Daniel Squadron

Letitia James Wins Runoff Election for Public Advocate

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Letitia James has won the Democratic runoff election for New York City's public advocate, ending a particularly bitter and heated race. James took almost 60 percent of the vote, about 110,000 votes, while Squadron took 40 percent, 74,000 votes. With no Repu ... More >>

With Daniel Squadron and Letitia James Neck and Neck, Runoff Looks Likely In Public Advocate Race

One of this year's mostly under-covered races also looks to be one of the closest: Public Advocate candidates Daniel Squadron and Letitia James are headed for a runoff. With 79 percent of precincts reporting, the two look to be virtually tied, with James at 35% and Squadron at 33.3, according to ele ... More >>

Daniel Squadron Is The Loneliest Candidate

He's running for public advocate (it's the race without a sex scandal)

UPDATE: The G Train ('Crosstown Local') Will Get Its Full Line Review

[UPDATE, February 22nd] Looks like the public campaign by State Senator Daniel Squadron and others to refocus attention on the increasingly popular G train worked in the end. According to the Daily News, the MTA has agreed to conduct a Full Line Review of the green line in an attempt to make the ... More >>

G-Train Expansion, Restored Bus Routes Get Permanent Greenlight

Long live the G-Train, after all! The looping line will permanently run from Church Avenue to Queens, and the City has also announced the return of B-29 bus service over the Williamsburg Bridge. The M9 will now go to Battery Park City, according to State Sen. Daniel Squadron. Also, there will be ... More >>

St. Marks Bookshop Holding a Party to Celebrate Its Survival

The St. Marks Bookshop, which was in danger of closing because of landlord Cooper Union's high rents, was recently saved. Cooper and the bookstore finally came to an agreement to cut the monthly rent by $2500 and forgive $7,000 of the store's rent a few weeks ago. So for now, the independent local b ... More >>

A State Version of DREAM Act Introduced As a Kind of Consolation to Federal Failure

​The New York State Youth Leadership Council announced yesterday that a state version of the DREAM Act was introduced in the New York Senate. Although the group is hailing this as a positive step, it's a big step backwards from what the DREAM Act set out to be. Originally introduced over ten ... More >>

Paterson Hands Control of Governors Island to City

​New York's next hot tourist destination will have 87 acres of green space, a view of the Manhattan skyline, and a moat. Governor Paterson announced today that the state is turning over control of development on a 150-acre patch of Governors Island to the Governors Island Operating Entity, w ... More >>

Mike Bloomberg's $1.2 Million Indy Party Donation Gets Murkier and Murkier

​The legality of Mike Bloomberg's $1.2 million in personal contributions to the Independence Party immediately before last year's mayoral election gets murkier and murkier. I wrote a blog item last week that demonstrated three ways the contributions may have violated state law, exposing Bloo ... More >>

Hiram Monserrate Expelled, 53-8

​The State Senate just voted 53-8 to expel Hiram Monserrate immediately. Eric Adams, Ruben Diaz Sr., Martin Malave Dilan, Carl Kruger, Pedro Espada Jr., Kevin Parker, John Sampson, and Monserrate himself were the only no votes; Thomas Morahan was excused. Monserrate gave the final vote and t ... More >>

Joe Bruno and the Life Fantastic

The divine rights of an Albany powerbroker

Bruno Trial Recalls Ethics Bill Albany Shot Down in September

Legislators have been quick to condemn wrongdoing in the run-up to the trial of former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, who was indicted on corruption charges in January. But let's not forget that earlier this fall, Senate Republicans unanimously shot down a bill that would have gone a lon ... More >>

Barrett: My Favorite Nugget from Last Night's Debate

​My favorite nugget from last night's mayoral debate was Mike Bloomberg's smug smile as he pronounced Joe Bruno a better majority leader of the state senate than Pedro Espada. Democrat Bill Thompson had already picked the-sometime Democrat Espada as the better of the two. By 3:12 a.m., the Po ... More >>

Barrett: My Favorite Nugget from Last Night's Debate

​My favorite nugget from last night's mayoral debate was Mike Bloomberg's smug smile as he pronounced Joe Bruno a better majority leader of the state senate than Pedro Espada. Democrat Bill Thompson had already picked the-sometime Democrat Espada as the better of the two. By 3:12 a.m., the Po ... More >>

Albany, Out of Coup, Still Finds Ways to Not Pass Mayoral Control

The newly-"empowered" (holds up hand, rubs fingers together) state senate is finally taking a look at the mayoral control of city schools bill, a reauthorization bill which passed the assembly a few decades ago but was stalled in the Albany Coup, causing mayoral control to expire and forcing Mayor ... More >>

D.A. Candidate Aborn is Seven Up

Seven additional Manhattan elected officials declared themselves this morning for Richard Aborn, the anti-gun advocate whose dark-horse campaign to succeed Robert Morgenthau as District Attorney is picking up momentum. The added backers brings Aborn's political endorsements to 14, by his count. So f ... More >>

More Street Vendors, More Jobs? Council Considers Bill

Are you a victim of New York's soaring unemployment rate, currently at 8.1 percent? Now that the weather's warm, maybe you want to try your hand at selling hot dogs. The city council is looking at Intro 324-A, which would raise the number of street vendor permits from the current 4,000 to 15,000 fo ... More >>

Pols, Peeps Protest Prince St. Post Office Closing Threat

Well, it's not a tea party, but pretty good for a local event: This morning about 150 citizens protested at the crappy Prince Street Post Office to protest its possible closing. The P.O. used to be where the Apple Store is now, but when the Macs moved in the branch got squeezed into a little nook a ... More >>

Padavan, Squadron Back New Rent Laws -- But What Will Espada Do?

Local pols are getting on the pro-tenant bandwagon. New state senator Daniel Squadron did a press conference in front of the Economakis residence on East 3rd Street, site of "owner-occupancy" evictions, which has been the subject of protests and a Voice story last year. The Assembly has passed a b ... More >>

Habemus Corruptio! Senates Dems' Deal Settled

We know we've said this before, but it looks as if, on the morning of the actual vote, the Democrats of the state senate have pulled together a deal that will get everyone, including the rebellious Gang of Three, on board for Malcolm Smith to be elected to majority leader. The New York Times break ... More >>

Dirty Blonde: President Obama Rises; Mr. Black Returns

New things to celebrate, and a newly reopened place to celebrate them

Primary: Silver Stays, Connor Out, Espada Beats Gonzalez, More

Weekend Peek-In: Pre-Primary Report (Updated)

Connor-Squadron: Money Talks, Age/Experience Walks

Daniel Squadron, The Mouthy Candidate Who Won't Talk

The young dynamo wants to beat veteran state senator Martin Connor without answering too many questions

NYC RFD: Tragedies, Politics, Yankees

Golisano's Senate Picks: Mostly (and in NYC, Only) Same-Old

Squadron Has Weiner's Love; Connor, Others Have Golisano's $$$

Letters 8.13.08

A Former Charles Schumer Aide Tries to Upend State Senate Vet Marty Connor

A veteran progressive legislator faces the Schumer steamroller