"The rollout could’ve been better. Absolutely, I said the rollout has to be cleaned up and fixed."

Said Governor Kathy Hochul, quoted in "How New York’s Second-Home Tax Turned Into a Headache for Mamdani/The bumpy rollout of the tax created an opportunity for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s opponents to fight him in court and in the City Council" (NYT gift link).

Ms. Hochul, was concerned about what she saw as clumsy messaging by Mr. Mamdani as he introduced the esoteric tax to New Yorkers. She told the mayor that he needed to be clearer about how the tax would be administered and whom it would affect, according to two people familiar with their talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. The governor had taken note of how the mayor, a democratic socialist who campaigned on “taxing the rich,” was talking about the policy. In a widely seen video, for instance, the mayor had decided to highlight an especially expensive second home owned by a hedge fund manager, Kenneth C. Griffin.

“There’s a better way to do it,” said, Ms. Hochul a pro-business moderate. “Point to Russian oligarchs and Saudi princes” rather than someone who invests in the city, she added.

Here's that widely seen video, which, exclaiming "Oh, no!," I impulsively clicked off at the 5-second mark:

I did finally watch the whole minute. From the transcript: "This pied-a-terre tax is specifically designed for the richest of the rich, those who store their wealth in New York City real estate, but who don't actually live here.... This is a fundamentally unfair system that hurts working New Yorkers." 

What's "fundamentally unfair"? It's a child's reasoning: If someone has something that he's not using, it should be mine. 

The NYT calls the new tax "esoteric." I wonder what other adjectives it considered. Is it esoteric because it's hard for the general public to understand, or is it esoteric because it only applies to a discrete group of people?

"We’re spending a lot of money, so I cannot set forth a plan right now that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and the subways...."

Said NY Governor Kathy Hochul, quoted in "Hochul slams brakes on Zohran Mamdani’s free NYC bus plan: ‘Takes money out of a system that relies on fares'" (NY Post).

The cautious bus route outlined by Hochul is the latest split the moderate Democratic governor has had with Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, since she endorsed him in September.... [B]ut she has balked at much of his actual agenda — notably, taxing the rich to pay for $10 billion in freebies such as no-cost child care and buses without fares. 

The governor’s guarded approach could spell problems for Mamdani, as his grand plans largely require support from both Hochul and lawmakers in Albany.... 

Mamdani’s supporters have taken notice of Hochul’s hesitancy and twice recently chanted “Tax the rich”at her, clearly irking the governor. “The more you push me, the more I’m not going to do what you want,” Hochul told a SOMOS crowd....

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson empowers Trump to continue withholding food money.

The NYT reports: "Supreme Court Temporarily Allows Trump to Curtail Food Stamp Funding/The temporary ruling by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, blocking a lower court order to fully fund the aid, added to the uncertainty around the nation’s largest anti-hunger program."

See? It's not all about empathy.

Justice Jackson, a member of the court’s three-justice liberal bloc who has spoken forcefully against many of the Trump administration’s policies, issued a decision on the stay because she is responsible for emergency applications from that region of the country. She said in the order that she expected the appeals court to evaluate the matter and issue a more complete ruling swiftly.

Still, many Democrats around the country erupted in anger on Friday night, with some accusing President Trump of trying to turn nutrition assistance — a program on which one in eight Americans rely — into a bargaining chip while the government remains closed.

“Trump fought for this,” Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a Democrat, said in a post on social media. “He doesn’t care if millions of Americans go hungry.”

Did Hochul say that before or after Jackson showed she "doesn't care"?

Elise Stenfanik — announcing her run for NY Governor — uses Zoran Mamdani's word: "affordability."

"There's no question New York is facing an affordability crisis.... Kathy Hochul made New York the most unaffordable state in the nation, crushing families with sky-high taxes, unaffordable rent, soaring energy costs, and record high grocery bills and cozied up through a defund the police, tax hiking anti-semitic communist.... Elise Stefanik will make New York affordable and safe.... We are the most unaffordable state in the nation because of single party Democrat rule led by Kathy Hochul. As a working mom, congresswoman, and fighter, Elise knows families need more help, and she'll make New York affordable.... With everything on the line, we need someone who will deliver results and make New York affordable and safe for families and small businesses to not just survive, but thrive...."

So Mamdani just got elected on the promise of making NYC affordable, and he needs to work with Hochul if he is to get anywhere toward fulfillment of the promise, and Hochul has Stefanik hot on her heels, so Hochul is powerfully motivated to help progress toward this affordability in the coming year, running up to the 2026 election. Hochul must act. Stefanik will say she's doing it all wrong, and with Mamdani — "the communist" — as her partner in affordability-seeking, she probably will be. 

