AOC electioneers on the Late Show, her primary opponent calls for equal campaign time on the program

 

NY Post

The Democratic primary challenger to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired off a letter to CBS demanding equal time after “Late Night” host Stephen Colbert’s fawning interview with the three-term lefty incumbent on Monday.

Candidate Martin Dolan, who is squaring off against AOC in the June 25  primary for the 14th congressional district encompassing parts of Queens and The Bronx, accused CBS of giving the incumbent free air time to promote her reelection bid.

“CBS just gave $300,000 in free air time to AOC. We want equal time,” Dolan told The Post Wednesday.

 “Give us a fair fight,” Dolan, a 66-year-old former Wall Street banker and Westchester County native, said later in a letter to CBS.

Dolan claimed that under Federal Communication Commission rules covering broadcast networks, he’s entitled to equal air time.

“Section 315(a) of the FCC rules requires stations that allow candidates to use their facilities to give equal opportunities to all other candidates,” reads the letter, obtained by The Post. “There are exceptions for news, not for entertainment shows, or the result can be what you see around the world: incumbent regimes dominating their press.”

During the more than 10-minute interview, Colbert joked with AOC about the eclipse and her interest in becoming a scientist as a student.

He then gave her time to explain her positions including calling Israel’s retaliatory response in Gaza “genocide” and discuss her thoughts on Democrats who voted blank or uncommitted in the primary in protest of President Biden’s response. AOC also claimed credit for Biden’s move to cancel student loan debt

There were no hard-hitting follow-up questions.

Colbert did ask one softball question, whether the democratic socialist would back Biden’s re-election. She said she would.

To be the next mayor, the old medium is still the message

  

The Jewish Voice

The city comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, is kicking off his first television ad campaign this week, marking the beginning of a new, intense, and expensive phase of the race eight weeks out from the June 22 primary that is likely to determine the next mayor of New York.

 The first phase of the most important mayoral campaign in our lifetime did nothing to help the public find a new mayor who can reverse the economic destruction caused by COVERT to the city.   Phase one of the campaign consisted mostly of candidates taking selfies with supporters around the city for twitter and Facebook and zoom calls. The zoom calls often had several candidates speaking to special interest insider groups, were not debates, but talking point discussion written to gain the support of the group hosting the call, written by the candidate’s public relations consultants

 So far, we know the candidates want more money for bike lanes, animal rights and everything else, but they do not explain where the city which is suffering the worse fiscal crisis since the depression, will get the funding.  The voters have no idea which of the candidates will better manage or fix the city’s long-term problems like homelessness or the new ones like 40% of the city’s businesses closed permanently, because they are not discussed beyond the candidate promising to fix all the city’s problems.

   There has been no vetting by debates or by journalists of any of these candidates’ promises or plans.As the TV phase of the campaign now begins more New Yorkers will be exposed to the better funded mayoral candidates as their TVs, Phones and Computers will be bombarded with campaign ads, but those commercials will still be talking points written by campaign consultants.  However if the past is prolog those TV ads, if done right. could be enough to elect the next mayor.

In 1977 the Brilliant TV commercials created by media genius the late David Garth were enough to elect Ed Koch as mayor.   Mario M. Cuomo was running for mayor against Mr. Garth’s come-from-behind creation, Edward I. Koch, Mr. Cuomo sardonically demanded: “What hath Garth wrought?”   

Koch often said he would never have been elected mayor without Garth’s commercials.  He was 10 points behind before Garth started his commercials.

 The late Roger Ailes, former Fox News president and political consultant himself, said “Garth was a political guy who learned how to use television rather than a television guy who learned politics,” Mr. Ailes said. “Nobody knew New York better.   Years after his lost to Koch, Mario Cuomo would recruit Mr. Garth for one of his own campaigns for governor, which he won.   So did Rudolph W. Giuliani and Michael R. Bloomberg who both became mayors of NYC.

Shout out to @UnitedNYBlogs, who wrote this post for the Jewish Voice and ran the essential True News blog, for still tagging me in his tweets even though I'm still unreasonably and unjustifiably deplatformed.

