| | | | |  | | By Nick Reisman, Emily Ngo and Jeff Coltin | | Presented by |  | | | With Timmy Facciola
| | 
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday revived congestion pricing after delaying its implementation in June over concern it would harm Democratic House candidates. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP | Congestion pricing supporters believe they can persuade skeptical New Yorkers — including Donald Trump — that there are benefits to charging drivers $9 to access Manhattan below 60th Street. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair Janno Lieber on Thursday was optimistic that the president-elect will come around on the issue once reduced gridlock and cleaner air become apparent, especially to the people his company employs in Manhattan. “Donald Trump may understand those issues as a New Yorker,” he said. Cue laughter from New York Republicans. They’re eager for Trump — who called the tolls “a regressive tax” in a statement Thursday — to take office and end federal approval for the toll plan. “Yeah, I don’t think so,” Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told Playbook when asked if Trump could possibly flip-flop on the toll plan. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday revived congestion pricing after delaying its implementation in June over concerns it would harm Democratic House candidates. Democrats subsequently flipped three House seats and held onto two districts represented by incumbents — a sliver of optimism for a party that was trounced throughout the country. But now Hochul, who faces voters in 2026, has brought the tolls back, albeit at a lower rate during peak hours than the $15 that was initially planned. Malliotakis has been among the Republican officials who have pressed Trump to rescind approval of congestion pricing. And the expectation is that Trump — who received the highest share of the vote total for a Republican presidential candidate in New York since 1988 — will only burnish his support in the otherwise deep blue state. “That’s the fortunate thing about having a New Yorker in the White House,” Malliotakis said. “He understands the issues impacting our city and state.” Republicans have been simultaneously baffled by the governor’s political calculus and practically gleeful of congestion pricing’s return after an election that hinged in large part over voters’ anger with affordability. “The week after the election in which your party gets shellacked, you’re going to reinstate it and then piss on peoples’ legs and tell them it’s raining?” Rep. Mike Lawler, a potential candidate for governor, told Playbook. Publicly, Hochul has insisted the toll plan is part of her larger duty to follow the state law for congestion pricing. And she believes the $9 toll will be better received by New Yorkers than $15. Privately the governor’s team wants this to be a legacy issue for her: A program that will bolster the New York City region’s troubled mass transit infrastructure and significantly improve life for subway and bus riders. But there may not be a lot of time. Trump is likely to end federal approval for the tolls after he takes office only weeks after the program will be in effect. Longtime supporters of congestion pricing have always believed that once the expected benefits are realized, peoples’ opinions will shift in favor. Deputy New York City Mayor Meera Joshi on Thursday compared the tolls to ending smoking in bars — a proposal from former Mayor Mike Bloomberg that was initially met with derision. “We once questioned this big culture change,” she said, “and now we celebrate it.” — Nick Reisman HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Uber: Study Reveals Uber Drivers Make More than EMTs: NYC Uber drivers now earn an average of $52,900 annually after expenses, outpacing the salaries of many essential city employees, including EMTs and sanitation workers. Despite delivering vital services, these workers struggle with stagnant wages while Uber drivers have benefited from five TLC-mandated pay hikes since 2020. Read more on the wage disparity impacting NYC’s workforce. Learn More. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City and Albany with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? Calling into 94.7 The Block’s “Jonesy in the Morning" and later appearing on ABC's "The View." QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Is RFK Jr. the best-qualified person in the United States of America to lead us forward as we grapple with an enormous amount of health challenges in this country? The answer is clearly he is not.” — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, on Kennedy’s nomination.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | 
“I will continue to do what I think is in the best interest of my district,” Rep. Mike Lawler said. | Emily Ngo/POLITICO | VICTORY LAP FOR LAWLER: Eleven days ago, Lawler had the edge in his reelection bid and control of the House was a toss-up. “Nobody is going to have a large majority, one way or the other, but I think we will keep the House,” the Hudson Valley Republican told Playbook then, on the eve of Election Day. “With that said, whatever the outcome is, I’ll respect and I’ll do the work of the American people of my district.” Now, with the results revealing that Republicans won the White House and control of both the Senate and the House, Lawler is celebrating a return to Washington with his party clinching the trifecta. (In the House, the GOP had 218 seats, Dems had 209 and there were eight left to be called, according to the AP, as of