By Azi Paybarah in Manhattan, Jimmy Vielkind in Albany, and Mike Allen in D.C., with Daniel Lippman
CUOMO TO PUERTO RICO — POLITICO New York’s Jimmy Vielkind: Governor Andrew Cuomo will travel to Puerto Rico next week as part of a mission “to meet with local officials and discuss the Puerto Rican government’s ongoing healthcare crisis and economic challenges,” his office said. The Democratic governor announced the trip late Monday after the Daily News first reported the plans in its Monday editions. Cuomo will leave New York on September 7 and return the next day. He will be accompanied by a slew of Democratic officials, some of whom are not his traditional allies, like Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, or are clear rivals of Mayor Bill de Blasio, like Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. http://politi.co/1NJEREH
Story Continued Below
— Not invited? New York City Mayor and Cuomo “friend” Bill de Blasio. http://nydn.us/1JyiZIx
— An editorial in the New York Post criticizes suggestions that Puerto Rico should file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy: http://bit.ly/1X8k3Kh
“Mayor de Blasio’s Aide on Homeless Is Resigning Amid Crisis” — Times’ Nikita Stewart: At a time when New York has taken emergency measures to help homeless residents, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday night that the deputy mayor overseeing the city’s response to the crisis will resign at the end of September.
“With no elaboration, the mayor’s office released a statement saying that Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, a veteran of city government who has served under four mayors, will leave her job as deputy mayor of health and human services to become the volunteer chairwoman of the board of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the city’s public hospitals. Her departure marks the highest-ranking resignation in Mr. de Blasio’s administration during his 20 months in office and comes at a critical time in his tenure.” http://goo.gl/dBnfic
— Advocates taken by surprise — Laura Nahmias: The announcement shocked homelessness advocates when it was announced late on Monday night. “She seemed to really give a damn,” said Jennifer Flynn, the executive director of VOCAL-NY. “I hope her replacement does too. She is very close to the last employee I wanted to see leave. I don’t have any insight about it — just sadness and fear about the growing homeless disaster.
— The announcement also surprised some elected officials, including the chair of the City Council Health Committee Corey Johnson. “It’s a shock,” he said in an interview with POLITICO New York Monday night just after City Hall announced Barrios-Paoli’s impending departure. “I just found out in the last hour off of Twitter, and I started audibly gasping and swearing … I’m in denial and I’m heartbroken. This f***ing sucks,” he said. He described Ms. Barrios-Paoli as “the most compassionate person I’ve ever worked with in politics” and as “whip smart, has a huge heart, and is incredibly pragmatic in wanting to achieve results.” Matt Curtis, a policy director for VOCAL NY, said “the administration now has some big shoes to fill.” http://goo.gl/E4RqKX
‘RIGHT OF WAY’ SETTLEMENT — Associated Press: “New York City has reached a settlement with the Transport Workers Union regarding a lawsuit over the mayor’s recently implemented ‘Vision Zero’ program that aims to eliminate all pedestrian deaths.
— “TWU Local 100 had filed suit claiming a provision in the law was ‘unconstitutionally vague’ and led to the arrests of six bus drivers. The provision elevated a traffic infraction to a criminal misdemeanor when a driver fails to exercise ‘due care’ in an accident that injures a pedestrian or bicyclist in a crosswalk. As part of the settlement announced Monday, the mayor’s office said the city agreed to make explicit its definition of ‘due care.’” http://goo.gl/N3ebaF
TABS — News: “Bratton, Kelly feud erupts in all-out war: SCREW YOU! Bill lashes back at ‘tone-deaf Ray; Ex-top cop: ‘He’s wrong on stop-and-frisk” — Post: “NAILED! Broken fingernail busts beau ‘killer’” — Newsday: “HEROIN HOME DELIVERY” — amNY: RIDING TO THE FUTURE” — El Diario [translated]: We are not packages, Christie
FRONT PAGES — NYT, 1-col. above the fold; “MURDER RATES RISING SHARPLY IN MANY CITIES: Years of Decline End; Milwaukee Already Has More Killings Than All of Last Year” — WSJNY, 4-col. below the fold: “Schools Chief Brings Cheer to Charters”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Lets see if Bill de Blasio can get three terms.” — Republican consultant Kellyanne Conway on NY1: http://goo.gl/ov9Xe8
PIC OF THE DAY: New York’s politicians, in sand. http://bit.ly/1Jy7G2S