  #FreeJQLLC

Movie and TV production tax credits brings diminished results for local jobs

Times Union

  Billions of dollars to subsidize film and television projects in New York hasn't had a statistically significant impact on employment in the entertainment industry, according to a new study.

University of Southern California associate professor Michael Thom conducted a peer-reviewed analysis of a handful of state's that offer the bulk of motion picture incentives in the country and found that — when controlled for economic factors such as the growth in the labor market — there is "not much" of a link between job creation and the lucrative credit offered in New York, which was created in 2004.

The study represents a continuation of scholarly analyses questioning whether the refundable tax credit, which was recently extended by state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is a prudent investment.

Thom determined that employment in the entertainment industry, which increased in New York by more than 60 percent from 2004 to 2017, based on federal jobs numbers, was largely the product of trends in the overall economy and national growth in the industry. He also found a low correlation between the credit and wages paid in the below-the-line jobs that benefit from the credit.

“It’s not the incentives, its simply the normal ebb and flow of the labor market," Thom said.

This conclusion is vociferously disputed by organized labor groups working in film and television, who point to their own studies and anecdotal evidence that the credits have led to a flourishing sector with wide ripple effects.

Parkway Hospital is now a famous TV location

"Did you happen to notice the veiled reference to Parkway Hospital on Law & Order SVU? The 2/18 episode had to do with sex trafficking and trying to find a girl a pimp was hiding in his secret torture lair.

I couldn't help but laugh when the location was revealed on screen as "Basement of abandoned hospital, 70-33 113th St, Forest Hills, Queens"

Andy

Candid Camera comes to Queens

Candid Camera visited Queens last week, stopping in Jamaica Estates in the first segment to deliver color coded garbage cans to unsuspecting residents, and then did 3 segments at Silver Barn in Middle Village (even though they mistakenly called it Brooklyn).

You can watch the entire episode here.

What represents us in Congress

Congressman Crowley Appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers Test Show

F---, that's stupid!

From DNA Info:

The Flushing-raised rapper shows off his time on his global tour with Eminem, where he dove off yachts in New Zealand and cooked sausages in South Africa.

But his favorite spots are closer to home.

Bronson dines at Roberta's in Bushwick, which sources say will open a pop-up location in Rockaway Beach this summer.

And he ends up at Eddie's Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, which he first visited in junior high school and goes to "to feel like a child again."

"Bottom line is you could be anywhere in this f---ing earth, but I'm here — Metropolitan, Queens, New York, Forest Hills, Eddie's Sweet Shop," he said.

After taking a sip of a black-and-white malted milkshake, he uses his signature phrase:
"F---, that's delicious."

He said those words help describe a feeling when you eat something that's too good to describe.

"You just have to curse and be vulgar and violent about what's happening," he said.

I'm ready to be beamed up now, Scotty.

Machine membership has its privileges

"Last summer, I heard that Gordon Ramsay was going to film a show at a Greek restaurant in my neighborhood called Kati Allo on Francis Lewis Boulevard near 29th Avenue. I go to the excellent Italian place at the corner that opened a few years ago - Capriccio - fairly often but have never been to the Greek place. Kitchen Nightmares actually had an application for local residents who wanted to try the restaurant before and after it would change, so I filled one out. I was not picked, but take a look who was: former Councilmember / current Deputy BP Leroy Comrie who represented Jamaica/Hollis/St. Albans and Councilmember Ruben Wills who currently represents South Jamaica/South Ozone Park.

I guess I wasn't politically connected enough to the Queens Machine to make the cut."

- North Flushing resident

Sandy volunteer still trying to raise money to fix up Rockaways

"This reality show I’m still fighting to get launched (I won’t be on it, just behind the scenes), donating 100% of all Creator & Exec Producer $ I earn (& w/ 100% transparency) back into these communities guarantees me extraordinary inner wealth for life." - Steve Major, aka the "Arverne Sinkhole guy"

You can visit The Real Volunteers on Facebook and Tumblr

QPTV won't air borough president debate

From Arcabascio 2013 Blog:

