NY Observer > George Arzt http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/25003/feed Articles from Observer.com en Arzt on Spitzer on Silver http://www.observer.com/2008/arzt-spitzer-once-said-silver-just-doesnt-understand

 

Here's a clip from this morning's panel at the New School about Eliot Spitzer's political prospects for the rest of his first term.

In the clip, consultant George Arzt shares a not-so-public moment from a V.I.P. reception at a fund-raiser for Denny Farrell.

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/arzt-spitzer-once-said-silver-just-doesnt-understand#comments George Arzt Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:46:49 -0500 Azi Paybarah 65714 at http://www.observer.com At the New School, Special-Election Theories and Spitzer Memories http://www.observer.com/2008/new-school-special-election-theories-and-spitzer-memories

This morning, the New School hosted a panel discussion on whether Eliot Spitzer can regain his political capital. (The answer is already looking quite different in light of yesterday's special election.)

Some highlights:

Panelist Wayne Barrett of the Village Voice said "hallelujah!" about yesterday's results and said Democrats should be given a chance to control the entirety of state government.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/new-school-special-election-theories-and-spitzer-memories#comments Politics Bill Hammond Eliot Spitzer George Arzt Jacob Gershman Sheldon Silver The New School Wayne Barrett Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:04:40 -0500 Azi Paybarah 65697 at http://www.observer.com Weprin's C.O.S. Departs, May Run for His Seat http://www.observer.com/2007/weprins-crowded-fund-raiser Last night at David Weprin’s fund-raiser for his city comptroller campaign, I learned that the City Councilman’s long-time chief of staff, Jack Rubin Friedman, is leaving in January to become the head of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. One attendee told me that Rubin might run for Weprin’s seat in 2009. (Rubin was standing nearby and interjected that it’s only a possibility at this point.)

The event at the Woolworth Kitchen and Towers drew a number of notable attendees: Dan Gardonick, Eric Gioia, Dave Pollak, Hank Sheinkopf, Domenic Recchia, Diane Savino and George Arzt.

Press-shy top aides to Christine Quinn, Ramone Martinez and Chuck Meara, were also there, and probably weren’t thrilled when Weprin announced their presence over the microphone.]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/weprins-crowded-fund-raiser#comments Politics Chuck Meara Dave Pollak David Weprin Diane Savino Domenic Recchia Eric Gioia George Arzt Hank Sheinkopf Ramone Martinez Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:41:39 -0500 Azi Paybarah 61176 at http://www.observer.com Maloney Raises for the Future http://www.observer.com/2007/maloney-raises-future

Tonight's "Party in the Garden" at the home of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney might be about more than raising money for Democrats and for her congressional reelection. According to one close Maloney supporter I spoke to, tonight also serves to build her election war-chest for a 2010 Senate run if Hillary Clinton wins the presidential election.

Asked directly about the possibility that funds raised tonight are at all connected with the prospect of a Senate campaign, Maloney's office was dismissive.

"New Yorkers already have two great U.S. senators who, working with the rest of our congressional delegation, are providing strong and effective representation for the Empire State on Capitol Hill," Maloney said in a statement read to me by consultant George Arzt.

"The funds that I am now raising will be devoted to preserving and enhancing the Democratic majority in the house as well as my own reelection to Congress."

But Conrad Foa, a supporter who said he will be attending the party, seemed open to the idea that the money could be used for another possibility.

"That door is there for her to knock on," he said. "Maybe she stands first in line or very close to first in line to that door, but I feel that she has an unerring political sense to do what's best for her constituency. The question is what does she perceive her constituency will be, and I think she'll at least have the funds to do what's best."

Either way, tonight's event -- which will be held at her 92nd street home -- will only be the latest event to invite chatter about Maloney eyeing the Senate seat, according to one Democratic operative.

"There has apparently been fund-raising events the congresswoman has held so far where she has been introduced as 'the next U.S. senator from the state of New York'," the operative said, adding that whether or not the funds will be set aside for her own run, "what she would be able to do is use that money to raise her profile nationally."

Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, who will be attending the party tonight, told me he did not know how the funds would be spent. But he did say that he'd like to see Maloney in the upper Capitol chamber.


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]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/maloney-raises-future#comments Politics Carolyn Maloney Conrad Foa George Arzt Hillary Clinton Jonathan Bing Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:03:24 -0400 Andrew Mangino 55453 at http://www.observer.com Riverside South Goes French http://www.observer.com/node/35866 After years in which one architect--Costas Kondylis--has dominated the 13-block-long Riverside South development, the new kid in town, Gary Barnett (Extell Development), has commissioned the Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Christian de Portzamparc to design the next three buildings, according to George Arzt, a spokesman for the developer.

