Most of the people who showed up to the mayor's bill-signing ceremony were there to testify against it, but not all.  read more »

The rotunda inside City Hall is full of people and reporters awaiting Michael Bloomberg's 9:30 a.m. bill signing ceremony, where he will officially sign into law the term-limits extension that allows him to run for a third term.

He will also have to listen to testimony from voters.  read more »

Marcus Johnson's City Council race was over before it started.

“It just seemed like it was going to be a big open race, which would have been fun,” said the normally ebullient 24-year old. “I don’t think a race against an eight-year incumbent is gonna be fun.”  read more »

Governor David Paterson attended the Citizens Union annual dinner last night at the Waldorf Astoria to present his father, Basil, with an award from the good government group.  read more »

Before the New York City Council decided last week to vote in favor of Michael Bloomberg’s plan to extend term limits, attorneys were already challenging the new law in court.

Reports after the Council voted made note of two lawsuits, one filed by members of the Council who opposed the majority and the other, filed on October 22, on behalf of,  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/teachers-against-bloomberg-notes-rubber-room#comments Politics Michael Bloomberg New York City Council New York Times Term Limits Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:03:58 -0400 Glenna Goldis 77669 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/2008/state-poll-yes-pateson-yes-term-limits

The new Siena poll seems to prove that voters statewide are, like city voters, able to be supportive of term limits without being unsupportive of the executive who happens to be in charge.

David Paterson’s approval rating is up (although he’d still lose in a hypothetical match-up to Michael Bloomberg, 43 to 47), even as a majority of voters said they support an eight-year term limit on state  read more »

I caught up with Eric Gioia outside City Hall this morning, after he led a demonstration about affordable housing in his district.

Now that term limits have been pushed back, I asked him if he would seek re-election to his Council seat or, as he had planned, run for higher office.  read more »

"You're trying to have it both ways," said Citizens Union executive director Dick Dadey to Councilman Councilman David Yassky.  read more »

The vote is still going on, but the 26th vote was just cast by Tom White--who was term limited in 2001 and came back into office in 2005. Here's the (lightly annotated) roll call:  read more »

Here's Brooklyn Councilwoman Tish James explaining her vote on the term limits extender bill a few moments ago on the Council floor:

"I believe that this is really all about a legacy—about Moynihan Station, about Willets Point, about the West Side, about Ground Zero, and yes, about Atlantic Yards; and about the displacement of low, moderate and working families in New York City. Let me end by decrying, let the people decide."

Just in case there's any ambiguity, she voted "no" on the bill.