"The White House will restore $187 million in cuts to law enforcement funding that would have devastated New York’s intelligence and counterterrorism operations..."

"... following a bipartisan effort to reinstate the funds, administration officials told The New York Times on Friday.The push, which included personal appeals from Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a Democrat, as well as several of the state’s Republican House members, has been underway since news of the cuts began trickling out over the weekend.The cuts, which represented the largest federal defunding of police operations in New York in decades, were made by the Department of Homeland Security, without the approval of President Trump, White House officials said...."

The NYT reports.

Without the approval of President Trump is interesting. 

The way it was done, it scared the hell out of New York, and then Trump got the advantage of being seen setting things right.

Here's the Althouse/Meade text conversation after I (blue) sent a link to the article (and Meade highlighted "without the approval of President Trump"):

"We banned assault weapons, but our laws only go so far when an AR-15 can be obtained in a state with weak gun laws and brought into New York to commit mass murder."

Said New York Governor Kathy Hochul, quoted in "Even New York’s Strict Gun Laws Couldn’t Prevent the Midtown Shooting" (NYT).

"These are horrific crimes"/"They're horrific crimes that are committed on your watch."

Elise Stefanik versus Kathy Hochul:

Transcript: "Stefanik Exposes Kathy Hochul on Sanctuary State Policies, Kathy Hochul Heartlessly Does Not Even Know Illegals Who Burned Alive, Raped, Molested New Yorkers."

Why did Hochul not take the precaution of committing these names and stories to memory? She knew the subject matter of the hearing. She chose to look out of touch. Perhaps it was a rational choice. If she'd said she knew, she'd have been forced to recite the details and pressed about any detail she omitted. 

I was reading Trump's social media posting — "'Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York, is saved. Long Live The King!"

"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
–President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025

That's it. Remembering the movie title, "King of New York," and sensing that there was a cultural reference out of my reach, I asked Grok, "What does 'King of New York' refer to?"

"King of New York" can refer to different things depending on the context. Here are the most common meanings: 

1. Cultural/Historical Figure: Historically, it might evoke someone like Alexander Hamilton or other influential New Yorkers who shaped the city or state, though no one is officially titled "King of New York." It’s more of a colloquial or symbolic label for someone who dominates or represents New York’s identity. 

2. Hip-Hop Culture: In rap and hip-hop, "King of New York" is a fiercely debated title among artists claiming dominance in the New York rap scene. Notorious B.I.G. famously used it, especially tied to his track "Juicy" and his Brooklyn roots. Others like Nas, Jay-Z, and even 50 Cent have been in the conversation, with fans and critics arguing over who truly holds the crown based on influence, lyricism, or commercial success. 

3. Film: It’s the title of a 1990 crime movie directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Christopher Walken as Frank White, a drug lord who returns from prison aiming to reclaim power in New York City. The film’s a gritty take on power and redemption, and its title ties into the idea of ruling the city’s underworld. 

4. Sports: Occasionally, athletes like Derek Jeter (for his Yankees legacy) or Patrick Ewing (with the Knicks) get dubbed "King of New York" by fans or media for their outsized impact on the city’s sports culture. 

5. Slang/Bravado: More broadly, it’s a flex—someone calling themselves or being called the "King of New York" is asserting they’re the top dog in whatever field or scene they’re in, from business to street cred. 

Which one are you thinking of, or did you have a specific context in mind?

At that point I revealed my interest in the Trump tweet.

It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul's State of the State Address: pic.twitter.com/nFsb7Fowu0

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 17, 2025

"Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far."

A statement from New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing. But in order to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.... Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.

Republicans pounce... on Peanut.

I'm reading "How the Death of a Celebrity Squirrel Became a Republican Rallying Cry/After P’Nut and a raccoon named Fred were taken by wildlife agents and euthanized, Donald Trump and local candidates accused New York Democrats of 'state overreach'" (NYT).

In the frantic last days of an election when candidates are scrabbling for any edge, the death of P’Nut (who also went by Peanut) has been pounced on by some Republicans as something of a fur-covered November surprise.... 

Jawbone.

"One day Sampson was walking alone/He looked down on the ground and he saw an old jawbone/He lifted up that jawbone and he swung it over his head/And when he got to moving ten thousand was dead" — Peter, Paul & Mary.

