News : POLITICO New York Playbook: AirTrain on ice

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: AirTrain on ice

Oct 05, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

Andrew Cuomo is gone, and now one of his most prized and most controversial infrastructure projects might be too.

After days of pressure to scrap Cuomo's AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport, Gov. Kathy Hochul sent out a statement Monday afternoon. It was very carefully phrased, and didn't even mention the word "AirTrain," but it wasn't hard to read between the lines. "I have asked the Port Authority to thoroughly examine alternative mass transit solutions for reducing car traffic and increasing connectivity to LaGuardia Airport," Hochul said.

Her directive came hours before Queens pols held a press conference blasting Cuomo's $2.1 billion plan, which critics hate for many reasons. The main one is its "backwards" route, which would take travelers farther east into Queens before requiring them to switch to a 7 or LIRR train to double back toward Manhattan.

Transit advocates never liked it , and pols including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have opposed it, but other elected officials fell in line when Cuomo was at the height of his power. In recent days, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Mayor Bill de Blasio have joined the chorus of calls to re-evaluate the project. Still, the Queens Chamber of Commerce continues to defend it, and Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton, a holdover from the Cuomo administration, vowed as recently as Thursday to push ahead.

While some observers took the governor's statement as a hint the AirTrain is as good as dead, project foes would like to see that made explicit. "This is great movement in the right direction. The next step is to define with more clarity what this means in practice," said state Sen. Jessica Ramos. "We need a full halt."

IT'S TUESDAY. 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 KATHY? In Albany, making remarks at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial and holding a Covid-19 briefing.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability.

WHERE'S TISH? In Harrison and Albany, distributing opioid settlement funds.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: New York Playbook will not publish on Monday, Oct. 11. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Please continue to follow POLITICO New York.

THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2021 IS HERE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from one of the largest and most influential gatherings of experts reinventing finance, health, technology, philanthropy, industry and media. Don't miss a thing from the 24th annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, from Oct. 17 to 20. Can't make it? We've got you covered. Planning to attend? Enhance your #MIGlobal experience and subscribe today.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"As vaccine mandate kicks in, 95% of NYC schools staff have received COVID shots," by Chalkbeat's Alex Zimmerman: "New York City's vaccine mandate for more than 150,000 education employees took effect Monday morning, requiring those without at least one dose to be put on unpaid leave. The threat of losing their salaries seemed to be a big incentive for staff members to get vaccinated. By Monday, 95% of education department employees had received at least one dose, including 96% of teachers and 99% of principals, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. About 43,000 education department employees received a vaccine dose after the mandate was announced on Aug. 23."

— Hundreds of people protested the mandate at the DOE office in Brooklyn.

— Northwell Health has fired 1,400 employees who refused to get Covid-19 vaccinations.

— The city has paid 250,000 people $100 each to get the vaccine since launching its incentive program.

Yang officially breaks with Democratic Party , by POLITICO's Nick Niedwiadek: Former presidential and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang announced Monday he has changed his voter registration, making official his break with the Democratic Party. "I've been a Democrat my entire adult life," Yang wrote in a blog post explaining his decision. "And yet, I'm confident that no longer being a Democrat is the right thing." Yang said he had first joined the Democratic Party in the 1990s in support of President Bill Clinton's reelection bid.

Sliwa calls for teens to be charged as adults as he tries to outflank Adams on crime, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa called for 16-year-olds accused of serious crimes to be charged as adults — arguing that he is better equipped to crack down on crime than his Democratic opponent, former NYPD captain Eric Adams. Sliwa, in an interview Monday with WNYC's Brian Lehrer, also pushed for hiring 2,000 new correction officers to tackle the crisis at Rikers Island, criticizing bail reforms that were meant to cut the population at the troubled jail complex.

" Rikers inmates tended to detainee stabbed in eye because correction officers were AWOL: suit," by New York Daily News' Molly Crane-Newman: "A Rikers Island inmate stabbed in the eye was taken to an infirmary for medical treatment by other inmates — because correction officers were nowhere to be found, according to a new lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit brought by Rikers Island inmates Joseph Agnew, Anthony Gang, Tyrone Greene and Kamer Reid demands that the Department of Correction provide prisoners with urgent medical care. If the agency can't do so, it seeks a court order requiring officials to release the most vulnerable detainees from custody."

" Maya Wiley Won't Be New York's Next Mayor. What Will Happen to Her Signature Proposal," by The City's Jessica Washington: "What's next for former New York City mayoral candidate and civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley? She says she isn't going to run for governor. But she still wants to see her plan to provide universal community care for children and older adults realized. 'There is no reason why our child care plan can't become reality,' said Wiley, who came in third in the June Democratic mayoral primary won by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. 'It's just a matter of political will.' During the campaign, Wiley put forth an ambitious child and elder care platform, which would have given $5,000 to 100,000 'high need' families in New York City to help with the costs of providing care to children, older adults and other family members."

