Governor Cuomo insists building America’s largest convention center in Queens will be a big boon for New York State and Queens. That remains to be seen, but it’s already been good for one Heywood Sanders, an economics professor at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Sanders has been getting a lot of exposure since Cuomo announced his big plan to get a Malaysian company to build the mammoth convention center; soon after Cuomo’s speech, Sanders told the Times , “The convention business is a disaster everywhere. Simply building more space gets you nothing more than a big empty building.” [ more › ]
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Queens Convention Center Might Be Waste Of Money, But At Least It’s Malaysian Money?
NJ Governor Chris Christie discussed the ” New Jersey Comeback ” during his State of the State today and seemingly laid the cornerstone to his 2016 campaign : He announced that he wanted 10 percent tax reductions for all Garden State residents. [ more › ]
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Totally Running In 2016: Chris Christie Proposes 10% Tax Cuts
Fresh from his gambling-happy State of the State address Governor Cuomo today introduced his $132.5 billion 2012 budget and while it is less agressive than last year’s slice and dice budget it still manages to be tough on unions . Teacher evaluations sure look like the future in New York State! [ more › ]
According to the Wall Street Journal, Occupy Wall Street is down to their last $170,000 after raising more than $700,000 this fall. “If we keep spending at the rate at which we’ve been doing, we will probably go broke in a month,” a member of the accounting group tells the paper. Where did all the money go? Housing, feeding, and clothing lots of people. On Saturday, the movement voted to freeze all spending except for bare necessities: housing, food, and clothing. [ more › ]
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Occupy Wall Street Coffers Down To $170K From Over $700K
Last week, NJ Governor Chris Christie postponed his State of the State address after a GOP leader and friend died at the Statehouse . Now, he’s ready to give his speech at 3 p.m. ( you can see it live here ), and he’s been trying to get people (well, political reporters ) excited by sharing his movie trailer about the “Jersey Comeback” which is less amusing than Mayor Bloomberg’s State of the City video but possibly as surreal: [ more › ]
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Video: Chris Christie’s Trailer For NJ State Of State Address
Today’s mid-day links include traveling to San Francisco to see Big Blue, a shootout during a LI home invasion, the 911 call about Heather Locklear and more. Follow Gothamist on Twitter and like us on Facebook . You can also get the top stories mailed to you— sign up here . [ more › ]
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Early Addition: Are You Flying To SF To See Giants Vs. 49ers?
Click here to view the full photogallery. It’s not a job that everyone is going to want—remember when the Secret Service was crawling all over the Obama’s neighborhood back in 2008?—but for the adventurous and politically-minded, here are six houses from the very possibly presidential neighborhoods tracked down by Zillow. We’ve already been over the $12.5M beachfront listing a few doors down from Mitt Romney’s La Jolla, Calif. home, but the man’s so rich that even his vacation house bear mention. Romney keeps a lake house in the summer resort town of Wolfboro, N.H. and the wood-and-stone structure is valued at close to $10M. This similarly-situated shingled house is also on Lake Winnipesaukee, but in the nearby town of Meredith, N.H., and is nearly a tenth the cost, $1.2M. Of course, this is a much more rustic form of living, but who could want much more in a lake house. It’s got four acres, four bedrooms, two baths, and a casual, worn look that won’t get the buyer accused of being too rich. Click here to view the full photogallery. ↑ By contrast to the modest New Hampshire lake house, this brick mansion in Great Falls, Va., is a study in extravagance and is located just a couple blocks from Rick Santorum’s suburban D.C. digs. Listed for $2.7M, the 11,000-square-foot home boasts five bedrooms, eight baths, five acres, a pool, spa, sports court, billiards room, media room, playroom and gym. The master bedroom takes up an entire wing, just like in the White House. Click here to view the full photogallery. ↑ Also located just outside of D.C., in McLean, Va., this as-yet-unbuilt mansion lies just a block from Newt Gingrich’s cul-de-sac home. Listed for $1.7M, the house will have six beds and six baths on a half acre once complete and should look vaguely similar to the house pictured (one strange marketing strategy). Click here to view the full photogallery. ↑ In D.C. proper, Jon Huntsman has kept a mansion in the Kalorama district during his career as an international civil servant. This place around the corner isn’t nearly as large, but the price is drastically reduced too. Asking $2M, the townhouse was recently renovated and features six bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and a charming, if cramped, backyard. Click here to view the full photogallery. ↑ Now, on to Texas, which two of the GOP candidates call home. Rick Perry is currently the governor of the Lone Star state, so he occupies the executive mansion, but during a renovation to his government accommodations, Perry and his family rented a house in Austin, down the road from this $1.4M estate. The listing lacks many pictures, but bargain hunters should be satisfied with a recent $100K price chop to this five bed, six bath, 6,100-square-foot manse. Click here to view the full photogallery. ↑ Ron Paul’s modest house in Lake Jackson, Tex. literally backs up on this low-slung ranch, currently listed for $123K. That means not only is this the closest one could get to a potential vacation White House, but it’s also the cheapest on our list. For that sum, the buyer receives three beds, two baths, but, sadly, no pool like the one in Paul’s backyard. · GOP Candidates Look to Trade These Homes for White House [Zillow Blog] · 38 Lovejoy Lane [Sotheby's] · 10707 Milkweed Dr [Zillow] · 1347 Windy Hill Road [Realtor.com] · 2158 California St NW [Zillow] · 8105 Hickory Creek [Zillow] · 131 Blossom St [Zillow] · Live a Few Doors Down From Mitt Romney on the SoCal Coast [Curbed National]
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On the Market: A Chance to Live Next Door to the GOP Presidential Candidates
With the success of the Aqueduct “Racino” last year there is a serious political push, headed by Governor Cuomo , to bring real casinos to New York State. And you know who really likes the idea? Brooklyn mascot and third-term Beep Marty Markowitz, who really wants to bring Casino’s to the boardwalk. Craps on Coney, anyone? [ more › ]
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Coney Island Casinos? Marty Markowitz Can’t Wait To Double Down
On the heels of NY State being super-duper excited to allow online gambling , now Governor Cuomo has signaled his support for a casino in the Big Apple. In a year-end interview with the Daily News , Cuomo said, “Do I support casino gaming at a New York City location? … Yes.” [ more › ]
‘Tis the season for Republicans to crap on America’s favorite Obama—yes, we’re talking about Bo Obama, the First Dog. Yes, half-term Governor Sarah Palin thought it was “odd” that the Obamas’ family holiday card featured the adorable pup (and his “signature” ) and Senator John McCain said Obama should be leading , not taking Bo shopping ( video ) for Christmas presents. But liberal MSNBC host Ed Schultz took aim at the criticisms by pointing out some classic GOP hypocrisy. [ more › ]
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GOP Doggie Double-Talk Gives Abandoned Pup A Chance To Shine