The Bronx

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development has rejected developer Mark Karasick’s bid for the Mitchell Lama housing development in the western Bronx that many consider to be the birthplace of hip-hop, after an investigation determined that the sale price is not supportable under current rent restrictions.

The decision allows for the current owner to negotiate with tenants on a sale. The New York Times reported that the asking price was $14 million, more than the double its $5 to $6 million value estimated by housing advocates based on future rents.  read more »

The Mayor has found a smelly way to relieve traffic congestion in the city: Put trash on the train.

Today, along with Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty, the Mayor announced that 2,100 tons of daily residential and municipal waste from the Bronx will now be shipped for final disposal by rail, rather than by truck. Fewer trucks on the road will help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, according to a press release. The measure is part of the city’s comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP).

The big winner today was not the city, but Waste Management of New York, LLC. The company was awarded a $1 billion, 20-year contract to ship the waste.  read more »

On July 5, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was recognized by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as the “Birthplace of Hip-Hop.”

The tenants and supporters of the affordable housing development in the Bronx are now hoping that the recognition will help them avoid being booted from their homes.

In February, word came that the owner of the high-rise was looking into selling the property so that the units could be converted to market-rate apartments.

This morning, elected officials, including Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Jose Serrano, along with musicians and tenants, planned to congregate at the historic address to lobby for the preservation of the affordable housing complex.

The full press release from the Save 1520 Sedgwick Ave. Coalition is below.  read more »

Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui mailed out a disturbing video to NBC News in which he says things like, "You have vandalized my heart, raped my soul and torched my conscience."

Reactions to the late-term-partial-birth abortion ban from the 2008 candidates was quick and broke along party lines.

Hillary Clinton's favorable ratings sunk in a USA Today/Gallup survey.

John Edwards may be having lunch with Mario Cuomo today.  read more »

9:30 a.m. The U.S. Department of Labor will hold an Equal Employment Opportunity Awards program at the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, at 1 Bowling Green.

10 a.m. The Food Bank for New York will launch a backpack program to address childhood hunger at home at the Citizens Advice Bureau, 1130 Grand Concourse, in the Bronx.  read more »

11 a.m. The state chapter of the NAACP, the local chapter of Coalition of One Hundred Black Women and ACORN will demand that Don Imus be fired at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Saturday

Noon. Councilman Charles Barron will march with a family alleging police brutality at 684 Thomas Boyland Avenue, between Blake and Sutter avenues, to the 81st Precinct on East New York and Thomas Boyland avenues, in Brooklyn.  read more »

1 p.m. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum will deliver Easter baskets to homeless families at Teresa's House shelter, 1975 Creston Avenue, in the Bronx.

8:30 a.m. A Way of the Cross procession will start at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th Street between First and Second avenues, and proceed along 42nd Street to Eighth Avenue.

10 a.m. A Way of the Cross procession will start at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, 250 Cathedral Place in Brooklyn, then proceed over the Brooklyn Bridge, stop at City Hall Park, pass Ground Zero and end at St. Peter's Church on Barclay Street.  read more »

In metro reporting, it's important to get someone's occupation and location of residence right. Today, The Times Alan Feuer goes to great lengths not to let the reader down. The piece begins:

A Bronx martial arts instructor from the Bronx pleaded guilty today to a charge of "conspiring to provide material support or resources" to Al Qaeda, said Michael J. Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Get it? He's from the Bronx and knows martial arts!

In making his plea before United States Magistrate Gabriel W. Gorenstein, the martial arts instructor, Tarik Shah, admitted that he had agreed to train Qaeda terrorists in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat with weapons.

Again. He's a martial arts instructor and agreed to teach martial arts. Down three paragraphs.

The case began in May 2005, with the arrest of Mr. Shah, a New York jazz musician and martial arts expert, who was accused of swearing an oath of allegiance to Al Qaeda. Mr. Shah, who grew up in the Bronx....

UPDATE: The link above now directs to the newer version, which ran on B1 today. (The earlier, Bronx-centric one is missing).

Here's Assemblyman and Bronx Democratic leader Jose Rivera on Eliot Spitzer, and on the mistakes he thinks the new governor may have made during the budget process.

"He got elected to govern with this legislative body," he said, "not with you guys and the editorial writers."

-- Azi Paybarah

9 a.m. Columbia University will host an African Economic Forum at the Columbia University Kellogg Centre, 420 West 118th Street.