HISTORY LESSON: "White Riot: In 1992, thousands of furious, drunken cops descended on City Hall — and changed New York history," by Laura Nahmias for New York magazine

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"Lovely Warren to resign by Dec. 1 as part of plea deal over all criminal charges she faces," by Democrat and Chronicle's Gary Craig and Brian Sharp: "Mayor Lovely Warren, a groundbreaker as Rochester's mayor, admitted Monday to breaching the state's election law and, as part of a plea agreement, will resign from office by Dec. 1. The plea deal heads off what was expected to be a month-long trial, while also resolving weapons and child endangerment charges Warren confronted in a separate criminal case. The city's first Black woman to be elected mayor, Warren's tenure has been a roller coaster ride, highlighted by some successful commercial development throughout the community but marred by the criminal allegations that have now hounded her for a year. In the end, it was the criminal allegations that determined her fate, with her pleading guilty to a single election law crime — admitting that she knowingly exceeded allowed campaign contribution limits during her 2017 re-election campaign. She admitted to a misdemeanor; a felony conviction would have included immediate removal from office and the likely loss of her law license."

— Media attending the trial were welcomed by the city's parking enforcement practices.

— MORE D&C COVERAGE: "Who is James Smith? Meet Rochester's soon-to-be mayor for a month"

"Gov. Hochul endorsed by Cuomo-allied chair of N.Y. Democratic Party as 2022 race heats up," by New York Daily News's Chris Sommerfeldt: "Gov. Hochul picked up an endorsement from the chairman of New York's Democratic Party on Monday, giving her a major inroad with the state's political establishment as she gears up to run for reelection next year. Jay Jacobs, who was handpicked for the top party post by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said he's throwing his weight behind Hochul because she's 'pragmatic' and 'moderate,' making her a formidable candidate on a statewide level."

— " Hochul seeking film and marijuana industry donations for re-election bid," by New York Post's Carl Campanile and Bernadette Hogan

— "Cuomo's 'dangerous moment' statement roils the Democratic waters," by Newsday's Michael Gormley: "Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo further roiled the Democratic waters Monday with a statement to his past campaign supporters that 'the state is in a dangerous moment' because of 'government incompetence,' setting off a barrage of speculation about whether he is thinking about running for the seat from which he resigned in August. Cuomo didn't say whether he would run for the office he held for three terms before he was accused of sexual harassment and his spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, wouldn't elaborate on Cuomo's statement. 'That was the best threat you ever saw,' said Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic strategist in New York and Washington. 'I think what he has in mind is to launch something … this is an attempt to gauge interest.'"

"Seeking break from Cuomo, Hochul announces new ethics chair," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the appointment of two new state ethics commissioners on Monday, including a new chairman to lead the embattled panel that she's pledged to reform. The new chair of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics is Jose Nieves, a criminal defense attorney from Queens, who formerly worked in the state attorney general's office as deputy chief in the special investigations and prosecutions unit. Nieves also has worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration … The two appointees are filling the seats formerly held by commissioners Robert Cohen and James Dering, who are resigning. Both had been appointed by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and had largely defended the governor's interests before the panel."

"Hochul uged by state lawmakes to sign fire safety legislation," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "State lawmakers on Monday urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to approve a bill meant to expand the prevalance of fire sprinkler systems in residential homes in New York. The measure would require residential home builders to provide buyers with an estimate for the cost of installing a fire sprinkler system in new single-family and two-family homes in the state. Sprinklers are required in new commercial buildings and multifamily dwellings, but are not mandated in single-family or two-family homes. The measure is being pushed amid Fire Prevention Week."

#UpstateAmerica: Work to restore a 3,000-pipe organ at Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica in Lackawanna might be something even passing visitors will be able to hear.

HAPPENING THURSDAY – POLITICO'S FIRST EVER DEFENSE FORUM : President Joe Biden is making critical shifts in the Pentagon's priorities, including fully withdrawing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, scaling back U.S. military presence across the Middle East and rethinking the positioning of military forces around the world to focus more on China. Join POLITICO on Oct. 7 for our inaugural defense forum to talk to the decision makers in the White House, Congress, military, and defense industry who are reshaping American power abroad and redefining military readiness for the future of warfare. REGISTER HERE.

FROM THE DELEGATION

"Rep. Delgado's campaign reports $5M in cash," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado's re-election campaign on Monday reported having more than $5 million in cash on hand ahead of what is expected to be a competitive re-election race next year. Delgado is seeking a third term next year to a Hudson Valley House seat that has been typically considered a swing district. Redistricting in early 2022 could alter the landscape, however, of the seat and re-shape the contours of the race. Delgado has already drawn a challenge from Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro."

TRUMP'S NEW YORK

"Trump faces deposition by Christmas in suit brought by former 'Apprentice' contestant Summer Zervos," by New York Daily News' Molly Crane-Newman: "Ex-President Donald Trump must sit for a deposition by Christmas in a lawsuit brought by a former 'Apprentice' contestant accusing him of sexual assault, a court hearing revealed Monday. Summer Zervos says Trump smeared her name while on the 2016 presidential campaign after she went public with allegations he groped her in separate encounters in 2007. Michael Rand, a law clerk for Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter, set a Dec. 23 deadline for Trump and Zervos' lawyers to enter all evidence, including depositions from both sides."

