Mayor, Council Deliver ‘On-Time, Balanced Budget’
Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City Council passed a $68.5 billion budget for 2013 that will save some children’s programs and 20 fire companies.
“Working with our partners in the Council, we’ve again produced an on-time, balanced budget for our city that doesn’t raise taxes on New Yorkers and that preserves the essential services that keep our city strong,” Bloomberg said. “These actions…have allowed us avoid the severe service cuts that many other cities are facing.”
According to Bloomberg’s press release, the budget increase will allow the city to add about 1,000 teachers to the school system and about $150 million to after-school programs.
Funding for cultural institutions will be increased by roughly $50 million, slightly more than in 2012, with the city citing the institutions’ effect on tourism as a reason for the boost.
The city also expects to see $635 million in taxi medallion revenue in 2013.
“We face a significant challenge again next year, but given the effective and fiscally responsible partnership we’ve had with the Council, and the leadership we know we can rely on from Speaker Christine Quinn, I’m confident we’ll meet any challenges that arise,” Bloomberg added.

Bath Salts and Synthetic Marijuana Now Illegal
The U.S. Senate passed new legislation last Wednesday that will ban certain chemicals found in specific types of the drugs known as “bath salts” and synthetic marijuana. The ban will head to President Barack Obama for final consent.
The bill particularly targeted MDPV and mephedrone, two active ingredients found in bath salts. The salts aren’t your grandmother’s bath time treat, though—they are sold online, in smoke shops and convenience stores under brand names like Zoom, Red Dove, Legal Phunk and Vanilla Sky. When ingested, they cause hallucinations similar to the effects of cocaine or meth.
The bill will also ban 20 primary components that make up synthetic marijuana. The substance, also known as Spice, K2 or Blaze, is sold in smoke shops and delis under names like Killer Buzz and Aroma. Synthetic marijuana is essentially a mixture of plants and herbs like bay bean, blue lotus and red clover that are sprayed with chemicals. While the drug is reported to have similar effects to natural marijuana, it goes undetected on drug tests and has increased in popularity over the last two years.
Sen. Charles Schumer fought to ban these substances, citing a rash of recent crimes committed by people who were under their influence.
Earlier last month, a man in Texas under the influence of synthetic marijuana attacked his family members and the family dog. A teen in Iowa committed suicide after smoking K2, and a 17-year-old stabbed his schoolmate while high on the substance.
Recently, a 42-year-old man who had taken bath salts bit a chunk off another individual’s face in Louisiana.
“This bill closes loopholes that have allowed manufacturers to circumvent local and state bans and it ensures you can’t simply cross state lines to buy these deadly poisons,” said Schumer, who had previously expressed concern over differing state laws about the drugs. “We have seen bath salts involved in some of the most heinous crimes in recent months. With the president’s signature, we can eradicate these toxins once and for all.”

Julie Menin Leaves CB1
After a seven-year stint as chair of Community Board 1, Julie Menin left her post last Tuesday with plans to run for Manhattan borough president in 2013.
Catherine McVay Hughes, who is currently serving as vice chair, plans to fill Menin’s spot, running unopposed for the position. Hughes has lived a block away from the World Trade Center site for 24 years and has been a vocal supporter and advocate for WTC construction safety.
Highlights from Menin’s time as chair include helping raise $1 million to open Manhattan Youth’s Downtown Community Center. She also formed a housing committee to protect the existing stock of affordable housing in the downtown area.
According to the New York Times, Menin has already raised more than $450,000 to run for Manhattan borough president. Current Borough President Scott Stringer is focusing on a run for New York City mayor.

Stavisky has “consistently fought to protect women’s health and safety,” Gillibrand is quoted as saying in the release. “She has worked tirelessly to improve city schools and expand access to health care.  I am proud to support her for re-election.”

Stavisky was also endorsed in early May by Sen. Charles Schumer, who cited her record helping small businesses in his endorsement.

Stavisky is facing off in the primary elections in September against John Messer, an attorney who also ran against her as a Democrat in 2010 and finished third in the race behind Stavisky and lottery winner Isaac Sasson. A Korean-American real estate agent named J.D. Kim is running against Stavisky on the Republican Party line.

Stavisky is running in the newly-created majority Asian-American district, which she moved into to avoid a primary against fellow Democratic State Sen. Tony Avella.

To read more from City & State click here.

