Malliotakis On Senior Centers



Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis held a press conference today to condemn what she characterized as a wrongful decrease by the de Blasio administration in spending on senior centers.  Speaking outside St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church in Throggs Neck Malliotakis pledged to increase such spending as mayor and to create to a Commission on Aging, composed of the heads of multiple City agencies, to “create a blue print to prepare NYC to serve and retain our aging population.”

Press question topics included details of her increased spending, how she would fund such increased payments, her campaign’s expected receipt of $1.6 million in matching funds, Puerto Rico’s medium and long term rebuilding and the Bronx school stabbing.

Video:

Here is Malliotakis’ full press conference:

Malliotakis Matching Money



Republican and Conservative mayoral nominee Nicole Malliotakis achieved a significant campaign milestone today, being awarded $1,518,092 in matching funds by the Campaign Finance Board.  Malliotakis reported having just $162,000 on hand as of September 18th, so this funding increases her cash on hand nearly ten fold.  It also places her campaign’s current financial condition reasonably close to that of Mayor de Blasio, who has an estimated balance (also calculated with his September 18th reported balance and matching funds awarded today) of $2.4 million.

Intended to “level the playing field” for candidates facing fundraising difficulties, the City’s program provides a 6-1 match for contributions of up to $175 from City residents.  It also restricts the amount that candidates who opt to participate in the program may raise and spend, while setting thresholds of the number and total amount of contributions that candidates must meet to be eligible to receive matching funds.  Malliotakis just met those thresholds in her September 18th filing, so this is the first time she’s received any matching funds.

There’s some irony in the great boost Malliotakis’ campaign received  from the award of matching funds, however.  Malliotakis has voiced opposition to the City’s program, calling it an irresponsible use of taxpayer money, and voted against a bill that would have established a state matching program with a similar 6-1 match.  Malliotakis termed that proposal “a completely disgraceful use of taxpayer money.” Continue reading Malliotakis Matching Money

Malliotakis On Puerto Rico



Republican/mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis today expressed frustration with the pace of federal storm relief in Puerto Rico and urged the federal government to treat Puerto Rico equally with other areas of the United States in providing storm relief and to accelerate its current emergency aid and response.

Puerto Rico faces many challenges in the coming months and years of storm recovery, with its pre-Maria financial crisis and infrastructure issues deepening those challenges and increasing the cost and difficulty of long term rebuilding.  Pre-storm, Congress has been loath to provide financial assistance to Puerto Rico in addressing its massive indebtedness.  How that indebtedness may factor into Congressional funding of post-Maria rebuilding is not yet clear, but it’s distinctly possible that Congress may limit or restrict rebuilding funding as a consequence of Puerto Rico’s financial troubles.

I spoke with Malliotakis during a press conference today in Throggs Neck focused on funding for senior centers.

Paws Off



Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis denounced what she characterized as a City crackdown on pet caretakers, saying that such effort is unnecessarily burdensome and will unfairly drive some dog walkers and sitters out of business.  Accompanied by three dogs, including her own chihuahua named Peanut, at a press conference Tuesday Malliotakis described the City’s Health Department as engaged in a systemic effort at enforcing regulations that require such pet caretakers to obtain a City license.

Malliotakis also declared that several other laws should be “reviewed and fixed,” including the Cabaret law which prohibits dancing in restaurants and bars unless the establishment receives a cabaret license from the City.

Malliotakis faced multiple questions concerning her view of President Trump’s recent denunciations of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.  Malliotakis was quite supportive of Trump, although she did acknowledge that she was not supportive of Trump’s vulgar characterization of a protesting player as a ” son of a bitch.”

Video:

Here is the full press conference.

Our photo gallery is available here.

MallioMoneyMentum



Money has been one of many steep challenges for Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis, but she appears to be making progress on addressing that challenge.  She hit a campaign highlight Friday, announcing that she expects to qualify tomorrow for $1.6 million in City campaign finance matching funds.  Receiving such an amount would markedly boost her campaign’s financial condition and put her reasonable close financially to Mayor de Blasio’s campaign, which reported $2.3 million on hand as of September 18th.  Malliotakis reported having less than 1/10th of that amount, $163,000, on hand as of the 18th, but receipt of her estimated $1.6 million in matching funds would markedly improved her campaign’s financial condition.  (The Campaign Finance Board will determine whether she qualifies, as well as determine the precise amount.)  Continue reading MallioMoneyMentum

Malliotakis Bronx Rally



Republican mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis attended a Bronx Republican Party rally Saturday, giving a pep talk to about 50 supporters at Bronx County Republican headquarters in Pelham Bay.  Republican public advocate candidate J.C. Polanco and city council candidates John Cerini, Patrick Delices and Daby Carreras also participated in the rally.

