Morning Wrap for Wednesday, July 29, 2009 (final post 9:30 a.m.)

From the Blogs: 

Capitol Confidential:

-Jennifer A. Dlouhy reports rural New York lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have decided to revive a congressional caucus to advocate for dairy farmers.

-Irene Jay Liu lists those who are “profiting from the coup.”

-Casey Seiler writes Brooklyn Sen. Martin Malave Dilan will serve as a co-chair of the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment.

The Daily Politics:

-Elizabeth Benjamin reports Gen. Colin Powell gives “his out-of-the-blue support” for Mayor Bloomberg during a interview with CNN’s Larry King.

-Labor leaders complain to Dems in a closed-door summit in Kingston, “they aren’t seeing enough bang for their political buck.”

-The city Board of Elections restores Councilman Robert Jackson, but not Councilman Alan Gerson, to the ballot during a “regularly-scheduled meeting.”

-Benjamin thinks there’ll be a lot more linking Mayor Bloomberg to the GOP from mayoral candidate Bill Thompson’s camp.

-The Hotel & Motel Trades Council endorses Councilman John Liu for NYC comptroller.

Runnin’ Scared:

-Roy Edroso reports “in a quick reversal” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has decided to give the NYPD $35 million in stimulus money.

PolitickerNY: 

-Jason Horowitz writes Democratic candidates shouldn’t count on “NY’s political-donor network or lots of easy money.”

-Jimmy Vielkind writes Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is looking more and more like a viable contender for governor in 2010.

-Assemblywoman Addie Russell will not seek the Democratic nomination for NY-23, leaving an “increasingly sparse Democratic bench.”

-Labor leaders tell Democratic Party leaders they aren’t happy.

-State Assembly members say Senate amendments to the school governance bill will get a “fair—if firm—shake.”

-Azi Paybarah shares the transcripts of Colin Powell endorsing Mayor Bloomberg on “Larry King.”

-Steven H. Richman, counsel to the Board of Elections, defends himself against accusations by Bill de Blasio’s lawyers that he is to blame for de Blasio’s ballot troubles.

-Paybarah looks at NYC public advocate candidate Eric Gioia’s campaign to date.

-City Councilman Alan Gerson has been removed from the ballot by the city Board of Elections.

-Councilman Lew Fidler “has made it his mission to remind everyone of Michael Bloomberg’s Republican affiliation.”

Room Eight:

-Larry Littlefield writes, with NYC schools spending well over the national average per student, “funding is no longer an excuse for any educational deficiencies in the city.”

Albany Watch:

-Joseph Spector writes, “Labor leaders urged Democrats to not abandon legislative issues that are still outstanding, such as reforming the state’s industrial development agencies—which have not allowed non-profits to get help for construction projects.”

-Former Gov. Hugh Carey backs Gov. Paterson’s naming Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor.

Opinion:

-New York Daily News writes Pres. Obama is following Pres. Bush’s example by not giving NYC any federal funds for the NYPD.

-Albany Times Union looks forward to seeing how David M. Steiner, the new state education commissioner, raises the quality of teacher performance.

-Poughkeepsie Journal asks: “Whatever happened to public service?”

-New York Post writes Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand flip-flops again, this time it’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

-Rochester Democrat & Chronicle would like to see Gov. Paterson sign a bill reforming public authorities.

-Syracuse Post-Standard would also like to see Gov. Paterson sign a bill reforming public authorities.

-State Senator Joseph Griffo doesn’t think state government reforms are coming “far enough or fast enough.” 

-Juan Gonzalez, of the New York Daily News, reports taxpayers shell out “an average of $250,000 last year for each of 63 computer consultants a little-known Florida-based firm supplied to the Department of Education.”

-Nicole Gelinas, a contributing editor to City Journal, writes NYC shouldn’t “relax” now that Wall Street profits are booming again.

-Stan Dworkin, a former Rockland County legislator, writes legislators living outside their districts “keeps officials out of the loop of interest of their constituents, leaving them unfamiliar with the true needs of the voters they are elected to represent.”

Meetings/Press Conferences:

-Governor David A. Paterson is in NYC, Erie County and Monroe County today.

10 a.m.  The governor will sign the Starrett City Housing Complex Refinancing Bill at Starrett City Community Center, 1540 Van Siclen Avenue, Brooklyn.

1 p.m.  The governor will sign the Historical Preservation Tax Credit Bill at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court, Buffalo.

3:30 p.m.  The governor will sign the Health Care Program Bills at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Flaum Atrium, 415 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester.

Press Releases:

-NYS Thruway Authority: The pavement rehabilitation project along I-190 (Niagara Thruway) in Grand Island has been rescheduled due to weather-related issues, with work beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, and continuing through Saturday, August 8.

-The Business Council of NYS: Prominent business groups speak out as Rep. John Hall’s Democratic party attempts to force a government healthcare takeover.

-Governor David A. Paterson: Gov. Paterson bestows Police Officer of the Year honors on two members of the New York City Police Department, detectives Russel Timoshenko and Herman Yan.

-Gov. Paterson announces $30 million in federal stimulus funding for affordable housing developments across the state.

-Gov. Paterson announces power allocations to spur economic development in Western New York.