Winners & Losers 1/29/16

With the entire political world focused on Iowa, it might be time for New York to take a back seat for once. But three candidates duking it out for top spots in the Midwestern state's caucuses (Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton) all have strong ties to the Empire State, and now there are rumblings of an independent bid by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. As much as some people don’t want “New York values” driving the national conversation, they're still yuuuge! And don’t leave the voting to the Iowans – vote now for Winners & Losers!

WINNERS

Bill de Blasio – While the mayor avoided botching the cleanup after last weekend’s blizzard and even garnered rare praise from Cuomo, he had an even better performance in Albany this week, bringing a humbler attitude and smaller wish list to his marathon budget testimony session. It paid off, with multiple legislators offering complimentary remarks. Plus, he even got his meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan. (Third time must be the charm when asking to meet with the opposition!) Now he’s off to Iowa to campaign for Hillary Clinton, hoping his good week translates into a good performance for his preferred presidential candidate.

Staten Island Chuck – This Groundhog Day will be different for the borough’s favorite predictor. “Chuck” stand-in Charlotte died from internal injuries just a week after de Blasio dropped her in 2014. And Chuck in 2015 suffered the indignity of being held in plexiglass prison. No word on how Chuck will be presented this year, but at least the tall terror of a mayor will be skipping the event to stump in Iowa.

Andrew Cuomo – Cuomo was in his element during Winter Storm Jonas, closing rail lines, declaring a state of emergency and deploying state workers and equipment to help the Big Apple dig out of the snow while playing his favorite role: Man of Action. So it was no surprise that the Guv stopped to help a motorist stuck in a median just outside New York City, hooked the vehicle to the Cuomomobile – and had photos taken to tweet out before yanking the car back onto the road. It’s unclear whether he actually drove the SUV to pull the car from the snow, but one thing is certain – as was on display during last year’s crippling snows in Buffalo – the man knows his way around a blizzard.

Melissa Mark-Viverito – If all goes according to plan, the New York City Council speaker is poised to get a $27,000 raise. The City Council is slated to vote Feb. 5 on hefty pay raises for city elected officials, with larger increases than the 23 percent recommended for lawmakers by a panel earlier this year. Of course, the $164,500 salary Mark-Viverito would rake in isn’t what it used to be in New York City, but it’s a tidy sum for a public official.

Nily Rozic and Diane Savino – Cheers to these lawmakers. Their legislation to get NFL teams to classify cheerleaders as employees (and give them the associated protections) got a boost this week as the Jets agreed to a more than $320,000 settlement with the “Flight Crew,” whose members claimed to earn less than $2 an hour. Next step: getting a team ACTUALLY based in New York to pay its cheerleaders fairly.

LOSERS

Daniel Horwitz – With a parade of scandal-plagued state lawmakers departing Albany in disgrace, the state’s ethics watchdog is taking decisive action … by requiring P.R. consultants who speak with journalists to register as lobbyists. Not to worry, flacks! A “garden variety” chat between a reporter and a lobbyist is fine by Horowitz, JCOPE’s chairman. While we try to sort that one out – and we promise nobody pitched us on including you here, Mr. Horwitz – how about studying up on a little thing called the First Amendment?

Jacques Jiha – You’d think that basic tax forms and straightforward tax credit programs meant for residential property owners would be something the New York City Department of Finance would have a strong handle on. So it’s hard to explain how the agency, led by Jiha, allowed developers and other corporate entities to exploit the tax credit, which they were not eligible for, to the tune of about $10 million. Department officials could not say whether they will be able to recoup the funds, but assured city taxpayers they were looking into the matter. We’re sure that brings New Yorkers a lot of comfort.

Ben Kallos – The New York City councilman introduced a bill to ban restaurants from giving out toys with kids’ meals unless they they meet strict nutrition standards. While the move is an effort to help kids be more healthy, even the city Department of Health is opposed, saying it will not combat obesity. Additionally, as far as a politician’s image goes, it never helps to take toys away from children.

Daniel Nigro – Blizzard aside, the FDNY commissioner is feeling the heat. The Department of Investigation decided to investigate Nigro’s alleged use of two fire crews to clear snow piled up outside his Queens home after the Post got the scoop. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who chairs the Committee on Fire & Criminal Justice, praised the decision to probe the matter.

Howard Zucker – Former state Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah used to avoid reporters at all costs over the state’s fracking study. That tactic runs deep in the department, with current state Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker preventing reporters from asking questions about water pollution in Hoosick Falls. But, don’t worry – Erin Brockovich is on the case.