Winners & Losers 06/19/15

It's too soon to determine who will win the end-of-session fight over a handful of key agenda items as Albany leaders continue to wheel and deal past their own scheduled deadline. But that didn't stop us from finding five picks to populate our lists. So take your dog to dinner, tell your kids about the importance of the wood frog and enjoy this week's winners and losers. 

WINNERS

Michael Bloomberg – The former mayor reminded everyone how magnanimous he can be when he donated $100 million to the Cornell Tech campus he helped bring to Roosevelt Island. Impressed? Bill de Blasio certainly was. The current mayor—who’s spent the last year and a half either trash talking or renaming his predecessor’s policies—nevertheless found himself singing Bloomberg’s praises: “Largely due to his will and his sense of vision we are here today.” Kinda makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, don’t it?

Deborah Glick and Kenneth LaValle – One of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s priorities this session was “Enough is Enough,” a bill aimed at combating sexual assault in college. The bill was one of the few deals announced early this week, but with Cuomo under fire for things running late this victory goes to two lawmakers who helped get the bill across the finish line: Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and state Sen. Kenneth LaValle.

Aileen Gunther and Kemp Hannon – It doesn’t look good to be taking up bills on dogs and wood frogs while 2 million New Yorkers worry about the impact of expired rent regulations, but lawmakers did pass more substantial legislation in the meantime. One such bill—sponsored by Gunther and Hannon—expands the rights of women who are breastfeeding by encouraging employers to provide a private space and ensuring mothers can take breaks as needed at work for up to three years.

Nick Perry – Almost unnoticed in the end-of-session chaos, the Brooklyn Democrat was elected as chair of the Assembly’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus. Perry edged out Assemblyman Walter Mosley after it was reported that Mosley was “hiding” outside the chamber during a controversial bill to establish a monitor for the east Ramapo School District, a district which has many students that come from immigrant families—particularly Latino families. ¡Qué lástima!

James Seward and Aravella Simotas – While the three men in the room failed to make much headway this week, lawmakers took several steps that should benefit women: combating sexual assault in college, making it easier to breastfeed at work, and—in legislation sponsored by Seward and Simotas—allowing uninsured pregnant women to sign up for coverage through the state’s health exchange. Honorable mention goes to state Sen. Liz Krueger and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer for their role in building momentum for the bill.

LOSERS

Allen Cappelli- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's only board member from Staten Island is on his way out, leaving borough officials and transit advocates disappointed. Since 2008, Cappelli took full advantage of the unpaid position to push for transit improvements in the borough and has been an outspoken voice against raising fares. We may never know why Cuomo decided to replace him, but some observers were quick to point out that Cappelli served as campaign manager for Carl McCall in his 2002 bid against Cuomo for governor—and we all know the governor's reputation for holding a grudge. 

Daniel Melamed – Melamed has the distinguished honor of being the first New York City landlord to get arrested as a result of a new joint task force from the state attorney general’s office and Mayor Bill de Blasio that is investigating properties subject to tenant harassment complaints. The guy allegedly turned the heat off in his quest to force tenants out of a rent-regulated building in Crown Heights, and is also charged with endangering the welfare of a child and filing a false document. May the arrest of Mr. Melamed be just the first of many.

Dawn Sanders-Garrett – The executive director of the troubled Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority got some bad press this week, with the agency-controlled Marine Drive housing complex making The Buffalo News' front page, followed by a scathing editorial. According to residents, sewage flows back into apartments, living spaces are infested with mold and elevators are consistently broken, with staff slow to respond. Some even claimed the authority is neglecting the complex because its prime location would make it ripe for a big pay day from a private developer. All of this comes amidst extra scrutiny from HUD, the federal entity funding BMHA. For Sanders-Garrett, that's enough headaches to last a few years.

Dora Schriro – The former New York City correction commissioner was behind a $16.7 million intake center at Rikers Island meant to combine five separate entry points to the prison into one. Unfortunately, the layout for the center was so poorly designed that prison officials decided to shut down the “tennis bubble” buildings early last year, just three months after they had opened. While wasting taxpayer money might be the least of prison officials’ worries, this blunder certainly doesn’t help the prison with its public image issues.

Audrey Zibelman – New York’s initiative to revamp the state’s energy delivery system has drawn positive reviews—but an in-depth report this week on the web of ties between Zibelman, the state’s top energy regulator, and various energy businesses casts doubt on how above-board some of the state’s recent dealings with energy companies have been. Although Zibelman quickly cut ties with one such company, the opaque system that allowed the potential conflicts of interest remains in place.