Mitt Romney won every populous county. Gingrich and Paul won a couple counties, two with less than 105 voters. (Photo: Google)

The Daily News says teacher evaluation talks "seem doomed to fail."

Crain's calls for a minimum wage hike.

Mayor Bloomberg sat down with the Post's editorial board.

Said editorial board writes: "First there was “The Little Engine That Could” — and now there are the “Little Public Workers Who Won’t."

And continues to bombard the Associated Press.

John Liu met with campaign contributors on the job.

9/11 responders' checks are less than they expected.

The Daily News is cautiously optimistic and the Post is rather pessimistic on the jobs numbers.

Staten Island's life expectancy is lacking.

Headline: "Pimp their sentences, sez Qns. pol"

The media coverage of the Komen controversy might be biased.

On the presidential race:

Mitt Romney won Nevada.

His win cements his status as the leading candidate.

The turnout was disappointing.

Shock! Romney's support rises amongst those with higher incomes.

Ron Paul won the "Jewish Caucus."

Newt Gingrich vows to soldier on.

Robert Jackson (Photo: Facebook)

Councilman Robert Jackson is planning to run for borough president in 2013, and already a host of candidates are lining up to take his place for the Upper Manhattan council seat.

Among them are longtime Washington Heights politico Maria Luna, who last ran for this same seat in 1992, a current and a former district leader who squared off in a pitched electoral battle last year, an aide to neighborhood institution Charlie Rangel, two former challengers to Mr. Jackson, a community board vice chair and a 24-year-old City Council staffer from across town.

Legislative lines for the District, which currently includes Morningside Heights, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Central Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood, could shift before the race next year. In the meantime,  many of the aspiring heirs to Mr. Jackson's seat are watching each other and other local politicians before deciding what move to make.

Mr. Jackson originally entered the City Council in 2002. Mark Levine, a Democratic District Leader and founder of the Barack Obama Democratic Club, who was the runner-up to Mr. Jackson during his first race told The Politicker he's "definitely" going to try for the seat again--unless there's an opening in the State Senate.

In 2010, Mr. Levine ran against former Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat in the race to replace Eric Schneiderman in the State Senate after Mr. Schneiderman became State Attorney General. Mr. Espaillat is planning to run for a seat in the House of Representatives if a majority Latino Congressional district is created in the area. If Mr. Espaillat does indeed abandon his Senate seat for a Congressional campaign, Mr. Levine said he'll bid for that rather than a spot in the Council.

"I feel like I would be in a good position. I have to wait to see how the final maps come out before committing, but that's the only thing that would pre-empt a Council run," Mr. Levine said.

Mr. Levine has worked closely with the Working Families Party and hopes to receive their endorsement in the race.

Sources familiar with the Northern Manhattan political scene say April Tyler is also considering a run for the seat. Ms. Tyler was a Democratic District leader from 1993 until last fall, when she was unseated in a dramatic electoral upset by a relative outsider, Marisol Alcantara. As of this writing, Ms. Tyler did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

Ms. Alcantara also might enter the race, though she said she's waiting to see how the lines are drawn.

"I'm not thinking about it right now, you know, I just got elected as a District Leader six months ago and I just got a job with the National Action Network," Ms. Alcantara said. "I'm just waiting to see what the deal is going to look like and I'm going to fundraise for my next District Leader race."

Ms. Luna, who has been described as a "political legend in Washington Heights," has been involved in uptown politics for nearly three decades. She became a District Leader in 1983 and unsuccessfully ran for the district seven Council seat in 1991 is also considering  a bid to succeed Mr. Jackson.

"I am considering, but seriously considering. I tried before in 1992, I didn't make it," Ms. Luna said. "The reason why I'm seriously considering it is because this is an open seat now, I think that there is an opportunity now, things are really a little more open for women. The second thing is that I think that I have the know-how, and the experience and the time served in our community."

Ms. Luna said she's being careful about making a final decision because it's a choice she wants to make "at the right time for me."

"The reason why I haven't openly announced is because of all the factors that come around when you announce this; a whole set of things that you need to do, like the fundraising and the process. It's not complicated, but it makes people a little more cautious," Ms. Luna said. "We'll see what happens, it's going to be interesting. It's a personal decision, I've been thinking about this for a long time."

