News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Schumer backs Walton in Buffalo

Friday, October 22, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Schumer backs Walton in Buffalo

Oct 22, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

Presented by Equinor

Chuck Schumer has gone where many other mainstream Democrats will not, endorsing the Democratic nominee for mayor of Buffalo . The Senate majority leader threw his support last night behind India Walton, the democratic socialist who defeated incumbent Byron Brown in the Democratic primary and now faces a heated general election rematch with Brown as a write-in candidate.

"As Buffalo voters start to head to the polls this weekend, I urge them to cast their ballot for India Walton as the next mayor of Buffalo," Schumer said in a statement, calling her an "inspiring community leader, mother, nurse and a lifelong Buffalonian with a clear progressive vision for her hometown." "India Walton won the Democratic primary fair and square and is the nominee, and I have always believed that the Democratic Party is a big tent," he said.

Schumer is the first of the six Democrats in statewide office to endorse in the race at all. His praise comes after a controversy involving state Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs' comparison of Walton to KKK leader David Duke put a spotlight on other top Democrats' decision not to endorse — especially Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native.

This will be a big weekend in Buffalo as early voting kicks off. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will lend some star power to Walton, rallying with her tomorrow to get out the vote in the nail-biter of a race.

A fellow Queens elected official, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, will join that rally and then head over to the CWA picket line, a popular photo op in recent days. No, it's not just you: Gianaris' Western New York trip comes as he eyes a potential race for the state Attorney General's office next year, according to someone familiar with his thinking — if Tish James decides to run for governor, that is.

If you *might* run in 2022 and you didn't visit Buffalo this autumn, are you even serious at all?

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 KATHY? Appearing with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the infrastructure deal in the Bronx and going to two Broadway shows.

WHERE'S BILL? Appearing with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the infrastructure deal in the Bronx.

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WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

PAGING PAGE 6: Eric Adams has the makings of a tabloid gold mine. He's a vegan teetotaler who vacations in Monaco, spends his evenings at exclusive night clubs surrounded by celebrities, then goes to bed at a location that still remains a mystery. So far, though, the New York Post — after mocking Bill de Blasio mercilessly for eight years — has barely touched the would-be mayor. Tara Palmeri and Sally Goldenberg, in POLITICO's national Playbook today, reveal more details about Adams' nightlife and his decidedly happier relationship with Post owner Rupert Murdoch than that of the current occupant of City Hall.

"IGNORED, DISMISSED: How the NYPD Neglects 311 Complaints about Driver Misconduct," by Streetsblog's Jesse Coburn: "On July 9, 2018, a complaint flowed into 311, New York City's municipal services center: blocked bike lane, Central Park West. It was the 15th time in two years that someone had notified 311 about drivers parking illegally on the then-unprotected strips of white paint on Manhattan's Upper West Side. And, like complaints that came before it, this one compelled little response from the New York Police Department, the city agency responsible for keeping bike lanes clear. 'This complaint does not fall under the Police Department's jurisdiction,' the police wrote back to the complainant an hour later, and marked the service request as closed. Thirty-two days later, an Uber driver stopped illegally in that same Central Park West bike lane, two blocks farther north, forcing 23-year-old Australian tourist Madison Lyden to navigate her bike into traffic. There, she was run over by a driver who had three empty cans of beer in his truck."

"De Blasio, Ocasio-Cortez Announce NYC Pension Funds Will Shift Away From Fossil Fuel Investments," by Gothamist's Elizabeth Kim: "Trustees of three New York City pension funds are pledging to develop an investment portfolio that would generate net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, making New York the first city in the country to take such a step in trying to combat climate change through conscientious investing. Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement on Thursday at City Hall, where he was joined by City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive star in the Democratic party who has long been advocating for her own climate proposal called the Green New Deal. Altogether, the city's five pension funds have assets valued at around $270 billion. New York City ranks as having one of the biggest public retirement funds in the world."

"As COVID Rages On Rikers, Staffing Crisis Delays Vaccine Mandate For Jail Staff," by Gothamist's Jake Offenhartz: "Bellevue Hospital, once the site of makeshift morgues and dire equipment shortages, is now home to the city's highest COVID-19 vaccination rates among public hospital workers. As of last week, 97% of employees had received at least one shot, a testament to the power of the statewide vaccine mandate for health care employees. But that vaccine coverage only applies to clinicians and medical support inside New York City's most renowned public hospital. On the building's 19th floor, dozens of correction officers stand guard over a prison ward, where acutely ill detainees from Rikers Island and anyone else in city custody are sent for treatment."

