The latest
The budget fight that is not being had
Neither side of City Hall appears willing to engage in serious exploration of triage despite a federal administration unrelentingly hostile to cities (especially blue ones), let alone willing to take the politically difficult steps necessary to achieve excellence in delivery of city services.
With IRS enforcement down, state and local tax revenues could suffer, too
More cheating on federal tax returns would flow through to state and local returns, but state and local officials don't seem to have the potential problem on their radar. Former Chair of New York City Council Finance Committee: it's "smart to start thinking about it."
NYC DOE: But our deal with the devil will be a good one
Jargon-ridden and light on genuine reflection, NYC Department of Education’s initial guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in the public schools augers a new frontier for strategic failure in a system long plagued by meager vision and reactive leadership.
Major capital improvements in rent-regulated buildings: still landlord-friendly
The element of the system that has not been getting much attention is how landlords of rent-regulated apartments recoup costs for major capital improvements (MCIs) — things like new roofs, boilers, windows, plumbing, and electrical wiring.
Three housing pilots Mamdani should jump on (and be judged by)
Let's put together a wider range of tools and prove that they can work.
Remember when Rikers needed a Receiver? What will Mamdani do?
First-week actions included two relating to Rikers, but neither weighed in on the broader issue of the need for a true Receiver to enforce the Rikers Consent Decree, not the current prospect of a weak tea “Remediation Manager,” the measure that the judge presiding over the case intends to pursue.
Renewing the fight for accessibility in NYC: CCHR + DOB + HPD + DOT
Despite having the strongest law in the country, barriers to accessibility for people with mobility impairments have been allowed to persist in New York City for far too long. There's an easy toool that the Mamdani administration can use to help begin a real crackdown.
Peter Moskos on "Back From the Brink" and today's issues of public safety
The profound changes in policing in New York City starting in the mid-1990's that Moskos wrote about in his book, and the dramatic drop in crime that ensued, along with Moskos's views of current public-safety issues in the city.
Walden really is a true believer in "free markets" -- with a lot of government assistance
Extended audio interview focuses on housing plans; education, civil rights, and Walden's consolidation-of-the-field scheme also discussed.
Hochul's "Pro-Housing Community" program so far falling flat
A large percentage of municipalities in Westchester and Nassau Counties — two of the beating hearts of exclusionary zoning in the New York City metropolitan area — are saying in effect, “No, thank you, we like our exclusion just the way we have it.” The lack of progress is especially apparent in municipalities with the lowest percentages of non-Hispanic Black residents.
A win is a win is a win, right? Yes and no.
New poll shows that things are not a lock for Zohran Mamdani, but that he is clearly in the best position. But, if he does win, how big or small that victory is will be quite consequential.