. "Eric is literally trying to convince New Yorkers where he lives, and that he lives in this basement," Yang said, noting Adams repeatedly attacked him for not being a New Yorker (in large part because Yang stayed in New Paltz for the worst of the pandemic). "Meanwhile, he was attacking me from New Jersey," Yang said.

Rival Maya Wiley said Adams should come clean about how much money he collects from his tenants. "The issue is honesty," she said. Kathryn Garcia called the residency situation first outlined in a POLITICO story "utterly confusing." "Is this a Where's Waldo moment?" she said. And Scott Stringer deadpanned: "The only time I go to New Jersey is by accident." Adams reiterated that he lives in Brooklyn, in the basement apartment of a rowhouse he owns in Bed-Stuy, and is proud of it.

Another unexpected issue arose at the debate when Wiley, in response to a question on whether police officers should be allowed to carry guns, would not commit to keeping them armed. "I am not prepared to make that decision in a debate," she said. The other four candidates agreed police should be armed. After the debate, Wiley's campaign dismissed the question as ridiculous and said she would not strip cops of their guns.

And with that, early voting starts tomorrow!

IT'S FRIDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE'S ANDREW? In Albany with no public events.

WHERE'S BILL? Appearing on WNYC's Brian Lehrer show.

DAYS TO THE PRIMARY: 11

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WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

Frontrunner Johnson faces the brunt of attacks in comptroller's debate, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: City Council Speaker Corey Johnson clashed with rival comptroller candidates Thursday night at the first official debate for the job of the city's chief fiscal officer. As the leading mayoral candidates sparred during an in-person contest on CBS, the candidates for comptroller met virtually for a lower-profile faceoff hosted by NY1 and the publication The City, where they debated which city agencies they would audit and how they would manage the city pension fund. But the debate was not without fireworks, as rivals went after Johnson — the frontrunner in the few polls conducted so far in the race. City Council Member Brad Lander, who has clashed repeatedly with his Council colleague in the race, cited a POLITICO report that showed Johnson has not released his public schedules for the last 17 months.

Adams releases E-ZPass records to prove his New York bona fides, by POLITICO's Joe Anuta: Eric Adams released E-ZPass records for several government vehicles Thursday as part of an evolving inquiry into how much time the mayoral candidate and Brooklyn borough president spends at the Garden State co-op he owns with his partner. The readout of toll payments indicates Adams took city cars over the George Washington Bridge or through the Lincoln Tunnel on six separate weekends in July, August, September and October of last year, as well as once in February this year. The campaign released the records in response to attacks from rival campaigns in the wake of a POLITICO story about the unusual hours Adams keeps at Borough Hall and conflicting official documentation about where he lives.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — A new Adams campaign ad prominently features the Bed-Stuy rowhouse he showed off to reporters this week and his son, Jordan Coleman. In the ad, titled "Right Now," Adams and his son walk down the steps of the home and bid each other farewell. "Since Jordan was born, I've worked to give him a future that was safe and secure," Adams then says of his 25-year-old son as he walks down the block, saying he's "running for mayor to give every child that same chance." He goes onto tout his plans for early childhood education, housing and crime.

— " Black NYC Voters Helped Elect A Progressive Candidate For Mayor In 2013. Will They Now Back Eric Adams?" by Gothamist's Elizabeth Kim

"Animal rights group accuses Andrew Yang of defamation, spreading 'conspiracies,'" by New York Post's Julia Marsh: "A politically powerful Manhattan law firm sent a cease and desist letter to Andrew Yang Thursday, warning the mayoral candidate to stop spreading "non-existent conspiracies" about the alleged ties between current Mayor Bill de Blasio and unnamed 'allies' to an animal rights group running attack ads against Yang. 'I write as longtime counsel for New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets ('NYCLASS') regarding recent public statements that you and your campaign operatives have made about my client that are false and defamatory,' Gibson Dunn partner Akiva Shapiro wrote to Yang. The anti-horse carriage group that spent nearly $1 million backing Bill de Blasio is now funding ads attacking Yang."

— The Uniformed Firefighters Association endorsed Yang for mayor.

"NYC mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia unveils $3 billion youth jobs plan to address crime, inequality," by New York Daily News' Michael Gartland: "Democratic mayoral contender Kathryn Garcia unveiled her 'closing policy proposal' in her campaign for mayor Thursday — a $3 billion plan that would guarantee jobs for all New Yorkers between the ages of 16 and 24. The jobs program is aimed at addressing crimes of poverty and building career paths for an estimated 90,000 people who are unemployed. 'The best way to stop the rise of crime and close the income inequality gap is to invest in our young adults,' Garcia said."