10:30 a.m. Asian Women in Business and Rep. Gary Ackerman will hold a free workshop for Asian American owned businesses in Queens and Nassau County at the Korea Village Open Center, 150-24 Northern Boulevard in Queens.  read more »

11 a.m. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration will hold a hearing on the historical trends and personal experiences of American immigration at the Ellis Island National Monument.

The Daily News on Wednesday lays out a convincing argument that the foreclosure wave sweeping parts of the United States may drench the outer-boroughs as well. The argument uses numbers from a study by the nonprofit Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project--and the numbers are sobering:

In some areas of South Jamaica and Bedford-Stuyvesant, as many as 10 homes per block faced foreclosure last year... Mortgage lenders have filed 3,116 new motions to foreclose against delinquent homeowners since Jan. 1... Our city is now on track to surpass 15,000 filings this year, more than double the total two years ago, according to the study, which examines one- to four-family homes.

The News, like many, blames the predatory practices of some subprime-mortgage lenders, those who feasted on the aspirations of people craving homeownership during the housing boom, people who probably shouldn't have had large sums of money loaned to them.

The dearth of such mortgages in Manhattan, however, ensures that at least one borough will likely escape the wave washing ashore from Staten Island through the Bronx.

- Tom Acitelli

Pedro Espada Jr., the former Bronx state Senator, is considering forming an alliance with Bronx Republicans that could lead to his return to public office, according to two people briefed on the plans by Espada.

According to these sources, Espada, who is still a registered Democrat, would help recruit enough county Republican committee members to oust current Bronx GOP leader Jay Savino and install someone else.  read more »

That new borough-wide infrastructure would then help Espada run for elected office, like the Borough Presidency, which has been talked about recently.

At last night's Bill Richardson event, the honor of introducing the first Hispanic to run for President in a major party was supposed to go to Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, according to an advisory from Carrion's office.

But then, it seems, things got complicated. Carrion has already endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. A photo of him next to Richardson, presumably, would have made a statement that the Clinton campaign might not have appreciated just now.

(Carrion, it should be noted, has acted very aggressively in the past to bat down rumors of dalliances with other candidates).

For whatever reason, Carrion cancelled, leaving Richardson to be introduced by one of the event's organizers.

A spokeswoman for Carrion emailed to explain: "He had a family issue that he needed to deal with." -- Azi Paybarah

Gabe Pressman explores whether Eliot Spitzer is a tough guy or a bully.

Ben tells the story of his eventful day.

Bronx Democratic Chariman Jose Rivera wants to hold a forum to decide whom to endorse, Hillary or Barack.

A City Council candidate running in Brooklyn is promising that if elected, she'll make sure every high school graduate will go on to college. But, she says, "I'm not promising Harvard..."

Eliot Spitzer and the WFP seem to be parting ways over the issue of health care spending.

Diane Ravitch responds to the NY Post, which has a low opinion of parent complaints about schools.

Andrew Cuomo is suing a student loan company in California.

And pictured above is Mathieu Eugene, a candidate for City Council again.

-- Azi Paybarah

Barnard students conducted an experiment: They dropped 132 wallets in neighborhoods spanning the Bronx to Brooklyn, and recorded what happened. In which neighborhood were the wallets likeliest to be stolen? Why, the Upper East Side, of course!

In each nabe the students went to--which included Chelsea, Crown Heights, the Upper East Side, Harlem, City Hall and a Bronx college--the Upper East Side was the only place where the wallets were stolen twice. One student reported that a Upper East Side woman holding a bouquet of pink roses "picked up the wallet, did not look around at all, and simply kept on walking."

Other than the Upper East Side being very shady, what's the moral of this story? New Yorkers are good samaritans! In 82 percent of the cases, the wallet was returned; in 13 percent it was simply unseen by passers-by; in 3 percent a person tried to return it, but failed; and a lowly 2 percent of the time someone actually stole it.

So, next time you're headed uptown on the 6 train, remember: hands in both pockets.

- John Koblin

10 a.m. The American Heart Association launches its Infant CPR Anytime Personal Learning Program at the Children's Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street.

10 a.m. Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, will discuss results of a Quinnipiac University Poll of New York City voters, asking their opinions about Mayor Bloomberg and his handling of snow and school buses at City Hall.

10 a.m. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion attends the opening of the Montefiore Medical Center's umbilical cord blood collection site at The Jack D. Weiler Hospital, a Division of Montefiore Medical Center, 1825 Eastchester Road in the Bronx.

