Crains New York - June 17, 2013 - (Page 6)

THE INSIDER THE GUIDE TO by Andrew J. Hawkins HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHERS’ UNION head Michael Mulgrew is the target of a secret effort by education reform advocates. newscom Crain’s New York Business Guide to Higher Education is a valuable resource providing a look at key offerings from leading education institutions, highlighting available courses, specialized programs and upcoming events to help you expand your leadership opportunities in the workplace. Group plots to sway mayor’s race E ducation reformers and their financial-sector supporters are hatching a plan to dilute the power of the teachers’ union in this year’s mayoral race, according to a confidential memo obtained by Crain’s. The plan, as sketched out by Democrats for Education Reform, a backer of charter schools, calls for supporters to spread campaign donations among three Democrats: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, former Comptroller Bill Thompson and former Rep. Anthony Weiner. “What we propose is a well-orchestrated hedge to ensure that the two candidates who make it through the primary to the runoff are acceptable to reform activists,” the memo says. “This will involve strategically supporting a good chunk of the field, namely Quinn, Thompson and Weiner.” ISSUE DATE: 8/12/13 CLOSE DATE: 7/12/13 For advertising information, please contact: Irene Bar-Am (212) 210-0133 ibaram@crainsnewyork.com Special Advertising Section CRAIN’S Custom Connections Studio CRAIN’S NEW YORK LEGAL PREEMINENT LA W GUIDE 2013 Crain’s New York Legal: Preeminent Law Guide 2013 will provide you with tips, trends and insights about how to make the best decisions for your business-all in a single comprehensive resource. Distinguished lawyers and law firms have the opportunity to highlight their strengths and success stories to Crain’s valuable audience of business decision-makers, in a trusted and authoritative content environment. KEY DATES: Publishing: September 16, 2013 Close information: Special Early Bird Pricing: 6/28/2013 Regular Close Date: 8/1/2013 For more information, please visit CrainsNewYork.com/NYLegal or contact Jill Kunkes, Senior Account Executive at (212) 210-0170 or jkunkes@crainsnewyork.com. Special Advertising Section 6 | Crain’s New York Business | June 17, 2013 The frank missive said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio offers “the least support for issues of concern to education reform advocates,” and said Comptroller John Liu has “the toughest” path to victory of the top Democrats. Republicans were said to have “zero chance.” “The key objective for education reformers, obviously, is making sure that the runoff election is between Quinn and Someone Good,” the memo states, “or at least Someone Not Bad.” The message urged members to “quietly” support and not “publicly alienate” Ms. Quinn and Messrs. Thompson and Weiner, suggesting “small-donor fundraising.” A spokesman for UFT chief Michael Mulgrew mocked the strategy. “Why would an organization that claims to have broad popular support decide to ‘de-escalate’ its key issue during an election?” he said. “This memo reads like a desperate attempt to assure [its] funders among the 1% that the organization retains a shred of relevance.” Joe Williams, who runs the group, emailed a terse reply: “Whatever.” Wrighting a wrong Assemblyman Keith Wright, a Harlem Democrat whose campaign owes the city nearly a quarter-million dollars for hanging posters on city property, wants to resolve the issue by negotiating a lower fine, as others have. Yet for almost a year, no settlement has been reached. And the stalemate between Mr. Wright and the Department of Finance has led to finger-pointing and rumors of per- sonal animus between the assemblyman and Finance Commissioner David Frankel. “It’s been lingering for quite, quite, quite some time,” said Mr. Wright, whose lawyer said the finance agency has not responded to a settlement offer. A department spokesman put the onus on Mr. Wright, citing six months of silence from his lawyer: “A settlement was negotiated but never finalized.” Posters cannot be placed on city property, but campaigns got away with it until the city began cracking down a few years ago. Campaign workers, however, accustomed to the old ways or just taking a calculated risk, still engage in illegal postering. The city slapped two of Mr. Wright’s campaigns with 760 violations dating back at least six years. The Finance Department usually seeks $75 per poster, plus interest. Mr. Wright has said his campaign is willing to pay the initial $57,000 fine. But the city fined Mr. Wright $224,000 because he did not show up to contest the charges. Word has spread that personal history between Mr. Wright and Mr. Frankel was holding up a deal. They were students together at Fieldston, an elite city prep school, and Tufts University in the 1960s. Mr. Wright serves on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, which has frowned on bills sought by Mr. Frankel, who happens to live in his district. Mr. Wright laughed at the notion.“We went to Fieldston together,but he was a couple of years ahead of me and I did not know him,” he said.“I don’t remember him at all.”Ⅲ http://www.CrainsNewYork.com/NYLegal

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - June 17, 2013

IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
THE INSIDER
SMALL BUSINESS
BUSINESS PEOPLE
OPINION
GREG DAVID
FOR THE RECORD
REPORT: FORTUNATE 100
THE LIST
REAL ESTATE DEALS
CLASSIFIEDS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crains New York - June 17, 2013