" New York City's Fourth of July Fireworks Show Will Be Live Event," by Wall Street Journal's Katie Honan: "The Macy's Fourth of July fireworks show is coming roaring back this year. The annual show will be a live event and New Yorkers will be able to gather at spots along New York City's East River waterfront to watch, according to city officials. Last year's show was pretaped at undisclosed locations around the city to avoid crowds because of Covid-19 restrictions. Officials said crowds can return this year because the city's Covid-19 positivity rate is at its lowest level since the start of the pandemic and more than 8 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccination have been administered in the city."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher are demanding the United Metro Energy Corp. facility in Brooklyn be shut down, arguing that a monthslong strike has led to a dearth of certified safety workers at a site where highly flammable materials are handled. The workers, members of Teamsters Local 553, have been striking for higher pay and better benefits since April, after the union and the firm, owned by supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis, failed to negotiate a contract.

"Unfortunately, we are extremely concerned that the continued operation of the Greenpoint facility presents a clear threat to our communities, businesses in the area and the environment," the lawmakers wrote to Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro this week. "We urge you to investigate the facility as soon as possible and take appropriate action by suspending the terminal's operations until UMEC fully complies with all applicable codes and regulations."

— Rep. Yvette D. Clarke and her mother and former Council Member Dr. Una Clarke are backing City Council Member Brad Lander for their No. 2 choice for city comptroller. They both chose state Sen. Kevin Parker as their top pick for the city's chief fiscal officer this April. "Brad Lander is committed to the equity agenda that must guide New York City's recovery from the Covid 19 crisis," the congresswoman said.

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

Senate announces plans to head home after talks seemingly fail, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney and Anna Gronewold: Hopes for an agreement on a few outstanding issues at the end of Albany's legislative session came to naught on Thursday night, as state senators announced they were returning to their districts. Members spent most of Thursday expressing optimism that they would reach agreements on measures to seal more criminal records, as progressives sought, and change the leadership structure of the MTA, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo wanted. But late Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins released a statement signaling that those talks had not progressed nearly as well as hoped, and senators would be leaving without any announced progress on the few sticking points. "As our scheduled session concludes tonight, we are proud of the historic progress we made this year. If ongoing discussions on any outstanding issues require action, we stand ready to come back when and if necessary," she said.

— "We have gotten to the point where we understand it's never over when it's scheduled to be over." — Stewart-Cousins, in what is believed to be her first live Capitol gaggle since March 11, 2020, when we thought hand washing would stop Covid-19.

— From Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's end-of-session statement: "I couldn't be more proud of the 107 members of our Assembly Majority for what we have accomplished. As always, we know that our work is never-ending when it comes to improving the lives of the people of this great state, and we stand at the ready."

Italian ice, and some normalcy, back in Albany, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: At around 6:30 p.m. on the last scheduled day of the 2021 session, state senators and their staff were served Italian ice. It's an Albany tradition that dates back to at least the 1980s. But it disappeared last year — the image of legislators crowding together to smile and eat dessert at a time when indoor dining was banned in New York and the Capitol was mostly being used as a film studio for the nationally televised Cuomo Show would've had quite the Marie Antoinette vibe. Thursday's choice of lemon, key lime or watermelon set the stage for the conclusion of a week that better resembled business as usual than at any point since two Assembly members tested positive for Covid-19 453 days ago. True, the public is still banned from the Capitol. But committees often had decent in-person attendance, an increasing number of Democrats can be found in the hallways unmasked, and Republicans have almost entirely dispensed with facial coverings when outside of the chambers.

"More members are physically present in the chamber, there's the opportunity to sit together in the lounge on a bipartisan basis, which we haven't had in a year," said Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers). "It's a mutual sense that things are much better — people are anxious to do our work and then go home. We've worked hard, it's been a very trying time."... The Covid-19 storm might be entering the rear-view mirror in the capital of a state that was the pandemic's epicenter during its worst days. But it's quite possible that Albany is simply in the eye of a very different sort of storm. When the Assembly next returns to town, it could be to hold New York's first impeachment trial in over a century. If not, then members will have to explain why they declined to take any action against Gov. Andrew Cuomo — at a time when the building will likely be reopened to protestors.

