The Powers that don’t be

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Jan 04, 2024 View in browser   By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman With help from Jason Beeferman New York City Council member Keith Powers will no longer serve as majority leader for the council. | Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit Speaker Adrienne Adams made quite the Powers-shift in the New York City Council Wednesday. Keith Powers is out as majority leader, with only one-hour’s notice, POLITICO reported. Amanda Farías is in. It brought political drama to what was expected to be a rote day in the legislative chamber as Adams was easily reelected to serve for another two years as speaker. (“She’s nice, she’s normal,” Councilmember Gale Brewer said, casting her vote.) Powers, like Adams, is term-limited in two years, while Farías is eligible to serve through 2029, so the speaker is “preparing the institution for its next generation of leadership and expanding representation,” City Council spokesperson Mara Davis said in a statement. Fariás will be the first Latina to hold the job. She represents the East Bronx, co-chaired the Women’s Caucus and led the Economic Development committee. But there MUST be something else going on — at least, that was the feeling among more than a dozen political insiders Playbook spoke to. (People were eager to speculate, partially because of the low stakes: Majority leader is a largely ceremonial position in a body dominated by the speaker, and Powers will still be on the leadership team.) Did Powers and Adams disagree on the bills they just passed over Mayor Eric Adams’ vocal opposition? Doesn’t seem like it — Powers whipped votes for the speaker and voted with her on everything. The change also got people thinking about the future. The race to be the next speaker has already begun, with members quietly jockeying for position for 2026. Farías — who didn’t respond to multiple calls — is ambitious like any elected official, but hasn’t been discussed much as a speaker candidate, really. Some of her Bronx delegation colleagues like Kevin Riley for speaker, and given the propensity for county loyalty in past speaker races that matters a lot. Other names in the mix, two years out: Crystal Hudson, Carmen De La Rosa, Julie Menin, Linda Lee and Selvena Brooks-Powers. Was the move about the speaker race? “We’re all trying to figure that out,” one member said. Powers, too, has been considered a candidate for higher office in the future, including a Congressional seat. He represents much of the East Side of Manhattan, which is currently in Rep. Jerry Nadler’s district. If the lines are not changed much in the upcoming redistricting process, Powers could be one of many politicians to jump in if the 76-year-old Nadler were to leave office. But some Council members are more focused on the immediate future — who will lead each committee when the spoils are announced later this month. “Have a feeling committee chairs are going to be a bloodbath if this is what happened to Keith” another member said. — Jeff Coltin IT’S THURSDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? Unveiling her third proposal for the 2024 State of the State. WHERE’S ERIC? Making a sanitation announcement on Staten Island and speaking at the Agudath Israel Yeshiva Summit. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “As we were holding a press conference, a man, a woman, and two young children crossed the Rio Grande right behind us.” — Rep. Mike Lawler, who visited Eagle Pass, Texas, as part of the Republican delegation brought by House Speaker Mike Johnson. ABOVE THE FOLD New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Mayor Eric Adams traded barbs Wednesday over a controversial policing bill and the two leaders' places of residence. | Brittainy Newman/AP ARMY FORT VS. FORT LEE: A disagreement over policing policy between Mayor Eric Adams and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has devolved into personal attacks, including over their living situations, POLITICO reports. “I find it astonishing that we have a public advocate who pushed for this police bill. He lives in a fort,” Adams said at NYPD HQ, referencing the “How Many Stops Act.” Williams jabbed back, saying, “I live in Brooklyn with my wife and kids, and my understanding is the mayor lives in New Jersey with his girlfriend.” Willams’ home is on an Army base in Brooklyn with security checkpoints, which right-wing critics have seized upon to call him a hypocrite when he advocates for police accountability. Adams’ partner lives in Fort Lee, N.J., and some of his campaign for mayor in 2021 was spent convincing the public that he actually resides in his Brooklyn home. And the mayor’s top aides dived into the fray. His chief adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin posted on X of Williams: “This is really beneath you. You should be ashamed. You live in a fort on an army base. The mayor lives in Bed Stuy with his constituents. Shameful beyond belief.” The mayor actually lives in Gracie Mansion, the executive residence on the Upper East Side, where he also has a security checkpoint. While Adams openly criticizes City Comptroller Brad Lander, he and Williams have had a more civil working relationship over the years despite their ideological differences. Adams trends centrist and Williams is a leader in the progressive movement, but the two Brooklyn Democrats have stood side-by-side on issues like combating gun violence. On Wednesday, Williams didn’t leave it at the Fort Lee quip. He repeatedly called Adams “bratty,” charged him of “reverting to being a Republican again” and said the mayor needed reminding that “Eric Adams is not the Messiah for New York City. He just is not.” — Emily Ngo WHAT CITY HALL IS READING President Joe Biden speaks with Mayor Eric Adams in January 2023. Both Adams and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have criticized Biden for his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border and the migrant crisis. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images LOOKING TO BIDEN: The one thing that Mayor Adams and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have in common? They want action from President Joe Biden. “We will continue our transportation mission until Biden reverses course on his open border policies,” Abbott posted on X, signaling no end to his bussing of migrants to Democrat-run cities. “This is a national problem, and all of these cities need help from the national government: a decompression strategy, funding, making sure we allow people to work and pursue the American dream,” the mayor said on CNN, repeatedly appealing to Biden for resources for a New York City overwhelmed after processing more than 160,000 migrants since spring of 2022. But leaning on Biden is where the similarities end. Adams on CNN commended the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit to block a Texas law allowing police to detain migrants who illegally cross the southern border. He also called Abbott “diabolical” and said it is “inhumane” to bus migrants like pawns. The buses of migrants Abbott charters to the north and the executive order Adams imposed limiting when they arrive has fueled a crisis that spilled into New Jersey. Abbott’s spokesperson said Texas has sent 34,000 migrants to New York. The Republican governor’s team has also accused Adams of hypocrisy because he sends migrants out of the city. Adams said the difference is that he gives the newcomers a choice in the matter. — Emily Ngo SAVE THE DATE: Invites have gone out to elected officials for Mayor Adams’ State of the City address. It’ll be Wednesday, Jan. 24 at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx. What to expect in the speech, Playbook asked an administration insider? “All the usual stuff.” — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — New Jersey deployed cops to send migrants to New York City in a desperate move. (New York Post) — A majority of City Council members — all Democrats — say Trump shouldn’t be on New York ballot. (Gothamist) — New York City swears the days of surprise club raids are over, but they may not be. (Hell Gate NYC) WHAT ALBANY'S READING Both Democrats and Republicans in New York want to do more to tackle the state's declining population. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images ESCAPE FROM NY: New York isn’t a cheap place to live and the word “affordability” was used by Democrats and Republicans alike Wednesday in Albany as the legislative session convened. But as everything from the cost of housing to health care is debated over the next six months, some lawmakers want to address the outflow of New Yorkers to other states. Concerns over outmigration are mounting at the Capitol as New York has seen its population decline accelerate in the wake of the pandemic. The state is in line to lose another two seats in the House and has already lost millions of tax dollars to the newly minted Floridians, Texans and other erstwhile New Yorkers. This has been a common Republican concern. Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay decried the state’s tax climate to reporters Wednesday, comparing it to “beating your head against the wall and expecting a different result.” Democrats also see this outflow as a problem that needs tackling. “Affordability is a big issue,” Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara told Playbook. “People want to go where they can live comfortably, where they can send their kids to school, where they can afford a home. Things are just costing more.” Santabarbara has a proposal with state Sen. Jim Tedisco to address the issue in a very Albany way: Put a commission on it. But the Democrat who represents the Schenectady area insisted in an interview the commission would take a thoughtful approach. He wants to address the cost of retirement, the lack of broadband service in rural areas and make a distinction between the issues facing upstate and downstate. “Those types of issues would make New York more attractive,” he said. — Nick Reisman ROCK ON: While Gov. Kathy Hochul is prepping her State of the State address, one of her predecessors will be serenading an audience at an Albany saloon owned by PR guru Todd Shapiro. Former Gov. David Paterson will be performing at The War Room, a bar Shapiro opened in 2022. The bar is housed in a building one block east of the Capitol that Shapiro named in honor of Paterson in 2023. Paterson, a guitar player, told Playbook he had not put yet together a set list for the performance. “I’m still trying to get over the shock that they asked me,” he said in an interview. The performance is scheduled for Monday, the day before Hochul outlines her agenda and will take place in the “early evening,” Paterson said. “We’re not trying to upstage the governor,” he added. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Hochul hurt her arm lifting weights and now is wearing a sling. (Daily News) — Hochul is seeking reading instruction changes to increase students’ reading proficiency. (POLITICO Pro) — Significant changes were proposed by Hochul for an expansion of New York’s wrongful death statute, but they were ultimately rejected. (City & State) — New York lawmakers are hoping a housing deal remains possible. (POLITICO Pro) FROM THE DELEGATION — Rep. Anthony D’Esposito had an uphill battle with fellow Long Island Rep. George Santos. (POLITICO) — Mazi Melesa Pilip rapped Tom Suozzi over a $15 congestion pricing toll in Santos replacement race. (New York Post) AROUND NEW YORK — The man who stabbed famed author Salman Rushdie in upstate New York will have his trial delayed after a Chautauqua County judge postponed jury selection. (Buffalo News) — An Amtrak train from Suffolk County, routing all the way to DC, could one day become a reality. (Newsday) — The Brooklyn Bridge was cleared of unlicensed street vendors Wednesday, making way for pedestrians, but sending the impromptu salespeople elsewhere. (New York Post) SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN FOR YOUR RADAR — “Harvard agitators turn their ire toward Penny Pritzker: The Dem mega-donor pushes back at hedge-funder Bill Ackman’s call for her to resign,” by POLITICO’s Shia Kapos, Michael Stratford and Hailey Fuchs IN MEMORIAM — Via Crain’s Aaron Elstein: “Matthew Flamm, a longtime reporter at Crain’s New York Business who covered transportation, technology and cannabis with unsurpassed flair, passed away Jan. 2 after a nearly two-year battle with brain cancer. He was 70 years old. Flamm wrote for the New York Post and the New York Observer before joining Crain’s in 2004, where he stayed until his retirement on Feb. 7, 2020.” MAKING MOVES — Natalie Volk is now communications manager at the Clean Air Task Force. She previously was associate director of communications at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. … Stephanie Denker has been promoted to be a partner and Joel Plainfield to counsel at Saul Ewing LLP. … Tushna Gamadia, Adam Hunt, Eric Lawson and Evan Minsberg have been promoted to be partners in the New York office of Morrison Foerster. … … Christian Loubeau, former junior associate commissioner with the New York City Department of Design and Construction, is now chief strategy officer at Grand Street Settlement. MEDIA MOVE — Grace Maalouf is joining POLITICO as deputy head of news. She previously was an editor for the International desk at The New York Times and is a HuffPost alum. Read the announcement WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Nick Simmons, deputy chief of staff to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and a Biden Education Dept. alum, and Rachel Munsie, founder and CEO of healthcare technology company Ounce, on Dec. 27 welcomed Lucas Robert Simmons. Pic ... Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rob Gifford of CBS News Streaming … Marc Brumer of the Herald Group … Patrick Connolly … Qianwei Zhang … Claire Zucker … Shawnee Tannenbaum (WAS WEDNESDAY): NYC Council Member Carlina Rivera … Kenneth Prager … Richard Ben-Veniste ... Neal Zuckerman (h/ts Jewish Insider) Real Estate — Homeless and immigration advocates want to make city housing vouchers a solution to New York’s asylum seeker crisis. (LoHud) —  A Brownsville, Brooklyn hotel with just 100 rooms sold for $23 million. (Crain’s New York Business)   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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