Azi Paybarah

Governor Paterson appointed five people to cushy jobs at the Parole Board.

2013: Anthony Weiner has the most on hand, but Scott Stringer raised the most during this filing.

NJ capped property taxes at 2 percent.

“The last two years have been a disaster for us,” said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a gun control activist.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s spokesperson said they have “no agreement” with the State Senate on CUNY/SUNY tuition raises.

Bill Stachowski says he’ll vote for the budget if there’s a deal on tuition.

Greg Meeks’ neighbor says the congressman’s house is too big for the neighborhood.

The Daily News says Meeks “has no excuse” for not checking with the House Ethics Manual before taking a loan from a campaign contributor.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing today should be exciting, since they’re talking about the Ground Zero mosque.

Mayor Bloomberg’s defense of the mosque is a slap at Rick Lazio.

The city tries cutting its $7.6 billion pension costs.

Agudath Israel blames its funding cut on David Greenfrield, whom the group did not support for election.

Tom Golisano won a fight to get the value of his house lowered. It’s now $3 million.

Bloomberg isn’t staking out a firm position on term limits.

Ruben Diaz Jr. spends a lot of money on local schools.

Ray Kelly argues for keeping stop and frisk data for year.

Former Assemblyman George Ortloff hasn’t been sentenced to prison yet.

Being released today are results of a study about getting rid of the Sheridan Expressway in the Bronx.

An op-ed to sell wine in grocery stores.

Kevin Sheekey and Roger Stone broke bread.

And Lazio notes Andrew Cuomo's policy book doesn't mention terrorism or public safety.

State Senator Thomas Morahan, who represented parts of Rockland and Orange Counties, has died at age 78 after a six-month battle with leukemia.

A Bronx native, Morahan was elected to the state Senate in 1999. He is probably best known for successfully advocating for Timothy's Law, which requires insurers to provide more mental health coverage.

The absence of Morahan from the Senate isn't likely to impact the current session, since 32 votes are needed to pass legislation, and he was a stalwart member of the Republican minority.

Running to replace Morahan -- who was not seeking re-election -- are Rockland County Exec Scott Vanderhoef and 29-year-old town clerk David Carlucci.

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos issued statement on the passing of Morahan:

I am deeply saddened by the loss of Senator Tom Morahan, a tireless and dedicated public servant, but more importantly a great and valued personal friend. His accomplishments as a Senator, ranging from his fight to stop the commuter tax, to his efforts to help the mentally disabled, are only exceeded by his accomplishments as a father, husband and friend.

One of his lasting legacies was his insistence on bipartisanship and non-partisanship in state government, and he strived to achieve that and succeeded in doing so more times than not.

Tom was a champion for the mentally disabled and their families, as well as to all of his constituents in Rockland County and the lower Hudson Valley. And he was working for them right to the end.

Tom's hard work, his strong personality and his charm will never be forgotten by the countless thousands of people who were fortunate enough to call him their friend.

He will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Helen, his daughters, and the rest of his family at this difficult time.

On the Ground Zero mosque, Mayor Bloomberg says investigating them is un-American.

Sean Coffey now joins the other AG candidates in opposing the NYPD’s practice of keeping stop and frisk information [updated].

Rick Lazio says he’ll release ten years of tax info and challenges Andrew Cuomo to do the same.

Maggie Haberman notes Democrats switch surrogates and keep pounding Lazio on his lobbying ties.

SEIU boss Dennis Rivera will back Eric Schneiderman.

Reader Mickey from Manhattan writes: “Perhaps Maloney ‘takes money from the special interests she's supposed to regulate.’ On the other hand, Saujani works for those special interests.”

Sarah Palin endorsed a Republican challenger to Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei.

On Alan Flacks’ calendar today: fund-raisers for Rep. Jerry Nadler and Manhattan DA Cy Vance.

Chuck Schumer stops by the Pool Party the same day he announced he’s fighting Zombie Sparks.

Jonathan Tasini blames Charlie Rangel for Harlem’s gentrification.

One Bill O’Reilly client endorses another.

Ruben Diaz Sr. makes fun of El Diaro for allegedly employing a spy.

El Diario has said they don’t want to be part of the spy story.

Dunham looks at Republicans who may back Elena Kagan.

Get ready to read a lot about Sonia Sotomayor.

Scott Brown gets behind the financial regulation bill.

Doug Schoen: “The left-wing economists urging Obama to ignore the latter concern, and pour more taxpayer money into the economy now, regardless of the impact on the deficits, are prescribing electoral suicide."

And pictured above is Pedro Espada, who filed 10,000 petition signatures to appear on the ballot.

UPDATE: And R.I.P. State Senator Tom Morahan.

Embattled Democratic State Senator Pedro Espada, surrounded by supporters outside the Bronx Board of Elections Office, said he filed 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot for re-election on the Democratic line this fall.

Democratic challenger Reshma Saujani is still using the "special interest" line of attack against Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

A reader received this campaign mailer on Friday talking about how Maloney was “taking money from special interests” at fund-raiser scheduled around the same time she was taking an important vote on financial regulation.

Chris Matthews has called the “special interest” line of attack a “canard” because Saujani raises a lot of money from lots of Wall Street.

