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Bloomberg Says More Immigrants Are Needed

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:38:19 +0000

Photograph by Ozzdo on Flickr Mayor Bloomberg continues to express his dismay over Arizona’s controversial immigration-enforcement law . In an interview with MyFoxNY , he said, “The solution to our problems is more immigration, more immigrants. That’s been true since the Pilgrims settled here. And will continue to be true even more so in the future as we continue to live in a more global technological world.” He explained, “We have to an immigration law that everybody understands and that is enforced. And the ways to do it is very simple. It is four-pronged: You give permanent status, after [they] pay fines, learn English, whatever, to the 12 Million. You reduce the demand for labor from illegal immigrants by enforcing the laws that the companies cannot hire undocumented. And you can only do that if you give them the tools, which is a biometric Social Security card, probably nothing else. You make sure that we go and we provide visas for those that we want. And if you do those things, you have a strategy. If you don’t do those things, it’s not going to work.” When asked, “Is it not of a concern to you that 60 percent of Americans support the Arizona law, and a majority of New Yorkers also support it?” he responded, “I don’t think ‘concern’ is the right word. I think it is shocking and terribly worrisome.” And about the undocumented immigrants in NYC, ” This city depends on these people. This country incidently depends on these people. You would devastate the national economy if by some magic, and that’s the only way you would do it, you would find everybody who was here illegally and deport them.” Right now, a rally is being held at Cadman Plaza to protest Arizona’s law. While a federal judge struck down parts of the law , one of the rally’s organizers told NY1 , “The judge’s decision was really very limited. It’s also temporary. It means that key provisions are actually going to go ahead, such as people being able to sue the police department if they don’t enforce the law; workers are not going to be able to seek work in the streets, which is really important for people seeking day labor.”

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Bloomberg Says More Immigrants Are Needed

Mindboggling Reveals: Burling Slip’s Imagination Playground Opens its Mind to Downtown

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:43:20 +0000

Click the image above to view the full photogallery. “We’re breaking the mold here. This breaks all our normal rules.” Such were the promises of designer David Rockwell back in the waning days of 2006 when his firm proposed that a chunk of cobblestones at downtown’s Burling Slip —then serving as a parking lot for Economic Development Corp. administrators and their dear friends—become a playground. But not just any playground! A playground based on the imagination . And after the typical skirmishes that accompany such ideas, the South Street Seaport-area project got underway. And then, at noon today, the playground—dubbed, yes, Imagination Playground —opened to the public. Naturally, we showed up to find out just what these folks were thinking. The playground—the entirety of which is encased in a hull reminiscent of a ship, not the first or the last nautical referent that shall be found herein— breaks neatly into an east and a west end . Down at the west end, three mast-like towers form the primary element, with pully systems to play with. Plus, there’s a cool tube slide! For the imagination part, look no further than the piles of styrofoam pieces that await children. The plucky lot that we spied playing there while Mayor Bloomberg spoke took little time putting the styrofoam balls to their preferred use that echoes through the generations: pegging each other. Hard. Down at the west end, things get wet with a water feature that encourages the use of PVC tubing and the like to create flowing waterworks. Damn cool. It’s surrounded by gentle wood risers which give a view of the whole, though could stand for a touch more shade. And in the middle, there’s a big red tower overlooking the whole park. So in what other ways did the project “break all our normal rules”? Well, Rockwell & Co. did the project pro-bono, so props to that. And although at the end of the day this is really just a playground with some extra moving pieces, it’s a damn nice playground, and something we’d certainly circumambulate the city to see. · All Burling Slip Playground Coverage [Curbed]

Bloomberg’s Lady Says She Could Have Beat Gillibrand

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:27:59 +0000

Prince Philip, Diana Taylor and Mayor Bloomberg (NYC Mayor’s Office) Diana Taylor is best known to New Yorkers as Mayor Bloomberg’s girlfriend, but she’s raising her public profile as a political contender. She recently confirmed that, yes, she was considering running against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand this fall, but decided not to, because “My significant other is the mayor of New York City, so that would be really complicated.” And now, she tells NBC New York, “I think I could have” won over Gillibrand. Taylor admited (video after the jump), “I think it would have been a very difficult race. It would have been a lot of work, which I’m not afraid of.” Taylor, the former state banking superintendent under Governor George Pataki, now serves on over a dozen boards plus works at a private equity firm. Noting how critics would have accused her of a pro-NYC bias, she said she could see a “cartoon Chuck Schumer with a Kirsten Gillibrand puppet and Mike Bloomberg with a Diana Taylor puppet—you could see that in the Post!” though “it would not have been fair for me. I don’t know about Kirsten but it would not have been fair for me.” Taylor says of Gillibrand, “I don’t know what she really believes in,” and seems to be considering a possible 2012 challenge, “I’m not old.” Currently, Taylor’s political work these days is supporting candidates like Reshma Saujani in her primary challenge against Rep. Carolyn Maloney, or Republican Senate hopeful David Malpass . She doesn’t want to be mayor of NYC…though, “I’m not gonna rule anything out. Never say never.” View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video .