Malliotakis’ presentation was almost entirely a criticism of Mayor de  Blasio, beginning with a rallying cry question of whether “Bronx is ready to make Bill de Blasio a one term mayor” and ending with a harsh critique of de Blasio’s July trip to Germany the day after NYPD officer Miosotis Familia was assassinated.  Characterizing New York City as a place where “everything is deteriorating” Malliotakis touched on familiar complaints: that property taxes and water bills have increased, that sex crimes have increased, that the Department of Education spends enormous amounts of money yet produces many under-prepared students while charter schools are neglected, the mentally ill are insufficiently helped by the City and the homeless are insufficiently assisted while the City spends enormously on a plan to build 90 new shelters.

Continue reading Malliotakis Bronx Rally

Photo Gallery: African American Day Parade



Sunday’s African American Day Parade drew elected officials to Harlem, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis.  de Blasio, accompanied by his wife Chirlane McCray, received an extremely warm welcome.  Steadily working the sidelines as the parade worked its way up Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, de Blasio was showered with smiles, handshakes and hugs.  Malliotakis worked her way through waiting marchers ahead of the parade, but did not march in the parade.  She was well-received, with many people interested in her candidacy, but her reception did not match de Blasio’s.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Will Malliotakis Qualify For Matching Funds?



Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis expressed some confidence today that she’ll qualify for campaign matching funds, but she was far from declaring her effort complete.  Saying “I feel confident about it” and that “I believe that we will” qualify for matching funds, Malliotakis added, however, that her campaign’s accountant is still reviewing contribution records.

New York City’s campaign finance laws provide a 6-1 match to candidates for contributions of between$10-$175 from City residents, but mayoral candidates must meet the thresholds of receiving at least $250,000 in eligible contributions from at least 1,000 City resident contributors.  Malliotakis has previously reported that she’s met the 1,000 contributor threshold, but not the $250,000 in eligible contributions threshold.  She recently said that she was about $20,000 shy of that threshold, as she focused on fundraising ahead of the most recent reporting cutoff on September 22nd.

Receiving matching funds is a big item for Malliotakis.  Raising money has been difficult, with cash on hand as of August 28th of $212,000.  (Bill de Blasio reported $5.1 million as of that date.)  Receiving matching funds would produce hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly close to $1 million for Malliotakis, and meaningfully improve her campaign’s ability to operate.  Will she make it?  Stay tuned.

Malliotakis On Graham-Cassidy



Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis has no opinion on Graham-Cassidy, the immensely consequential healthcare bill currently being pushed toward a vote by Republicans in the U.S. Senate.  Among the many likely effects of the bill is a reduction in Medicaid funding to New York State in the tens of billions of dollars over the next ten years.

This afternoon Malliotakis said “I have not read the language” when I asked if she supports it.  That’s a familiar response from Malliotakis, who has similarly refused to offer a position on previous Republican efforts at dramatically changing Obamacare in July, June and May.       We spoke during a press conference in Elmhurst outside the Pan Am Hotel.

Malliotakis On ConCon, Chapter 2



Nicole is a no.  Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis opposes holding a New York State constitutional convention and urges a “no” vote.

The 2017 general election will present voters with a ballot question of whether to hold such a constitutional convention, often referred to as a “ConCon.” The state constitution requires that voters be presented with such a ballot question every 20 years; it was voted down in 1997 and 1977. Should voters approve a ConCon, convention delegates would be elected in the 2018 general election and the convention would convene in the spring of 2019.

Malliotakis’ expressed view matches that of much of organized labor, opposing a convention on fears that it could result in weakening or eliminating the existing state constitution’s prohibition on reducing public employee pensions.  It also matches that of rival candidates Bo Dietl and Bill de Blasio and the two parties who have Malliotakis as their nominee, the Republican and Conservative parties.  We spoke this afternoon just before Harlem’s African American Day Parade.

Update – Note:  In May Malliotakis said that she was “very torn” on whether to support a ConCon and had not yet made a decision.

Malliotakis Press Conference: Subway Edition



The mayor has ridden off the rails.  That’s the essence of Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis’ assessment of Mayor de Blasio’s effectiveness at managing the subway system, offered this afternoon at a Columbus Circle press conference.

Malliotakis’ criticism at times skirts the reality that Governor Cuomo primarily controls the MTA and its subway system.  That’s particularly the case on criticism of de Blasio for operational troubles, but less so on a Malliotakis focus today; that the City should contribute more money to the MTA budget.

Video:

Here is the full press conference:

Malliotakis On Cuomo & de Blasio



They have competing presidential ambitions, but de Blasio can’t get along with anyone.  That was the essence of Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis’ assessment when I asked for her view on whether she attributes Cuomo and de Blasio’s poor relationship primarily to either of them.

Malliotakis spoke at a press conference in which she extensively criticized the mayor for recent declines in subway service.  It’s a major campaign theme for her, fitting into a broader criticism of de Blasio as a poor municipal manager.  Her subway criticism is somewhat complicated, however, as Governor Cuomo primarily controls the MTA and its subway system.  Malliotakis is much less critical of the governor and pledges to work cooperatively with him as mayor.  Assessing the prospects of a future Governor Cuomo/Mayor Malliotakis relationship starts with considering the causes of the current problematic governor/mayor relationship and whether its causes will continue with a new mayor.