" Judge: Giuliani pal can't pay travel tab, taxpayers on hook," by The Associated Press : "A Rudy Giuliani associate facing trial next week in New York City for allegedly making illegal campaign contributions to U.S. politicians is too poor to pay for his own lodging and transportation, a judge ruled Monday. Judge J. Paul Oetken ordered taxpayers to pick up the tab for Lev Parnas' hotel room and put the U.S. Marshals Service on the hook for getting him to New York in time for the Oct. 12 trial. A final pretrial conference is scheduled for Tuesday. Parnas, a Soviet-born Florida businessman, and Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin are accused of a scheme to make illegal campaign donations to local and federal politicians in New York, Nevada and other states in an effort to win support for a new recreational marijuana business."

AROUND NEW YORK

— Domestic violence charges against state Sen. Luis Sepulveda in the Bronx were dropped.

— One of the state's most senior judges has refused to get vaccinated or seek a medical exemption and can no longer enter the courthouse.

— The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the state to collect a $200 million surcharge imposed on opioid manufacturers and distributors.

— Hochul signed legislation allowing people on food stamps to use their benefits at participating restaurants, though the program still needs federal approval.

— Historic Times Square dive bar Jimmy's Corner is reopening after a year and a half shutdown and the death of its owner from Covid-19.

— "Lousy Management, Knucklehead Hires Plague Operations of Real-Life Sopranos"

— The NYPD trial of the sergeant who shot and killed a mentally ill Bronx woman is set to begin today.

— A person was shot in the leg near Times Square on Monday, the third shooting in the area this year.

— State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office found some concerns with the Department of Health's inspections of facilities that use radiation equipment or handle radioactive materials.

— The New York Public Library will waive millions of dollars worth of outstanding late fees or lost books.

— With Election Day making way, Adams released his first post-primary television ad.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Brian Lehrer … Jon Banner of PepsiCo … Brunswick Group's Catherine Hicks … AP's David Klepper … BerlinRosen's Caitlin Offinger … Kevin Hall … Sloane Potter … Will Keesee … Thomas Roberts

WEEKEND WEDDING — Adam Rubenstein, a former journalist for the New York Times and the Weekly Standard, on Sunday married Deborah Malamud, a clerk on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The couple met freshman year at Kenyon College. Pic

SPOTTED at the Business Council for International Understanding's Annual Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Awards Event in NY on Monday where they honored Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak and Ken Frazier: former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Henry Kravis, Alex Gorsky, Dina Powell McCormick, David Rubenstein, Jim Nevels, Anne Eisenhower, Cindy McCain, David Marchick, Peter Tichansky, Yousef Al Otaiba, Bayo Ogunlesi, Vicki Hollub, Klaus Kleinfeld, and Mukesh Ambani and Rajeev Misra via video.

MAKING MOVES — Christianné Allen is now deputy to the SVP of global engagement at GETTR, the new social media app launched by Jason Miller. She most recently worked for Rudy Giuliani as comms director at Giuliani Communications.

MEDIAWATCH — Per Talking Biz News: "Bloomberg News reporter Henry Goldman, who covered Michael Bloomberg when he was mayor of New York City, is leaving the news organization." … "Bloomberg News has hired Jack Gillum of ProPublica to cover cybersecurity in its Washington bureau." … "Steve Russolillo is becoming deputy coverage chief for The Wall Street Journal's speed and trending desk."

HOT JOB — @WajahatAli: "Do you want to edit me and be giddy with power and laugh maniacally as you shoot down my brilliant suggestions? Of course you do! @thedailybeast needs an Opinion editor. Very good pay and opportunity. @harrysiegel jumped the shark. Apply asap!"

REAL ESTATE

"NYC's Surging Real Estate Market Boosts Coffers With Tax Revenue," by Bloomberg's Martin Z Braun: "Tax revenue from real estate deals has surpassed pre-pandemic levels as surging demand for residential properties bolsters New York City's coffers, according to city comptroller Scott Stringer. New York's tax revenue from real estate transactions more than doubled in the first two months of the fiscal year to $468 million, coming in 18% higher than the same period in 2019, according to Stringer. The city's residential market took a hit from the pandemic, but is bouncing back as residents who fled during the initial lockdown return and companies call employees back to the office. Sales of condos, co-ops and houses exceeded $41 billion in the first eight months of 2021, 76% higher than the same period in 2020 and 18% more than 2019."

"De Blasio Slams Bronx Golf Deal He Cheered to Bump Trump, After Homeless Operator Exposé," by The City's Katie Honan and Claudia Irizarry Aponte : "Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted Monday "it doesn't make sense" that his administration picked a major homeless shelter operator penalized for self-dealing under city contracts to take over a Bronx golf course from ex-President Donald Trump. The mayor's concession came nearly a week after THE CITY reported that the firm had secured a no-bid deal to run the Ferry Point Park links starting next month — and a day after two other news outlets exposed management irregularities and a million-dollar payday for Jack A. Brown, the CEO of CORE Services Group."

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