Monsieur de Portzamparc's Web site says the program consists of three buildings with 3.2 million square feet of office, hotel and residential space between 59th Street and 61st Street. Well, that's the proposal. Mr. Arzt says a rezoning proposal will go to the Department of City Planning in a few weeks--and it doesn't sound like it will be the easiest rezoning.

According to figures from the Coalition for a Livable West Side, that amount would represent about 35 percent more built space than that envisioned under the original Riverside South master plan. - Matthew Schuerman]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35866#comments Real Estate Extell Development Company Gary Barnett George Arzt Monsieur de Portzamparc Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:09:55 -0400 Observer Staff 35866 at http://www.observer.com The Arzt Prophecy http://www.observer.com/node/30585 Predictions this morning from George Arzt, former Post-man, current friend of Spitzer:

"I think Hevesi wins. I think that Spitzer wins overwhelmingly, giving the Working Family Party the 50,000 they need to stay on the ballot. I dunno if they move up from the "F" line*. Kirsten Gillibrand will upset Sweeney. I think Reynolds will eke out a win in Buffalo. Sue Kelly will win. Fossella will win. Walsh will lose."

The Senate for Democrats, he said, "is a real toss-up."

* The Working Families Party is currently on Row E.

-- Choire Sicha]]> http://www.observer.com/node/30585#comments Politics George Arzt Kirsten Gillibrand Sue Kelly Working Family Party Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:45:00 -0500 Observer Staff 30585 at http://www.observer.com Becoming Lobbyists http://www.observer.com/node/28604 Citizens Union's Dick Dadey emailed over revenue numbers for the top New York political consulting and lobbying firms for the past five years that give a strong sense of how political consultants' main product line is increasingly...lobbying. It's not a new trend, but it's a worrying one for good-government groups, as the question of whether influence is being peddled depends largely on the consultants' personal integrity. In the worst case, the political work is basically a loss leader for the core lobbying business.

Revenue for lobbying has increased more rapidly then revenue for campaign consulting since 2001. Although there is fluctuation in some years--the number and intensity of contracts clearly affects this--the general revenue trend for lobbying is up.

In the top five earners, as revenue for each firm increases, the share derived from campaign consulting has become smaller. Overall, only three of the top ten firms make more than 30% of their revenue from campaign consulting. While those three are in the top five in overall revenue, numbers show a trend towards lobbying. In first and second place for overall revenue, respectively, are the two firms who increased lobbying revenue the most over five years, the Parkside Group by 98%, and Kasirer Consulting by 93%.

Since 2001, the top ten consulting/lobbying shops in total revenue (with the share of revenue from lobbying in parentheses):

1. The Parkside Group: $7,585,897 (70%) 2. Kasirer Consulting: $6,541,569 (89%) 3. Mirram Global: $5,275,157 (30%) 4. Hank Sheinkopf: $4,725,904 (11%) 5. The Advance Group: $2,773,644 (10%) 6. Constantinople Consulting: $2,343,968 (95%) 7. George Arzt: $1,784,163 (94%) 8. Wiscovitch Associates: $680,860 (79%) 9. Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn: $391,476 (79%) 10. Schnur Associates: $209,950 (70%) —Nicole Brydson UPDATE: As a bunch of readers noted, we could have been clearer about the sources and limits of this data. This is a list of consultants who work on city races and lobby city officials. The sources, Dadey emails, are the New York City Campaign Finance Board and the City Clerk's lobbying search database. So other sources of revenue, and other lobbying contracts, aren't included.]]> http://www.observer.com/node/28604#comments Politics George Arzt Hank Sheinkopf Istanbul Sherman Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:26:20 -0500 Observer Staff 28604 at http://www.observer.com Self-Inflicted Wounds Doom Ferrer’s Campaign http://www.observer.com/node/37888 Fernando Ferrer sought to turn the contest for New York City Mayor into a brawl last weekend.  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/37888#comments Politics Amadou Diallo George Arzt New York City Police Department Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:00:00 -0500 Niall Stanage 37888 at http://www.observer.com Gang That Couldn't Campaign Straight: Eve Markewich Flop http://www.observer.com/node/51346 With a who’s who in New York politics endorsing her and what’s left of the city’s Democratic m  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/51346#comments Eve Rachel Markewichs George Arzt Hank Sheinkopf Manhattan Sun, 02 Oct 2005 20:00:00 -0400 Jason Horowitz 51346 at http://www.observer.com Gang That Couldn’t Campaign Straight: Eve Markewich Flop http://www.observer.com/node/37706 With a who’s who in New York politics endorsing her and what’s left of the city’s  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/37706#comments George Arzt Hank Sheinkopf Kristen Booth Glen Manhattan Sun, 02 Oct 2005 20:00:00 -0400 Jason Horowitz 37706 at http://www.observer.com