I wanted to give everyone an update as to the current situation regarding the QPTV debate and the sudden change of plans in airing the taped debate of October 10th, 2013. Yesterday, Friday the 18th, we met with the Queens Chronicle to do an interview regarding my candidacy and the Queens Borough President race. During our discussion the topic of the debate was brought up and apparently they were informed by QPTV that there were technical problems with the taping and therefore would not be airing the debate. Ladies and gentlemen, that is a blatant lie! We were contacted by QPTV on this past Wednesday and were advised that the debates would not be aired because Candidate Everly Brown was not included and therefore they were not airing it. That's rather an amusing position to take considering that candidate Everly Brown was not present for the first 45 minutes of our previously taped and broadcast forum and they had no problem airing that one. We suggested that in all fairness, we understood and that we believed that the debate should be performed again to include Candidate Everly Brown. QPTV's response was that the candidates have busy schedules and it is very difficult to arrange. Really?? I know I can make it and Everly Brown can make it and we have full time jobs in addition to our efforts of running for Queens Borough President! Did they ask Candidate Melinda Katz? She should have time, she's the only one that quit her job to be a full time candidate. Certainly if Mr Brown and I can arrange our schedule's Ms Katz can make the necessary accommodations. Besides, I was asked to alter my schedule for the first debate from 1:30PM to 10:30 AM to accommodate Ms Katz schedule and I did in an effort to ensure that the people of Queens would have the information and insight of who the candidates truly are. It is a despicable and deplorable act that this Publicly funded television station has engaged in with the withdrawal of this scheduled airing of a debate when the outcome of this election will effect the 2.3 million people of Queens. The people have the right to know and the people PAY for this right through the tax dollars that fund QPTV.

I left a message at QPTV to discuss this matter yesterday but I have yet to receive a return call. I suggest as taxpayers and residents of Queens you too put a call in QPTV and demand to know why this debate is not being aired. They can be reached at 718-886-8160.

It's named QUEENS PUBLIC TELEVISION for a reason, it's publicly funded to provide a service to the people, not just SOME of the people but ALL of the people.

Well, I had no idea that Everly Brown was still in the race. He is running on the Jobs & Education line. His website hasn't been updated in a while.

TV show to remodel Woodhaven home

Yupster guide to LIC

Here you go, folks. Apparently this is a TV series. The latest installment is about LIC. Too bad the "expert tour guide" they interviewed in the first segment doesn't know that the graffiti artists' building has been called 5 Pointz for more than a decade and that the Phun Phactory moved to Brooklyn. Makes you wonder what other bullshit official tour guides are telling tourists that don't know any better. No mention that LIC still lacks basic amenities. But you can booze it up on a fake beach. Now that's living.

How not to publish a news website

Thanks to WPIX for a great laugh!

Another boy for Melinda

From the Queens Tribune:

Former Councilwoman Melinda Katz recently welcomed a second child into her life. Hunter Charles Katz was born nearly three months premature at Weill Cornell Medical Center on Feb. 24. The good news was tempered by the loss of Hunter’s twin.

“Most of my friends knew that I was pregnant with twins,” Katz said in a phone interview Tuesday. “It was a difficult pregnancy for a bunch of reasons. But in the end I gave birth to one beautiful little baby boy. The other one unfortunately did not survive.”

As for Hunter, you can attribute the name to ex-football player Fred Dryer for acting in one of Katz’s favorite TV shows – “Hunter,” which ran from 1984 to 1991.

Young Hunter was born at 3 lbs 3 oz, and as of Tuesday morning was up to 3 lbs, 14 oz., and expected to come home from the hospital in the next few days.

As Gatemouth put it: "New Litter for Katz Department: People we've already forgotten about are still reproducing. Is this timed to make us forget about the Hevesi sentencing?"

Where were you all for the past 10 years?

From the NY Observer:

That the city's political press corps is now answering a mayor who has thrown verbal brickbats their way (he called an Observer reporter a "disgrace"; embarrassed a disabled reporter who was unable to reach a tape recorder which had gone off during a press conference) for close to 10 years with some brickbats of their own is something of a new development. For two terms the Bloomberg administration enjoyed, even seasoned reporters acknowledge, a relatively easy go of it in the press, and an even easier time among the editorial boards.

