30 The Queens Courier • march 13, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Mayor in a school daze It’s been an interesting couple of weeks in the ongoing schoolyard boxing match – not yet a brawl because the gloves haven’t come off – pitting the mayor’s height and reach against the governor, a compact fighter with lots of power. Hizzoner traveled upstate on Tuesday, March 4, to spar another round and learned the dangers of talking smack before the match. After berating charter school big Eva Moskowitz, he called her planned pro-charter demonstration a “sideshow.” Only when the bell sounded, instead of the 2,000 supporters billed, Big Bill drew about half that, mostly union types. In the other corner, Little Eva’s “sideshow,” expected to draw 2,500, had about 11,000 – including lots of inner city moms and their kids. Showcasing a hard-hitting speech by Andrew “the Italian Stallion” Cuomo, the pro-charter demo turned out to be the main event. Big Bill tried to get off the ropes at a conference of Mayors – in Chicago, where Mayor Rahm Emanuel is an avid charter school supporter, with even bigger financial problems. Our guy’s press highlight was getting socked with a wisecrack about not speeding. Ouch. Last Thursday, Hizzoner held Cardinal Dolan, who gladly accepted the notion of help for Catholic schools, while giving him no support at all for his tax plans. Truly ecumenical, the cleric praised both sides. On Friday, to regain his footing, de Blasio collected a panel of pro-school bloggers, hoping to get them in his corner. Naturally they supported his educational goals, but once out of the ring, they were mostly non-committal to his tax plan. Not having suffered the blows, maybe they’re seeing more clearly. Over the weekend, Bill’s corner, including mayoral missus Chirlane McCray who visited Allen A.M.E. Church in Jamaica, fanned out across the city to drum up support (and one might surmise, pressure the Gov.). If Battered Bill thinks Cuomo, with a more-than $33 million war chest, is worried about downstate minority voters pulling for either The Donald or Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino come November, maybe it’s time for a standing eight-count. Nevertheless, come Monday the Mayor answered the bell on TV in the 6-9 a.m. time slot, telling a highlyskeptical panel that, “I’ve 100 percent said if we have a verifiable plan for five years at the dollar figure we need, we can accept that.” Smiling like a jolted boxer, he bobbed about not getting anything “as verifiable and consistent as the tax plan I’ve put forward.” Then he weaved. “So I stand with the idea that a dedicated tax from our own people paying for our own program is the best way. But I’m absolutely open to an alternative that gets the job done.” Before noon, the Gov was on the radio, sending a solid jab between the gloves of his “good friend.” Cuomo, speaking on WNYC’s “Brian Lehrer Show”, said of the Mayor’s dream tax, “There’s nothing verifiable. If we passed a tax this year for the city of New York, which is what the mayor POLITICS FROMHERE by VICTOR G. MIMONI vmimoni@queenscourier.com asked for, we could undo it next year.” Completing the double-jab he added, “There’s nothing that says if you pass a tax, you can’t undo the tax.” Then came the uppercut. “I said all along that we will fund the need.” Cuomo has the State Constitution in his corner. De Blasio has a Charter – like a bus company. In this match between welterweight Wilhelm and the Italian Stallion in the State House there is only one outcome likely, read in “the tea leaves” by the city’s head bean counter, Comptroller Scott Stringer. Stringer, a documented Queens Courier reader who spent 13 years in the Assembly in Smallbany, delicately hinted at the political truth. On April 1, when the bell sounds on the State Budget, the millionaire tax will have been counted out. Hizzoner has been out-boxed by His Excellency at every turn, and now has poll numbers only a New York Republican could love. If he further alienates state legislators, he’ll be taking lumps for the rest of his term. My favorite question of the week was purely rhetorical – from Juan Gonzalez in the Daily News. In defending Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Hizzoner’s rejection of three charter schools, my colleague noted that one would have the subject building at 132 percent of capacity. “What idiot bureaucrat plans for an overcrowded school?” Juan asked. C’mon out to Queens, amigo, where the answer seems to be, “Uh, all of them,” including the Departments of City Planning, Buildings and Education, along with the Board of Standards and Appeals. This appointed group interprets and grants exemptions to a plain-reading of what we laughingly call our zoning code and is accountable only to the courts. It’s the place where strong objections to overdevelopment by Community Boards, Borough Presidents and the City Council are cheerfully accepted – and ignored. With Hizzoner championing even more gigantic luxury construction as long as sits atop “affordable” housing, there is little doubt that here in the “Borough of Homes,” monster construction will continue wherever the ground will support their weight. But try to build a school. Last Sunday, to the surprise of … nobody, Joe Crowley announced he’s running for re-election to Congress (14th District) at his 5th annual St. Pat’s Celebration at Sidetracks Restaurant in Sunnyside. Unless the Republicans come up with a saint who can perform miracles, Joe has a walkover. NEED A GETAWAY? Scheduled Bus Trips All Year Round Over 300 Tours to Choose From Five Convenient Pick Ups in NYC • Longwood Gardens • Washington, DC Cherry Blossom (1-3 Days) • Memphis & Nashville; Smoky Mountain • Penn Dutch Amish; Sight & Sound Theatres • Cape May, Newport, Boston, Providence • Mt. Airy Casino & Show; Spring Doo Wop • Cape Cod Daffodil Festival; Rochester Lilac • Niagara Falls & Toronto; Montreal & Quebec • Ottawa & Thousand Islands, Canada • Holland Tulip Festival; Casinos & Shows • Nova Scotia, Halifax & Prince Edward Island • Dinner Shows, Shopping Outlets & Much More Call For Free Brochure 718-238-2284 6812 3rd Avenue • Brooklyn, NY 11220 www.lmtours.net • info@lmtours.net FREE Eye Exam WITH PURCHASE OF COMPLETE PAIR OF GLASSES OR EYE EXAM ONLY – $25 (REG. $85) COMPETITIVE PRICES with • Personalized Service & Attention • Our Professionally Trained Staff Will Give You A Careful Fit • Newest Styles • No Gimmicks 20% OFF ALL PURCHASES not to be combined with any other offer Varilux no-line bifocals progessive lenses w/plastic or metal frames $170 Choose From Over 300 Frames Some restrictions 2 Pairs of Eyeglasses (Frames & Lenses) $99 may apply. Not to be combined with any other offer. Choose From Over 300 Frames Some restrictions may apply. Not to be combined with any other offer. We Honor Most Competitor’s Coupons WE ARE A LOCAL FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS, NOT A CHAIN. WE OFFER PERSONAL SERVICE WITH HIGH QUALITY & LOW PRICES HUGE SELECTION! 50% OFF non-prescription sunglasses. Some restrictions may apply. Not to be combined with any other offer. • Lenses Duplicated • Motor Vehicle Exam • Prescription Filled • Adjustments Done At No Extra Charge • Lab on Premises • Tinting • Eye Exams Clifford Optical 38-19 BELL BOULEVARD, BAYSIDE • 718.229.8086 OFFERING THE LOWEST PRICES ON CONTACT LENSES
QC03132014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above