Crains New York - June 18, 2012 - (Page 8)

THE INSIDER by Andrew J. Hawkins and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh undeveloped, inexpensive and available are virtually nonexistent. Biz plays defense The business community is sweating through the final days of session in Albany, worried that legislators might raise the minimum wage, roll back workers’ compensation reforms, extend collective-bargaining rights to doctors and stop call centers with state contracts from outsourcing. “We’re hoping the Legislature will leave town either doing things that are positive, or do nothing,” said Michael Durant, the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. He is battling bills that would extend prevailing-wage requirements to employees of private housing projects that receive public financing and to janitors and security guards. Another bill would increase what businesses pay to injured workers, said Ken Pokalsky, vice president of government affairs for the Business Council of New York State. “Our defensive agenda is almost always long,” Mr. Pokalsky said, “and it’s not surprising that it’s longer this year.” CUOMO and the mysterious age gap GOV. ANDREW CUOMO is very popular among New Yorkers of nearly all stripes, according to the latest Siena poll. But the monthly survey generally finds one demographic beyond his reach: young people. “There’s no gender gap; there’s no ethnic gap,” said Siena pollster Steve Greenberg. “The only gap we really Andrew Cuomo see is this age gap.” Only 53% of voters 18 to 34 years old said they approve of the Democratic governor. Even Republicans of all ages liked him more (65%). Last June, 61% of young people told Siena they had a favorable opinion of him, a number buoyed by the passage of the same-sex-marriage bill. Since then, Mr. Cuomo’s support among that group has hovered below 60%. It jumped to 66% in April but fell to 49% last month. Lincoln Restler, a Brooklyn Democratic state committeeman, said Mr. Cuomo’s social policies have been popular among younger New Yorkers. “I would imagine this [lower poll number] is a reflection of the economic hardships that young adults are facing,” he said. But Bill Samuels, founder and chairman of the New Roosevelt Initiative, said Mr. Cuomo “has never created excitement with young Democrats because he doesn’t connect.” It could be that Siena surveys too few young people to yield meaningful data. A May Quinnipiac poll of 1,504 voters—nearly double Siena’s 807—put Mr. Cuomo’s approval rating among young people at 64%. Quinnipiac interviewed 180 young voters, so Siena’s sample size was likely about 100. The two polls also phrased the question differently: Siena asked respondents if they had a “favorable opinion or unfavorable opinion” of Cuomo, while Quinnipiac asked if they “approved or disapproved” of the governor’s job performance. A Siena spokesman said its pollsters were “very comfortable with our findings.” L World’s priciest parking lot egislation that created the Hudson River Park Trust in 1998 called for the organization to take partial ownership of Pier 76, which was pitched last week as a possible hotel and casino site connected to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. But the New York Police Department’s tow pound remains on the pier. Because of the enormous potential value of the real estate, some call it the most expensive parking lot in the world. A source close to the trust said the organization is negotiating with the city about putting all of Pier 76 into the trust so part of the land can be developed, generating revenue for park maintenance. “The most important thing is the tow pound gets relocated,” the source said, “and [that] the property gets into the park.” But the police are generally loath to move their tow pounds. Doing so is notoriously difficult. Sites that are accessible, Brewers make sausage, too Showing how deals get done in Albany, New York’s craftbeer industry scored a tax break from state lawmakers last week. Brewers first mario burger “Excellent business jump start for the day.” staffed up, hiring former Republican Sen. Raymond Meier as a lobbyist and SKDKnickerbocker, a strategic communications firm with ties to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to orchestrate a campaign. They then organized a coalition of upstate hops farmers, label producers, glassmakers and others who do business with the beer industry in New York to make their case to the Legislature. Finally, knowing the state had already passed its budget and was unlikely to find money for a new subsidy, the brewers asked for a tax break no larger than one they recently lost when it was deemed unconstitutional. In Albany, no words are sweeter than “revenueneutral.” “It was a textbook campaign,” an insider said. personal income-tax rates. Barron fact-check Charles Barron’s congressional campaign literature deems him “New York City’s Number One Councilmember” in building affordable housing. Mr. Barron is referring to the number of affordable units created or preserved in his district by the Bloomberg administration, of which he has been a relentless critic on other subjects. While it is unclear what, if anything, the councilman had to do with the mayor’s housing program, one thing is certain: Mr. Barron’s district was sixth, not first, in the number of units built. It was only first in Brooklyn. Mr. Barron (above), who is running against Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries in the June 26 Democratic primary, told Crain’s he would correct his literature, only to reverse that position minutes later, saying he disagreed with the city’s definition of affordable housing. See what all the fuss is about. “Good stuff.” “Love your new Morning10!” Stringer vs. Liu There are now dueling tax plans in the 2013 mayor’s race. Comptroller John Liu (below) last week unveiled a proposal to cut taxes for 99% of New Yorkers and raise them on annual earners of $1 million or more. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer had released his own tax plan earlier this year. Mr. Stringer called Mr. Liu’s plan costly and unrealistic. “My tax plan is much more revenue-neutral,” he said. “Ours is a much more targeted, realistic tax cut.” A spokesman for Mr. Liu said the comptroller’s plan offers more relief for middle-class families. But neither man could enact his plan as mayor. The state controls “Nice work!” “I love the new format! Great improvement.” Bailouts for 1199 The benefits fund for 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East has received two Albany-led bailouts totaling around $115 million, yet the news has not stirred a protest. “I can’t believe there’s not a hue and cry about millions of dollars going to 1199’s incompetent management of their benefits fund,” said one health care executive. “That should be going to help old people and poor people.” The union would not comment. “Fantastic!!!” . . . We couldn’t have said it any better. Crain’s morning10, the news you need to start your business day. “This is exactly what I needed!” REGISTER FOR FREE www.crainsnewyork .com/newsletters For daily political and government news, subscribe to CRAIN’S INSIDER @ www.crainsnewyork.com/insider 8 | Crain’s New York Business | June 18, 2012 bloomberg news http://www.crainsnewyork.com/newsletters http://www.crainsnewyork.com/newsletters http://www.crainsnewyork.com/insider

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - June 18, 2012

Crains New York - June 18, 2012
Contents
Ad Index
Why won’t the NYPD give up world’s priciest parking lot?
Wall St.’s unsung $35 million chief exec
Perks on parade: Why CBS’ Les Moonves got a $500,000 screening room
Big investors are going bonkers for apartment buildings
Pencil exec makes his mark
For small firms,Facebook is just too big
Aereo CEO sends cable TV a message
Calliope plays a French tune

Crains New York - June 18, 2012