Brigid Bergin

Garden State residents won't be trading Atlantic City's green felt tables for their laptops anytime soon.  Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have made online gambling legal in New Jersey.

First reported in the WSJ, Christie's veto is seen as a blow to the gaming industry, which was looking to expand from brick-and-mortar casinos in Atlantic City to click-and-play sites online.

In a press conference before the veto was made public, Christie said he would veto the bill if he had legal or constitutional questions. “I’ve got to make sure that if I were to sign something like that that it would both be legal and constitutional,” he said.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Salem/Cumberland/Gloucester), the prime sponsor of the bill, issued a statement saying he would review Gov. Christie's veto, adding, "Still, the reality is that Internet gaming is coming and we need to figure out a way to make it work to benefit Atlantic City casinos. I hope to work cooperatively on new legislation that ensures New Jersey remains competitive for years to come in all aspects of modern gaming.”

The bill (A-2570) would have allowed all games, including poker, that are played at a casino to be offered through Internet wagering.

Any bets on a revised bill?

-Brigid Bergin

Governor Cuomo issued his tenth Executive Order on Wednesday which would reduce the costs of personal services contracts used by state agencies by 10 percent.

From the announcement:

Under the order, agencies will be permitted to renew certain PSCs only if the contractor agrees to the reduction or with the approval of the Director of State Operations.

"My proposed budget calls for significant savings from State agencies and reducing the cost of contracts those agencies enter into will help achieve our goal," Governor Cuomo said. "My administration will continue looking for ways to save taxpayers' money across all sectors of our government, and asking companies that do business with the State to find new efficiencies and lower their costs is a critical part of the process."

The state uses PSCs in areas including research and analysis, data processing, computer programming, engineering, environmental assessment, health and mental health services, and accounting.

State agencies will also be required to examine the roles currently assigned to PSCs and take all reasonable measures to ensure that the same services could not be acquired at a lower price.

These measures include discussing lower price options with current contractors, deciding whether re-bidding contract would achieve cost savings and working with the Director of State Agency Redesign and Efficiency to determine if savings could be achieved through bundling with other state agencies currently utilizing the same contractor.

The Spending and Government Efficiency Commission, created by Executive Order No. 4, will continue to review the state's practices regarding contracts for personal services to identify additional ways to reduce their number and cost.

Citizen's Budget Commission President Carol Kellerman, after thanking me for pointing this out to her, called this move "a positive statement."

"It's like [Cuomo's] saying, 'I'm cutting the salary of managers. I'm capping the salary of superintendents. I'm showing I'm cognizant of the fact that there are also consultants," explained Kellerman. "It's about putting agencies through hurdles."

-Brigid Bergin

Supporters of the so-called "Millionaires' Tax" (a higher tax rate for those earning over $200,000) held rallies at City Hall and in Albany today, at the same time the Cuomo administration's director of operations testified at a hearing on workforce issues about the potential for close to 10,000 layoffs of state workers if union contracts aren't sufficiently renegotiated.

“Our drop dead date before we must begin planning for layoffs is April first,” said Howard Glaser, director of state operations. “If we don’t have an agreement in place on April 1^st, we must begin planning for workforce reductions at that point. When those reductions might take place is a consequence of many factors.”

The president of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) also testified at the hearing. PEF President Kenneth Brynien told legislators that for the sake of fairness, the Executive Budget should not require New York public employees to pay the entire price for the state’s deficit.

From Brynien's testimony:

“Public servants didn’t cause this deficit, and it begs the question why state workers, school employees, and health care workers should be asked to bear the brunt of the sacrifice to address this fiscal crisis,” he said.

[H/T Jimmy Vielkind]

-Brigid Bergin

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this morning that Joseph M. Bress and Todd R. Snyder will serve as his Labor Negotiating Team.

From the announcement:

Mr. Bress was the Vice President of Labor Relations at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) from 1997-2010. Prior to working at Amtrak, he was appointed head of the Governor's Office of Employee Relations, under Governor Mario M. Cuomo. The office was responsible for labor relations and human resources policies for over 200,000 New York State employees. He also served as Chair and Executive Director of the New York State Ethics Commission. Mr. Bress holds a B.A. from Harpur College, Binghamton University and a J.D. from Buffalo Law School, SUNY Buffalo.

