State pols will vote themselves a fat pay raise

Legislators will return to the Capitol after the November election to vote themselves a pay raise that will take effect in January, one lawmaker predicted.

"We’ll probably do about 3 percent a year, but keep it (base pay) just under $100,000," said the lawmaker, who spoke about the issue only if he wasn’t identified. "Then we’ll jack up the lulus too," he said, referring to payments for leadership posts.

Pay Raise for New York State Assembly & Senate

Base pay for legislators, $79,500, was last increased in 1999. A 30 percent raise would bring that total to almost $106,000. All 62 senators and 42 Republican members of the Assembly get extra payments that boost the average pay well over $90,000. About two-thirds of the 108 Democrats also get the payments.

If the pay raise is passed after the Nov. 4 elections but before the end of the year it would allow lawmakers to avoid a voter backlash and also have the hikes take effect in January when a new Legislature takes place. By law lawmakers can’t raise their own pay, but can of an incoming Legislature. In practice, of course, almost all of those now holding office will still have their seats in January.

The Triborough triplets

There are 3 eyasses under the Triborough Bridge.

Trio on Triborough

Lizzy's campaign finance violations in detail

In January 2005, Elizabeth Crowley's failed 2001 campaign was audited. The following violations were found by the Campaign Finance Board:
You would think a lien would have been put on her accounts, but she has raised $158,850 thus far and has yet to pay off all of the $56,267 penalty. How is she permitted to run for office with outstanding fines on record from 7 years ago? You can't get away with that at DMV...

Furthermore, Councilman Sheldon Leffler was convicted for almost identical campaign finance fraud in 2003. Why wasn't Dizzy Lizzy indicted? Answer: Leffler was an anti-establishment candidate while Crowley is princess of the Queens Democratic Machine.

NYC Time Machine: 1991 (or is it 2008?)

Seventeen years after race riots left the streets of Crown Heights bloodied, tensions are rising again in the neighborhood restlessly shared by Orthodox Jews and blacks.

First, a black man was badly beaten on a Brooklyn street.

Weeks later, a Jewish teenager said he was attacked by two young blacks while riding his bicycle, and angry Jewish residents took to the streets with signs saying "Jewish blood is not cheap!" and "Every Jew a .22."

And along the way, the district attorney accused an Orthodox Jewish street patrol of vigilantism and compared the group to street gangs like the Bloods and Crips.

Racial tensions heat up in Brooklyn's Crown Heights

The strife has revived painful memories of the 1991 riots in the neighborhood, which is home to about 15,000 Orthodox Jews and more than 130,000 blacks.

As summer approaches, leaders from both sides are braced for trouble.

American flag crap

Under the CSX overpass in Glendale. The intention behind this mural was good.
But the location is very, very bad.

The truth about the Crowley dynasty

THE CITY; Democrat Backed For Council Seat
January 3, 1985, NY Times

Walter H. Crowley, a Queens Democratic district leader and a lawyer, was recommended yesterday to fill a vacant City Council seat by Borough President Donald R. Manes, the Queens Democratic leader.

The City Council is expected to vote on the nomination at its meeting next Wednesday. Mr. Crowley would succeed Councilman Thomas J. Manton, who was elected to the House of Representatives in November.
_________________________________________

WALTER H. CROWLEY, 53, DIES; A COUNCILMAN FROM QUEENS
September 25, 1985, NY Times

Walter H. Crowley, a member of the City Council from Queens, died yesterday at his home in Elmhurst. He was 53 years old. Mr. Crowley was elected by the Council in January to succeed Thomas J. Manton, who had been elected to the House of Representatives.
_________________________________________

2 to Fill City Council Terms
November 8, 1985, NY Times

Hilton B. Clark and Mary C. Crowley were named yesterday to fill the unexpired terms of two Council members who died earlier this year. Mr. Clark, a Harlem Democrat, will complete the term of Councilman Frederick E. Samuel; Mrs. Crowley, a Queens Democrat, will complete the term of her husband, Walter H. Crowley. Both terms expire at the end of this year (7 weeks).

------------------------------------------

(Walter McCaffrey won the November 1985 City Council election and served from 1986-2001.)

Both of Elizabeth Crowley's parents were appointed by the Machine, not elected by the people. (There were no special elections in 1985, you just did a favor for Donald Manes back then and got in.) Together, Mr. and Mrs. Crowley served less than a year in the City Council.

How can Lizzy claim she was involved with the political campaigns of her mother and father (as she stated in the NY1 debate) if there weren't any campaigns, and especially in light of the fact that she was only 7 years old in 1985?

Jamaica Bay plagued by Horseshoe Crab thieves

Federal officers are ramping up patrols in Jamaica Bay in search of one of the most obscure criminals on land or sea: horseshoe crab poachers.

Crab poachers, beware!

These shadowy seafaring scofflaws have been nabbed roaming shallow portions of the bay, using long boat hooks to pluck their prey from the sea bottom.

"We've also gotten reports where they come by van or truck and go down to one of the beaches and try to poach them that way," said U.S. Park Police Capt. John Lauro.