10:15 a.m. The General Welfare Committee considers a bill relating to amendments to domestic partnerships at City Hall.

10:15 a.m. Sen. Hillary Clinton, along with Representative John D. Dingell of Michigan will announce an initiative in both chambers of Congress to provide access to healthcare coverage for all children in Washington, D.C..

10:30 a.m. The Transportation Committee considers a bill requiring safety measures for bicycle delivery workers at City Hall.

10:30 a.m. Council Member Rosie Mendez introduces a bill to prevent developers from destroying landmarked buildings on the City Hall steps.

10:30 a.m. Immigrants and advocates hold a march and rally for immigration reforms. The march begins at Battery Park, near State and Pearl streets, and proceeds up Trinity Place and then Church Street to rally at City Hall Park on Broadway.

10:45 The Health Committee considers an amendment to the artificial trans fat ban legislation at City Hall.

11 a.m. The Governmental Operations Committee considers a bill urging the Board of Elections to certify precinct based-optical scan voting systems at City Hall.

11:10 a.m. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern visits the Tribute WTC Visitors Center at 120 Liberty Street, between Church and Greenwich streets.

Noon. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion Jr. will host the 2nd Annual Woman's Power Lunch, in honor of Women's History Month, featuring author Karenna Gore-Schiff and New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes Vazquez. Both woman will address the crowd and Gore-Schiff will autograph copies of her book "Lighting the Way: Nine Woman Who Changed Modern America" at the Metro Cafe, 1200 Waters Place in the Bronx.

12:30 p.m. Waterford Crystal presents a sculpture honoring 9/11 victims at a pre-St. Patrick's Day ceremony at Engine 1, Ladder 24, 142 West 31st Street.

1 p.m. Supporters of paper ballot/optical scan voting systems legislation make a public statement on the City Hall steps.

1 p.m. The Council on Foreign Relations hosts discussion a with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern at 58 East 68th Street.

1:30 p.m. The City Council will vote on the Education Committee's recommendation to rescind the Board of Education's decision to limit students to fat-free and one percent milk choices at City Hall.

3 p.m. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz lays a wreath at World Trade Center site at the Bronze Memorial Wall, near Liberty and Greenwich streets.

5:30 p.m. Randall's Island Community Council will hold a meeting and a reception at the New York Athletic Club, 180 Central Park South at 59th Street.

6 p.m. Rudy Giuliani attends a campaign fundraiser hosted by comedian Dennis Miller at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street.

6 p.m. Council Member Hiram Monserrate will hold a Town Hall meeting with representatives of the NYC Economic Development Committee to discuss the Mayor Bloomberg's plans to redevelop the "Iron Triangle" at Willets Point at PS 127, 98-01 25th Avenue in Queens.

6:30 p.m. Current and former NFL players will attend the "Kickoff For A Cure II" benefit for Autism Speaks at The Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue at 50th Street.

7 p.m. Italian journalist held hostage in Iraq, Giuliana Sgrena, discusses her book, "Friendly Fire" at Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South.

7:15 p.m. Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein presents award at the 2007 PENCIL Gala and Awards Dinner at Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway between 36th and 37th streets.

8 p.m. Reason magazine editor Brian Doherty discusses his new book "Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement" on the basement level of Lolita Bar, 266 Broome Street at Allen Street. -- Gillian Reagan

So far, Christine Quinn’s approach to working with Mayor Michael Bloomberg—whose job she  read more »

Here was the explanation Mike Bloomberg gave on his radio show this morning about his decision to go to Florida after a fire that claimed nine victims:

"This city, there's a lot of things to do at the same time. And I know some people say 'You should stop everything.' But you know, you have to do them all. When you're scheduling, if at all possible, there are times you cancel. But I made sure everybody was there doing what was right. And that's, you know, on to the next."

That's following a less elaborate explanation yesterday.

Bloomberg is in the Bronx right now making a fire safety announcement.

-- Azi Paybarah

Hillary Clinton is bringing Bill with her this weekend to Alabama, where Barack Obama will also be speaking.

Rudy Giuliani may benefit from the notion that there's no real conservative in the 2008 presidential race.

John McCain apologized for using the word "wasted" to describe soldiers killed in Iraq.

Here are some reasons that Eliot Spitzer won't pick Bill Clinton to fill Hillary Clinton's term in the senate if she's elected president.

Danny Hakim details the agreement by state lawmakers to extend the detention, supervision and treatment of sex offenders.