Mr. Solano, who worked for then-Senator Hillary Clinton, former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. and former Speaker Gifford Miller prior to joining Mr. Rangel's district office, said he'll work for Ms. Luna's campaign if she decides to run. Otherwise, he'll be running for Mr. Jackson's seat himself. Mr. Solano thinks a lot of the other potential candidates are waiting to see what Ms. Luna decides to do.

"Maria Luna, she's considering running as well, and although she's saying that she might, she hasn't decided yet," Mr. Solano said. "So, if she gets in a lot of people are going to get out and work her campaign. I'm going to go work her campaign. So, we're just waiting."

One person who's definitely going to run for Mr. Jackson's old seat is Cheryl Pahaham, the departing vice chair of Community Board 12. Ms. Pahaham said she's attracted to the race because it's an open seat in a diverse and progressive district.

"It's an open seat, it's an interesting district, because it's not necessarily the kind of district is predetermined by the majority ethnic group," Ms. Pahaham said. "Another thing I really like about the district is that people are very progressive. There are people who love activism and they really want their political leaders to be active on their behalf."

Uptown insiders also say Julius Tajiddin, a community activist who previously ran for the District 7 Council seat in 2009, is considering trying again next year. As of this writing, Mr. Tajiddin has not responded to a request for comment on this story.

A final potential candidate for Mr. Jackson's old seat is Rakim Brooks, a 24-year-old aide to Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, who has said he's considering starting a Council campaign. Mr. Brooks declined to specify which district he plans to run in beyond saying he won't challenge his current boss, who represents the district adjacent to Mr. Jackson's. Since there aren't any other open seats in the area, speculation is Mr. Brooks is planning to enter the District 7 race.

Jimmy Van Bramer stands by a painting of a pile of money. (Photo: Facebook)

Three primary election dates could create some crazy electoral scenarios.

Mayor Bloomberg supports giving money to Komen too.

Governor Cuomo's getting the big money.

Another candidate mulls the race for Suzi Oppenheimer's seat.

And an interesting new candidate looks at Maurice Hinchey's (disappearing?) district.

Shimon Gifter interviewed David Storobin.

More on Lew Fidler's Chuck Schumer endorsement.

Domenic Recchia has a problem with the principal of his old high school.

Muslim groups call on the Attorney General to investigate the NYPD.

Mayor Bloomberg is targeted by a Downtown Brooklyn business group's tweets.

City & State visits a jail.

Cablevision's Jimmy Dolan, unplugged.

On the presidential race:

Romney's going to win Nevada's caucuses tomorrow, do they matter?

POLITICO analyzes Mitt Romney's "Mormon firewall" helping him in states out West.

Newt Gingrich's Nevada campaign is stumping.

Ron Paul's Nevada momentum!!

Newt Gingrich thinks Komen shouldn't fund Planned Parenthood.

Romney does care about the very poor after all.

Rick Santorum fails to qualify for the Indiana ballot.

Forget the 2012 presidential race, what about 2016?

Senator Krueger (Photo: Facebook)

The Politicker recently noticed some amusing campaign committee spending, including former Rep. Eric Massa, who resigned under male-groping allegations, using his non-existent campaign to pay his wife, and a former state senator who's spending campaign money despite the tiny fact he's been deceased since 2005.

Now at least one State Senator is renewing her call for Albany to end spending by so-called "ghost campaigns" belonging to retired or deceased elected officials by passing a bill requiring inactive campaign committees to give their cash to charity, the state's general fund, the State University of New York, another committee, or back to the original contributors.

“Everyone knows our campaign finance laws need an overhaul, but this issue is particularly obvious and the solution should be a matter of bipartisan agreement," Senator Liz Krueger said in a statement.

"Politicians shouldn’t be able to keep hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign money hoarded years after their own careers end – it’s an invitation to corruption ... if they’re serious about turning over a new leaf, Senate Republicans should let this bill come to the floor."

Ms. Krueger additionally noted NYPIRG's report of these "ghost committees" continuing to proliferate in New York politics.