— ANTI-HARASSMENT MEASURES SLIP: "End of N.Y.'s legislative session a mixed bag as lawmakers wrap up," by Daily News' Denis Slattery: "While some criminal justice and parole reforms were passed, lawmakers failed to get major pieces of legislation such as the Adult Survivors Act and other anti-harassment bills across the finish line, prompting outrage from advocates. The Adult Survivors Act, which passed the Senate but not the Assembly, would establish a one-year civil look-back window for adult victims of sexual crimes to sue their abusers. 'Workers don't need a bunch of legislators sitting around thinking about what women and workers in New York go through every day: we need action. Get it together and do your job,' the Sexual Harassment Working Group said in response to a statement from Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo) that indicated the legislation would not make the cut this year."

— "Wage Theft Got Worse During Covid. A Stalled Bill Could Give Workers Leverage To Fight Back," by New York Focus' Amir Khafagy

— The Legislature passed a bill to ban the slaughter of racehorses.

"Cuomo's MTA Power Shakeup Threatens to Upend Transit Comeback, Critics Say," by THE CITY's Jose Martinez: "Governor Andrew Cuomo's efforts to shake up MTA brass could throw the agency off-track as the transit system emerges from a crippling pandemic, board members, advocates and watchdogs told THE CITY. ...But the pact fell apart as lawmakers got ready to head home for the summer — stalling a proposed management overhaul that critics said could lead to a heightening of Cuomo's notorious micromanaging of the MTA. The last-minute bid to revamp the transit agency's leadership structure raised concerns about a potential power play that one top labor leader called 'underhanded' and 'shadowy.' 'It's fugazi,' said John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union and an MTA board member."

DAYS SINCE CUOMO HAS HELD AN IN-PERSON EVENT IN ALBANY: 190

#UpstateAmerica: Saratoga Springs is at the center of a more than century-old debate over the origins of the potato chip.

#NotUpstateAmerica?: Twitter is again debating whether the Hudson Valley is considered "upstate."

TRUMP'S NEW YORK

"Latest effort to rename Donald J. Trump State Park approved by Senate," by USA Today Network's Jon Campbell: "New York lawmakers have scaled down a bill to rename Donald J. Trump State Park in the Hudson Valley in hopes of getting it passed before the Legislature wraps its annual session at the state Capitol this week. The state Senate on Thursday approved the new version of the legislation, which would now require the state Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation to study the legal issues related to the park's name before making a change. The bill's fate in the Assembly, however, remained unclear."

AROUND NEW YORK

— The city debuted a new website allowing New Yorkers to practice ranked-choice voting by ranking pizza toppings. Mayor de Blasio took a turn.

— The city's new Office of Nightlife is recommending the establishment of a nightlife museum.

— Some restaurants and bars are requiring proof of vaccination.

— A poll by Manhattan DA candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein was criticized for negative questions about a rival.

— The Erie County Legislature voted to end County Executive Mark Poloncarz's emergency spending authority.

— The three peregrine falcons born on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge earlier this spring are named Luke Flywalker, Talon Zee and Jimmy Falcon.

— "Parents accused school leaders of teaching critical race theory and yelled over students who said they wanted more books by people of color on school reading lists during a Commack school board review of the district's multiracial curriculum this week."

— Some Orthodox Jewish women are resisting the Covid-19 vaccine due to unsubstantiated rumors on its effect on fertility.

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SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Greta Van Susteren … Will Rahn … APCO Worldwide's Penina Graubart … Treasury's Arian Rubio … former Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is 91 … Wendy Teramoto … Reid Pillifant … Alexa Papadopoulos … Francisco Garcia ... Matt Chaban

MEDIAWATCH — Michael Herzenberg , who has been NY1's housing, immigration, and real estate reporter, is now managing editor at the station.

MAKING MOVES — Jacqueline Sobol is now scheduler for Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). She most recently was legislative intern for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

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REAL ESTATE

"AOC-Backed Council Candidates 'Too Dangerous' to Elect, Pro-Business Super PAC Declares," by The City's Samantha Maldonado: "Seven progressive candidates are 'too dangerous for the City Council,' according to a pro-business, real estate-backed super PAC that's sounding the alarm over crime and pushes to cut the NYPD's budget. Common Sense NYC, an independent expenditure group, has spent more than $331,802 on digital ads and mailers to oppose the 'dangerous' candidates and support 15 others. All but one of the seven got the seal of approval from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Courage to Change PAC, though the nods came after Common Sense NYC's ad buys."

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