New York City Local Round-Up: John Liu Down, Charles Barron Iffy, Independent Redistricting Nowhere to be Found

NEW YORK

• New fundraising arrest raises more doubts about Liu’s future (By Colby Hamilton, WNYC/ THE EMPIRE) “It doesn’t look good for a city comptroller to now have two sets of investigations going on over his campaign fundraising,” said Dick Dadey, the executive director of the good government group Citizens Union. “For a citywide elected official, and an aspiring mayoral candidate, it raises questions that he can’t afford to have asked.”
• Towns Faces Opponents in 2012 Primary (by Harold Egeln, Brooklyn Daily Eagle) Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries (D-Crown Heights/Bedford-Stuyvesant), who has already started a campaign web site and a fund-raising effort, and Councilman Charles Barron (D-East New York/Brownsville/Canarsie), who is just now exploring a possible run for Congress, are his contenders at this point.
• Charles Barron has already decided where to announce his run for Congress (By Reid Pillifant,
  CAPITAL NEW YORK) After a "very positive" meeting on Friday night, Councilman Charles Barron said he's "moving closer and closer" to running for Congress, and he's already settled on when and where he might announce a second challenge to Representative Ed Towns.
• Lawmakers Already Drawing Up Special Session Wish Lists (By Andrew J. Hawkins, NY Capitol News) Sen. Joseph Addabbo, who has been advocating for a special session since the regular session ended in June, said redistricting during the special session amounted to “wishful thinking” at this point, especially since it lacked budgetary implications.

Capitalism 101: Joyce Purnick Remarks on NYC Political Corruption

NEW YORK

• Analysis | Close Friends in City Government: Money and Politics (By Joyce Purnick : WNYC Political Analyst) New York City has some of the country's most stringent laws and rules to limit the influence of money in politics. But they do only so much, as we were reminded yet again recently by revelations about questionable practices by Comptroller John Liu and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Even Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who finances his own campaigns, cuts corners — different corners, but corners nonetheless. 

Gary Byrd to replace Gil Noble on "Like It Is"?

NEW YORK

• Like It Is: Activists Seek Gary Byrd to carry torch from Gil Noble (Special To The Black Star News) Members of CEMOTAP, DECEMBER 12th Movement, National Black United Front, The Original Black Panther Party, Board For the Education of People of African Ancestry, People's Organization for Progress, Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence and The Freedom Party  were there in full force. They were united in their demand that Byrd be given the opportunity to replace the recently retired Gil Noble, host of  the award winning series "Like It Is."  Noble holds the copyright to the title "Like it Is”, so the station was planning to change the title of a new show to "Here and Now."
• The pension deal: What does John Liu walk away with? (By Colby Hamilton, WNYC/ The Empire) That being said, the most interesting thing is that the agreement essentially strips the Comptroller’s office—this or future ones—of one of its main duties.