According to the Times, investigators who raided two city Board of Elections offices are investigating three BOE officials in the Bronx: the Republican deputy chief clerk, the Republican county chairman, and an administrative aide in the BOE's Bronx office.

Wendy's pulled information about its food calorie content yesterday to avoid a new health regulation.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation stopped posting hourly photos of construction work at Ground Zero.

City Councilman-elect Mathieu Eugene said he's not worried about the claim that he doesn't mean residency requirements to take office.

The end may be near for mayoral control of city schools.

And in a counterargument to term limits, Joseph Epstein argues that Richard Daley is Chicago's longest serving, and possibly greatest, mayor. [subscription]

-- Azi Paytbarah

Something to chat about, from the story about raids at the two city Board of Elections offices yesterday:

The fact that the Manhattan and Bronx offices were the only ones visited by the DOI led to speculation that investigators were examining possible irregularities involving board personnel who work in The Bronx.

-- Azi Paybarah

A well-placed source who attended a meeting of 1199/SEIU delegates in midtown yesterday passed on this quote from Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion:

"We support this Governor who we helped put into office. We understand and appreciate that he is a reformer. He is working to open up Albany to the people. He is investing in education--making sure every child has the same opportunities. We believe in this governor, and we understand that he has a great vision for this state and we stand behind him but when it comes to health care we know that the Governor is wrong. We must not go backwards in the name of reform or to save money at the cost of good quality health care....."

-- Azi Paybarah

8:30 a.m. A forum on school finance equity for New York City will take place at The Century Foundation, 41 East 70th St.

9:30 a.m. An MTA Board meeting will take place at the MTA Board Room, 347 Madison Ave.

9:30 a.m. Tenants and housing activists protest eviction proceedings at 141 Livingston St. in Brooklyn.

10 a.m. Councilwoman Rosie Mendez will introduce two resolutions to get more outside funding to support the New York City Housing Authority at City Hall.

10 a.m. A groundbreaking ceremony for a new airport traffic control tower will take place at the LaGuardia Airport Maine Air Terminal Rotunda.

10:30 a.m. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum participates in the Family Court Judge for a Day program at the Brooklyn Family Court.

11 a.m. Council Member Leroy Comrie and tri-state legislators announce support for national moratorium on the n-word at City Hall.

11 a.m. The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute will release results of a new poll of New Jersey voters, asking their opinion on Governor Corzine's approval and taxes in Trenton, New Jersey.

Noon. The directors of the New York State Urban Development Corporation meet at the 37th floor in main conference room of the Empire State Development Corporation, 633 Third Ave.

Noon. The National Restaurant Association and Council Member Joel Rivera denounce the Board of Health rule requiring all chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus at City Hall.

12:30 p.m. Author and human rights advocate Talia Carner discusses infanticide in China at the The Women's Media Center, Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 901.

12:30 p.m. The Digital Music Forum East Conference media luncheon will take place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place.

4 p.m. The Board of Directors of the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation will meet in the main conference room at Jacob Javits Center, 655 West 34th St.

5:30 p.m. Granny Peace Brigade members and author Malachy McCourt protest the appearance of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain at an Irish-American Republican Club event at the Women's Republican Club, 3 West 51st St.

5:30 p.m. Bronx CUNY college presidents launch a new scholarship fund at the The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

6 p.m. The American Heart Association hosts its 15th Annual Heart of New York Gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria.

6 p.m. Author Chris Hedges discusses his book, "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America" at the James Memorial Chapel, 3041 Broadway.

6:30 p.m. NBC's Tim Russert moderates a discussion with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Governor Mario Cuomo on the 2008 presidential election at The Great Hall at The Cooper Union, 7 East 7th St.

6:30 p.m. Activists rally against Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's decision to stop school reorganization at St. Vartan's Cathedral, 630 Second Ave.

7 p.m. Anti-war activists hold a meeting to plan the March 17 National March on the Pentagon at the Community Church, 40 East 35th St.

7:30 p.m. Dan Donovan, Richmond County (Staten Island) District Attorney, will speak at the Forest Park Republican Club meeting at the American Legion--Continental Post in Forest Hills, Queens.

8 p.m. Stonewall Democrats of New York City host a hearing for candidates for the East Side Assembly seat currently held by Pete Grannis, who has been nominated to be the commissioner for the state's department of Environmental Conservation. The hearing will be held at the LGBT Center, 208 W. 13th Street [title corrected].