"Oh, Jawbone, when did you first go wrong? Oh, Jawbone, where is it you belong?" — The Band.

From "Moral Suasion" (Wikipedia):

"Jawboning"... is the use of authority to persuade various entities to act in certain ways, which is sometimes underpinned by the implicit threat of future government regulation. In the United States, during the Democratic administrations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, officials tried to deal with the mounting inflationary pressures by direct government influence or jawboning.... 

From an amicus brief in National Rifle Association v. Vullo, one of 2 free-speech cases up for oral argument in the Supreme Court today:

"The National Guard are our neighbors; these are moms and dads from our communities....They are just there as a deterrent to those who might think..."

".... that they can get away with committing crimes.... This is not heavy-handed.... It is nowhere near what ‘stop and search’ was — a policy I did not support. This is just for a temporary basis to calm things down and let people know they’re safe."

Said Governor Hochul, quoted in "Hochul defends deploying National Guard in NYC subways after 'war zone' backlash" (NY Post).

It's all about how you feel and they're betting a military presence will make you feel good.

I'm reading "Gov. Kathy Hochul sending National Guard members to New York City subways to combat ongoing crime/'No one heading to their job or to visit family or go to a doctor appointment should worry that the person sitting next to them possesses a deadly weapon,' she said" (NBC News).

"No one heading to their job or to visit family or go to a doctor appointment should worry that the person sitting next to them possesses a deadly weapon," she told reporters.

Thomas Taffe, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department’s chief of operations, said "reducing the fear of crime" is as important as "reducing crime itself."

"Our focus is to respond to issues that most affected riders, the feeling of disorder, that fear of crime," he said....

I was wondering what military personnel would do to fight crime in the subway. Turns out they're going to "conduct bag checks at some of the busiest stations."

750 members of the National Guard are deployed to go through your personal things.

"I think that this is really an extraordinary, unusual circumstance that the law-abiding and rule-following New Yorkers who are business people have nothing to worry about, because they’re very different than Donald Trump and his behavior."

Said Governor Kathy Hochul, quoted in "Hochul tells NY businesses not to fear about Trump verdict: 'Nothing to worry about'" (The Hill).

What is the "extraordinary, unusual circumstance"? 

Being Donald Trump? If so, she's revealing that she believes the prosecutors went after the man, not the crime, an abhorrent abuse of power.

So, whatever she thinks, she can't mean to be saying that. What else is there?

There's the classic unbelievable assurance that if you don't break the law, you've got nothing to worry about. If you're "law-abiding and rule-following," then you're not in the category with Donald Trump.  Trump did something "extraordinary" and "unusual." Or did the prosecution do something "extraordinary" and "unusual"?

It's not reassuring.

ADDED: This post got me reading the Wikipedia article "Give me the man and I will give you the case against him":

"The original premise behind the right to shelter was, for starters, for homeless men on the streets..."

"... people experiencing [AIDS] that was [then] extended to families. But never was it envisioned being an unlimited universal right, or obligation on the city, to house literally the entire world."

Said New York governor Gov. Kathy Hochul, quoted in "Hochul wants to end NYC ‘right to shelter’ law as migrant crisis surges" (NY Post).

"We have to let people know that if you’re thinking of coming to New York, we are truly out of space...."

"After spending the summer pounding Republican opponent Lee Zeldin as an anti-abortion, Donald Trump acolyte, Hochul is finding out..."

"... what other Democrats across the nation are also learning: Crime and the economy are crowding out abortion rights and the former president’s troubles as top of mind issues for voters. The New York governor is responding with a last-minute shift in approach just weeks ahead of the election by promoting her efforts to create jobs and fight crime. 'You deserve to feel safe,' Hochul says in a new TV ad released Saturday as part of a $1 million-plus buy in New York City. 'And as your governor, I won’t stop working until you do.'"

From "Hochul pivots in New York as GOP challenger rises on crime, economic message/New polls this week showed the race tightening — maybe to low single digits, uncomfortably close for Democrats after two decades of statewide dominance in New York" (Politico).

"You deserve to feel safe... I won’t stop working until you do" — Shouldn't it be "You deserve to be safe... I won’t stop working until you are"? I know politics is just about how we feel, but if you want people to feel safe, you've got to convince them that they are safe, and giving it away that you are just going after their feelings gives the brain a bit of a chance to notice that this is nothing but an effort at emotional manipulation.

Here's that last-minute-desperate shift ad:

 

I made a new tag for Lee Zeldin. I will disclose that that represents a bet that he will win. I don't like tag proliferation, but I also don't like needing to go back and add tags to old posts.

