Results tagged “vote”

Apparently, today's a bad day to be the richest and most powerful person in New York City. In the wake of last night's not-as-big-as-predicted victory over Democrat Bill Thompson, the press has decided that Mayor Bloomberg's easy days are behind him. The Times thinks that for the first time in years, the mayor "finds himself governing New York City from a most unaccustomed vantage point: Vulnerability" — a fact that "could have profound implications for the tenor of a third Bloomberg term, not least that it is likely to hinder the mayor’s well-honed ability to cow Democrats and liberal interest groups."

It's Election Day and polls in NYC have been open since 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m. You can find your polling site here.

If you're like most of us, you so totally meant to vote in today's primary run-off (especially since you're paying through the nose for it). But you're definitely going to vote after work tonight, in between the million other friggin' errands on your list. Well, hopefully somebody finds the time, because it's lonely out there for a poll worker today. Coordinator Joseph Lawrence is trying to put on a brave face, telling City Room turnout was "better than I expected: maybe 4 percent instead of 2 percent." But at most poll sites "there’s nothing to do, the time just drifts by." Old man river... And at PS 163 on the Upper West Side, at least one poll worker had to be awakened when a voter shockingly appeared to participate in the democratic process.

Author Robert Sullivan, who writes provocative bicycling op-ed pieces for the Times when he's not writing about rats and the American Revolution, has a suggestion to solve the ongoing tension between cyclists and pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge walkway. He proposes that the city ban bicycles entirely from the walkway, and shift them down to the motor vehicle roadways by creating physically protected bike lanes.

Brooklyn prosecutors expect to meet next week with gotcha "journalists" James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles to view raw hidden-camera footage recorded by the duo at an ACORN office in Brooklyn, where they duped employees of the community organizing group into giving bad advice to Giles, posing as a prostitute with O'Keefe as her pimp. A spokesman for the Brooklyn DA tells the Daily News, "This is a first step, and there are possible criminal charges." As you probably know by now, the heavily edited video has become a rallying cry for drown-government-in-the-bathtub right-wingers, and yesterday the House of Representatives voted 345 to 75 to deny funding for ACORN. The vote came on a provision attached to a student aid bill; on Monday the Senate voted 83 to 7 to deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN. According to the AP, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the latest allegations against ACORN as "horrible," but she still believes the group has many honest employees and stresses that it's up to House-Senate negotiators to determine whether the provision to cut funding remains in the final version of the bill.

Yesterday's primary election had the lowest turnout in history. Overall, less than 400,000 registered voters headed to the polls. According to the AP, the mayoral matchup between Democrats City Comptroller William Thompson and City Councilman Tony Avella was really low: "About 10 percent of New York City's 3.1 million registered Democrats came out to vote in the contest, where just two candidates were competing."

Today is Primary Day, with polls open between 6 a.m and 9 p.m. There are (mostly Democratic) races all over the city, whether for City Council seats or borough-wide office like Manhattan DA, but the big ones are the Mayoral, Public Advocate and City Comptroller competitions. Comptroller Bill Thompson and City Councilman are facing off in the Democratic mayoral primary; Councilmen Bill De Blasio and Eric Gioia, former Public Advocate Mark Green and civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel are fighting for the PA spot; and Council members Melinda Katz, John Liu, David Weprin and David Yassky are vying to be Comptroller. The winner must get 40% of the vote, or there will be a run-off. Only registered voters can vote in the primary; for more information, the Board of Elections and check out Gotham Gazette's Guide for the Last Minute (Primary) Voter. And experts think turnout will be low—15-18%, 450,000-500,000 people (1.1 million voted when it was Koch vs. Dinkins in 1989)—since there's no big mayoral matchup.