Al Gore speaks at the University of Miami in Florida

-- Gillian Reagan

A reader passes on this image from Representative Yvette Clarke's party on Friday. The photo captures her, somewhat fittingly, stuck between two likely mayoral candidates.

[From left to right: Una Clarke, Representative Anthony Weiner, Yvette, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn].

Rep. Anthony Weiner very publicly endorsed Clarke in the competitive Congressional primary last year, and helped bring her the endorsement of anti-war stalwart Rep. Jack Murtha.

But Clarke also has ties to the Bronx. She worked briefly for the Bronx Economic Development Corporation, and -- according to a person close to Carrion -- she received behind-the-scenes help from the borough president during the campaign when he steered about $10,000 worth of contributions her way.

-- Azi Paybarah

Here is an interesting example of how closely Eliot Spitzer is working with state Senate Democrats: he's helping fund projects in their districts.

Saying the money is a "slush fund" that came from unspent resources from the Pataki administration is sort of shocking. But the idea of a governor helping lawmakers in his party that are stuck in the minority conference is a no-brainer.

"I haven't seen anything direct like a hand out," said Senator Jeff Klein of the Bronx told me in a brief telephone chat yesterday.

"You now have an ally and there are certain projects where the state awards. There's all kinds of applications, grant proposals that various entities, not for profits, municipalities apply for and I think now that its important, that it'll be helpful that now, Democratic senators can be part of the process and hope and hope our districts are taken care of."

Taken care of. But not in the wrong way.

"I read the Sun article as 'Here's a million dollars, go and spend it.' Which clearly is not the case."

-- Azi Paybarah

9 a.m. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion discusses changes to the Safe Haven laws.

9:30 a.m. Hillary Clinton attends the Armed Services Committee hearing on the current and future readiness of the Army and Marines Corps in Washington.

10 a.m. State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. and members of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization protest discrimination against black and Hispanic children in city public schools at 910 East 172nd Street.

10 a.m. Experts discuss criminal justice policy in the Eliot Spitzer era at The New School.

10 a.m. The directors of the New York State Urban Development Corporation meet at 633 Third Avenue.

10:15 a.m. Hillary and others celebrate the enactment of legislation requiring a statue of Sojourner Truth be permanently placed in the Capitol.

10:45 a.m. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion discusses the budget at 198 East 161 Street, 2nd Floor.

Noon. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn delivers State of the City Address at City Hall.

Noon. Assemblyman Jose Peralta and MTA officials celebrate the completion of the Bird-B-Gone Project at Corona Plaza.

Noon Author Mat Leighninger discusses his book, "The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule is Giving Way to Shared Governance and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same" at 220 Fifth Avenue.

12:50 p.m. A panel at New York Law School discusses "New Orleans Post-Katrina: Rebuilding Criminal Defense" at 47 Worth Street.

1:50 p.m. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings visit students at P.S. 210 in Manhattan.

4 p.m. Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Hamid Al Bayati, discusses efforts to stabilize the country at Fordham Law School.

5:30 p.m. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks at the Women's National Republican Club's inaugural American Forum Series event at 3 West 51st Street.

6 p.m. Panelists discuss "Restoring Fairness to Parole" at 42 West 44th St.

6 p.m. A domestic violence prevention organization honors Christine Quinn at Taj Lounge.

-- Azi Paybarah

From the prepared text of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion's State of the Borough speech today, this:

"We need to redouble our efforts and my friends, continue to fight against initiatives like the proposed closing of Westchester Square Medical Center and other so called cost-cutting measures that put our community in further danger. And so I pledge to you today that I will join members of the City Council, the Chair of the Health Committee, Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera and the Bronx delegation, as well as members of the State legislature to fight these cuts as we enter this year's budget discussion. Please count on me to testify before your respected bodies and help you make the case for the people of the Bronx and the City."

If it's not clear enough what he's talking about here, this line on Carrion's website states the premise more neatly:

"CARRION TOURS WESTCHESTER SQUARE MEDICAL CENTER Vows to Put Pressure on Governor Spitzer"

UPDATE: 1199 piles on, issuing a statement saying that Carrion "realizes that the closing of facilities and cutting of healthcare programs do not represent reform, and certainly don't put patients first."

-- Azi Paybarah

8:30 a.m. Rudy Giuliani has a fund-raiser at the Regency Hotel.

9:30a.m. Hillary Clinton speaks at Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion's state of the Borough speech at Hostos Community College.

