Afternoon Wrap for Thursday July 30, 2009 (final wrap 4:33 pm)

Capital Business Blog:

- Kenneth Adams, president & CEO of The Business Council of New York State, calls on lawmakers to be mindful of the cost of federal health care reform on New York businesses. The Link.

- Jennifer K. Levine writes that Gov. Paterson is still considering pushing for a tax on natural gas production.

Daily Politics:

- Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, attacked Mayor Bloomberg for spending so much money in his campaign writes Liz Benjamin.

- Benjamin notes that the Mayor hasn’t rule out the possibility that if he wins this year, he’ll run for a 4th term.

- Conservative Party chairman Mike Long reportedly supports Republican businessman Doug Hoffman’s winning line C in the 23rd Congressional race.

- Ken Lovett reports that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said nice things about Gov. Paterson on the day when the Gov. reported a worsening of the state’s fiscal situation.

- Some people in the Bronx think Pedro Espada is doing a great job. Liz Benjamin reports Espada is being honored tonite as Senator of the Year by a Bronx community group which is also honoring Tom Golisano, NY1’s Dominic Carter, state Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Thompson, and comptroller candidate/Councilman John Liu.

Capitol Confidential:

- Assemblyman Richard Brodsky has suffered a setback in his effort to investigate the deals cut to build the new Yankee Stadium. State Supreme Court Justice John Egan quashed a subpoena that Brodsky sought for access to thousands of pages of documents about the new $1.5 billion stadium reports Casey Seiler.

- James Odato, covering the licensing of video lottery terminals at the Aquaduct race track, reports the Div. of the Budget expects to take in $145 million in the 2010 fiscal year.

- The Gov. released data concerning the state’s fiscal situation today. Rich Karlin has the details.

- It looks more and more likely that both the Assembly and the Senate will return to Albany August 6 to vote on the agreement reached over the NYC school control issue reports Irene Jay Liu. Who knows what else they may take up.

- Liu also reports that Kirsten Gillibrand has received the endorsement of CSEA in her anticipated run for a full term as U.S. Senator in 2010.

Politicker NY:

- Mayor Bloomberg is defending a plan to tax residential property owners to generate revenue to pay for a business improvement project planned for the High Line Park area of Manhattan reports Azi Paybarah.

- Jimmy Vielkind reports on the state’s $2.1 budget deficit and confirms the Senate’s intention of returning to Albany August 6 to vote on NYC schools.

- Vielkind also reports on Republican representative John McHugh’s testimony at his Army Secretary nomination hearings today in Washington.

- Paybarah has the transcript for the Bloomberg won’t ruling out a 4th term interview exchange.

Daily Intel:

- The results of extensive analysis of the relationship between performance and compensation at banks that received TARP money was released today by the office of the Attorney General. Their conclusions are made clear by the report’s title “”No Rhyme, No Reason: The ‘Heads I Win, Tails You Lose’ Bank Bonus Culture.”

Planet Albany:

- Bob Connor comments on the likelihood that Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings will get the convention center.

The Wonkster:

- Courtney Gross reported on Rudy Guiliani’s comments this morning at a Crain’s New York Business breakfast concerning the conditions under which he might consider running for governor in 2010.

Press Releases:

- Stephen J. Acquario, Exec. Dir. of the NYS Assoc. of Counties, hit the wire soon after Gov. Paterson reported the legislature would have to return to Albany in the fall to deal with a $2.1 billion deficit stating New York “must reduce spending, provide local governments with increased flexibility and foster an economic growth strategy…”

- SUNY Upstate Medical Center now offers the newest, research-validated method of treatment of combat-related post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

- Representatives from more than 500 credit unions will be attending their annual convention in Saratoga Springs beginning Aug. 2.

- Rehabilitation of the Raquette River Boat Launch will begin this fall, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Regional Director Betsy Lowe announced today.

- The Business Council of NYS is urging Congress to consider the rising cost of health insurance coverage as the deliberate over reform proposals.

- CSEA announced its support for Gillibrand.

- The State Office of General Services announced the awarding of bids for five contracts representing more than $3.9 M in new construction, providing work in Seneca and Dutchess counties of New York. OGS also announced additional construction opportunities.

- The 2009 African American Family Day, with the theme “Celebrating the African Diaspora,” will take place on Saturday, August 1st, from noon until 7:00 p.m. at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York.