This year, as horseshoe crabs come ashore to lay eggs in the coming weeks, the U.S. Park Police are increasing patrols at nesting hot spots to prevent poachers from contributing to a regional ecological problem.

In response to the disturbing trend, the National Park Service last year banned horseshoe crab harvesting throughout federally controlled Jamaica Bay, though the practice remains legal, with restrictions, in New York State waters.

Broad Channel's parking problems

Mr. Tubridy’s block, West 11th Road, is a narrow two-way street. On this afternoon, cars were parked on each side, leaving not much room for a fire or garbage truck to pass. A few weeks prior, the Department of Transportation, having been informed that the no-parking signs supposed to have been posted on the block were missing, put up new signs on the telephone poles.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Parking

The regulation is intended to allow emergency vehicles to pass unobstructed. “This is about safety,” said Seth Solomonow, a transportation spokesman.

Local residents, however, have their own solution. Cars are often parked a few inches up on the sidewalk to allow room for trucks to pass. Of course, this is also against parking regulations.

Given the limited parking space on the island, some claimed that their defiance was born from necessity. “Where do they want us to park?” said one man. “In the water?”

The Department of Transportation seems willing to listen. “We’re going to talk to the community about our next steps,” said Mr. Solomonow.

Self-certification program a total disaster

More than 80 percent of building plans submitted under the city's controversial "self-certification" program are plagued with zoning violations like those at the site of the deadly crane collapse, a recent crackdown has found.

REPORT BARES CONSTRUCTION-SITE CRISIS

The Department of Building's Professional Certification Review and Audit Team checked 662 plans between Sept. 17 and Jan. 31. Examiners issued objections against 556, or 84 percent. The DOB's Special Enforcement Team, which targets repeat offenders, audited another 207 plans during the same period and issued objections against 171, or 83 percent.

Critics say the findings show architects and engineers are running roughshod over the DOB, and that the department should discontinue the self-certification program.

Rockaways brace for building boom

Locals say that many small homes have been redeveloped into super-size, multifamily dwellings - a trend that would largely be stopped by the city's current proposal to down zone 278 blocks on the peninsula.

The so-called Rockaways renaissance has fueled a dramatic rise in population - 13,000 new residents between 2000 and 2006, according to census figures - and that has many longtime residents fuming over what they say is a lack of transportation upgrades to match the boom.

Building boom revives Rockaways peninsula

Although a $6 Rockaways-to-Manhattan ferry service debuted this month, the peninsula still has only one subway line, one of the nation's few intra-county toll bridges and aging streets that locals say can't handle the onslaught of summer traffic.

"Our community is being ruined," said Fran Stathis, head of the Rockaway Park Homeowners and Residents Association. "We're too congested. We don't have the infrastructure for so many people."

That's ok, we have to build anyway, there are a million more people coming, haven't you heard? The concerns of the people already living here are totally irrelevant.

Crappus interruptus in Elmhurst

Not sure what the reason is for the work stoppage at 86-35 57th Avenue in Elmhurst now. This photo was taken back in February; I passed by the site last week and it looked exactly the same.

Gang shoots 5 on Roosevelt Avenue

Police said five people were shot on a busy Queens street at about 11:40 a.m. Saturday.

Both sides of Roosevelt Avenue had been shut down between 80th and 81st streets as police investigated.

Officers told News 4 New York it appears this may have been a gang-related shooting.

5 Shot In Broad Daylight On Queens Sidewalk

Lizzy lied to get gay vote

When asked about gay marriage at yesterday's Queens Tribune round table discussion, Elizabeth Crowley stated she was against gay marriage. Which is the complete opposite of what was told to the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens in order to get their endorsement. They were duped by their own district leader, Daniel Dromm. Crowley committed to put the club's logo on all of her literature but has failed to do so. The Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens does not give support to any candidate that does not support gay marriage and place their logo and name on their literature. In addition, Crowley had sent Alyson Grant, her campaign manager, to the endorsement meeting. She stated that she had not discussed the 3 major issues that were important to that Club with Elizabeth even though she had a copy of the questionnaire in advance and purposely failed to fill it out.

From Gay City News:

Pauline Park, a gender rights activist and Pride House co-founder, was harsh in criticizing the gay Democrats' endorsement, saying, "It's really hypocritical and extraordinary that they would not endorse a qualified gay candidate especially when they endorsed a candidate who has no apparent qualification for public office at all except that she's the cousin of the county boss."

Queens man croaks after taking toad venom

At $10 a small block, Stone is popular in the West Indies and China.

Typically sold as a chunk less than a square inch in size and in a clear plastic bag with official-looking instructions, it contains chemicals that can disrupt the heart rhythms.

HORNY TOAD ALARM

The Queens victim, who has not been identified, developed an abnormal heartbeat after eating the substance and was admitted to a hospital complaining of chest pain, officials said. Other symptoms may include vomiting and abdominal pain, they added.