9:30 a.m. State Senator Carl Kruger and others rally to protect gifted programs for elementary students at PS 193 in Brooklyn.

10 a.m. Hasidic women visit the grave of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens.

11 a.m. City Parks officials test drive horse-drawn sleigh on freshly made snow in advance of Saturday's Winter Jam in Central Park.

Noon A 24-hour dance marathon to raise awareness of the city's Cabaret Laws begins at Madison Square Park.

6 p.m. A good-bye party for Slovenia's representative at the U.N. will be held at the Press Box restaurant.

9 p.m. A fashion show to raise awareness about Darfur takes place at Roseland Ballroom.

-- Azi Paybarah

Here's how Democratic Assemblyman Michael Benjamin of the Bronx is describing Tom DiNapoli, who appears to be on the verge of becoming state comptroller.

From Benjamin's press release about the comptroller vote:

"In fact, for an Assemblymember, Tom is quite articulate, clean and well-dressed."

-- Azi Paybarah

The city issued 2.1 percent fewer building permits in 2006 than the year before, according to statistics released by the city on Monday. Still, city officials emphasized that the number of housing units permitted last year--30,927--is the second-highest since 1972. (In 2005, there were 31,599.)

Press release after the jump.  read more »

- Matthew Schuerman

Say what you like about the leaders of the Bronx Democratic organization, but don't accuse them of flirting with Barack Obama.

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and Assemblyman Jose Rivera just issued this strenuous denial of a report that they're planning an event for Barack Obama.

From a joint statement:

"The February 2 Crain's Insider item titled "Unhappy With Clinton" is entirely unfounded. Senator Clinton has been in frequent and direct contact with us about how we are going to work together to elect her President. One of us has met with Senator Obama and we admire his intellect and believe he will contribute immensely to the national conversation. We encourage anyone who aspires to be President of the United States to visit The Bronx. We will continue to work closely with our Senator and friend, Hillary Clinton."

Obviously.

-- Azi Paybarah

Another Assembly member vents about Eliot Spitzer and the independent comptroller screening panel that recommended zero legislators for the job:

"If given the opportunity, I intend to vote for a member of the assembly member for comptroller," Bronx Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz just told me.

Four Assembly members and a state Senator were among the 17 candidates seeking the job. "To exclude them simply because they're members of the legislature is absurd," Dinowitz said. "In many ways, it makes you more qualified. You have to be able to deal with political issues."

To dismiss such considerations, he said, is "garbage."

He continued: "To suggest that they're not qualified, it's discrimination. I believe very strongly these particular people, the four assembly members and one senator, are just as qualified.

"Why in the world wouldn't I vote for one of them?"

-- Azi Paybarah

Even before the independent comptroller panel deilvered its in-you-face-Sheldon-Silver list of three, Sheldon Silver's members were rallying around his claim that the legislature can indeed pick whichever comptroller candidate they want and ignore the panel's recommendations.

In a conversation yesterday that should serve as a preview for the kind of talk we'll be hearing today, Bronx Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr. told me that the duty to fill the comptroller vacancy belongs to the legislature in the same way that the responsibility for a U.S. Senate seat belongs to the governor.

"We want to work with the governor. Lets see if that's the case should Ms. Clinton be president. Will he call together a panel from both houses to interview and fill that vacancy? So, we totally welcome his suggestions."

He also made a point of reminding me that the legislature had (at least techically) agreed to work with the panel voluntarily. "We came to the table on this with Spitzer, and you people in the media never give us credit for that. Only Spitzer."

I wonder, now that the panel has come up with a list that includes exactly zero legislators, how many members think that credit was worth it.

-- Azi Paybarah

The sleepy special election in for the Brooklyn City Council seat vacated by Yvette Clarke has its first legal controversy.

District Leader Jesse Hamilton is suing Wellington Sharpe over the name of his party.

Hamilton's party is called "Family Values and Money Matters." Sharpe's is called "Family Values."

Hamilton's campaign wants an injunction "barring Mr. Sharpe from engaging in any further fraudulent use of the name 'Family Values' designed to defraud voters and thwart the Democratic process."

I called Wellington Sharpe, who seemed happy to respond.

"Number one, my attorney was the person who created the name. He first used it back in 1998 for a client of his. My attorney is Mitch Alter. He can go through the history of that name, long before Jesse Hamilton thought of anything about this.

Number two, we filed before Jesse Hamilton.

Number three, it's a totally different name.

Mitch can prove that he's used that name. Dan Quayle also used it way back when."