In 2011, the bill was voted down on a purely party-line vote in the Senate’s Elections Committee.

Chuck Schumer at a campaign event for Lew Fidler

Senator Chuck Schumer had some fun the other day when he "mistakenly" confused the "Buffett Rule," President Barack Obama's tax proposal that the wealthy pay at least the same tax rate as the middle class, with presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

"So, it's a priority for us to act on some kind of Romney—I mean, Buffett Rule," he joked.

Mr. Romney, of course, is on the defense over his tax rate -- he only pays about a 14 percent tax rate on the tens of millions of dollars he earns each year. Mr. Schumer, who heads the Senate Democrats messaging efforts, was more than happy to remind voters of Mr. Romney's tax situation.

Politicker caught up to Mr. Schumer at a campaign event this afternoon and asked if "the Romney Rule" would be a phrase that would see continued use.

"The Romney—I mean, Buffett rule, is very important," he succinctly responded with a smile.

Watch Mr. Schumer crack the joke below:

Richard Becker, a Westchester cardiologist and county legislator sent out an email to supporters crowing that he is now the front-runner in the Democratic primary for the right to take on Nan Hayworth for the Hudson Valley congressional seat.

"Our campaign raised nearly $230,000 - four times as much as our nearest competitior, and it’s all thanks to you," Mr. Becker wrote. "Both the Journal News and the Times Herald Record were buzzing about our new front-runner status. I cannot thank you enough for your hard work and dedication that have gotten us this far."

Mr. Becker does appear to be crushing it in the fundraising race. His nearest competitor, Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander has raised $56,000 this year and had only $21,000 in the bank for a primary that could be as early as June. But neither of the newspapers he cites actually call him a front-runner. The Journal-News describes him only as "The Democrat who’s been campaigning longest" while the Times Herald Record describes him only as "a heart-specialist from Cortlandt."

And while his $230,000 is an impressive haul, it is nowhere near that of Ms. Hayworth, who collected $352,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011 and has $1.1 million on hand.

Full email below:

Just giving you a quick update on the campaign. Last week, I spoke to the Peekskill Democratic Committee right here in Westchester. Everyone in the room was buzzing with enthusiasm to support a strong Democratic Candidate to replace Tea Party Republican Nan Hayworth. Our message of focusing government on serving everyone equally, not just the privileged few, continues to resonate with the voters of the 19th Congressional District.

However, the biggest news came out yesterday with the latest FEC filings: our campaign raised nearly $230,000 - four times as much as our nearest competitior, and it’s all thanks to you. Both the Journal News and the Times Herald Record were buzzing about our new front-runner status. I cannot thank you enough for your hard work and dedication that have gotten us this far.

But we’re not done yet! First of all, Nan Hayworth has raised over $200,000 from PACs and special interest groups in an effort to silence your voice. Second, a federal judge ruled last week that our primary must be moved up to June 26th! That means our whole primary process has been moved forward, from petitioning to canvassing. So please, sign up now to volunteer.

The excitement about this campaign is catching on all over the district, and this latest news is really spreading fast. But I know we wouldn't be here without you. With your help, we are taking a stand against obstructionism and favoritism, and I know that if we keep pushing like this, together, we will win on election day.

Thank you for your strength and dedication.

- Richard

Councilman Fidler (Photo: Facebook)

At a press conference announcing Senator Chuck Schumer's endorsement, Councilman Lew Fidler, who's campaigning for the New York State Senate, addressed the dust-up over his comments that his opponent, Republican David Storobin, has "ties to skinheads, and neo-Nazi groups and white supremacist group.”

"I want to answer that, and my campaign folks would probably tell me that I shouldn't," he began. "I never, ever, ever did, or would have, called David Storobin a neo-Nazi."

"I'm not so internet savvy ... I used the word 'ties' instead of 'links,'" he explained, adding that he "never once raised it in public," while Mr. Storobin "continues to raise it in public."

However, his campaign appeared to be strongly, and publicly, doubling down on the comments after they were made at a Brooklyn Young Democrats gathering. They sent out a press release earlier this week entitled, "Councilman Fidler’s Campaign Calls on Mr. Storobin to Come Clean on Ties to White Supremacist Websites."