Here’s a graph from the Center for an Urban Future’s new report on why New York’s bet on reaping huge profits from putting video slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack probably won’t pay off.

“[S]tate officials never seriously studied whether the idea of using video slot machines to prop up a dying race track make sense economically…

 [skip]

“Racing has been a declining business at Aqueduct for a long time. Between 1990 and 2009, the number of racing days dropped from 162 to 117. During the same period, total attendance fell by 82 percent; and after adjusting for inflation, Aqueduct’s “handle”—the total amount wagered on races at Aqueduct, including simulcast betting—also fell by 82 percent. In 2009, average daily attendance at Aqueduct was just 2,408, and the average daily handle just over $1 million.”

The competition to win the contract has been fierce. Three companies submitted bids to run the slot machines at Aqueduct. Two were disqualified. And one elected official says the fight for the Aqueduct bid may be behind a smear campaign targeting politicians in the racetrack's southeast Queens area.

The Center wants state officials to scrap the slot machines idea and instead look at how to use two nearby airports to generate financial activity.

The call to oust state Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. from the Democratic Party is going to be met with a direct challenge from Bronx state Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. on Monday afternoon.

A White House spokesman warns that Republicans may take over the House of Representatives. Larry Sabato says that kind of warning is the Democrats' only advantage.

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson says the state could run out of money in about a month. It's his latest warning to legislators who still have not finished the state budget. But, as WNYC's Azi Paybarah reports, lawmakers are not feeling the urgency.

Tabloid fame for Paterson.

An Assemblyman announces his divorce.

Gay-rights advocates defend Cuomo.

Cops criticize Lazio’s criticism of a mosque.

Lazio is finally on the offense, notes Haberman.

Paterson takes a shot at Silver.

State Senators may work next week.

Republicans want more info on the budget.

Rules for hiring teachers were relaxed, writes Fertig.

Saujani gets spanked by WaPo, Matthews.

Weiner and Abedin will marry at Frank MacKay’s favorite castle, with a little help from Bill Clinton.

The new Politicker blogger is busy.

And Charter Revision Commission Chairman Matthew Goldstein dumps his recommendations on a Friday afternoon.

Rep. Charlie Rangel's claim that congress shouldn't spend any more money on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--except to leave--is challenged by Jonathan Tasini who says Rangel just voted to fund the war.

Tasini:

Charlie Rangel just voted, along with many Democrats, for billions of dollars more for the Afghanistan war, and he will not face another vote on the Afghanistan war until after the September 14 primary. This is unconscionable.

Barbaro: "Mr. Cuomo has been slow to take on gay-rights battles or display leadership on key issues, advocates for gay rights say."

Maloney is not debating, no matter what Saujani’s people say.

Cuomo supports Stachowski, from a distance.

Rangel says being attacked boosts his re-election chances.

Meeks pays back his loans, after the feds ask about it.

DiNapoli sued BP, then sent out a fund-raising email about it.

Chris Cox parades…in Cheektowaga.

Towns braces for a rematch with Powell.

In Brooklyn, Young Repubilcans rail against the establishment.

Kagan’s latest backer: rapper Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew

The group did have this semi-political song back in the day.

And if you have any suggestions for what I should call this blog, I’m all ears.

The head of the New York State Commission on Public Integrity announced this afternoon that the $10,000 fine levied against Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s former spokesman, Darren Dopp, was upheld.

After a series of questions about the $49,000 vehicle the state purchased for him, Senate Conference Leader John Sampson said he will not be driving the car. Sampson told Fox 5 that instead he will use his current vehicle, a 2005 Crown Victoria with no air conditioning.

Here’s a little more info about Andrew Cuomo’s mixed-use trip to Syracuse, where he’s having an official AG announcement, and a fund-raiser for his gubernatorial race.

The entire cost of the trip is being paid for by Cuomo's campaign, a spokesperson for his office said.

The problem of politicians using state-funded aircrafts for campaign purposes is a problem that Cuomo looked at in one of his first major investigations in 2007.

If there's one moment where congressional candidate Reshma Saujani squirms a little during her interview with Adam Dickter of The Jewish Week, it's around the 3:30 mark, when he asks her if Israel should be permitted to keep its settlements.

Cuomo is traveling to Syracuse on official business, and later, to have a fund-raiser.

Rangel talks about the war.

Saujani hits Maloney for taking "special interest" money.

Berntsen, and Malpass hop onto Paladino’s line.

So much for the GOP’s third party line.

Paterson’s vetoes.

Paterson’s spokesman: “He’s not negotiating on these vetoes.”

Silver is “deeply disappointed.”

Cuomo invokes Bloomberg in defending the Ground Zero mosque.

Cuomo announces a crackdown on pension abuses.

Brown notes an important fact about Cuomo’s pension annoucement: “The attacks against pension spiking are made a bit more complicated by the fact that pension spiking is, in fact, completely legal.”

A Times Union blogger agrees.

McMahon pokes holes in the state budget.

Here's a unique jobs plan from South Carolina’s unusual Senate candidate.

And here's Rangel, talking to a reporter by cell phone after his press conference today in Times Square.

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio sent a letter to his Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo, the state attorney general, asking him to investigate the Islamic group which wants to build a mosque near Ground Zero.