Feds investigate BIG landlords payments to Speaker Silver

 New York Times: Feds investigating “substantial” payments to Assembly Speaker Silver from small law firm

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/us-said-to-investigate-new-york-assembly-speaker-over-pay-from-law-firm.html?ref=nyregion&_r=1

New York Observer: Sheldon Silver expects to be re-elected Assembly Speaker despite federal probe

http://observer.com/2015/01/sheldon-silver-expects-to-be-re-elected-speaker-despite-federal-investigation/

The Real Deal: Leonard Litwin, LLC loophole king, is prominent client of law firm that made payments to Silver

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/12/31/real-estates-top-donor-is-client-of-sheldon-silvers-second-firm/

New York Times: Baruch Singer, notorious slumlord, is client of law firm that made payments to Silver

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/nyregion/firm-that-paid-sheldon-silver-is-tied-to-landlord-with-troubled-past.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Daily News: Mario Cuomo funeral set for Tuesday; State of State address re-scheduled to January 21

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/gov-mario-cuomo-funeral-set-tuesday-blog-entry-1.2063990?cid=bitly

State of Politics: Jeff Klein expects “minor” changes in power-sharing deal with state senate G.O.P.

http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2015/01/klein-expects-some-changes-to-coalition/

Ken Lovett: Cuomo faces more resistant legislature in second term (Daily News)

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/lovett-andrew-cuomo-faces-significant-political-challenges-article-1.2063417

Bill Hammond: Self-inflicted damage weakens Cuomo’s credibility as second term begins (Daily News)

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/bill-hammond-cuomo-credibility-chasm-article-1.2061324

City & State: Q&A with Keith Wright, Assembly Housing Committee chair, on 2015 rent law fight

http://www.cityandstateny.com/157/q-and-a-with-keith-wright-on-affordable-housing.html#.VJmxXsB4

City & State: Q&A with Darryl Towns, NYS housing commissioner, on affordable housing programs

                                                                                    

http://www.cityandstateny.com/157/q-and-a-with-darryl-towns-on-affordable-housing.html#.VJnFnsB4

New York Times: Feds investigating “substantial” payments to Assembly Speaker Silver from small law firm

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/us-said-to-investigate-new-york-assembly-speaker-over-pay-from-law-firm.html?ref=nyregion&_r=1

New York Observer: Sheldon Silver expects to be re-elected Assembly Speaker despite federal probe

http://observer.com/2015/01/sheldon-silver-expects-to-be-re-elected-speaker-despite-federal-investigation/

The Real Deal: Leonard Litwin, LLC loophole king, is prominent client of law firm that made payments to Silver

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/12/31/real-estates-top-donor-is-client-of-sheldon-silvers-second-firm/

New York Times: Baruch Singer, notorious slumlord, is client of law firm that made payments to Silver

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/nyregion/firm-that-paid-sheldon-silver-is-tied-to-landlord-with-troubled-past.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

New York Times editorial: FBI, U.S. Attorney right to probe how state legislators bring in outside income

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/03/opinion/albany-lawmakers-and-their-secret-incomes.html?ref=opinion

Gotham Gazette: Repeal of 20 percent statutory vacancy bonus top legislative priority for Senator Serrano

http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/opinions/5493-senator-serrano-priorities-for-2015-jose-m-serrano

Journal News: Several “double-dipping” state legislators file paperwork to collect pension + salary in 2015

http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2014/12/29/new-batch-of-state-lawmakers-to-double-dip/

The Albany Project: $60 million spent on New York State Senate races this year

http://thealbanyproject.kinja.com/its-now-cheaper-to-run-for-congress-than-ny-senate-1669379533

Wall Street Journal: Landlords accuse highest state court of pro-tenant bias

http://www.wsj.com/articles/landlords-claim-court-bias-in-favor-of-tenants-1419904903

City & State: This Week’s Winners & Losers

http://www.cityandstateny.com/2/personality/winners-and-losers/winners-and-losers-01/02/15.html

Daily News: Harlem tenants return to their apartments two years after fire, with help from PA James, DA Vance

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/harlem-tenants-hard-return-home-article-1.2064335

Sam Roberts on Queens as central to Mario Cuomo’s political rise (New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/03/nyregion/mario-cuomo-rose-from-queens-the-outsiders-borough-.html?_r=0

New York Times: The loving and competitive relationship between Mario Cuomo & Andrew Cuomo

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/03/nyregion/one-last-confluence-for-mario-and-andrew-cuomo-proud-rivals.html?ref=nyregion

Staten Island Advance: Who might run for Grimm’s Congressional seat in special election?

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/12/a_look_at_the_possible_contend.html#incart_maj-story-1

New York Times: Douglas Durst speaks out on his troubled brother Robert shortly before TV documentary to air

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/02/nyregion/series-on-troubled-scion-of-durst-real-estate-family-has-critic-his-brother.html?src=me

City & State: Labor issues loom in 2015 legislative session

http://cityandstateny.com/2/83/labor/setting-the-agenda-labor.html#.VKhcqtvkd6J

Roger Toussaint: Police unions have a responsibility to work for a more just society (Portside)

http://portside.org/2014-12-31/police-unions-and-challenge-solidarity/portside.org/2014-12-31/police-unions-and-challenge-solidarity

Jonathan Tasini: Labor unions must speak out against police union leader Pat Lynch’s poisonous rants (Daily News)

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/jonathan-tasini-labor-reject-lynch-bitter-bile-article-1.2060012

DNA Info: 70,000 apply for 38 new affordable apartments in Williamsburg

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20141230/williamsburg/70000-people-apply-for-38-affordable-apartments-williamsburg

The Real Deal: Nuns evicting immigrant tenants from Hell’s Kitchen SRO

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/12/29/bad-habit-nuns-booting-immigrant-tenants/

The Albany Project: Cuomo donors get lots of state money

http://thealbanyproject.kinja.com/what-pay-to-play-looks-like-cuomo-donors-get-lots-of-s-1669503665

Real Estate Weekly: Cuomo administration awards $16.5 million for 240 affordable housing units

http://www.rew-online.com/2014/12/31/state-announces-16-5m-in-affordable-housing-grants/

Daily News: Illegal hostel operating in East Harlem apartment building

<http://m.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/affordable-east-harlem-unit-doubles-illegal-hostel-article-1.2061459

Journal News VIDEO: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s inaugural address at 1 World Trade Center

http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2015/01/02/replay-watch-gov-andrew-cuomos-nyc-inaugural-address/

Michael McKee

Treasurer

Tenants Political Action Committee

Happy New Year to All. Here’s to a significant tenant victory in 2015!