"It was a response to a press conference that he held," Mr. Fidler responded when Politicker brought up the release.

"Again, he's responding to comments that I made to a group of young Democrats at a bar, where I thought we were in a private room," he added. "Look, if I was 25, I'm sure I would have used 'links' instead of 'ties,' I wish I was 25."

Watch the video of the exchange below:

Kirsten Gillibrand (Photo: Wikimedia)

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is pleased with the breast cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, reversing its controversial decision to stop giving Planned Parenthood grants for breast cancer screenings.

"While this has been a sad week for everyone that cares about women's health, I am glad that Susan G. Komen for the Cure has come to the right decision," Ms. Gillibrand said today.

Komen initially announced it would stop supporting breast health programs at Planned Parenthood this week because Republican Congressman Cliff Stearns was investigating Planned Parenthood to see if it uses federal money to fund abortions. Komen's decision led to days of intense backlash from politicians and voters who saw Mr. Stearns' investigation as politically motivated and felt the charity was bowing to pressure from the right wing.

Earlier today, Senator Gillibrand, sent a letter to supporters where she said she was calling on Komen to reverse their decision. Ms. Gillibrand also said she made a donation to Planned Parenthood and urged supporters to do the same.

"The radical right has been relentless in their efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides essential health care services to low-income women in need, including life-saving breast cancer screenings. When these extremists don’t succeed in getting laws changed in Congress, they resort to pressuring nonprofits such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure to stop funding Planned Parenthood," Senator Gillibrand wrote.

Though she is clearly happy with the Komen reversal, Ms. Gillibrand said the fight for women's healthcare is far from over.

"We must continue to stand strong against the attempts to roll back access to essential health care services for low-income women that are sure to continue," she said.

Mayors Bloomberg and Menino in their Super Bowl appearance. (Photo: YouTube)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino are starring in a Super Bowl ad to promote their Mayors Against Illegal Guns campaign. The ad features both men clad in the jerseys of their city's respective teams talking about how they "don't agree" on sports or local cuisine.

"But we both support the second amendment," Mayor Menino says in the ad.

"And believe America must do more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals," Mayor Bloomberg adds.

Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor Menino are the co-chairs of the campaign, which began in 2006 at a Gracie Mansion summit hosted by both mayors. Since then, the coalition has grown from an initial group of 15 mayors to include over 600 mayors.

Watch Mayor Bloomberg's Super Bowl ad below.

Eric Schneiderman (Photo: Getty)

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a suit today against Bank Of America, J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo for creating and using a private national mortgage electronic registry system called MERS to bring " foreclosure proceedings en masse based on deceptive and fraudulent court submissions."

“The banks created the MERS system as an end-run around the property recording system, to facilitate the rapid securitization and sale of mortgages," Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement about the suit.

Mr. Schneiderman's lawsuit also names the Virginia company MERSCORP, Inc. and its subsidiary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., which owns the database. Additional defendants include BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP, Chase Home Finance LLC, EMC Mortgage Corporation and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc. According to Mr. Schneiderman, the trio of banks acted as "MERS certifying officers."

The lawsuit alleges banks used their membership in MERS to avoid publicly recording the purchases and sales of mortgages and to initiate foreclosure proceedings based on inaccurate data.

“Our action demonstrates that there is one set of rules for all – no matter how big or powerful the institution may be – and that those rules will be enforced vigorously. Only through real accountability for the illegal and deceptive conduct in the foreclosure crisis will there be justice for New York’s homeowners,” Mr. Schneiderman said.

MERS was created by the mortgage banking industry in 1995. According to the MERS website, the purpose of the system was " to streamline the mortgage process by using electronic commerce to eliminate paper." MERS claims to do this by acting as the mortgagee for loans registered on the system even if the loan is transferred between different banking institutions. Last February, a bankruptcy judge on Long Island ruled MERS does not have the right to transfer mortgages. Mr. Schneiderman's statement said there are about 30 million active loans in the MERS system with approximately 20,000 "certifying officers" authorized to act on MERS' behalf.