— Photos from inside Rikers show dozens of men crammed together in cells, floors sullied with rotten food, maggots, urine, feces and blood, plastic sheets being used as blankets, and bags that substituted for toilets.

" A Union Scandal Landed Hundreds of NYPD Officers on a Secret Watchlist. That Hasn't Stopped Some From Jeopardizing Cases," by ProPublica's Jake Pearson: "In each of the cases, the officers' testimony was supposed to help prosecutors secure convictions against people charged with illegal gun possession. Instead, the cases fell apart, done in by the officers' own dubious statements. Yet prosecutors had pursued trials knowing there was reason not to put these cops on the stand. That's because they were among hundreds of officers placed on the Bronx district attorney's 'No Fly List,' a secret roster of officers whose cases are supposed to get an extra level of scrutiny by prosecutors.

"The list was created a decade ago amid a sprawling investigation into the city's biggest police union and its role in helping officers 'fix' tickets issued to family and friends for speeding, illegal parking and other traffic offenses. It grew to 664 names and was intended to help prosecutors vet cases that might rest too heavily on officers whose ties to the scandal could raise questions about their conduct and credibility. Ten years after it was first created, the No Fly List itself remains secret by judicial seal."

"Scenes From Cabbies' Hunger Strike as Drivers Plead for Relief From Massive Medallion Debt," by The City's Christine Chung: "For over a month, cab drivers have occupied a sidewalk outside City Hall around the clock, protesting what they call the city's inadequate response to the staggering debt many of them face. Their chants of 'Mayor lies, drivers die!' echo around City Hall Park, and even in the subway beneath it. Now they've taken their demonstration to a new level by launching a hunger strike. Over the many days, drivers have shared their stories of when they first arrived in America, and their dreams for themselves and their families."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Mayoral nominee Eric Adams plans to host a get-out-the-vote rally with fellow Democratic candidates Jumaane Williams and Brad Lander in Brooklyn Friday morning. Sources tell POLITICO the trio will attend a unity event ahead of the start of early voting on Saturday; a statement Thursday night from Team Adams teased a rally and announcement in Cadman Plaza Park at 10:30 a.m. Adams, who participated in a general-election debate against Republican Curtis Sliwa Wednesday night, is hoping to win by broad margins so he can claim a decisive mandate heading into City Hall next year after a tough primary battle. In fact, Williams — who has said he counts Adams as a friend and political ally — endorsed Maya Wiley in the 8-way Democratic race in June. Williams and Lander are shoo-ins to win their respective races for public advocate and comptroller, and Williams is exploring a run for governor next year. Since his victory in June, Adams has sought to expand his base by courting the business sector, farther-left Democrats and the city's avid bike boosters. POLITICO first reported plans for Friday's rally in August. — Sally Goldenberg

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down and who really has the president's ear in West Wing Playbook, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez Eyeing Run for State Attorney General, Sources Say," by The City's Josefa Velasquez: "Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is weighing a statewide campaign for attorney general if Letitia James leaves the seat to run for governor, eight people familiar with the matter told THE CITY. In recent weeks, they say, Gonzalez has been making calls to his top supporters and elected officials to float a possible campaign in the 2022 race. 'He's looking to run. He's fishing around,' said a close ally of Gonzalez who has helped him raise campaign cash in the past."

" Home cultivation rules for medical cannabis move forward," by Times Union's Rebekah F. Ward: "Seven years after New York passed its law permitting medical cannabis, certified patients will soon be allowed to grow plants at home, following regulations announced in the second-ever Cannabis Control Board meeting Thursday afternoon. The state's 150,695 patients have, up until now, been required to purchase their product from one of ten suppliers that obtained licenses from the state Department of Health in a competitive bidding process. Now, New Yorkers have 60 days to comment on the home-grow regulations before they take effect."

" Workers without retirement plans may soon get one," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "A bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul this week is meant to propel the enrollment of private-sector workers in retirement savings plans if their employer doesn't already offer one. The measure approved by Hochul is meant to trigger the implementation of a 2015 provision creating the retirement savings program. The measure will enroll workers without retirement savings plans automatically into payroll-deducted IRA. The plan is meant to be portable for workers who change jobs and they can opt-out of it at any time."

"Wall Street profits this year approach record level. Here's why it matters to New York," by USA Today Network's Joe Spector: "The COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed profits on Wall Street as pre-tax earnings this year have beaten last year's outsized growth, a report Thursday found. The financial sector is critical to New York's economy, and the first half of 2021 was extraordinarily strong for Wall Street, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report. For the first six months of the year, pre-tax earnings hit $31 billion, up from $27.6 billion from the same period last year, and the most since 2009. 'Wall Street's success during the pandemic has benefited New York's economy and finances during a difficult time,' DiNapoli said in a statement."