Schumer and Kelly Look to Create Cell Phone Database to Crackdown on Rampant Thefts

In our crime watch section, cell phone thefts are a common occurrence and are becoming an increasing strain on the NYPD. Last year, say police, almost 42 percent of property thefts involved a cell phone. And the fact that cell phones, like the iPhone or Android phones, can easily be resold on the black market once the SIM card is thrown away is further fueling these type of thefts. Just last August, a 16-year-old boy was reportedly beaten and robbed of his cell phone inside a Brooklyn train station.

The problem, it seems, has become so rampant and widespread that U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly have successfully persuaded cell phone carriers and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to create a database of unique cell phone identifiers. These identifiers, known as International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), would allow companies to permanently disable cell phones that had been reported stolen, thus rendering the devices worthless on the black market.

According to the Senator’s office, IMEI’s function similarly to Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN), which give cars a unique identification number. Senator Schumer is also going one step further and introducing legislation to make it a federal crime to tamper with phones with an IMEI number, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison for those found guilty.

“With the press of a button, carriers will be able to disable phones and turn highly prized stolen property into worthless chunks of plastic,” said New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. “Like draining the swamp to fight malaria, we’re trying to dry up the market to fight i-phone thefts.”

By Dan Rivoli and Allen Houston

While Republicans made a political comeback around the country, New York State Democrats fared relatively well. Andrew Cuomo is now Governor-elect, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand trounced their GOP opponents and Tom DiNapoli held on to the State Comptroller seat.

Future New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo had a meeting Nov. 13, where they discussed all of the things that were taking place in the AG’s office right now. Photo by Daniel S. Burnstein

And with Eric Schneiderman soon to be sworn in as the next attorney general, Upper West Siders were able to elect one of their own to statewide office.

Schneiderman held his first press conference with Cuomo Nov. 13 to discuss how the pair would work together going forward.

“We had our first conversation today and I’m looking forward to many more,” Schneiderman told Cuomo, during a gathering after their meeting. “And as someone who is going to be representing you for a long time, I’m very pleased to see how circumspect you are.”

Schneiderman said that the two talked about all of the things that are currently taking place in the attorney general’s office, as well as the historic role that the office has played throughout New York’s history.

“I intend to work with the governor and to build on his great work,” he said. “Obviously we face significant challenges in this state right now.”

The governor-elect danced around whether he would give Schneiderman any special “executive order powers” to help him battle public corruption and clean up Wall Street.

“That’s something we will talk about going forward,” he said.

Cuomo said that a comprehensive reform package passed by state lawmakers would be a much better tool for taking on Albany, rather than any obscure provisos that he could give to the attorney general.

“The best way to do this is not by a bunch of hodge-podge efforts but by a piece of legislation, passed by the state legislature,” he said. “Everyone who ran said that they were running to clean up Albany, and now they have to do it.”

The governor-elect and the future attorney general agreed that Khalid-Sheik Mohammed, alleged 9/11 mastermind, shouldn’t be tried in New York, though they offered no ideas on another venue.

“I’m against it. Period,” Cuomo said. “Not in New York. Not in New York.”

Added Schneiderman: “I’ve previously said that it shouldn’t happen in New York City.”

He added that the trial shouldn’t take place elsewhere in the state, either.

While they have that in common, the two campaigned under completely separate styles. Cuomo portrayed himself as a fiscal conservative and Schneiderman campaigned as progressive, said Mark Landis, a local Democratic district leader and lawyer.

“He put out a progressive campaign message throughout the primary,” Landis said. “But it was also a pragmatic progressive message… realizing an attorney general is not a chief prosecutor but a chief lawyer for a variety of interests for the people of this state.”

One of his early campaign messages highlighted his work as counsel to the nonprofit West Side Crime Prevention Program. The ad delighted Marjorie Cohen, the nonprofit’s director.

“I’m very proud of the connection to the beginning of his community activism,” Cohen said.

Joan Paylo, a district leader for Schneiderman’s home club Community Free Democrats, said that Schneiderman would have to be front and center when attorneys general from other states tackle national issues.

“Our hometown guy can put that on his shoulders,” Paylo said, “and run with it.”

Long-time critics of the FAA’s lax regulations over the Hudson River—there are no rules for flights below 1,000 feet—have called the proposals as inadequate.

“The FAA took a first step but more has to be done,” said Sen. Charles Schumer in a statement. “Not to require flight plans nor have controllers in charge of airspace below 1,000 feet means that this plan is insufficient.”

Rep. Jerrold Nadler pressed the FAA to require all aircraft that seat less than 10 people to install the Traffic Collision Avoidance System and to track all aircraft flying below 1,100 feet over the Hudson River.