Mr. Schneiderman is also fighting the mortgage industry on the federal level. At the State of the Union address, President Barack Obama announced he appointed Mr. Schneiderman to chair a new task force to investigate frauds involving home loans and mortgage-backed securities. In an interview about the task force, Mr. Schneiderman said his Financial Crimes Unit would be dedicated to "going after the stuff that blew up the economy."

Bill Mahoney at NYPIRG put together a list this morning of individuals and entities that have given over $50,000 to candidates or committees in New York State.

According to Mr. Mahoney, many of the people on the list use various loopholes to get around the state's limits on campaign giving.

In all, there are 127 entities that gave more than $50,000, chief among them Leonard Litwin, the retiring real estate executive that The Post profiled this week. Other big ticket givers include the state's teacher's union, who gave the bulk of their money to the Working Families Party, a trial lawyer's political action committee (who mostly fund Assembly Democrats) and Henry Sanders, who left over half-a-million dollars to the State Conservative Party in his will.

The full list is below:

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Mr. Adams' new district is oddly shaped, to say the least.

Although Governor Andrew Cuomo has vowed to veto the current set of redistricting maps, Democratic State Senator Eric Adams let it be known this morning that he isn't happy with his new district. A number of Democratic incumbents were drawn into the same districts, including Mr. Adams and neighboring State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, something Mr. Adams felt was ideologically motivated.

"This year I am the poster child for removal. Many of the Upstate and Long Island Republican senators are angry with me because of my progressive agenda for New York City residents," Mr. Adams said in a statement. "In Albany, I am known as one of the lead voices that support social issues such as, but not limited to, tenant housing protections, fair funding in our schools, and ending the draconian practice of NYPD stop and frisk."

(The proposed map, which Politicker labeled "A Stork With a Big Surprise," is one of the most bizarre-looking ones in the state.)

Although he's drawn into the same seat as another incumbent, New York law allows candidates to run in districts that they do not live in for the election immediately after redistricting. Mr. Adams reaffirmed his intentions move into his new district if the maps stand.

He also attacked both the current redistricting process and its outcome.

"As drawn by the Republican-controlled Senate, the proposed lines or districts systematically disenfranchise large numbers of New Yorkers and reverse the progressive movement that has been made in Albany. It hurls us back into the negative climate from which Albany is attempting to distance itself."

Mr. Adams is currently eyeing a run for Brooklyn Borough President, and some insiders have suggested his proposed district might actually benefit those ambitions, as the map would provide him the opportunity to increase his name recognition in a new area.

Lew Fidler and Mets mascot, Mr. Met, in happier times. (Photo: Facebook)

Councilman and State Senate hopeful Lew Fidler was a key player in the early days of fantasy baseball, but he's not happy with the state of his real-life favorite team--The Mets. In the wee hours of this morning, Mr. Fidler posted a note on Facebook lamenting the condition of the Mets heading into the upcoming baseball season.

"The team is going to be DISMAL this year. I lived through and grew up with the miserable yet lovable Mets of the 60's and have never been so sure of a last place finish in my life," Mr. Fidler wrote.

The Mets are currently plagued with financial woes, in part because the Wilpon family, which owns the team is being sued over profits they made with convicted financial fraudster Bernie Madoff. In his note, Mr. Fidler wrote his "heart bleeds" for some of the Mets players and suggested the Wilpons should consider relinquishing control of the team.

"I know it's not politically correct to discuss baseball before the end of the Super Bowl---heck, when have I ever been PC---but maybe its time for the Wilpon's to step aside," Mr. Fidler wrote. "My heart bleeds for guys like David Wright and Ike Davis. This team looks like it is TRYING to finish last. Pitiful."

Mr. Fidler's lament drew a response from his fellow Council member, Jimmy Oddo, who said the sad state of the Mets turned him into a Kansas City Royals fan.

"Lew, I feel you, pal. I drown my Mets misery with the fine vintage of KC Royals optimism," Mr. Oddo wrote. "The Wilpons have beaten me. They made me tap out. 'Uncle!'"