**A message from The Business Council’s Annual Meeting: Register now for The Business Council’s Annual Meeting (Sept. 16-18). Hear from education reform advocate Campbell Brown. Mingle with hundreds of the state’s top business executives, all while enjoying the beautiful vistas of Lake George. Register: http://bit.ly/1U18llx **
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE SECESSION — POLITICO New York’s Jimmy Vielkind: Who would want to leave upstate New York under Andrew Cuomo’s watch? The governor declared last month that he had steered more investment to the northern and western reaches of the state than any governor since DeWitt Clinton built the Erie Canal, and that in closed-door negotiating sessions he is the one going to the mat for upstate. “I have gone out of my way to put my thumb on the scale to make sure upstate gets its fair share. To balance the beam,” Cuomo said in Utica in late August, after announcing state investments in chip manufacturing and research. But for all the braggadocio, business leaders and economists have found several troubling data points. While private-sector jobs are growing, total employment numbers upstate have not rebounded from where they were before the Great Recession. Gains in New York City and its suburbs account for the vast majority of the state’s job growth in the past few years, according to an August report by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. http://politi.co/1EujWST
MAYORAL AIDE NAVIGATES DE BLASIO-THEMED RACE — Gloria Pazmino: As she campaigns around Eastern Queens, City Council candidate Rebecca Lynch emphasizes her experience working in city government — if not the mayor she worked for. … “I worked with the city and I worked alongside every commissioner we currently have, with every agency — I know how city government works and no one else in the race can say that,” said Lynch, in an interview last week. “I really have a firm grasp of the City Council, and how to get things done, and that’s what we need out here.” … In June, Lynch took leave from her job as an assistant commissioner in the Community Affairs Unit, under Mayor Bill de Blasio, to run for the Council seat being vacated by Mark Weprin. http://bit.ly/1WSOHHr
DE BLASIO’S BASEBALL DIPLOMACY, YANKEE EDITION — S.I. Advance’s Anna Sanders: “The Staten Island Yankees will get a visit from the city’s first baseball fan. Mayor Bill de Blasio will attend Tuesday night’s game against the Connecticut Tigers at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St George. There are still tickets available for the 7 p.m. matchup. Tuesday will be de Blasio’s first Staten Island Yankee game as mayor. What kind of reception he’ll get is unclear — Staten Islanders don’t particularly like the mayor and he’s been booed by Mets fans at that team’s past two home openers. Whatever happens, de Blasio will at least have some moral support. The mayor will be joined at Tuesday’s game by a group of the borough’s elected officials.” http://goo.gl/G8dvEh
BRATTON vs. KELLY, NEW YORKER edition — Stop-and-frisk debate, continued — Post’s Daniel Prendergast: “The war of words between Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and his predecessor, Ray Kelly, escalated Monday with each slamming the other’s stance on stop-and-frisk tactics. Bratton said fixing the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy was the ‘No. 1 concern’ of the city’s black population when he reassumed control of the department in 2014, according to an article in The New Yorker. ‘We should not make the mistake of my predecessor on the stop-question-and-frisk issue,’ Bratton told the magazine. But Kelly responded: ‘That was not the feeling of much of the communities of color. It was the view of activists. I’m telling him, he’s wrong.’” http://goo.gl/XsJz4u
BRATTON vs KELLY, BOOK edition — Newsday’s Anthony DeStafano: “NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said he plans to plunk down $28 — $18.41 if he goes for the online discount — and buy his predecessor Ray Kelly’s new book: ‘Vigilance: My Life Serving America And Protecting Its Empire City.’ ‘I think Ray’s book will contribute significantly to an understanding of the history of what has been going on in this city for the last 25 years,” Bratton told reporters Monday, noting that Kelly’s book will be helpful in giving perspective to some of what happened in the city for the past two decades.
— “But Bratton took issue with Kelly’s assessment, reported this weekend in the New York Post, that Mayor Bill de Blasio has negatively impacted public safety, in part because of the way he campaigned against stop and frisk and the police in 2013. ‘Crime is down for the second year in this mayor’s term of office,’ Bratton said. ‘So I don’t see that concern reflected in reality. … The belief that crime was associated exclusively with [stop, question and frisk], that is not correct, it is an element certainly like anything else that we do, but it was not a dominating fact,’ Bratton said. ‘What it was dominating in was clearly creating a very significant rift, if you will, between people of color and this department.’” http://goo.gl/Ybo9CK
TV THIS MORNING — NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton is on “Morning Joe” at 7:15 a.m. “to discuss former NYC police commissioner Ray Kelly’s book, the recent comments about the rise in crime and homelessness in New York City.”
