It was Sunshine Week and the start of spring, so everything was bright and shining—right? Well, not for everyone. Somehow there was plenty of light shed on the budget process, even though it takes place behind closed doors. Oliver Koppell got a boost from the governor, who probably wants people to forget about the support he himself is getting from Ken Langone. And while the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was sunny in the city, the luck of the Irish didn’t rub off on the DREAMers in Albany. Even on what should be the best week since the end of summer, as always, there were winners and there were losers.

WINNERS

John Coombs – Coombs, the Vulcan Society president, is just one of many winners this week after New York City settled a discrimination case for $98 million over accusations that the FDNY systematically avoided hiring minority firefighters. The agreement with the society of black firefighters will provide back pay to minority applicants and also requires the creation of a chief diversity officer.  And while Mayor de Blasio has had plenty of crises lately, he can point to this decision as a win and a decisive break from his predecessor. 

Jay Jacobs – Sure, the head of the Nassau County Dems might have something personal against the Independence Party. But Jacobs’ criticism of the party and his call to reject it has had an impact, with gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino pledging not to run on its line. The governor conspicuously declined to say whether he would accept the line—we’re guessing that such talk must wait until the “silly season”—while a Republican ally, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, tore into Jacobs. Then again, if everybody’s mad at him, maybe he has a point.

John King – King has been a perpetual loser for months, some weeks not even needing to make a public appearance to get blasted over Common Core or inBloom or any one of the numerous controversial education issues. But this week the federal Department of Education gave New York a pat on the back with a positive Race to the Top report card. Enjoy the win, John—the budget negotiations taking the focus away from education reform will end soon.

Michael Kink – Who said the rich don’t help the poor? Strong Economy for All’s Kink reportedly makes more per year than Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other economy advocates. He didn’t deny the claims of a $183,000 salary, either (though he also didn’t confirm). We say good for you, Mike. Almost $200,000 a year is a good haul, assuming you can deliver for the less-fortunate people you fight for.

Oliver Koppell – Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he doesn’t want to talk politics—well, maybe he does just a little. Cuomo has been mum on his own political campaign, but he gave a small boost to Koppell, saying the former AG is following a good strategy by not announcing a run against Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein until after the budget. And Koppell is getting support from outside of his district too, with signatories statewide joining a petition to get him to run. If Koppell turns out to be more than a Donald Trump, it might be time for Klein to start focusing his efforts on winning a Democratic primary. 

LOSERS

Mark Cranston – It’s not just the inmate that died at Rikers Island. It’s not only that he died in an overheated cell. It’s that the case reflected the New York City jail’s rampant dysfunction, from violent confrontations to widespread mental illness among inmates, which was exposed this week in the Times. And given Bill de Blasio’s bumpy start—the mayor almost made it on our losers list for yet another week—you can bet that the boss isn’t happy with Cranston, the acting commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections, for yet another crisis.

Joseph Giulietti – If you thought that simply shaking up the leadership would fix everything at Metro-North, you thought wrong. The feds this week issued a blistering report of the commuter line, blasting it for prioritizing on-time service at the expense of safety. Of course, Giulietti’s new to the job, and may eventually be able to follow through on a pledge to change the culture and put the focus on one thing and one thing only: safety.  

Ken Langone – The Home Depot co-founder might want to pick up some duct tape the next time he’s at one of his stores so he can tape his mouth shut. In discussing the rise of populists and what it means for wealthy GOP donors like himself, Langone used Hitler and Nazi Germany as an example of how “you don’t survive as a society if you encourage and thrive on envy or jealousy.” Not only did Langone create a backlash for himself, he also put pressure on New York’s top Democrat—Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Maybe instead of running the Republicans for Cuomo campaign, he should focus on Home Depot, lest he hampers Cuomo’s goal of stealing support from Rob Astorino.

David Paterson – Breaking up is hard to do, but apparently firing your ex is not. At least not for the former governor, who reportedly fired his ex-girlfriend, Pamela Bane, as his $70,000-a-year aide after she broke up with him at the end of last year. Now, according to Page Six, Bane is weighing a sexual harassment suit, while a rep for Paterson complained of mudslinging. The Post gets a dishonorable mention in this entry for its tasteless lead in the Paterson item: “No nookie, no workie.”

Jose Peralta – Maybe it was a setup or maybe it wasn’t, but when Peralta’s DREAM Act actually came up for a vote this week, the Democrats in the state Senate simply could not muster enough votes to pass it. Now even the governor—who said earlier this week that the legislation was a priority—is emphasizing the bill’s long odds. Absent a miracle at Somos this weekend, it looks like the DREAM Act is only in Peralta’s dreams.