Bloomberg Hosts Assembly Thursday Night

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By Azi Paybarah

January 28, 2008 | 1:44 p.m

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Michael Bloomberg will woo Assembly members at a dinner in Gracie Mansion Thursday.

An event for both the Assembly and the Senate is annual, but this year Bloomberg may have some specific goals in mind. Testifying in Albany today on Eliot Spitzer's budget—which cuts $500 million in fund promised to the city—he made the plea that New York City get its "fair share" of state money. The mayor is also hoping to get more legislators on board with congestion pricing (which both city and state lawmakers have to approve in order to tap into millions of dollars in federal funding), his proposed cigarette tax increase, and other issues.

When asked about the event, Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser emailed this statement:

"The Mayor hosts the entire Assembly and the entire Senate to a reception or dinner at Gracie every year, except for once when we hosted the Senate in the Governor's room at City Hall. It's one of the reasons why, with only a few exceptions, we've gotten everything we've asked for from Albany over the years."