Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
This week's biggest Winners & Losers. City & State
No one said that the Summer of Blaz wouldn’t have some casualties. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has taken over the mantle of “cool dude in a loose mood” in the waning days of his administration, upped the ante with a monster-truckesque display of mayhem. He presided over the unceremonious crushing of illegal dirt bikes confiscated by cops, an event he seemed pretty excited about. Unfortunately, dirt bikes can’t be losers as they are inanimate, but there are plenty of living, breathing winners and losers to pick from this week.
Andrew Cuomo -
The ex-governor might be laughing all the way to the bank now that a state ethics body is letting him keep the millions of dollars he made from his one-time best-seller. That’ll make sure the unemployed, 60-something has more than a little nest egg to get through the upcoming months as he contemplates his political future. He might never be able to overcome all those scandals that drove him from office, but at least he doesn't have to worry anymore about those semi-taxpayer-funded trust funds for the kiddies.
Peter Abbate -
The Assembly Civil Service Committee chair must’ve gotten three times the joy of his state Senate counterparts John Brooks, Diane Savino and Andrew Gounardes when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed bills they all sponsored to help first responders hurt by 9/11. The Brooklyn Democrat carried all three bills in his chamber. That ought to give union-minded voters reasons to reelect him next year even if they weren’t sold on those progressive chops he supposedly got at Woodstock.
Henry Garrido -
Nevermind the court of public opinion – New York City is a pro-vaxx town – the boss of DC 37 only needs the support of his members. And the city’s public employees likely loved to see him fighting for them, most recently by winning a temporary hold (along with other city labor leaders) on Mayor de Blasio’s vaccine mandate for municipal workers. Garrido says he wants everyone vaccinated – he just doesn’t want it to be a condition of employment. Whether you think that’s fair or reckless, it’s a minor issue compared to Nicki Minaj’s fear mongering about her cousin’s friend’s testicles.
DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi -
Things are looking B-A-D for the DOC. New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi has quite a mess to clean up with the recent uproar over conditions at Rikers Island. The complex has had a record 10 deaths this year, at least half of which were by suicide. While the DOC announced a five-point plan earlier this year to improve conditions across city jails, on Tuesday a pressured Mayor Bill de Blasio announced another five-point plan specifically targeting Rikers.
David Imamura and Jack Martins -
No one said redistricting would be easy, but the discord in simply releasing some drafts seemed a little overkill. The New York State Independent Redistricting Commission released not one, but two sets of potential maps. Democrats supported one, while Republicans backed the other. That left commission chair David Imamura and vice chair Jack Martins at the head of a panel evenly split down party lines. Attempts to take politics out of redistricting are off to a stellar start.
Chris Jacobs -
Looks like one Western New York congressman got caught slow-stepping, failing to report securities trades within the 45-day deadline. Rep. Chris Jacobs, representing the 27th congressional district, made 13 securities trades between Jan. 19 and July 16, but he signed the report on Sept. 3, according to State of Politics. The sedition-favoring wealthy real estate developer’s latest blunder could trigger flashbacks to his predecessor, Rep. Chris Collins, who resigned from his seat after pleading guilty to insider trading. Collins got pardoned by former President Donald Trump. Is Jacobs going to find himself wishing 45 was still in office?