News : POLITICO New York Playbook: Critics see double standard in City Hall firing

Friday, October 21, 2022

POLITICO New York Playbook: Critics see double standard in City Hall firing

Oct 21, 2022

Presented by Equinor

New York City Mayor Eric Adams often dubs himself "perfectly imperfect" and offers scandal-scarred aides second chances . But his forgiving spirit stopped short of allowing a junior staffer to stay on the job after getting caught on camera trashing the mayor and the city's police department.

Adams announced Wednesday night his firing of Christopher Baugh, a member of his advance team who was unknowingly filmed by right-wing activist group Project Veritas calling his boss "corrupt" and questioning his competence. But it was not those insults that cost Baugh his job, Adams said. Rather it was when he said police officers have "the cushiest gig in the city" before adding, "like, you might get shot but otherwise it's very good." The comments were made during what appeared to be several dates Baugh had with an employee from Project Veritas, a group that specializes in hidden-camera sting operations.

"Being a mayor means you're crapped on. But when you have disparaging remarks about first responders, that's unacceptable. It is not tolerated," Adams said during an unrelated press conference Thursday. "Got to be thick-skinned in this business. But my first responders don't have to be thick-skinned and I'm going to stand up for them."

Some questioned the mayor's decision, our Sally Goldenberg and Joe Anuta report, given his understanding nature with several employees who espoused anti-gay views before he appointed them . "The people who went after the LGBTQ community, did not apologize or admit their bigotry until their proposed job was on the line. So they never should've been hired. There is a double standard here," well-known gay rights activist Allen Roskoff told POLITICO.

Not everyone shared that view. Pat Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, called Baugh a "moron [who] has no business serving this city." Baugh could not be reached for comment.

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WHERE'S KATHY? Speaking at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership Gubernatorial Forum and appearing virtually on the PIX11 Candidates Series Forum.

WHERE'S ERIC? Making a raft of media appearances, meeting with German Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann and announcing a health-related initiative in the Rockaways.

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What City Hall's reading

New York mayor says Biden border policy eased flow of migrants , by POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Erin Durkin: A shift in the Biden administration's border policy seems to have stanched the flow of Latin American asylum-seekers coming to New York City, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday — just as the city brings online costly emergency shelters. "It's clear that we navigated through this storm," Adams said at an unrelated press briefing. "We don't believe we're there yet, but we need to really look at how this administration dealt with a real crisis." Migrants have been coming to New York by the thousands — many sent by GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser — pushing the shelter system to its breaking point in what Adams has called a potentially $1 billion "humanitarian crisis." As he declared a state of emergency earlier this month, the mayor called on the federal government to ease the flow.

" Diwali will be added to NYC schools holiday calendar, Adams says ," by Gothamist's Michelle Bocanegra: "New York City is forging ahead with plans to make Diwali a school holiday, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday, following months of pressure from South Asian and Indo-Caribbean advocates. In a press conference at Department of Education headquarters, officials from the Adams administration announced state legislation that will make Diwali a school holiday as soon as next year. Queens Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar's bill proposes adding Diwali to the school calendar and removing a little-celebrated holiday, Brooklyn-Queens Day."

" Mayor Adams: Keep DOT in Charge of Open Restaurants ," by Streetsblog's Kevin Duggan: "Mayor Adams is pushing the City Council to keep the Department of Transportation in charge of outdoor dining, rather than move it to the much smaller Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, a move that advocates fear would sabotage the popular al-fresco 'streeteries.' DOT has been running the two-year-old Open Restaurant program since its Covid-era birth — and it has grown to roughly 10 times the size of the pre-pandemic sidewalk café program regulated by DCWP, according to a City Hall spokesman. The Adams administration, spokesman Charles Lutvak said, believes the program — currently being formalized with long-delayed Council legislation — would be best administered 'through a single, streamlined program continuing under DOT, which has … a proven track record of standing up a widely popular, highly successful, and now strongly enforced program.'"

" Legislative aides push back on NYC Council's plan to end hybrid work ," by WNYC's Gwynne Hogan: "The New York City Council's unionized legislative staffers are pushing back against the Council's plan to end the option of hybrid work by the end of October. In a petition with more than 200 signatures sent to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams Wednesday, Council employees demanded she keep a hybrid work option for all employees and immediately bargain with them over the change. 'The council can't afford the brain drain and high vacancy rates plaguing other parts of city government where remote work has been eliminated,' the petition reads. 'Remote work is a noneconomic offering to staff that increases employee retention and well-being, and establishes a more accessible workplace.'"

" Body cameras in NYC public housing made police more civil, report finds ," by WNYC's Samantha Max: "After New York City police officers started wearing body cameras during their patrols in public housing in 2018, they had more civil interactions with community members and made fewer arrests, according to a new report. The data analysis, released this week by a team of federal monitors that has been keeping an eye on the NYPD for years, examined the effect of body cameras on police behavior. It tracked officer stops, searches, and arrests before, during, and after officers were equipped with cameras. It also looked at their impact on the number of complaints filed against police."

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

" Zeldin addresses controversies: Abortion shift, faulty petitions ," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "The abortion issue is especially prominent this year due to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling in June which overturned the court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade — and gives individual states the power to regulate any aspect of abortion not preempted by federal law. This spring, Zeldin told New York Right to Life on the abortion issue that, 'I'm not going to change my position on this based on any poll.' Speaking about the Reproductive Health Act — a 2019 state law that expanded abortion rights and eliminated several restrictions — Zeldin told the group: 'I absolutely do not support these changes that have been made up in Albany. I strongly believe that they should be reversed.'"

