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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

Judge’s Grandson Racks Up 3 DWIs, No Jail Time

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:55:29 +0000

We hope you’re sitting down, because it appears that a relative of a big shot judge is getting preferential treatment by our justice system! Sorry to start the day on such a cynical note, but even Christopher Samenga’s attorney can’t quite deny the role his client’s pedigree played in the sweetheart sentencing for his third DWI. “I think [the judge] recognized the last name and that she knew that his grandfather had been a judge, but I don’t think this had much to do with it in terms of the case,” Samenga’s lawyer Peter Gerstenzang tells Newsday (paywall). That’s right, not “much.” Just a tad. Samenga, 34, of Massapequa, was arrested November 14th after he crashed into another car. There were no injuries, but his blood-alcohol content registered .19 percent. (The legal limit is .08 percent.) In 1998, Samenga pleaded guilty to felony DWI in Nassau County, and in 2003 he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI in NYC. He received probation in both pleas, and we’re sure the sentencing didn’t have “much” to do with the fact that his grandfather is retired judge Alfred Samenga Sr., who was appointed to the State Supreme Court in Nassau in 1985 after serving in District and County court for two decades. Last week acting Supreme Court Justice Meryl Berkowitz sentenced Samenga to a third probation after he completed a six-month alcohol treatment program. Berkowitz’s sentence recognized that he was “motivated towards recovery,” but Berkowitz promised to send Samenga to prison if he relapsed. “She promised him on-the-record that any kind of slip and he’s gone,” his lawyer says. Hopefully that slip won’t involve people dying—or at least not anybody important. Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice tells CBS 2 , “This is another example of how society and the judiciary just don’t get it. Drunk driving kills and when you see cases like this you shake your head and say ‘how can this be?’”

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Judge’s Grandson Racks Up 3 DWIs, No Jail Time

Brooklyn Grandfather Killed In Apparent Robbery Attempt

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:46:00 +0000

A 60-year-old plumbing business owner was shot dead in his Canarise home at East 86th Street and Avenue K after 1 a.m. today. Stevenson Blackett’s body was found tied up in the basement; he had been sleeping there while his wife, three grandchildren, and father-in-law were sleeping on another level. The Daily News reports the killers “broke through the screen on a side door and took advantage of the victim’s habit of leaving his keys in the lock of the second door to gain entry to the home… It wasn’t clear if the men stole anything.” His daughter added that her mother “saw the two guys trying to get out through the front door. That door sticks, so she saw the guys and they saw her. She’s scared to death now.”

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Brooklyn Grandfather Killed In Apparent Robbery Attempt

Russian Woman Arrested For Smuggling Night Vision Scopes

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:18:08 +0000

Forget this being the summer of sharks—it’s the summer of Russians behaving badly! First, it was a cadre of “deep cover spies,” including a NYC party girl . Now it’s a cosmetology student who was trying to smuggle night vision scopes back to Mother Russia. Anna Fermanova, who lives in Texas now, was stopped at JFK Airport back in March because, according to the Smoking Gun , “The weapons sights cannot be exported without approval from the Department of State since the items are considered munitions covered by the Arms Export Control Act.” Fermanova was arrested earlier this month, after she returned from her overseas trip. Apparently she was being investigated back in February, as she was looking for a Raptor 4X Night Vision Weapons Sight, which the feds say is “designed to be affixed to a rifle, such as the M4 assault rifle.” Plus, the serial numbers and other ID numbers were blacked out on the sight and other night vision items she had her bags. However, her lawyer claims she was going to sell the scopes to big game hunters—hey, aren’t humans the big game?—and tells the Daily News that it “looks a lot worse than it really is… She’s a nice Jewish girl who lives with her sweet Latvian parents. There’s no terrorism link. There’s no espionage.” Fermanova is currently at her parents’ home in Texas; she’s due in Brooklyn Federal Court later this summer. She told the Post , “I am a US citizen. I grew up in America. I am not a spy — that is just funny. I am freaking out right now.” The Smoking Gun notes inevitable comparisons to Anna Chapman, ” As seen here , like the 28-year-old Chapman, Fermanova’s Facebook page is stocked with photos likely to make her a tabloid favorite.” Or, as Gawker put it , “According to her booking papers, Anna is 5′6″ and has a belly ring. According to Facebook, she likes slutty Halloween costumes and pointing at the camera when she’s drunk.”

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Russian Woman Arrested For Smuggling Night Vision Scopes

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

Eater Tastings: Fedora Transfer OK’d; Mad Men Hangouts; A $69 Wiener; More!

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:37:41 +0000

This week’s top dish from Eater NY , Curbed’s restaurant, bar, and nightlife blog… 1) Chelsea, East Village, Midtown : How about some tasty reveals? Signage is up ( above ) at the Tenth Avenue location of East Village pizza mecca Artichoke , and the plywood is down at the Bowery diner from the team behind hipster ground zero Freemans. Meanwhile, the new restaurant in the Setai Fifth Avenue from star Italian chef Michael White has a name. Secret revealed right here . 2) Greenwich Village : Community Board 2 has approved the takeover of classic West 4th Street restaurant Fedora by ultra-hip restaurateur Gabe Stuhlman. Original owner Fedora Dorato is still saying her goodbyes. Stop by! Meanwhile, a rent hike from landlord NYU has done in another Village institution, Ennio & Michael . 3) Upper East Side : Bloomingdale’s area tourist trap Serendipity will sell a $69 “haute dog” made with foie gras that will be certified as the world’s most expensive hot dog. 4) NYC : With Season 4 of the ’60s-set show premiering Sunday, Eater revisits some restaurants and bars featured on Mad Men . Some are even still around! · Eater NY [ny.eater.com]

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Eater Tastings: Fedora Transfer OK’d; Mad Men Hangouts; A $69 Wiener; More!