Mr. Oddo said the Wilpons have replaced early Mets owner M. Donald Grant, who was fired after a string of failures including the loss of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, at the "apex (or should it be nadir) of Mets infamy." He echoed the call for the Wilpons to be removed.

"While I don't wish misfortune on any one, I hope this franchise is liberated sooner rather than later," Mr. Oddo wrote.

Mets pitchers and catchers report to spring training February 21.

Mark Murphy

Throughout New York's 13th Congressional District, Democrats are giddy and Republicans are defensive over the fundraising allegations against GOP Congressman Michael Grimm, where the New York Times' sources accused him of various crimes, including accepting envelopes full of cash.

However, after a thorough investigation, Politicker found the one person in the district who absolutely doesn't want to talk about it: Mr. Grimm's chief Democratic opponent, Mark Murphy.

"You know, I read the New York Times. I've read many of the different articles and I'm focused on my campaign. I'm focused on protecting Social Security and Medicare," Mr. Murphy forcefully stated in response to a question at an event.

Politicker then tried a different approach, pitching a softball question about some reporters' inability to interact with Mr. Grimm, and whether Mr. Murphy felt that was appropriate.

"You know, I'm focusing on my campaign. We're going through a program next week actually, where we're going to begin something called 'Candidate on the Corner,'" he dodged, going on to explain instead about how he will campaign in various parts of the district.

Despite the repeated vow to "focus on my campaign," Mr. Murphy laid into Mr. Grimm on the very next question, accusing him of voting to raise taxes on the middle class, suggesting the allegations were actually the only thing he didn't want to talk about.

Watch the exchange below:

David Chen's says  Mike Bloomberg's budget is "as routine and as free of drama as any in recent memory, with no tax increases or layoffs of teachers, police officers or firefighters."

Jim Dwyer notes that the budget isn't as revenue neutral as it seems, and relies are a tried and true method for boosting budget bottom lines: fines.

A top Cuomo official was named to head a watchdog panel on government ethics, leading some to fear for the panel's independence.

David Grandeau, an Albany consultant who has been a persistent critic of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was named a $10,000 a month consultant to the Port Authority.

Lawmakers in Albany are scrambling to come up with a plan that would allow religious institutions to continue to use public schools for services.

A strategy memo from David Storobin's campaign reveals their plan of attack against Lew Fidler: “spreading lies” on Storobin's ties to anti-Semetic groups; highlighting editorials criticizing Fidler’s acceptance of public matching funds for non-competitive races; bringing up Fidler’s illegal parking problems; and criticizing the councilman for holding an outside job.

A new zoning plan for the Upper West Side could limit the number of chain stores in the area.

The firm that built and manages the new Yankee Stadium parking garages can’t repay $237 million in tax-exempt bonds the Bloomberg administration arranged for it four years ago, new financial records show, and may turn into one of the biggest failures in decades of bonds issued by a New York City agency.

In giving $250,000 to Planned Parenthood, Mike Bloomberg said "politics have no place in health care."

In his State of the Borough, Scott Stringer proposed a fund to help small businesses receive loans--Mayor Bloomberg was dismissive.

Mayor Bloomberg will join Mitch Daniels on "Meet the Press" on Sunday before the Super Bowl.

An unarmed teenager was shot and killed in the Bronx.

Other cities have a far more robust police accountability system than New York.

The NYPD recommended increasing surveillance of thousands of Shiite Muslims and their mosques as a way to sweep the Northeast for signs of Iranian terrorists, the AP reports.

The Daily News defends the NYPD on the effort.

Tom DiNapoli is aggressively pushing back on Andrew Cuomo's plan to add a sixth pension tier.

Doug Hoffman refuses to rule out a run in NY-23, even though his two biggest supporters are backing Matt Doheny.

Cellphone service is coming to more subway stations.

Al Sharpton praises Gov. Cuomo's initiative who to close juvenile jails.

Dennis Walcott (Photo: Getty)

Mayor Bloomberg's education policies have come under fire in recent weeks due to the closing of several city schools. After the mayor's preliminary budget presentation today, Department of Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott defended mayoral control of city schools and said he doesn't "buy into" criticism the city hasn't been transparent enough about school closures.