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Bloomberg’s Lady Says She Could Have Beat Gillibrand

Bloomberg To Give "Presidential" Lecture In NH

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:15:33 +0000

Mayor Bloomberg and Mickey Mouse at the premiere of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (NYC Mayor’s Office) Mayor Bloomberg, who flirted with running for president in 2008 ( but didn’t ) and may still harbor some White House hopes, is headed to New Hampshire for a speech next week. But it’s not a political pit stop—Politico’s Maggie Haberman first reported on the mayor’s trip to Dartmouth College, where “He’ll be giving the first-ever ‘presidential lecture’ – as in, president of the school -” on Friday. Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim tells the Wall Street Journal , “Our goal with the presidential lecture series is to supplement the classroom experience with real-life lessons on innovation, collaboration and leadership.” And Dartmouth economics professor Sacerdote said, “Mayor Bloomberg is the quintessential choice to open this lecture series. So many issues of the day relate to New York, including national security, the financial meltdown, financial regulation, school reform, and the polarization of the American political system.” Also: Bloomberg’s girlfriend Diana Taylor graduated from Dartmouth and is on its board of trustees. While New Hampshire is a critical primary state, Haberman points out, “It’s worth bearing in mind that if the mayor actually does what some of his advisers want and runs – and I’m not convinced that he will – he wouldn’t be running in the Granite State primary, or any for that matter, since he’d be an independent candidate.” Bloomberg abandoned the Democratic party to join the Republican party for his first 2001 mayoral run; he dropped the Republican mantle in mid-2007 , for his maybe-2008 presidential run.

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Bloomberg To Give "Presidential" Lecture In NH

Bloomberg On Board with Smoking Ban in Parks, Beaches

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Timnyc’s Flickr Yesterday we were revolted by the sight of 1,000 cigarette butts that were dug up in the sand on Coney Island over the weekend, so today we’re particularly primed for this bit of news: Mayor Bloomberg is moving forward with a ban on cigarettes on city beaches and in public parks. When the idea was first floated in September by Health Department commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, Bloomberg seemed caught off guard, saying , “Our Police Department has enough to do. They can’t be going around giving tickets [for smoking].” A few weeks later, he did promise to “get that done,” but that was the last we heard on it… until now. The mayor told reporters yesterday: We’re talking about banning smoking on beaches and in parks, and it’s partially because you can breathe the air. It’s in the open air, but the air wafts in your direction. But it is also because people take their cigarette butts and the packages and just throw them away. When you ask people in our parks and beaches, they say they just don’t want smokers there. A City Hall spokeswoman tells NY1 there’s no timeframe set on the ban, and while the directive would not require City Council legislation, the Bloomberg administration is said to favor that route “because it adds clarity to the law.” The City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, is reportedly “interested” in the idea, but “feels that fines should be modest.” Sure, maybe at first, but after the second or third offense we do believe a good public caning is in order.

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Bloomberg On Board with Smoking Ban in Parks, Beaches

City Council Approves $63.1 Billion Budget

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:05:09 +0000

Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn announcing the city budget deal last week (NYC Mayor’s Office) Yesterday, the City Council approved, 48-1, the $63.1 billion city budget , which was hammered out by Mayor Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn last week. The budget features at least 1,000 layoffs, reducing library hours from six days to five, and other program cuts. Speaker Quinn said , “It’s neither good nor bad. It is the reality of the best the Council and the mayor could do in the times that we are in.” She added , “This is a responsible, recession based budget. We had a couple of goals. We wanted to pass a budget that didn’t raise taxes, that didn’t expand borrowing, that protected core services.” And some services aren’t getting hit as hard as previously thought: Gotham Gazette reports, “Instead of shuttering 50 senior centers, council officials say their plan will likely keep half open. At least seven of 16 daycare centers slated for closure under the Administration for Children’s Services will remain open all year. The public advocate’s office — shredded by multiple rounds of budget cuts in previous years — will get another $600,000.” One big question is how much state aid the city will get—a mystery because the state is having a hard time passing a budget (it’s three months overdue). Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-SI) referred to the city’s on-time budget and said , “I hope that my colleagues in Albany are listening. I hope they see what we do, and hope they appreciate the timeliness and compassion with which we conduct our business.” The lone vote against the budget was from Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn).