So, Jesse Hamilton does not have any claim to that name. In fact, no one can claim Family Values as uniquely theirs."

This echoes a complaint some people have had about the Independence Party, but that's for another day.  read more »

Update: A list of party names used in previous special elections is after the jump, courtesy of an astute reader who follows this kind of stuff.

-- Azi Paybarah

Saturday Starting at 10 a.m. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion will give veterans info about various services available to them, at the Bronx County Courthouse.

At 6:30 p.m., the National Book Critics Circle will announce their award finalists, at the Housing Works Used Book Cafe.

At 7 p.m., a taped interview of Hillary Clinton discussing her trip to Iraq and Afghanistan will air on CNN.

Sunday At 9 a.m., Charlie Rangel will be honored at a breakfast at the Center for Jewish History at West 16th Street

At 2 p.m., Hillary and others discuss expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, on 10th Avenue

At 3 p.m., Lt. Governor David Paterson will deliver the keynote speech at Newark Mayor Cory Booker's MLK celebration, in Newark.

Monday At 10 a.m. at Ground Zero, Chuck Schumer, Hillary, and Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler and Vito Fossella and first responders attending Tuesday's State of the Union speech call for more federal funding to monitor and treat 9/11health problems.

At 12:30, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and others kickoff efforts to increase food stamp participation among immigrant communities, at the Queens Museum of Art.

And Bill Clinton hosts a book party for former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

-- Azi Paybarah

The long-anticipated negotiations for Columbia University's Community Benefits Agreement will kick off this Friday, a necessary step for the university to gain the City Council's approval for its $7.4 billion proposed expansion into Manhattanville.

Designed to be more sophisticated than the CBAs at Atlantic Yards and the Bronx Terminal Market, this time around area City Council members and the community board formed a local development corporation to talk on behalf of the community--whatever that is--and persuaded the city's Economic Development Corporation to provide a mediator, John Bickerman. (Yes, that is his real name.) The Pratt Center for Community Development provided back-up.

Susan Russell, chief of staff for Councilman Robert Jackson and a member of the local development corporation, says the negotiations could last through the seven-month rezoning process that will begin shortly. She said the two sides will discuss how the project can provide affordable housing, jobs, health-care facilities and the like.

- Matthew Schuerman

Eight days after being sworn in as governor, Eliot Spitzer's campaign transferred $2,799.85 to the Bronx Democratic Trustees Committee, the only political organization to get a contribution, according to the latest campaign filings.

The Bronx is Spitzer's home borough (Go Riverdale!) and is a power base for one of his political consultants, Roberto Ramirez. Ramirez's former chief of staff was tapped by Spitzer to be the state's Secretary of State.

Listed among "in-kind contributions" are more than $3,000 worth of services from the political action committee of DC37. The services were described as "printing" and "Election Day." The statement showed that the campaign had spent $2.7 million between December 1st and January 11th, and has $2.9 million left in the bank.

-- Azi Paybarah

At 9:30, Mike Bloomberg joins others to testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security .

At 11 a.m., the City Council's Land Use Committee will vote on whether to build a school on a contaminated site in the Bronx. If approved, it could go to the full council for a vote by 2 p.m.

Also at 11 a.m., the state Senate goes into session.

At 12:30 p.m., Senator Ted Kennedy will speak to the National Press Club in D.C.

And at 2 p.m., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on Iraq.

-- Azi Paybarah

• Libet Johnson's 1840 brownstone, which she recently bought from Meryl Streep, is on the market for $16 milion. The five-story townhouse, on West 12th Street, has eight bedrooms and a "two-tier garden." [WSJ]
• By the time May rolls around, Chelsea's High Line will be so hip that people without ironic mustaches will not be allowed up. David "Ziggy Stardust" Bowie (above) will be hosting the 10-day-long HighLine Festival, bringing hip indie stars like Daniel Johnston to the 'hood. [Brooklyn Vegan]
• The "scorched earth" left behind by bartha bartha's townhouse violence has apparently gone to contract for around $8 million. [New York]
• The Westchester/Bronx border is "sprouting new residences so fast that the breathing space between one home and the next... is already becoming a memory." Will Williamsbridge become the new Williamsburg? Probably not. [City Limits]
- Max Abelson
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It looks like the shake-up of the Senate Democratic leadership by newly installed minority leader Malcolm Smith is still underway.

According to a Democratic source in the Senate, Smith is expected to name John Sampson of Brooklyn as Chair of the Senate minority conference, replacing the twice-indicted Efrain Gonzalez of the Bronx.