"Mayoral control has worked, it's worked well, and we are continuing to improve and refine it to make sure it's even better," Mr. Walcott told Politicker. 

Mayoral control of city schools was established by a 2002 law. Last week, Assemblyman Keith Wright threatened to introduce a bill to repeal mayoral control because of his frustration with "the dictatorial and despotic policies coming out of City Hall where they just arbitrarily and capriciously decide that they’re going to close schools."

Mr. Walcott said the city's public education can still be improved, but there has been "tremendous" progress in the decade since Mayor Bloomberg took control of the school system.

"I was in Albany on Monday, I'll be back in Albany next week. I spoke to Keith Wright, not necessarily about that bill, but again, I think what has happened over the last ten years has been tremendous as far as the improvement in the outcomes of our students," Mr. Walcott said. "We still have a long way to go--the mayor's been very clear about that, I've been very clear about that. I think what has happened under this mayor, both from the investment point of view dollars into the education system, as well as results, has benefited as a result of this good governance system."

Other critics of school closures have argued the city should do more to explain their rationale for closing individual schools. Mr. Walcott said he believes the city is being "extremely transparent" about school closures.

"I just don't buy into that at all, we are very transparent. We hold community meetings, we engage our parents, we engage our community education councils, we have our panel for education policy meetings, we have information out on the web," Mr. Walcott said. "We're very open, I'm very open. We talk about it all the time, so I just don't buy into the theory that we're not transparent at all. We're extremely transparent. Maybe they don't agree with us, but that's a different discussion."

Tommy Torres (Photo: Facebook)

Earlier today, Politicker reported that Councilwoman Diana Reyna's Chief of Staff Antonio Reynoso is looking at running for her seat when she retires, joining Borough President Marty Markowitz's aide Jay Otaño. Since then, District Leader Maritza Davila told City & State she's in the race again as well.

Now, Tommy Torres, a teacher active in Democratic politics, tells Politicker he's also considering joining the crowded fray. "Right now, it's just an exploratory committee," he said. "I'm excited about the opportunity to run."

He's already taken the first step needed to raise funds for such a campaign by registering a committee for the seat.

Mr. Torres, who worked on Bill Thompson's mayoral campaign, said that he's aware of the large field, but after working as a teacher and baseball coach in the district for the last 15 years, the office "is something I would just love to bring my resources to."

At first glance, Ms. Davila would appear to be the frontrunner. She almost defeated the incumbent when she ran in 2009 with the support of Brooklyn Democratic leader Vito Lopez, losing by just 251 votes. Facing a split field, her chances might be better in 2013.

Mayor Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed his preliminary budget plan for the final months of the current fiscal year and fiscal year 2013, which begins in July at City Hall today. While he touted the balanced 2013 budget that closed a $2 billion gap without tax increases, the mayor also warned of potential problems down the road if the pension system, which is not under city control, is not reformed.

"Right now, our pension system is fairly described as a ticking time bomb," Mayor Bloomberg said.

Mayor Bloomberg's budget is a $68.7 billion plan including $50.7 billion in funding from the city. The mayor repeatedly made the point New York has weathered the recession "better than most other places" and said his plan managed to avoid "painful steps" taken in other cities like bankruptcy and layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers. Mayor Bloomberg said his administration managed to balance the budget without raising taxes or making substantial changes to city services through "responsible spending cuts" to controllable city expenditures.

Under the mayor's proposal, year-over-year controllable city expenses for fiscal year 2013 were trimmed by $437 million, a 1.9 percent drop from the current fiscal year. Expenditures not fully under city control, including health care, Medicaid, debt service and pensions rose by $2 billion, a 7.5 percent increase from the current year.

Mayor Bloomberg said the city's pension costs have increased by six hundred percent in the past decade. Pension costs will increase $575 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013. Mayor Bloomberg said the increased pension costs are due to the city's Independent Actuary anticipating a one percent reduction in the rate of return for the pension fund due to the "uncertainty of the future economic outlook." The city reserved $1 billion in fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013 in anticipation of this change. This reserve funding enabled the city to take on the increased costs while still balancing the budget, however no more reserve funding is available for future budgets. Because of this, the mayor's four year financial plan includes budget gaps of approximately $3 billion for fiscal year 2014, $3.5 billion for fiscal year 2015 and $3.4 billion for fiscal year 2016.

