Almost all the 2013 candidates protest Bloomberg's education policy
Kirsten Gillibrand and Marc Cenedella. Azi Paybarah and Mcenedella, via flickr
5:51 pm Jan. 31, 2012
For a few moments this afternoon, four of the five leading 2013 mayoral candidates were gathered together on the steps of City Hall.
They were there to protest Mayor Michael Bloomberg's practice of shutting down failing schools and, according to critics, opening up smaller charter schools in those facilities which cater to more selective student bodies that are, collectively, easier to teach. The result, according to charter-school critics, is a false impression of progress.
At the event were former city comptroller Bill Thompson, who was the 2009 Democratic nominee, current comptroller John Liu, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Council Speaker Christine Quinn was invited, but did not attend, though she released a supportive statement that was distributed at the event.
Next week, Quinn will deliver her annual State of the City speech. Stringer—who attended today's event with some of his new campaign hires, like Anson Kaye—will deliver his State of the Borough speech, and Liu is preparing to deliver his own speech about fiscal policy and the city.
Some links:
Redistricting
Skelos defends the lines. [Jon Campbell]
A Democratic state senator joins a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against the Republican plan creating a new seat upstate. [Jimmy Vielkind]
One of the 2010 Democratic attorney-general candidates testified against the LATFOR map. [Nick Reisman]
NY-13
A Staten Island voter filed a complaint with the F.E.C. asking them to investigate Grimm's fund-raising practices, in light of allegations leveled by the Times. [Tom Wrobleski]
SD-27
Fidler released what he said were Storobin's original writings, which have been embraced by various hate groups. [Chris Bragg]
"For someone to call a fellow Jew a Nazi, or having ties with Nazis, is never forgivable and never appropriate," a woman says, in defense of Republican David Storobin. [Colin Campbell]
AD-103
Republican candidate Richard Wager is running in a March 20 special election, and will likely face a primary for the newly drawn 105th Assembly district. [Joseph Sepctor]
Albany
Cuomo wants the Assembly to pass legislation requiring D.N.A. collection from all criminals, following the lead of the State Senate. [Nick Reisman]
Marissa Shorenstein, a spokesperson who quit under Paterson, is now president of AT&T New York. [Ken Lovett]
NYPD
Lander's call for creating a new inspector general office to oversee the NYPD gets more pickup. [HuffPo]
A professor who protested the NYPD's conduct in the past doesn't accept the NYPD commissioner's apology for appearing in The Third Jihad. [Hussein Rashid]
Education
The city education department's communications director is leaving to become Rupert Murdoch's chief of staff. [Schoolbook]
It's hard to know if Bloomberg is bluffing about firing half the teachers at failing schools. [Beth Fertig]
Random
Quinn's photo, but not her name, was used on an ad for a Massachusetts car shop. [Colin Campbell]
Images
"7:15am Amtrak to Albany." [Amy Spitalnick]
Stringer, in instagram. [Audrey Gelman]
AARP tries drafting a young Democratic district leader. [Paul Newell]
"[W]e declared 'V' for victory and for 2-hour muni-meters on 5th Avenue!" [Councilman Vincent Gentile]
The view from Tampa. [Reid Epstein]
Before last night's homeless outreach count. [Councilman Domenic Recchia]
Bloomberg, Quinn, Nadler and actor Ed Norton. [Edward Reed]
Rapper Chuck D with Councilman Vincent Gentile's spokesman, a former rocker. [Justin Brannan]