Breaking the Law: Ban on Illegal Hotels Putting the Squeeze on the Little Guy?

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:48:47 +0000

Illegal hotels are, by definition, illegal. But zoning be damned—and because of loopholes and a general lack of enforcement—we’ve seen a major boom in apartments being rented out for short-term stays, mostly via online marketplaces like AirBnB and Craigslist . It’s profitable for developers and landlords, and annoying for full-time tenants forced to put up with a never-ending stream of rowdy guests. There have been many big stinks made about “no-tels” lately, and a strict ban on residential apartments being rented for stays less than 30 days just needs a Johnny Hancock from Gov. Paterson to become law. Case closed? Not quite! The pro-illegal hotel lobby is staging a late offensive in an attempt to defeat the bill. This little Gotham controversy has gone international, earning some serious ink in the UK’s Guardian today. The paper mentions a Wednesday rally against the bill at City Hall attended by 500 people and wonders what the ban will do to those sites like AirBnB and Craigslist (at least it’ll still have Missed Connections!), which get thousands of short-term stay postings. The Guardian story also lets us know about Protect Vacation Rentals , a website set up to sing the praises of “subletting,” which features video interviews with rally attendees and open letters to the governor from industry folks like the CEO of TripAdvisor. It’s an interesting debate! On the one hand, the ease of Williamsburg landlords pocketing piles of cash from Parisian tourists without any repercussions means less available apartments out there for New Yorkers searching for an affordable place to live. On the other, well, you gotta keep the lights on somehow, right? Joe Gebbia, president of AirBnB.com, said: “We have received over 300 letters from New Yorkers who depend on renting by the night to make ends meet. As everyone knows, NYC is financially a challenging place to live – especially in a down economy. The consequences of this generalised bill will negatively impact thousands of New Yorkers more than by the small number of ‘illegal hotels’.” Many residents argue that they rely on their right to sublet in order to stave off foreclosure on their homes . For many travellers, renting an apartment or a room in an apartment is the only affordable option in a city where the average hotel room costs $232 a night. This battle’s coming down to the wire, but if the bill becomes law, we’re predicting big things for our Elmhurst side project ! · New York to crack down on ‘no-tels’ [Guardian] · Protect Vacation Rentals [protection-vacation-rentals.com] · Illegal Hotels coverage [Curbed]

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Breaking the Law: Ban on Illegal Hotels Putting the Squeeze on the Little Guy?

PriceSpotter: Big Reveal: Pricing a Total Whiteout in Midtown East

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:02:05 +0000

And now, the results of this week’s PriceSpotter asking price guessing game! Location: 5 East 44th Street #5A Asking: $995,000 The winner this week is an anonymous commenter who hit the asking price exactly despite disagreeing with the color scheme. Not everyone did: “The crazy whiteness was a good choice for this unit given the space and view, it makes it feel lighter and more open,” said another commenter. Still, most guesses came in under the asking price. The Philip Johnson/Alan Ritchie-designed place sold for $1,133,275 (over the $1.05 million ask) in September ‘09. Why leave so soon? · Listing: 5 East 44th Street [Corcoran] · How Much for a 1BR Total Whiteout in Midtown East? [Curbed]

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PriceSpotter: Big Reveal: Pricing a Total Whiteout in Midtown East

OSA Says No BYO-H20 For Pool Parties

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:54:00 +0000

Water, Coconut Water, Rum… VIPs get to hydrate for free This year the Open Space Alliance (OSA) has taken over production aspects of the Pool Parties in Williamsburg, making a number of changes and giving the summer concert venue at East River Police State Park a more corporate makeover. Today the Brooklyn Paper reports on one of those changes: you can’t bring in your own water. Last year when JellyNYC (founders of the series) had more control, concert-goers were allowed to bring in their own water—but this year security is confiscating even unopened bottles. Once inside, the only way to hydrate with H20 is to buy a $2 plastic Poland Spring bottle . The OSA says this is to prevent people from bringing in vodka and binge drinking, however there is no explanation as to why ($) water refilling stations aren’t provided. With this kind of heat, barely any shade to be found in the park, and a small amount of water going for 2 bucks a pop—it’s not surprising we saw a girl pass out onto the concrete during the first show.

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OSA Says No BYO-H20 For Pool Parties

NY Blog » nyc

Bloomberg Says More Immigrants Are Needed

Judge’s Grandson Racks Up 3 DWIs, No Jail Time

Brooklyn Grandfather Killed In Apparent Robbery Attempt

Russian Woman Arrested For Smuggling Night Vision Scopes

Bloomberg’s Lady Says She Could Have Beat Gillibrand

Eater Tastings: Fedora Transfer OK’d; Mad Men Hangouts; A $69 Wiener; More!

Breaking the Law: Ban on Illegal Hotels Putting the Squeeze on the Little Guy?

PriceSpotter: Big Reveal: Pricing a Total Whiteout in Midtown East

Sponsored Post: More Points. More NYC.

OSA Says No BYO-H20 For Pool Parties