Spin Cycle
News, views and commentary on Long Island, state and national politics
Paul LaRocco
Paul LaRocco joined Newsday in November 2010, covering the Town of Oyster Bay, City of Glen Cove and the nearby incorporated villages. In the fall of 2011, he began writing about Suffolk County government and politics. Before coming to Newsday, LaRocco worked as a reporter at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif., and The Record-Journal in Meriden, Conn.
Public-finance fans target two Suffolk senators
Supporters of public financing of political campaigns have added two more Long Island senators to the list of politicians they are pressuring.
The group, Fair Elections for New York, recently sent out mailers to residents in the districts of Sens. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore) urging them to tell the senators to support lower campaign-contribution limits and public financing....
Read more »Gun-rights advocate references NY scandals
A pro-gun-rights foe of New York Sen. Charles Schumer’s bill to expand background checks took aim at New York political scandals to make a point last week. “If politicians want universal background checks, we should start with them,” said Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a non-profit based in Bellevue, Wash.
Gottlieb sent out an email pointing...
Read more »Cuomo fills MTA leader post while Nassau slot stays vacant
With the position vacant for 3 1/2 months, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced New York City Transit Authority chief Tom Prendergast as his nominee to head the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as CEO and chairman.
Prendergast, a veteran of the system, is credited by some transit watchers of making the last MTA chief Joseph Lhota look good by having the foresight to get electrical equipment...
Read more »NYC: In many forums, mayoral hopefuls have honed messages
In one New York City mayoral forum after another, the Democratic primary candidates practice their messages. By now there is a reliable shape to each pitch. On Wednesday night, the candidates delivered their full packages in 15-minute allotments, back to back, at the Three Parks Independent Democratic Club, which bills itself as the “voice of upper West Side progressives.”
Comptroller John...
Read more »Sexting aside, Weiner for mayor could make his rivals look good
Photo credit: AP Photo
The laughable prospect of former Rep. Anthony Weiner staging a comeback by running for New York City mayor, as dim and surreal as it may be, could give the public and headline-writers more than just a new crop of one-liners.
If he were to jump in, Weiner, 48, could elevate the prestige of candidates already in the race -- by showing that maybe they are not so bad by comparison.
The latest...
Read more »With new scandal, pols stampede to serve agenda as 'reformers'
Elected officials and candidates are scrambling to sound like high-minded reformers following the latest round of public corruption indictments.
Most of these self-proclaimed change agents are guided, as always, by their political agendas.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who happens to come out of Sen. Charles Schumer's office, said last week that "the public corruption crisis in New...
Read more »Bishop urges continuation of tax exemption on municipal bonds
Photo credit: Charlie Archambault, 2012
Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southhampton) has joined Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki Jr. in calling on Congress to maintain the federal tax exemption for municipal bonds.
The potential elimination of the tax exemption on municipal bonds -- which are routinely sold by local governments to finance projects including road repairs and park...
Read more »Haber blasts Mangano for nearly $600,000 TV ad campaign
Photo credit: Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan
Democratic Nassau County Executive candidate Adam Haber is taking direct aim at a nearly $600,000 television ad campaign by Republican County Executive Edward Mangano, arguing the commercials are false and self aggrandizing. A pair of 30-second ads, in which residents thank Mangano for not raising county property taxes, began airing in Nassau last week. The total cost of the ad buys, which were...
Read more »DiNapoli endorses Weitzman for Nassau comptroller
Photo credit: Newsday/Karen Wiles Stabile
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has endorsed former Nassau County comptroller Howard Weitzman as he runs for his old seat in November.
DiNapoli, a former assemblyman from Great Neck, credited Weitzman for his financial acumen and past experience as a fiscal watchdog. Weitzman served two terms as Nassau comptroller from 2001-2009.
“Nassau County taxpayers deserve the kind of...
Read more »How FBI and 'destiny' linked two stars of Greek parade
Photo credit: Charles Eckert
One of the defendants indicted in the latest round of federal public corruption cases in New York City was Queens GOP vice chairman Vincent Tabone -- general counsel and campaign adviser to GOP mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis.
This made for an interesting coincidence at Sunday’s Greek Independence Day Parade in Manhattan. As billionaire Catsimatidis wheeled down Fifth Avenue on his campaign...
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