Thursday.) “You mean I was right?” he greeted Playbook by way of good-natured ribbing before turning a bit more serious. “I will continue to do what I think is in the best interest of my district,” the freshman lawmaker said. “Yes, there are things that we will be able to do with our majorities, but you’re still going to need consensus in the Senate, and with a small majority in the House, you’ve got to try and build consensus.” Washington, D.C. has become hyper-partisan in the Trump era. And now Republicans have little reason to prioritize bipartisanship, given their pending control over all levers of power in Washington. Still, Lawler represents many Democratic voters in the lower Hudson Valley. He defeated Mondaire Jones in a very blue district by more than 6 points. He is the key name being floated as a 2026 GOP challenger to Hochul, but he has much legislating to do in Washington first. “I do encourage my Democratic colleagues not to do the Resistance 2.0,” Lawler said. “We have serious crises on the economy, the border, energy policy, housing, our immigration system, writ large, international crises. It really does require bipartisan cooperation.” Jeffries, meanwhile, noted that Democrats will hold more seats in the House next year than they did when Trump first took office in January 2017. In the current Congress, the minority leader told NPR, “extreme MAGA Republicans who are in the majority can’t point to a single thing that they have done to make life better for the American people” while “Democrats, because of the closeness of the margins, have effectively governed in the majority, though we are in the minority.” — Emily Ngo
| | | | The lame duck session could reshape major policies before year's end. Get Inside Congress delivered daily to follow the final sprint of dealmaking on defense funding, AI regulation and disaster aid. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
The world’s richest man has talked about vastly cutting government agencies and massively slashing the budget. | Alex Brandon/AP | HIGH EFFICIENCY: The city’s first-ever chief efficiency officer has some advice for Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency. “Find the misalignment between the programs we spend money on and how they're actually working for real Americans who just want to go about their lives,” Melanie La Rocca told Playbook. “If you focus on just cutting and burning, all you will have accomplished is spending less for the same crummy product.” La Rocca left Adams’ City Hall last year but said she was most proud to get the term “customer experience” into the city government lexicon. The world’s richest man has talked about vastly cutting government agencies and massively slashing the budget, but La Rocca cautioned him. “You can cut and slash and burn your way to a lower overall dollar amount, but at the end of the day, that’s not what matters to people,” she said. “No one is going to notice if you cut the budget and get rid of a plane from the DOD’s procurement process. … You’ll notice when you wait in line for renewing your passport. Are you going to renew it online, or are you going to have to go paper?” The mayor praised Trump’s move Wednesday. But does La Rocca trust Musk? “It is presumptuous to think that I know anything about Elon personally or his motivation,” La Rocca said — but she hopes he goes into it “with the real, true sense of public service.” — Jeff Coltin WHAT ERIC ADAMS IS READING: Trump has picked Jay Clayton, a longtime corporate lawyer and former Wall Street regulator, to be the U.S. attorney overseeing Manhattan — and Adams’ case, POLITICO reports. Campaign finance records show a Jay Clayton with a Lower Manhattan address donated $2,500 to Ray McGuire in the 2021 mayoral primary. The Feb. 20, 2021 contribution came two days after Sullivan & Cromwell announced his return to the white shoe law firm, after ending his tenure as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. More than a dozen fellow employees donated to McGuire the same week. Clayton’s only other contribution at the city level was $500 to Kim Council’s 2013 city council campaign. Council was a reference librarian at Sullivan & Cromwell — and is now deputy Brooklyn borough president. Adams’ defense attorney Alex Spiro declined to comment on Trump’s selection of Clayton. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — UFT President Mike Mulgrew isn’t happy about Hochul’s reviving congestion pricing. ( New York Post) — City agencies have been ordered to set up accounts on BlueSky, a social media alternative to Twitter. (Daily News) — The City Council’s charter revision commission sets up yet another power struggle with the mayor. ( Gothamist)
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | |  Losing more New Yorkers would have a profound impact on the state’s economy as well as its political clout in Washington. | Hans Pennink/AP | NY DRAIN: A study released this week by Cornell University found that New York’s population will fall by 2 million people over the next 25 years, setting off new alarms for pro-business organizations. The expected drop in population over the next two and half decades follows a sharp rise in outmigration that coincided with Covid. Losing more New Yorkers would have a profound impact on the state’s economy as well as its political clout in Washington. “New York State can only be as strong as the population that stands behind it, and a population loss of this magnitude is likely to bring serious consequences across the board,” said Justin Wilcox, the executive director of the business-boosting Upstate United. Communities north of New York City are well acquainted with population loss after an exodus of manufacturing jobs and people to other areas of the country. In recent years, advocates have blamed the steep cost of living in New York, especially for housing, as the primary culprit for population shifts. Hochul, who successfully pushed for a sweeping housing package this year, said she wanted to address the issue to curtail the loss of people. “Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders must take caution to the data and advance meaningful relief and pro-growth reforms before it’s too late,” Wilcox said. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — New York won’t allow people to place bets on the Paul-Tyson fight on Netflix. (Times Union) — Democrats were able to turn out voters on college campuses even as younger people broke for Trump. (POLITICO) — Attorney General Letitia James won a $45 million settlement with nursing homes following neglect allegations. (LoHud)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Rep. Elise Stefanik plans to leave her post in the House to become the ambassador to the United Nations. | Alex Brandon/AP | CON-CLAVE: North Country Conservative Party chairs will meet this morning to discuss a successor to Rep. Elise Stefanik following her nomination to become the United Nations ambassador, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Republican and Conservative leaders want to avoid a repeat of the 2009 debacle when an open race for a northern New York House seat led to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman splitting the vote with moderate Republican Assemblymember Dede Scozzafava. Democrat Bill Owens ultimately won the race. A decade and a half later, county leaders are contending with a different political terrain: Support for Trump is expected to be crucial for candidates if they want to secure the nominations of the Republican and Conservative parties. Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar told Playbook in an interview earlier this week he expects there will be a united front with Republicans. But he also wants the county leaders to be deliberative. “This is going to be done by party nomination,” he said. “Both parties, whatever their mechanism is, will make a recommendation and we’ll abide by it.” And he wants county Conservative chairs to “talk to everybody and understand it’s important to work with the GOP.” — Nick Reisman NYC REPRESENT: Even with House Democrats relegated to the minority, sub-caucuses play a large role internally. New Yorkers could lead them. Among the “Tri-Caucus” representing minority groups, Rep. Yvette Clarke is currently running uncontested for Congressional Black Caucus chair (despite a quiet, unsuccessful push by some in the bloc to draft Louisiana Rep. Troy Carter into the race). Rep. Adriano Espaillat is unopposed for Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair. And atop the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Grace Meng will run for chair if its current head, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), doesn’t run for reelection, according to a Meng spokesperson. — Nicholas Wu More from Congress: — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries may be the thorn in Trump’s side. (Crain’s New York) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is making her pitch to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (NY1) — Rep.-elect John Mannion learns the ropes in first days at U.S. Capitol. (Post-Standard)
| | | | Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro’s Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy. | | | | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | | — The state’s private sector job count dipped slightly in October. (Spectrum News) — Enrollment at SUNY schools has increased for the second consecutive year. (Newsday) — How crypto enthusiasts hijacked the Honorary NYC Dog Mayor Election of 2024. (New York Times)
| | | | A message from Uber: Study Shows Uber Drivers making over $52k while NYC Heroes Get Left Behind
A new study reveals a growing wage divide in New York City: Uber drivers are making an average of $52,900 a year after expenses, while city employees like EMTs and sanitation workers starting salaries are below $44,000. Since 2020, rideshare drivers have received five pay increases through TLC mandates while many frontline city workers face stagnant wages amid rising living costs. This gap underscores an evolving dynamic in NYC’s workforce, where gig workers see consistent earnings growth while essential city roles lag behind. This pay disparity is raising questions about the city’s priorities and the need for equitable wages in public service amidst the affordability crisis.
Read the full story to see how gig work earnings are reshaping NYC’s labor landscape. Learn More. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams has joined Oaktree Solutions as managing director for its Sports Ventures practice. … Felix E. Omozusi is now communications director for Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NYC Council Member Alexa Avilés … Trip Yang … former state Sen. John Sabini of Fontas Advisor … CPA’s Adam Brill ... Fox News’ John Roberts ... AP’s Zeke Miller … Robert Draper … Economic Innovation Group’s August Benzow … ... Pamela Bookman (IS SATURDAY): NYC Council Members Keith Powers and Kevin Riley Missed Thursday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | 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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