Despite objections from Save Coney Island and others, the City Council's land-use committee approved the city's controversial rezoning of Coney Island, putting the plan on track for full Council approval on July 29th. Some opponents were hoping the committee would send the plan back to the drawing board so that the proposed open-air amusement park be expanded and four high-rise hotel towers planned for the south side of Surf Avenue could be relocated. According to City Room, Councilman Dominic Recchia Jr. hinted that the city may expand the amusement area, but that will only happen if the Bloomberg administration can finalize a long-stalled deal to buy 10.5 acres of land from developer Joe Sitt before the full council votes. Sitt, who could probably best Bruce Ratner in a douchiest developer contest, told the Post yesterday, "I'm the guy who controls this—it's my sandbox." He added that he's willing "to share my sandbox with my friend Mayor Mike," but Mike wants to buy the land outright, and hasn't ruled out seizing the sandbox through eminent domain.

On July 1st, the New York City Council was expected to pass the Bicycle Access to Buildings bill, which would require commercial landlords to allow tenants to bring bikes inside office buildings with freight elevators. Many building managers refuse to let workers bring their bicycles inside, even if their employer lets them keep their bikes at their desks, and the new bill, Intro. 871, would allow landlords the flexibility to develop individual access plans that suit their buildings and their tenants. (Department of City Planning says the biggest barrier cited by potential bicycle commuters is the lack of safe places to store their bikes.) But Councilman John Liu, who chairs the Transportation Committee, refused to bring it up for a vote. After working on the bill for eight months with the DOT, DOB, Mayor's Office, landlords, and community advocates, Liu abruptly decided that transportation agency can't handle more responsibility. Cycling advocates are pissed, and Councilman David Yassky, who authored the legislation, says Liu pulled the plug so Yassky can't claim credit during the election. Yassky tells the Post, "All I know is the bill was slated to pass the council on Tuesday and it was derailed at the last minute. I sense politics is at work."

The Rent Guidelines Board's annual carnival of cacophony—wherein hundreds of rent-stabilized tenants shout themselves hoarse as the board votes to raise their rents again—goes down tonight at Cooper Union. Speaking to the Daily News, board chairman Marvin Markus describes the always raucous affair as "one of the rites of spring," and quips, "Maybe we'll give out Valium." Ha ha, making a mockery of "rent stabilization" is always good for a laugh.

With a controversial bill to legalize same-sex unions still waiting in the wings for a Senate vote, Republicans and Democrats in Albany are bickering like an old married couple. Earlier this week, openly-gay Democratic Senator Thomas Duane—the bill's prime sponsor—predicted he had enough votes to pass the measure, but a survey of all State Senators contradicted that assertion. And yesterday Bronx Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., who opposes the bill, blasted Duane's loose talk: "If Senator Tom Duane has the necessary Senate votes to pass the homosexual marriage bill in New York State, then he should release the names of those Senators who are supporting the bill. If not, he should shut up."

The State Supreme Court in California has voted 6-1 to uphold Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in the state last November. But in upholding the law, the court also agreed to validate the 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place between June of last year when gay marriage was legalized (by the same court) and November, when Prop 8 was passed by the voters.

The Community Board that oversees Coney Island voted last week to approve 20 amendments to the city's development plans for the area, and the changes are seen by some as suspiciously friendly to controversial developer Joe Sitt. The recommended changes include allowing big box retailers of up to 10,000 square feet in the amusement zone on Surf Avenue, dropping plans to turn the amusement zone over to the parks department, eliminating the threat of eminent domain against Sitt, and removing from consideration the construction of a "Wonder Wheel Way," a proposed central promenade through the amusement district.

As you may have heard, on February 17th, all TV stations in America were supposed to stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and start broadcasting in digital. But the changeover turned into a big mess, with the government running out of the coupons TV fans need to get converters for their old analog sets. There are over 1.5 million people on a waiting list for the coupons, and Congress knows that if they can't watch their stories there's going to be hell to pay. So yesterday the House passed a bill to buy more time, which means we'll all have to wait until June 12th to watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles digitally. Gotham Gazette has a damning exposé on the debacle, revealing that the converters are out of stock at many local retailers, and some stores like Radio Shack have been demanding unnecessary personal information from consumers when they try to redeem the coupons.

