The Weekly Watchdog

Good morning! Welcome to the Weekly Watchdog. Not much corruption this week, which feels like a rare thing to say recently, but we did see some head-scratching decisions by NYCHA (see below). We have that, some policy news from the Mayor’s race, and the latest in the Trump vs New York fight that is constantly leaving billions of dollars in limbo.

News Worth Clicking

Fool me once, you’re hired! NYCHA Paid Out Millions to Bribe-Paying Contractors Implicated in Corruption Takedown The CITY By Greg David	Isn’t that the saying? Maybe it should be after the news this week that NYCHA is hiring the same corrupt contractors that doled out bribes to their staffers and were caught in a massive corruption scandal just one year ago. NYCHA’s response to this news? They didn’t know, which seems odd. Someone there had to know, right?
Tsk, tsk? More like Tisch, Tisch! NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch cracks down on police misconduct in break from predecessors Gothamist By Charles Lane	In a reversal from her predecessors, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is following through on handing down disciplinary decisions for police misconduct. Imposing discipline in substantiated cases is up 87% compared to the latest numbers of her most recent predecessor according to Tisch herself, but not everyone is happy.
City’s fiscal health under pressure Pressure Grows on Adams to Budget for Trump Funding Cuts and Recession The CITY By Greg David	The chaos that is the Trump Administration is making managing the City’s finances a difficult task. Whether it’s the relentless threats of cuts in federal aid or the decline in sales tax revenues from New Yorkers tightening their wallets in the face of economic uncertainty or tourists staying home to protest the United States globally, city leaders are sounding the alarm and begging the Adams Administration to add $2 billion to the City’s rainy day fund. Will he listen?
But here’s a couple billion $$ Trump Station? Feds take control of Penn Station rebuild, kick MTA off the project Gothamist By Stephen Nessen & Ramsey Khalifeh	And in what seems to be a never-ending fight between Trump and New York, the Trump Administration took over the renovation of Penn Station. While many suspect the move is an act of retribution in response to the State’s refusal to dismantle congestion pricing, Governor Hochul welcomed the news, thanking the President for federally financing the $7 billion project and saving New Yorkers $1.3 billion in taxpayer money. We have a feeling this story is not over.
The Mayor’s Race The Child Care Crisis Is Motivating These New York City Voters The New York Times By Eliza Shapiro	What’s the one issue that is seemingly uniting all New Yorkers this primary election season? Affordability, and the New York Times takes a look at childcare this week specifically. The issue has become so important that every candidate has a plan on it, and Mayor Eric Adams, who is seeking reelection as an independent in November, walked back his previous cuts this week. Read more to learn where the candidates stand.
Commentary Editorial: The price of hubris Times Union By Times Union Editorial Board	We shared another editorial about this topic a few weeks ago from Newsday, but as an update, Albany lawmakers won their stay, delaying a law that would limit lawmakers’ outside income from their jobs in the legislature again. And what is their plan when their appeal likely fails? To delay the law’s implementation by two years. As the Board points out, these folks are running for office while knowing this law is in place. If they don’t like it, maybe they should not be running in the first place.