FIRST LOOK — MARK-VIVERITO HITS RAY KELLY: City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito released a statement to POLITICO New York responding to published reports about claims Kelly makes in his forthcoming book, due out on September 8th:
— MM-V: “It’s sad that former Commissioner Kelly resorted to cheap politics attacks to try and sell books. The truth is Commissioner Kelly knew that stop and frisk as it was applied was corrosive which is why under his command the number of stops started to plummet following pressure from communities who knew the tactic was harmful. It’s also why he wrote a letter to the City Council in 2012 outlining steps to reduce illegitimate stops It should not have taken a lawsuit for Commissioner Kelly to understand that stop and frisk as he applied it was unconstitutional and had a disproportionate impact on African Americans and Latinos. The City is better off under Commissioner Bratton who has worked hard and is succeeding at cleaning up years of mistrust at the community level which started from the top under Ray Kelly.”
— Flashback, 2012: Video of Kelly and MM-V, exchanging words during a public safety hearing. https://goo.gl/Qziw0T
— Daily News headline: “Bill Bratton and former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly spar over stop-and-frisk” http://goo.gl/3TZi4T
DE BLASIO’S ADVENTURE ON TWITTER — POLITICO New York’s Laura Nahmias: Mayor Bill de Blasio went rogue Monday, unexpectedly taking over his own @BilldeBlasio Twitter account to answer questions from Twitter users. “Hey New Yorkers, Bill here. The first day school is coming up next week. How are you preparing?” he tweeted midday Monday. He took 11 questions before signing off.
— Asked when the administration’s plan to redevelop in East New York, Brooklyn, will get underway, he offered, “Official public review starts next month. City committing to 1200 new affordable apartments in first phase.” Asked what he’d do to reverse income inequality, he referred one Twitter user to his One NYC plan.
— He answered a handful of lighter questions. His favorite boardwalk food? “Funnel cakes, of course!” the mayor said. Asked his favorite writer or poet, he answered: “Amongst my favorites are Steinbeck, Camus & of course Dante Alighieri! & my favorite poet is undoubtedly @Chirlane,” he wrote, referring to his wife, who writes poetry. http://goo.gl/o3D77q
DE BLASIO BREAKS STRIDE ON A SAFE-STREETS ISSUE, AGAIN — POLITICO New York’s Dana Rubinstein: De Blasio “is a good guy, a neighbor of mine and, until recently, a livable streets stalwart,” [Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives and New York City’s leading bike advocate] wrote in that [2002] summer’s issue of his advocacy group’s magazine. “So what happened? When did the tide change?”
— That de Blasio is open to taking Times Square and returning it to cars may seen surprising, given de Blasio’s ardent and unapolegetic liberalism on income inequality, unions, education, and the minimum wage. But de Blasio, a political operative by trade, had never really been a dyed-in-the-wool progressive on transportation, the sort who considers Bloomberg innovations like pedestrian plazas and bike lanes to be established and sacrosanct. He’s a self-described “motorist” with an affinity for taxi fleet owners, a mayor whose drivers regularly convey him by SUV to Park Slope so he can go to the gym. http://goo.gl/RIkRHZ
HAPPENING TODAY — “Taxi of Tomorrow Becomes City’s Yellow Cab Standard,” by Times’ Emma G. Fitzsimmons: “On Tuesday, the vehicle, known as the Taxi of Tomorrow, finally becomes the city’s yellow cab standard. The Nissan NV200, more minivan than muscle car, is a major makeover for the city taxi, which has evolved with memorable (the Checker) and not-so-memorable (the Crown Victoria) incarnations. … City officials hope the new look, from the sunroof to the cellphone-charging outlets, will give yellow cabs a boost at time when their dominance is threatened by Uber, the car service app. But whether the Taxi of Tomorrow will help yellow cabs retain their place in a fast-fracturing market is a question facing drivers, investors and customers. … While some owners can still choose from a short list of hybrid and wheelchair-accessible vehicles, taxi officials said 80 percent of the city’s yellow cabs could eventually be NV200s.” http://nyti.ms/1LHqlds
BIRTHDAYS: Anna Sale, host of WNYC’s “Sex, Death and Money” … Jennifer Mercurio, wife of political consultant Joe Mercurio … Dirk McCall, director of external affairs for the Bronx borough president … Jenifer Rajkumar, district leader in Manhattan’s 65th A.D., and a civil rights attorney … and POLITICO Europe’s Tara Palmieri, who is celebrating this weekend in Brussels with friends at an American-themed Labor Day BBQ (h/t Gabe Brotman)
CAPITOL MOVES: Former Department of Transportation commissioner Joan McDonald has been appointed to the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee.
