Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
It’s well-documented that New York City Mayor Eric Adams wears many hats – literally – and this week, both the caps he donned and the teams emblazoned on them were the talk of the town. New York baseball fans are abuzz about the possibility of this year’s World Series being a Subway Series, with both the Mets and Yankees vying for their league’s respective pennants. But Adams appeared to jump the gun this week, sporting a hat with both teams’ logos on it. You can’t have your cake (or perhaps crackerjacks?) and eat it, too, Mr. Mayor! On Thursday, Adams made a much more socially acceptable choice in accessories, wearing a New York Liberty cap less than 24 hours after the team’s All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu drained the game-winning three ball from the logo to put the Liberty one win away from a championship. If you ask us, that’s a better use of a logo.
Peter Rizzo -
All the news out of New York these days seems to be about indictments and FBI raids. But the sun is peeking through the clouds. Peter Rizzo, a federal government employee from Buffalo, has been awarded the 2024 U.S. Public Servant Award for his history of federal whistleblowing. Rizzo exposed a federal contractor refusing to build housing in minority neighborhoods, a deadly intersection at a veterans cemetery and a massive leak of veterans’ data. Thank you Peter!
Melissa Aviles-Ramos -
New York City’s new schools chancellor has officially taken over following the departure of David Banks. Melissa Aviles-Ramos, a department veteran who previously worked as an English teacher, principal and superintendent in the Bronx, has served in a key role integrating migrant students into the school system. Her promotion is a win for Latinos in New York City, who have relatively little representation in the upper echelons of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
Chris Alexander -
Chris Alexander appeared to have a rocky future after he left his post running the state Office of Cannabis Management, departing after a troubled recreational pot rollout. Turns out he didn’t have much waiting to do before he landed his next role as executive director of the NAACP New York State Conference. Alexander is now helming one of the most influential chapters of the preeminent civil rights organizations in the world. So much for his career going up in smoke.
Jeffrey Dinowitz & Jamaal Bailey -
We’ve all been there. You transfer $400,000 to a different account in multiple installments over four years – and then you just lose track of it. New York Focus reported that the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, led by Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, funneled the big bucks to the Bronx Democratic Party, led by state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, and the records of the funds end there. Meanwhile, Democrats in actual swing districts were losing their seats. All seems a bit fishy. Side note – people should start responding to Sam Mellins’ requests for comment.
Eric Adams -
In what’s become a series of tough weeks for Mayor Eric Adams, we’ve tried to keep a high bar for including him on our losers list. But alas, after bringing in his smallest campaign fundraising haul since taking office and raising a meager amount for his legal defense trust at a time when he needs it most, while the New York City Council plans to form its own commission to challenge the balance of power in City Hall, we must welcome the mayor back to our humble list.
Molly Wasow Park -
Will any agency evade the sharp eye of the city Department of Investigation? Despite troubling staffing levels at the DOI – and a full docket of investigations on their plate already – the agency released a new report that found problems at 51 city-funded nonprofits operating homeless shelters, including conflicts of interest, nepotism, and lax control for how city money is used to compensate executives. A couple dozen recommendations in the report give Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park a full plate of her own.