Mr. Snyder is a Senior Managing Director of Rothschild Inc. and Co-Head of Rothschild's Restructuring and Reorganization group, a leading international investment banking and financial advisory firm. He has been an advisor to Rothschild Inc.'s companies in restructurings and reorganizations for twenty-three years. He has been instrumental in a diverse selection of complex transactions including reorganizations, restructurings, financings, workouts, exchange offers, mergers, divestitures and management led buyouts. He advised the Bush and Obama administrations on the restructuring of the auto industry. Prior to joining Rothschild Inc., Mr. Snyder held a series of positions in restructuring and reorganization. Prior to his move to investment banking, Mr. Snyder practiced law in the Business Reorganization department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Mr. Snyder graduated with honors from Wesleyan University and received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In addition, Mr. Snyder is an adjunct professor at New York University Law School and New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

Our friends at Capitol Confidential note that Bress is an alumni of Gov. Mario Cuomo's administration.

-Brigid Bergin

In a win for Mayor Bloomberg, the state senate narrowly approved a bill that would end seniority protections for teachers in New York City. But its fate in the state Assembly is less certain.

The bill would do away with the so-called "last in, first out" rule requiring school districts to lay off new teachers first when cutting back staff, regardless of how good they are.

Mayor Bloomberg in a statement says the bill "puts the needs of our children first."

Earlier today, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, said he thinks the bill isn't necessary. He says the state is coming up with a new teacher evaluation system that will make it easier for districts to keep good teachers and get rid of bad ones.

-Beth Fertig

The ritual is not new to Gary Dawoit. After each storm, he and two colleagues, armed with scrapers and shovels, have the unenviable task of clearing the snow from around three company cars.

Even the big city needs a sheriff, and New York has a new one. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has passed the honored badge to Edgar A. Domenech, a former deputy director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Seven months after an attempted car bombing in Time Square, local leaders are shining a spotlight on the Great White Way’s emergency preparedness. And as the theater season hits its holiday peak, those who work on Broadway are giving themselves mixed reviews.

Unemployment figures released today paint a somber picture for job seekers. The nation's unemployment rate climbed to 9.8 percent in November, a seven-month high.

The newly renovated Koch Theater at Lincoln Center is facing $51,000 in fines for workplace safety violations. The theatre is home to the New York City Ballet and the New York City Opera.

A new recycling facility is expected to help revive Brooklyn's industrial waterfront.

New York City's three-term mayor says he plans to cast his vote in favor of returning to a limit of two, consecutive, four-year terms. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he supports the re...

The air was crisp and the mood was solemn as family members gathered at a site near Ground Zero for New York City’s ninth September 11^th commemoration ceremony at Zuccotti Park. Many wore white ribbons and carried pictures of their loved ones as family members and those working to rebuild the World Trade Center site read the names of almost 3,000 people who died there that day.

It's peak season for severe summer weather. Just this week, the National Weather Service says a tornado tore through a half-mile stretch in the North Riverdale section of the Bronx, touching down along the property of the Hebrew Home for the Aged just west of Palisade Avenue on the east bank of the Hudson River.

It's peak season for severe summer weather. Just this week, the National Weather Service says a tornado tore through a half-mile stretch in the North Riverdale section of the Bronx, touching down along the property of the Hebrew Home for the Aged just west of Palisade Avenue on the east bank of the Hudson River.

New York, NY —

Residents and business owners were forced to the street after a large, fast-moving fire led to the evacuation of a five-story building on the Lower East Side.

Eight firefighters suffered minor injuries. There are no reports of injuries to residents at this time.

Fire officials say ...

New York, NY —

For the first time in 34 years, New Jersey voters have rejected a majority of school budgets. According to unofficial results, voters turned down 260 of 479 budgets in 19 counties in yesterday's elections, which were particularly contentious this year.

Under Gov. Chris Christie's proposed state ...

New York, NY —

Local Poles are calling it one of the most terrible tragedies in their country's history. On Saturday, 96 people including President Lech Kaczynski were killed in a plane crash along with the First Lady and top members of the Polish military, the head of the ...

They don't serve green beer but if you're looking for a full Irish breakfast, Eamon's Bar and Grill offers the real thing, complete with eggs, bacon, sausage, white pudding, black pudding, coffee, tea and a whole lot of personality.

Did you ever want to learn how to make your own butter? Maybe take a photography class? Or build your own Web site?

These were among the offerings at a 35-day whirlwind experiment organized by a group of five young artists on the Lower East Side. Working ...