HILLARYWATCH —Per Politico Media Pro: “Want to search Hillary Clinton’s emails? The Wall Street Journal created an easy-to-use tool for that.” http://bit.ly/1ifvMGS
–@OKnox: “If this is not your favorite Hillary email from this particular dump, I’m not sure we can be friends. #GefilteFish” http://bit.ly/1VsZTss
–Juana Summers @jmsummers: “Can you give me times for two TV shows: Parks and Recreation and The Good Wife?” http://bit.ly/1PI0rXP
–@gdebenedetti: “I’d really like to go to one of those Swiss sleep sanitariums if they still exist” http://bit.ly/1hPVOjO
–@Bencjacobs: “Sid Blumenthal forwarded a Les Gelb article to Hillary from 2010 entitled ‘Get Rid of Rahm’” http://bit.ly/1N6eOr8
–@ktumulty: “Among those who didn’t know about @HillaryClinton private email address? The Help Desk at the State Department:” http://bit.ly/1LGQpoQ
–“Legal experts see no criminal trouble for Clinton thus far,” by AP’s Ken Dilanian: “Experts in government secrecy law see almost no possibility of criminal action against Hillary Clinton or her top aides in connection with now-classified information sent over unsecure email while she was secretary of state … [T]here is no evidence of emails stored in Hillary Clinton’s private server bearing classified markings. State Department officials say they don’t believe that emails she sent or received included material classified at the time. And even if other government officials dispute that assertion, it is extremely difficult to prove anyone knowingly mishandled secrets.” http://bit.ly/1X8iufn
SPEED READ — “Regulations may make kids’ fast food meals healthier,” by Reuters Andrew M. Seaman: “If a proposed new policy in New York City is approved, then fast food meals that come with toys would contain fewer calories overall, and fewer from fat and sodium, researchers report. … The proposed policy, which was introduced to the New York City Council, says fast food meals that come with a small toy must include a serving of fruit, vegetable or whole grain. The law would also limit meals with toys to no more than 500 calories, and it would place additional restrictions on fat and salt.” http://reut.rs/1hu9HDM
REAL ESTATE — BROOKLYN BREWS—“Builders and Brewers Look to Tap Into Brooklyn’s Beer Heritage,” by Times’ Matt A.V. Chaban: “Besides its name, there is little about Schaefer Landing, a 350-unit apartment complex in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that betrays its history as one of New York City’s foremost breweries. … From the shores of the East River to the heart of East New York, Brooklyn helped create the nation’s beer-swilling culture. None of the old breweries are still in operation. But now the last properties that belonged to two of the largest breweries, Schaefer and Rheingold, are about to be converted for use by Brooklyn’s new leading industry: housing construction.” http://nyti.ms/1NTfBuE
RECORD BREAKER— “Queens’ most expensive apartment is off the market after buyer submits cash offer for $5.4M penthouse,” by News’ Katherine Clarke: “There’s a new bar for luxury in Queens. Real estate agent Silvette Julian says she has an accepted offer on a $5.4 million penthouse in Long Island City that will set a new record for the priciest apartment ever sold in the borough. The property, at at 46-30 Center Blvd., is owned by self-made Greek taxi mogul Basil Messados and has three bedrooms, a massive wraparound terrace, cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling all-glass windows, a dining room and dark wood floors.” http://nydn.us/1UiLylj
THE HOME TEAMS — POLITICO New York’s Howard Megdal: Mets 3, Phillies 1: Bartolo Colon pitched eight shutout innings, Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson homered, and the first place Mets entered September in first place.
— Red Sox 4, Yankees 3: A Didi Gregorius bid for a game-winning grand slam landed a few feet short of the right field wall in Rusney Castillo’s glove to end the game.
— The day ahead: the Mets host the Phillies. The Yankees are in Boston. The Liberty face the Dream at The Garden.
— Bonus Bills briefing, from POLITICO New York’s Bill Mahoney: On Monday, Buffalo cut Fred Jackson, easily the fan base’s favorite player over the past eight seasons. He finished as the third leading rusher in team history, behind only O.J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas. http://bit.ly/1O4yEjE
#UpstateAmerica: A cabbage spill delayed rush hour traffic in Rochester this morning. #ROC bit.ly/1JwP8jt
**A message from The Business Council’s Annual Meeting: Time is running out! Register NOW for The Business Council’s Annual Meeting (Sept. 16-18). Engaging speakers, incomparable access to business leaders and politicians and the striking beauty of The Sagamore Resort on scenic Lake George await you at The Business Council of New York State’s Annual Meeting. The event features a keynote address from Campbell Brown, plus panels on: protecting your company from a cyberattack; the latest changes to the ACA; the state of Albany from people who lived it; and much more. Speakers include: former Governor David Paterson; Bob Duffy, the President and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance; former Assemblyman Michael Benjamin; former Senator George Winner; plus policy experts from the U.S. Chamber, the Cuomo administration and the state Legislature. Register: http://bit.ly/1U18llx **