Remarkably sad photographs accompany the NYT editorial endorsing the current NY governor.

I'm looking at "Kathy Hochul Is the Best Choice for Democrats in the June 28 Primary." I can't copy the photographs, so I'll just copy the captions and tell you the photos all feel desolate to me:

1. "BUFFALO The sole room where abortions are performed, left, and one of several natural birthing rooms at Buffalo Women Services, which provides obstetric, gynecological and abortion services. The future of abortion access is one of the major issues on the ballot in New York State’s Democratic primary for governor on June 28." (We see the open doors to 2 side-by-side dimly lit rooms, one with a big bathtub. )

2. "BUFFALO An impromptu memorial outside Tops Friendly Market, the site of a racist mass shooting on May 14 that resulted in the death of 10 Black residents. Ms. Hochul, who once boasted an A rating from the National Rifle Association for her legislative record, now embraces gun safety regulations." (Flowers and crumpled American flags lie on the sidewalk right next to a storm sewer.)

3. "MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. A new high-density residential building near a Metro North train station, surrounded by many single-family homes" (a very intrusive high-rise apartment building painted with insultingly jolly colors) and "MOUNT VERNON Single-family homes near the end of the No. 2 subway line" (a weedy, seedy residential street with a lone figure, seen from the back, who seems selected to represent poor black people).

4. "MANHATTAN A rider exits the 34th Street-Herald Square subway station. Recent high-profile crimes on the subway and elsewhere, plus coronavirus variants, have many office workers still staying home." (Another lone figure seen from the back, disappearing around the curve in a dilapidated hallway. This one represents a woman in danger.).

5. "CAIRO, N.Y. Tattered American flags. New York, in this moment, requires a governor who is committed to fighting for our rights and freedoms, and the editorial board endorses Kathy Hochul." (Faded, frayed American flags poking out of unmowed weeds by a generic 2-lane highway.)

I haven't read the text of the editorial, only these captions, as I marveled over the crazy collection of photographs. Hochul is the current governor! You made the state look terrible. Yet voters are supposed to want more of the same. I guess change only risks making things worse. Be grateful for another serving of sadness stew, New Yorkers.

"Obvious efforts to circumvent the law for example an unreasonably small portion of soup, a serving of canned beans, a handful of lettuce... will be treated as a violation of the law."

Said the New York State Liquor Authority, quoted in "No ‘Cuomo chips’ allowed: ‘Substantial food’ needed for to-go booze" (NY Post). 

"Cuomo chips" refers to the way bars and restaurants responded to a Cuomo-era requirement that bars and restaurants serve food along with liquor.

In response, the owner of Saratoga Springs’ Harvey’s Irish Pub automatically put $1 “Cuomo Chips” on customers’ tabs so they weren’t required to fork over the money for a full meal when patrons just wanted to sip on a beer or cocktail....

At first, the chips were deemed good enough, then Cuomo said they weren't: 

How damaged is NY Governor Kathy Hochul?

The NYT has this by Luis Ferré-Sadurní, "Hochul Picked a Running Mate. Now She Has to Pick Another One. Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin’s resignation in the face of a criminal indictment creates a major political test for Gov. Kathy Hochul":

The search [for lieutenant governor] was relatively swift, with Ms. Hochul, a white Democrat from Buffalo, homing in on elected officials of color from downstate. She picked Brian Benjamin, a Black state senator from Harlem who was expected to help Ms. Hochul broaden her appeal in New York City, announcing her choice at a campaign-style rally in Upper Manhattan in August. 

The move came despite a string of ethics questions that had followed Mr. Benjamin and that centered on some dubious campaign finance practices during his time as senator and his unsuccessful run for city comptroller last year.... 

Mr. Benjamin’s arrest appeared to blindside Ms. Hochul, disrupting her schedule just as she was increasing her time on the campaign trail this week. The arrest coincided with a mass shooting at a Brooklyn subway station, and Ms. Hochul had to call off a union fund-raiser in Manhattan and a news conference on Long Island....

And what did she say at that news conference? How did that go? The NYT just said she had to interrupt her campaigning and moved on to the possibility that Andrew Cuomo might run for governor again. That "would most likely be a steep climb for him," we're told. It's for the reader to wonder how much less steep that the climb suddenly got.

The damage to Hochul looks much more lurid over at the NY Post. Here's Bob McManus in "Kathy Hochul’s terrible judgment leads to one terrible day." McManus begins by trashing that press conference (video at the link):