Sampson's ties to former Brooklyn boss Clarence Norman were a nagging problem for him during his race for Brooklyn District Attorney, but they shouldn't matter in his new leadership role. After all, Gonzalez held the position while dealing with legal troubles, as did previous chairAda Smith.

UPDATE: John Sampson just called to say that he was offered the leadership position, but that he turned it down and that it was subsequently accepted by Martin Dilan.

When I asked Sampson why he turned it down, he offered some vague answers.

"I just declined. I just turned it down," he said. "I'm a type of person that, I'm not looking for a leadership position, I'm just looking to serve my constituents."

When I asked what kind of salary perk or staff boost came with being the conference's secretary, Samspon said, "I don't know about that. All I know is that it comes with more work."

-- Azi Paybarah

Maybe this shouldn't come as a shock, but it looks like some of the earliest pushback to Andrew Cuomo's plan to review member items is coming from within his own party.

Here's a sort of pre-emptive argument that Assemblyman Peter Rivera of the Bronx made to me earlier about the standard that Cuomo might apply to determine whether member items -- particularly those sought by representatives of minority districts -- are in the "public interest":

"I agree with the attorney general that all monies that are expended by the state should be in the public interest. The question that I have is there are several cases that have come out that question whether affirmative action is in the public interest.

"As a Hispanic, if the question is whether affirmative action is in the public interest and whether monies are allocated to various groups, like African-Americans, Hispanics, that service those communities that have been disenfranchised, I would hope that the standard that the attorney general is going to use is not the standard the federal government has used to determine what is in the public interest."

So what kind of projects might be in jeopardy?

"I'll give you a perfect example. We've given money to the Apollo Theater. Apollo Theater is African-American. Question: is that in the public interest because it's going to a particular group, the African-American group?

"I do fund Hispanic organizations throughout the state as the chairman of the Hispanic and Puerto Rican Task Force. The bulk of this money goes to Hispanic constituents. So I have to be concerned whether he will oppose it."

-- Azi Paybarah

So, after months of study and discussion, the City Council approved a plan to revise the huge tax break that residential developers receive for building large new developments. The story of the so-called 421a program is the recent history of the city in microcosm. When the program was originally enacted in the 1970s, the city was going bankrupt, the Bronx was burning, and whole neighborhoods were turning into depopulated wastelands. New York basically had to bribe developers to build here. Then the city rebounded. But the program remained. In the 1980s, the Koch administration revised it to create the so-called 80-20 formula within an "exclusionary zone"--basically Manhattan between Houston and 96th Street, except for the East Village--whereby a developer wishing to take advantage of the tax break would have to make 20 percent of his units affordable to low and middle income people. With some adjustments, that's more or less how the program remained until yesterday--or, I should say, will remain until the city's revisions are approved by the state legislature next year.

The reason the program had to change was obvious to anyone who has seen shiny glass buildings rising in, say, Astor Place or Fort Greene. The developers of these buildings, and the owners of the condos within them, were getting incentives worth tens of millions of dollars to build in areas that, because of changed market conditions, really aren't so risky anymore. Furthermore, because these areas are rapidly gentrifying, and poorer people are being pushed out by higher rents, they are desperately in need of affordable housing. Expanding the exclusionary zone to encompass such neighborhoods is a simple, relatively painless way to increase the affordable housing stock. Sure, developers make a bit less money, and maybe a few fewer mammoth apartment towers get built, but maybe that's not a bad thing for these neighborhoods, activists say. Who wants their brownstone block to be swallowed up by development, anyway?  read more »

It seems like everybody wins. But not long ago, for another story I am working on, I was talking to a well-known developer in Brooklyn who raised an interesting point.

• City Council OKs 421-a reform; REBNY nervous.
[NY Times]
• PACB approves Atlantic Yards project.
[NY Times]
• More bones found at Ground Zero.
[NY Post]
• Mortgage applications fall.
[NY Post]
• Would Mr. Kotter recognize Brooklyn now?
[NY Post]
• Trump Park Avenue spread going for $42 million.
[NY Post]
• Foreclosure attempts rise in the Bronx.
[Daily News]
• Flushing residents protest home-to-hotel conversion.
[Daily News]
• Court next for Atlantic Yards project.
[NY Sun]
• City's '06 commercial sales probably a record.
[NY Sun]

Did we miss any New York City real estate news this morning? Please send along tips and links.

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