No longer.

"There has been a demarcation," said one reporter. "There is a certain sense that Mike Bloomberg's string has run out."

The clearest evidence of this, political observers say, is the suddenly negative coverage the mayor has received from two columnists perceived as newsroom weather vanes: Clyde Haberman of The New York Times and Bob McManus of the New York Post. Over the past several years, Mr. Haberman has written various upbeat stories, including "Bloomberg Travels to the Old World In Search of New Ideas" and "Scenes from the Blue Room: A More Flexible Tone is Heard," but last month, the columnist openly wondered whether or not the whiz kids at City Hall were capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time. Mr. McManus meanwhile wrote recently that the mayor was guilty "of a spectacular failure of field leadership."And the editorial pages of both papers, which cheered the mayor when he overturned term limits two years ago, have likewise begun to sing a new tune.

"Nobody likes Mike these days," wrote the Post, and The Times called the mayor's recent initiative to ban smoking in parks "a civic disaster."

The sharpened tone has been seen in the news pages as well. A few years ago, if the mayor was out of town during a snowstorm, the press would have pestered him about it, and then, after some stonewalling, moved on.

"Editors sent the signal that they would not back you in a fight with City Hall," said one local political hack. "It became less about getting them and more about getting handouts, and Bloomberg was really effective at getting the press corps to play who likes me best. I think now reporters feel betrayed by their papers."

"Every reporter was freaked out by the term-limit thing, and they got much more critical after that," said one political reporter.

Well that's funny because we were freaked out by it, too. If you had covered it the way you should have instead of acting like he was entitled to it, we all would have avoided the extended suffering. You failed at your jobs and every single one of you who participated are a disgrace to journalism.

Happy Thanksgiving from Queens Crap!

Thanksgiving at Kaufman-Astoria Studios.

Thanksgiving cartoon from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn

Storm wrapup features yours truly

Queens Crap was featured in a news report!



NEW YORK (WPIX) — People in Queens are giving credit to PIX 11 News for the recent surge of city cleanup crews in storm-ravaged neighborhoods.

"Amazing What Embarrassing TV Coverage Will Do" was the headline Tuesday on the popular blog Queens Crap, which spotlighted Greg Mocker's report on the rush of tree-removal crews to the Middle Village area, which was hit by a tornado on September 16.

PIX 11 brought increased attention to the neighborhood with reports on the slow progress of the cleanup. While city officials denied PIX 11's coverage triggered the cleanup surge, people commenting on Queens Crap disagreed.

"Bloomberg hates to have his 'Bloomberg' brand tarnished with negative comments particularly on TV," wrote one person.

That was echoed by "Linda" who said: "Who cares what sign is on the truck, the damn trees are getting cleaned up!"

Heh. I'm glad someone is paying attention. The rest of the news crews left a long time ago.

Brooklyn got help from the U.S. Forest Service.

Amazing what embarrassing TV coverage will do

They even have to put their names on out-of-state contractors' trucks?

Ceiling hole fixed

From NY1:

One Queens renter is happy to be rid of a gaping hole inside his apartment after contacting NY1. Our Susan Jhun filed the following "NY1 For You" follow-up report.

Queens resident Manuel Peguero says he's happy that a huge hole is no longer right over his head.

"Before I cannot use the bathroom because whole water coming down soon as they flush the toilet upstairs," Peguero says.

Peguero says it's been going on ever since a large piece of his bathroom ceiling directly over his toilet collapsed in June. He says every time the tenant above him flushes his toilet, water drips down through the hole not only making a mess but also rotting away his already broken ceiling.

Peguero contacted "NY1 For You" last week after three months of trying to get the city's housing authority to fix his ceiling with no luck. The station reached out to NYCHA and they sent inspectors to Peguero's apartment and fixed the leak and hole immediately.

Why is the media silent on challengers?

Here is the accompanying press release.

And guess what? YouTube sent Biviano a notice saying his video was hit with a privacy complaint from an NBC employee who appears briefly in the video.

And here is a story of another unholy alliance - Michael Nussbaum and a Queens incumbent senator, Shirley Huntley.