" Rep. Lee Zeldin's alleged attacker to be released next week under strict conditions ," by Rochester First's Christian Garzone: "The man accused of attacking gubernatorial candidate Congressman Lee Zeldin at a local VFW in July– will be released next week, under strict conditions. David Jakubonis, a decorated Army veteran who earned a Bronze Star in Iraq, has been in jail since the incident. His defense — led by John DeMarco — helped get Jakubonis into a PTSD and alcohol recovery program with the VA. This was not a decision taken lightly by the judge. This is the fourth time she has had Jakubonis in court going over the details of his release and the conditions, should he be set free."

" Zeldin closing in on Hochul in New York governor's race ," by WNYT: "Gov. Kathy Hochul's lead against Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin has become considerably smaller. That's according to a NewsChannel 13-SurveyUSA poll released Thursday. The poll shows Hochul with a six-point lead over Zeldin. She was ahead by 24 points the last time SurveyUSA looked at the New York governor's race in August. Hochul has the support of 47% of the people who responded to the poll. Zeldin gets 41%. Another 4% plan to vote for someone else. The remaining 8% are still undecided. The margin of error is 5.4%."

" New York's economy slowly creeps back as unemployment drops slightly ," by Gothamist's Chau Lam: "New York's economy is looking a tad brighter as the state added 17,400 jobs in September and the unemployment rate dropped slightly, the state Department of Labor announced on Thursday. The statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.7% in August to 4.3% in September, the agency said in a press release. The decrease was led by New York City, which saw its unemployment rate drop from 6.6% in August to 5.6% in September. Outside of New York City, the unemployment rate ticked up from 3.2% to 3.3%."

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CAMPAIGN MODE

Will Rep. Pat Ryan's abortion strategy be enough to secure a win in NY-18? " by City & State's Shantel Destra: "After the monumental August special election for the 19th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan is using his proven strategy focused on abortion rights to try to secure a win in the 18th District against Republican Assembly Member Colin Schmitt. The 19th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley was the swing seat race many regarded as a bellwether for the November midterm elections. It was left vacant when Democrat Antonio Delgado resigned to become New York's lieutenant governor. Ryan secured a big win against Republican candidate Marc Molinaro in the August special election by focusing his campaign on abortion rights. Political experts agree that Ryan's strategy, harnessing the outrage over the overturning of Roe. v. Wade, paid off. Ryan's win has led Democrats across the country to consider applying the abortion playbook to secure wins in swing districts. Now Ryan will get the chance himself."

AROUND NEW YORK

— New York has cleared 1,531 homeless encampments since Mayor Eric Adams took office, and 104 people living there accepted services.

— Drivers are complaining about glitches with the city's new parking meter app.

— Ice cream chain Van Leeuwen agreed in a settlement to accept cash after being repeatedly fined for violating the city's ban on cashless businesses.

— The police commissioner launched an "Ask the PC" initiative, and then refused to answer questions .

— A cat named Clyde was stolen from an Upper West Side Petco.

— NYPD Chief Of Department Kenneth Corey is retiring .

— An $80 million project to repave potholes on the Long Island Expressway has been completed .

— More merchants are imposing surcharges to pay with a credit card, and some are breaking the law in doing so.

— Actor Kevin Spacey was found not liable by a jury in a civil suit accusing him of sexual abuse.

— Members of the Panel for Educational Policy asked schools Chancellor David Banks to apologize for comments about who deserves admission into selective schools.

— The family of a man killed by police in Crown Heights filed a lawsuit against the city and the officers who shot him.

JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats' former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for "The Exit Interview," a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE .

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: POLITICO's Dafna Linzer … Hope Hicks … CNN's Mikayla Bouchard … AT&T's Kim Hart … Edelman's Alex Abrahamson … NBC's Anna Schecter Zigler … Perry Trethaway Pollock … Will Baldwin

MAKING MOVES — Dina Powell McCormick has been named chair of the Robin Hood Foundation. She is head of sustainability and inclusive growth at Goldman Sachs as well as the global head of the firm's sovereign business. … Carly Holden is now SVP at Risa Heller Communications. She most recently was VP of communications at Conde Nast. … Tim Conners is now chief technology officer at Simpson Thacher and Bartlett. He most recently was SVP and CTO at Berkley Technology Services.

Real Estate

" Overcharged for your rent in a NY regulated building? There's a backlog of 3,400 complaints ," by Gothamist's Jason Fisher : "Tenants in rent-regulated apartments say they're left languishing for months — if not years — on a decision from the state agency charged with investigating landlord overcharge complaints as backlogs persist and rents in New York reach new highs. For years, the state's Division of Homes and Community Renewal has struggled to keep pace with tenant complaints amid bureaucratic red tape, dated computer operating systems and a dwindling workforce. But New York's rent overhauls in June 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic that followed months after exacerbated long-standing issues at the agency as it contends with a wave of staff retirements and attrition, tenant lawyers and elected officials said."

" Jacob Riis Park Bathhouse Undergoes Renovation After Nearly a Century ," by Patch's Coral Murphy Marcos: "Jacob Riis Park, known as 'The People's Beach,' is undergoing an Art Deco comeback as developers plan to restore the historic bathhouse and open the historic site next year. Over $50 million will be injected into the project, which will include restaurants, a bar, a pool, event spaces, and 28 hotel rooms in the Rockaway site with two octagonal red brick towers. The hub' phased opening is set to start in 2023."

" Mushrooms Grow Out Of The Walls In 'Dangerous' East Village Building ," by Patch's Matt Troutman: "When Jillian Heft spied a mushroom growing from the wall of her East Village apartment, there was only one thing she could do. 'I couldn't stop laughing, the first one,' she told Patch. 'They basically keep dying and growing back.' But the mushrooms cap what Heft and her fellow say isn't a laughing matter — the dangerous and squalid conditions within their building at 331 E. 14th St. that they say are caused by their notorious landlord's neglect."