Possible Mets co-owner gives to candidates
The new "Mr. Met" -- hedge-fund executive David Einhorn -- has contributed in recent years to several political campaigns, mostly of Democrats, according to election records.
Einhorn, 42, chairman of Greenlight Capital, emerged as a man in the news last week with the announcement that he was preparing to buy a $200-million minority stake in the troubled New York Mets. He's made donations of a few thousand dollars each to Democratic U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Chris Coons of Delaware and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.
Other recipients were Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida and former Congressmen Jim Marshall of Georgia and Alan Grayson of Florida, all Democrats. There was one notable Republican: Sean Bielat, who ran a strong race last year against Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), in which he criticized the 20-year incumbent for supporting the failed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for legislation that helped OneUnited, a failed financial corporation.
FUNDING FUROR: A public fiscal clash remains unresolved, at least publicly, between Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Cuomo administration officials, which could determine the fate of county health centers. But there may be progress toward a resolution involving at least $15 million in disputed costs. Levy spokesman Dan Aug said Friday: "Suffolk County and New York State are continuing to engage in productive discussions."
A DELUXE DEAL: Public service unions commonly pay representatives public salaries to do union work. Sometimes, as noted here before, this means special deals for top labor reps. According to the Port Authority, the four top Police Benevolent Association officers receive 10 percent above the maximum base salary rate paid police officers, purportedly to compensate for overtime they couldn't work. The president gets 23 vacation days above the 28 permitted police officers; the other three union officers, 18 extra days, officials at the authority said.
Overtime rates apply to pay received for unused vacation days, for the four officials -- president, first and second vice-presidents and treasurer, the authority said. There's also a shift differential of 12 percent of the base hourly rate -- paid three days per week. The police force totals about 1,400. The union's own payouts, and how they are dispensed, are not routinely disclosed to the public.