Governor Cuomo has made pension reform one of his top priorities for the coming year. Mayor Bloomberg, who went to Albany last week to testify about the issue before the Legislature, praised the governor for his efforts on pension reform and said they plan to work together on the issue.

"We are working in partnership with Governor Cuomo to defuse that time bomb," Mayor Bloomberg said. "I think Governor Cuomo deserves real credit for making it a top priority this year, because we just don't have much time left to fix the problem."

Though no policemen, firemen or teachers will be laid off, there will be a reduction in the city's workforce. Mayor Bloomberg said only "a small number of people" would be affected. The budget also cut funding to childcare and afterschool programs run by the Administration for Children’s Services and the Department of Youth and Community Development. Mayor Bloomberg's budget does not include any new reductions in the number of firefighters, but the city is going forward with a plan outlined in 2011 to close twenty city firehouses. In the past, the mayor has defended the proposal by pointing out the fact much fewer buildings in New York are made of wood than were when many firehouses originally opened. Several of the politicians hoping to succeed Mayor Bloomberg next year quickly criticized the firehouse closures and childcare cuts.

Now that the mayor has unveiled his proposed budget, he and the City Council have until June to agree on a final budget plan. After the mayor's presentation, Councilman Domenic Recchia, chairman of the Council's Committee on Finance, spoke to reporters in the City Hall lobby. Though he said he's still "examining" the mayor's budget plan, Mr. Recchia said the cuts to childcare programs were the main element he initially found "disturbing."

"The childcare issue is really disturbing. ... What they're doing is saying the pre-k children, the four-year-olds, they should be over to the Department of Education," Mr. Recchia said. "Is the Department of Education going to open up new pre-k slots? Are they going to increase the number of pre k slots? That is the big question."

Overall, Mr. Recchia said the mayor's proposal seems to be an improvement on past budgets.

"It's a work in progress. We're going to have our hearings on this, we're going to start in March. We're just reviewing everything, but the devil's in the details and I'm examining it all and we'll see what happens in the weeks ahead of us," Mr. Recchia said. "But it was better than what I anticipated. ... It's balanced, it's fair, no teacher layoffs, which is a big win, no new taxes, and so, we'll see where we wind up on this."

Marty Markowitz poses with cheerleaders at his State of the Borough address

Governor Cuomo quietly made a pick for the state's ethics commission.

Shelly Silver approves.

The appointment does raise questions.

Time magazine profiled Preet Bharara.

Eliot Spitzer debated tax policy.

Tom DiNapoli says New York's economic rebound is geographically uneven.

Mark Murphy raises $100,000 in a week.

The rest of the Congressional fundraising numbers.

David Greenfield critiques the Orthodox Jewish State Senate district.

Good government groups criticize Assembly Democrats over Lew Fidler.

Republicans dump opposition research on Fidler.

David Storobin has compared political groups to Nazis in the past.

Marty Markowitz pushed for expanding ferry access around Brooklyn.

Marty Golden approves.

The MTA is spending a lot of money on fees.

On the Presidential race:

Newt Gingrich would like some delegates from Florida, thank you very much.

He cares about the poor, unlike Mitt Romney.

His communication director edits his Wikipedia page.

Nevada polling isn't the best.

Other important facts about Nevada politics.

Donald Trump endorsed Romney.

Is it good for Romney?

It's confusing, at least.

Ron Paul yawns.

Romney looks to be the favorite in the next few primaries.

(Disclosure: Donald Trump is the father in law of Jared Kushner, the owner of Observer Media Group)

The current mild winter, without the habitual annoyance of your feet tracking  snow all over the apartment, could excuse some hard-nosed New Yorkers for not giving two hoots about global warming.

However today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that 29 recommendations aimed at making the city's buildings more sustainable have been drafted into law. Eight more recommendations are currently being codified. Read More