Yesterday the State Assembly passed legislation that would scale back increases on rent-regulated apartments statewide, returning to regulation tens of thousands of units that were converted to market rate in recent years. According to the Times, the bill would also lower to 10 percent, from 20 percent, the amount a landlord can raise the rent after an apartment's been vacated; limit the owner's ability to recover a rent-regulated apartment for personal use; and increase fines for landlords who harass their tenants to try and drive them away.

Much chatter followed Two Trees (David and Jed Walentas's) proposal for an 18-story residential building near the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO. The building would include a public middle school and "dozens of units of below-market-rate housing," but the Brooklyn Paper reports that neighborhood folk don't want to "block some views of the historic span."

The head of the State Liquor Authority is telling the Post that an aide to Governor Paterson tried to intimidate him last summer into voting to renew liquor licenses for nine restaurants owned by the Ciprianis. You'll recall that the Cipriani empire—which includes the Rainbow Room—was jeopardized earlier this year when patriarch Arrigo Capriani and his son Giuseppe pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Felons are prohibited from holding liquor licenses in New York State, but the SLA voted 2-1 for renewal, with Chairman Daniel Boyle casting the lone dissent. Now he's come forward to say, "There's no question there was an attempt to intimidate me," made by Paterson's aide (and former state Senator) Carl Andrews, who allegedly told Boyle, "People here [in the Governor's office] are who you answer to."

A day after Antitrust star Tim Robbins excoriated the Board of Elections in an open letter that described commissioner Gregory Soumas as a "petty vindictive corrupt scumbag," the bureaucrats have fired back with their own open letter! After some boilerplate about how the NYC BOE "takes special pride in the conduct of the November 4, 2008 election," and how they "recognize the need for all voters to be informed of all electoral procedural requirements," the letter gets down to brass tacks: "We also recognize and applaud that passion of Mr. Robbins exhibited with regard to his Election Day experience. Therefore, to harness the passion of Mr. Robbins, and to further the purpose of the NYC BOE, we hereby extend our invitation Mr. Robbins to join the NYC BOE to produce voter participation service announcements." Your move, Norville Barnes!

If you thought Barack Obama's decisive victory might shut up Arlington Road star Tim Robbins, well, you don't know Tim Robbins. First he was outraged when poll workers wouldn't let him vote at his regular voting place on Election Day, then he was doubly incensed when the Board of Elections publicly blamed the snafu on him (for supposedly registering twice with a different address). Now the Fraternity Vacation star has gone all Huff Post on the BoE with—fasten your seat belts—a witheringly contemptuous open letter. It begins: Dear [Board of Elections Commissioner Gregory] Soumas, I would like to publicly apologize for being such a dim-witted dilettante on Election Day. I was under the naïve assumption that I could vote where I voted in the last two elections." It gets worse from there, and after ruthlessly rocking Soumas's cradle with a mystical river of sarcasm, Robbins's ire reaches its highest fidelity with, "...you are a petty vindictive corrupt scumbag." You gonna take that, Soumas?!

Obama won big in Brooklyn (79%–20%) November 4th, but not in South Williamsburg, where the largely Hasidic population voted overwhelmingly for John McCain. The Brooklyn Paper reports that the three election districts populated by Satmar Hasidim voted for McCain over Obama by 84% to 16%—while nationwide Obama won 77% of the Jewish vote. What's up, Hasidim? Reporter Zeke Faux finds the landslide "ironic" because the Satmars believe the Messiah will only come after Israel falls, and McCain surrogates portrayed Obama as anti-Israel. But McCain voter Shlomo Friedman says, "Israel wasn’t a big issue. It’s more people here are not going to go with someone [Obama] who’s not so stable." Another insisted that McCain would be better "running the economy." Faux also theorizes that the McCain support could be explained by an inclination among Hasidim to respect elders.

