Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
Congestion pricing is finally here, and it turns out you don’t need – as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene may have you believe – “Jewish space lasers” to destroy the cameras tracking cars driving into Midtown. According to New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino, whose X post went viral last week, a $30 green laser pointer should do the trick (or maybe just ride public transit). By the way, we asked – according to her son, the council member does not own a laser pointer herself. Though Paladino says it was a joke, much less funny – yet perhaps equally confounding – was the news last week that the Turkish House, whose approved permits are at the heart of the federal probe into New York City Mayor Eric Adams, has still remained open without the necessary paperwork.
Janno Lieber -
The patron saint of challenging projects performed a miracle on 61st Street. After a long, difficult – maybe still not entirely complete fight – New York City became the first American city to implement congestion pricing this week. After a false start in June, the tolling program is now underway. While it will take time to evaluate its full effects, the sky has yet to fall, and Lieber gets to cement a legacy as a bold leader.
Hillary Rodham Clinton & Carolyn McCarthy -
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Joe Biden. She is the fourth former U.S. senator from New York to receive the award. Meanwhile, former Long Island Rep. Carolyn McCarthy received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor. A nurse, McCarthy entered public life as a gun control advocate after her husband was killed and son wounded in the 1993 LIRR shooting.
Zellnor Myrie, Kristen Gonzalez & Ed Braunstein -
A new legislative session means it’s time for new committee chairs. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie is taking over the Codes Committee at a time when public safety is a major concern – and as he’s running for mayor of New York City. State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez gets to take his place as chair of the Elections Committee, while keeping leadership of the Internet & Technology Committee. The Assembly saw even more shake-ups, with Assembly Member Ed Braunstein taking over the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee that oversees the MTA.
Michael Ryan -
The executive director of the city Board of Elections is apparently fond of saying stuff like “How young is too young?” “What does ‘pa la cama’ mean?” and “What type of Indian are you?” His quizzical behavior and weird comments about race and sexuality made staffers really uncomfortable, they told the Department of Investigation, which found that he created a hostile work environment. The DOI pushed for Ryan to resign, but he’s instead following the playbook of many other embattled leaders in our city and sticking around for now.
Erin Gall -
Former state Supreme Court judge Erin Gall will never render another verdict – although she’s shown before that she has the gall to flout codes of conduct, so maybe she’ll find a way. Her racist tirade outside of an Oneida County party already led her to resign from the bench, but now the state Court of Appeals has banned her from holding a judgeship of any kind in New York. In a particularly steep fall from grace, she landed a job in Herkimer County as assistant county attorney. Who would have thought threatening to shoot Black teenagers could end so badly?
Jeff Blau and Bruce Beal Jr. -
Related Companies’ top brass suffered a setback when Manhattan Community Board 4 unanimously rejected their $12 billion proposed casino project with Wynn Resorts at Hudson Yards. Now, community boards are rarely known for welcoming new developments, and the vote doesn’t officially stop the proposal in any way, but it does show that Steve Cohen isn’t the only casino-hawking magnate facing local opposition. And that, in the end, could prove to be a deciding factor against the other Manhattan casinos proposals.