"Hochul appoints new inspector general, homeland security officials," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "Gov. Kathy Hochul continued to round out her new administration on Thursday, filling vacant, but key posts at the state's homeland security office, the Office of General Services and a new state inspector general ... Lucy Lang, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan and the director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution, will become the state inspector general, which oversees investigations of the executive branch."

#UpstateAmerica: Huh. Rochester landed on a top 10 list of best U.S. cities for nightlife.

Scranton on the Hudson

"Hochul directs U.S. Veterans Affairs to share vaccination records," by Times Union's Josh Solomon: "Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an unannounced executive order this week that seeks to compel the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the state with its COVID-19 immunization records, an escalation in a back-and-forth between the state and a federal agency that has left veterans vaccinated by the VA unable to use New York's mobile Excelsior Pass. The veterans targeted in the executive order are not the only group unable to use the state's mobile pass, a glitch that has affected thousands for myriad reasons, including pharmacies failing to upload vaccination records or New York's inability to obtain vaccination data for those who received shots in other states."

AROUND NEW YORK

— Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa said he would remove bike lanes and speed cameras and end the "war on vehicles."

— A Siena poll found that just half of New Yorkers think the worst of the pandemic is over.

— New York's unemployment rate fell from 7.4 to 7.1 percent last month.

— 95-year-old Mel Brooks recorded a robocall for great nephew state Sen. Todd Kaminsky's DA bid.

— A new resolution will allow the public to weigh in before the new Erie County Legislature votes on the Bills stadium lease agreement.

— Former President Bill Clinton said in a new video that he's "really glad to be back home" in Chappaqua as he recovers after being hospitalized in California for an infection.

— AG Tish James led nearly two dozen attorneys general in asking the U.S. Food and Drug administration to accelerate actions "to remove toxic heavy metals found in infant and toddler foods."

— Amazon workers on Staten Island are aiming to form a union.

— There has been a spike in confrontations among students at city schools as they return after a long pandemic absence.

— A judge rejected British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell's bid to block the public and news media from jury selection at her trial.

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Hilary Rosen … Stephanie Cutter of Precision Strategies … Chris Licht of "The Late Show" and ViacomCBS … Adam Parkhomenko … Kurt Bardella … Samantha Friedman Kupferman ... WSJ's Warren Strobel … Marilyn Machlowitz … Slack's Jonathan Prince … Ross Barkan … Miriam Calderone

FOR YOUR RADAR — "Why aren't airport lounges and restaurants in New York enforcing the city's vaccine mandate?" by The Points Guy's Zach Griff

HOT JOB — New York magazine and Grub Street are hiring a writer to spend a year eating their way around New York City.

MEDIAWATCH — Joel Simon is joining the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia's journalism school as a fellow, focusing on creating a new global press freedom center at a U.S. university. He'll also be a senior visiting fellow at Columbia's Knight First Amendment Institute. He is executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists. … Jhodie-Ann Williams will join NBC News Digital as an opinion editor for THINK. She previously was lead editor for personal essays at CNN.

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REAL ESTATE

"Illegal Evictions Are Rising Across The State, But Landlords Rarely Face Consequences," by New York Focus's Colin Kinniburgh: "Tamel Anderson thought he had finally found himself an apartment in a nice part of town. This spring, he moved into a place on Albany's Ten Broeck Street, just a few blocks from downtown. It was a basement apartment, and overpriced, Anderson thought, but it was better than nothing, and Anderson agreed to move in without a lease until some repair work was done, he said. But a little over a month later, Anderson said, the landlord began taking a series of increasingly severe steps to get him out of the apartment."

" Ida Devastation Spurs Call for a New 'Build it Back' Program for Flooding Victims," by The City's Samantha Maldonado, Christine Chung and Christopher Alvarez: "Nearly two months after remnants from Hurricane Ida killed at least 11 people living in basement apartments, homeowners whose houses flooded are still struggling to get aid. And with winter fast approaching amid delays in securing sufficient funds, the Queens borough president is calling on the city to create a new relief program modeled after an infamous one: the Superstorm Sandy-spawned Build It Back. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards on Thursday sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio asking him to consider starting a city-funded effort to help repair and possibly elevate flooded homes — as well as assist in replacing damaged utilities and appliances, including refrigerators, boilers and electric systems."

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