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City Council Approves $63.1 Billion Budget

Prince Harry Walks, Plays Polo, Falls Off Horse

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:15:26 +0000

Prince Harry wrapped up his trip to the States by joining in a Central Park race with the Achilles running group and by playing in a charity polo match at Governors Island, where there was a momentary scare when he fell off a horse ( video ). But that didn’t attract from his appeal: One 50-year-old polo spectator told the Post , “I thought he looked gorgeous. He looked so sexy — even more so when he fell off the horse. What could be better in a man? He does not look injured. Looks like he was on an unfamiliar horse.” Yeah, blame the horse! Achilles International , which works with disabled runners, has a group that trains and sponsors injured veterans participate in races. The 25-year-old prince joined the participants in a 1.77 mile course. The Daily News reports , “Afghanistan veteran Marine Corporal Todd Nicely, who lost both legs and much of both arms in March when he stepped on an IED, said having the prince there with him made his first race after being injured even more meaningful.” Nicely said, “He seemed really interested, and asked a lot of questions. I made a joke that we should stop and get some ice cream.” Over at Governors Island, Prince Harry faced against Nacho Figueras’s Black Watch team in a polo match that benefited the prince’s Sentebale Fondation with a fancy crowd (Ivanka Trump! Mayor Bloomberg! Val Kilmer!) on hand. Prince Harry’s team lost to Black Watch, 6-5 , but the day was about supporting the charity, which helps children in Lesotho, many of whom are orphaned from the AIDS crisis. The prince said that the U.S. has always protected the downtrodden, the poorest, those most in need of help in the world. And to me, this is what the United States stands for.” On Friday, Prince Harry visited West Point and the Intrepid and, on Saturday, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Mets game, visited UNICEF, and held another fundraiser.

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Prince Harry Walks, Plays Polo, Falls Off Horse

Canada Geese Kept Dangerously Close To JFK Runway

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:26:00 +0000

Last year Mayor Bloomberg declared his support for, you know, killing Canada Geese before they kill us… so why are the ones closest to one of our major airports being protected? The NY Post says the National Park Service has halted any efforts to remove geese from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge—which runs right up to one of the airport’s runways. This means hundreds of winged threats lurk just feet away from the plane you’ll be boarding soon, just waiting to take a kamikaze dive into one of the engines. The paper notes that the US Department of Agriculture is still attempting to clear geese from a seven-mile radius around Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, but their time may be running out. In mid-July the geese in the refuge will be done molting and will be flying around again, wreaking havoc! While the LaGuardia goose population has gone down 80% since Capt. Sullenberger landed Flight 1549 in the Hudson—the JFK population has remained the same. One Park Service rep explained that it won’t be their fault if the Jamaica Bay geese cause a fatal plane crash, since they are just following rules. Ah, beaurocracy.

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Canada Geese Kept Dangerously Close To JFK Runway

Learn To Walk On Wires With Philippe Petit

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:12:00 +0000

If you saw Man On Wire then you know that Philippe Petit is one of the more interesting, quirky characters to walk the earth—and that he’s the only man to ever have walked a wire between the Twin Towers . Now you have a rare chance to spend two days with him at his Action Maverick Master Class at STREB Lab For Action Mechanics in Williamsburg (which is run by Petit’s friend, the amazing Elizabeth Streb ). We dropped by the space on Friday to get a little taste of what the class will be like, and stuck around for a while as Petit fine-tuned what will be his “Theater of Balance.” If you want to be a part of it all, you can register here —the class takes place over three weekends in August and costs $1200 (deadline for payment is July 19th). Fun fact: as Petit ran around tightening ropes and teaching his trade, he would often make notes on his yellow pad of paper—on top of which he also kept his glasses and a cassette tape of the Amadeus soundtrack.

City Budget Deal: Firehouses Stay Open, Libraries Lose A Day

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:11:26 +0000

Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Quinn shaking on the budget deal from the NYC Mayor’s Office The Mayor’s office and City Council reached a $63 billion deal for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. The City’s press release is pretty pointed (italics are ours): “The plan balances the budget with no tax increases despite the assumption of a massive and disproportionate reduction in the amount of tax dollars the State returns to the City and the lingering impacts of the national recession. The City Council is expected to vote on the FY 2011 budget plan early next week, marking the ninth consecutive year Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council have enacted an on-time, balanced budget.” The NY Times says , “The deal would mean painful cuts in a variety of city services, including the elimination of some senior centers and day care programs, and less money for education and adult literacy programs. But over all, spending would increase by $3.6 billion, or about 6 percent, compared with the budget approved a year ago, because of rising pension and health care costs.” Here’s what the deal means : 2,000 jobs would be lost in attrition and layoffs; 20 firehouses will not be shut down; public pools will stay open; 200 case workers for the Administration for Children’s Services; libraries will stay open 5 days a week (down from 6). Mayor Bloomberg said, “Despite very trying circumstances, we’re balancing the City’s budget without increasing taxes. We’ve faced up to our responsibilities and to financial realities, which means making some difficult and painful budget cuts that New Yorkers will feel,” and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, “Without a State budget agreement, the end of federal stimulus funds, and a persistent economic downturn, this year the City had to make exceedingly difficult decisions. Despite these obstacles, the Council and the Bloomberg Administration forged a responsible, thoughtful agreement that will preserve the most critical City services without raising taxes.”

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City Budget Deal: Firehouses Stay Open, Libraries Lose A Day