More on Tim Robbins Voter-gate! City Room has a thorough exposé on what went wrong for the Tapeheads star on Election Day, when he showed up to vote at the YMCA on West 14th Street and was told that his name was not in the Poll List Book. His misadventures got a lot of media attention after he refused to fill out a provisional ballot, accused poll workers of trying to "intimidate" him, and finally got a judge at the Board of Elections office to issue an order permitting him to vote.

In addition to approving a measure that loosens restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, Michigan voters also approved a medical marijuana ballot measure yesterday by an overwhelming majority, voting 63% to 37% to remove state-level penalties for registered patients using marijuana. But unlike other states such as California, the bill won't create legal dispensaries for the drug. Of course, not every one was for it: 20-year-old poindexter Claire Luczak, an uptight junior at the University of Michigan, said she voted against the proposal because "it would be too easy to get it. I know hundreds of people who smoke pot, and I think people would get it for recreational use and not legitimate reasons." And yesterday Massachusetts voters approved a marijuana decriminalization proposition that will make getting caught with less than an ounce of pot punishable by a civil fine of $100. [Hat tip Camera Club.]

              

Americans all over the country are heading to their polling places to cast their votes for President as well as a number of other races. Polls opened at 6 a.m. in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and they close at 8 p.m. in NJ and CT and at 9 p.m. in NY.

Tim Robbins made a big stink at the YMCA on West 14th Street this morning when he was told that his name was not on the voter list. According to City Room, Robbins has been voting at the same polling place since 1997, but for some unknown reason, his name was nowhere to be found when he went in this morning. The Times happened upon him sitting in a folding chair looking dejected and annoyed: "The poll workers here know me...The woman said she remembered seeing me here for the primaries."

Tonight, while you're at home baking your Yes We Cake, you may wonder where you'll be able to enjoy it tomorrow. We've got you covered with some restaurants, bars, venues and parties where you can watch the results come in.

Sure, it's going to be gratifying voting for Barack Obama Tuesday (sorry one McCain reader), but the folks at Babeland want to make you feel even more gratified. Like, between your legs, if you know what we mean. The sex toy shop just sent over a press release, declaring that every voter that comes into their shop next Tuesday (and through the 11th) will receive a Silver Bullet vibrator, or a Maverick (pictured). That second one is for the men out there, and to put it conservatively, it's a...sleeve. All you have to do is "bring your voter registration card, ballot stub or your word of honor that you cast a ballot on November 4th" and they'll hook you up with the goods, which will probably help keep stress levels down until the election results are in.

Bucky from ANIMAL New York just emailed us about registering to vote in Brooklyn today:

I just went to 345 Adams Street [pictured] to register to vote. Today is the absolute last day for walk-ins. Yesterday was deadline for mail-in registration.

Continue reading "Today is Last Day for Walk-In Voter Registration"

The third and final day of Summer Streets was Saturday, and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan tells the Times, “I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews. When I was along the route, most people I talked to wanted it done every weekend in the summer.” But as previously noted, some retailers complained about losing business during the five hours that streets were closed to motor vehicles – particularly "destination" shops like T. Anthony Ltd., a luxury luggage store on Park Avenue. Owner Jack Weiss theorizes that, “If someone is coming to buy luggage, they’re generally going to bring a car.”

                      

Well, that's that. McCarren Pool – the giant Robert Moses-era landmark that's been revived as a music, theater, dance and film venue after decades of neglect – hosted its last free 'pool party' yesterday. The Bloomberg administration has allocated $50 million to renovate the pool for swimming, restore the historic bathhouse building, and build a year-round recreation center that is to include a skate park and an ice rink.

Street artist Clark Clark (fake name alert) has been urging New Yorkers to vote through his "VOTE" graffiti campaign. The design mimics that of Robert Indiana's famous LOVE sculpture circa the 1970s. The 25-year-old Clark told The Villager:

“I’ve hit four boroughs now,” Clark said, sitting in his Flatbush, Brooklyn, apartment, surrounded by his own work. “I still want to do Staten Island. I had wanted to go and do all of Vito Fossella’s walls, but he did the right thing and stepped down.”