The Food and Drug Administration has banned the product, but shipments from overseas suppliers regularly make their way into the city.

Stone contains several chemicals known as bufadienolides, which are secreted by cane toads as a defense mechanism, officials said.

The material, which can also be applied to the skin, goes by several other names, including Love Stone, Jamaican Stone, Black Stone and Chinese Rock.

A similar substance killed at least four people in New York in the 1990s. The city cracked down on abusers after the outbreak and has tried to wipe out its sale ever since.

Con Ed is on it!

Anticipating an increase in demand for electricity of 1.7 percent this summer over last, Con Ed is spending a record $1.7 billion preparing, and rushing to complete most of the work before June 1 so it does not have to disable critical equipment while customers are using about 30 percent more power than they do in other seasons.

With Summer on the Way, Con Ed Girds Its Grid

Much of the work is concentrated in Upper Manhattan and Yonkers, where the network is not equipped to handle this summer’s projected peak demand in neighborhoods that have old equipment and have recently ballooned in population. Con Ed has also started building a new substation in Long Island City to reduce the load on the equipment that failed in 2006, causing a nine-day blackout.

Queens Dems dump Sabini for Monserrate

Democratic Party officials in Queens voted on Friday not to endorse State Senator John D. Sabini, a Queens Democrat who has been in office six years, for re-election. Instead, they voted to back his challenger, City Councilman Hiram Monserrate.

Top Queens Democrats Shun Incumbent

The decision represents an unusual move by a party organization to deny an incumbent its endorsement. And it was a significant blow to Mr. Sabini, a former city councilman and onetime chairman of the Queens Democratic Party.

For much of the last two years, Mr. Monserrate has put intense pressure on the party officials to gain their support. Two years ago, he challenged Mr. Sabini and came within 250 votes of beating him.

Michael H. Reich, the executive secretary of the Queens Democratic Party, said that the party’s leadership committee in the district had switched its support in part because of the strength Mr. Monserrate demonstrated in the 2006 election and because the ethnic politics of the district were increasingly favoring the challenger.

Some Democratic leaders have charged that Mr. Monserrate has put pressure on the party organization by threatening to challenge incumbent district leaders in his section of Queens.

Metrotech is "vibrant"?

No Land Grab has this about new maps installed at the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge:

The map's description of MetroTech includes the word "vibrant", but it is neither vibrant nor a neighborhood. It's really just an office park, and an unfortunate example of a Forest City project: Built with the help of large public subsidies and the use of eminent domain, the area is completely out of character with the surrounding neighborhoods and is never very lively, particularly after 6 p.m. when the office workers go home and the area goes dead. It's likely that the main point of interest of MetroTech to a Brooklyn visitor is just how uninteresting a place it is.

Vibrant - gotta love that word...

Grange is on the move

Founding father Alexander Hamilton's house is off its foundation and soon will be on the move.

Our first treasury secretary's digs, the Grange, is headed from 287 Convent Ave. near W. 141st St. around the block to the northwest corner of St. Nicholas Park at 141st, where it will be restored and turned into a museum.

The Grange has been gradually jacked up over the last two weeks, reaching its final height of 35 feet off the ground on Tuesday.

It will be slid on rollers to the opposite side of the street, then lowered, loaded onto dollies and taken to the park - which was part of Hamilton's original 32-acre estate.

The move, set to take place June 7, represents about 40% of the total $8.4 million cost of turning the home into a museum.

Plans are to have the restoration finished and the museum open to the public in the fall of 2009.

Alexander Hamilton's home movin'

Far Rockaway far from safe

Mourning the murdered has become a familiar routine at the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway, Queens. First there are the makeshift memorials, with flowers and candles and a smattering of personal items. Then, the dead often get more permanent epitaphs scrawled on the walls of the apartment house they called home, remembered by nicknames like “peanut” or “dimplez.”

Murder, From Front to Back, in a Project in Queens

And then there is vengeance.

Invariably, those killed are young. Sometimes they are the intended targets, other times they are not.

But most are victims of a private war that has been playing out at this housing project for years. A war over money, turf and drugs — growing increasingly deadly as guns have become more prevalent.

Horrendous conditions at Charles Park

Charles Park is in a devastating state of disrepair as a result of what locals believe to be years of neglect by Gateway’s management. Now they want the feds to step up to the plate.

Locals Aim To Save Neglected Park

Taking a break from his daily tennis session on a recent afternoon, park regular Anthony LaSaracina took this reporter on a tour of the recreation area, pointing out along the way damaged fences, broken water fountains, overgrown shrubbery, dead trees, and, most devastating to the tennis enthusiast, the deteriorating and dirty tennis courts.

Gateway’s failure to maintain the park regularly in the last decade and a half has created these “deplorable” conditions, LaSaracina said. “It’s as if (Charles Park) is in a lost world and no one cares about it.”

But a small group of extremely dedicated community members do care. In fact, they are so deeply dedicated to their mission of improving Charles Park — and the rest of the 6,000-acre Jamaica Bay Unit — that they’ve become known as crusaders.