FOR NEWS, contact Crain’s Insider is available Tuesday editor Anne Michaud at THE CRAIN’S through Friday by 6:00 a.m. (212) 210-0267 or For subscription information or [email protected] problems, call (888) 909-9111. Associate editor Copyright 2007. Erik Engquist at Reproduction in any form is (212) 210-0745 or prohibited. A product of Crain’s [email protected] INSIDER New York Business. A daily newsletter on government action of importance to business Friday, May 11, 2007 TODAY’S NEWS Beep in battle with borough party boss ASSEMBLY RACE Democrats are taking no chances in the Brooklyn Borough President Marty for longtime friend Bernie Graham, a Civil race for a vacant Upper East Side Assembly Markowitz is taking on his county’s pow- Court judge. seat. Comptroller Bill Thompson, Rep. Car- erful Democratic leader, Assemblyman Lopez and Markowitz aren’t close, and olyn Maloney and Councilwoman Jessica Vito Lopez, by refusing to support Lopez’s insiders speculate that the beep is trying Lappin will host a May 21 fund-raiser for the choice for Surrogate Court justice. to improve his citywide chances in 2009 Democratic and Working Families Party nom- The incumbent, former Assemblyman by demonstrating his independence from inee, Micah Kellner, at the Princeton Club. Frank Seddio, leaves the bench today. the party boss. But Markowitz insists that The election is June 5. GOP insiders have Lopez and a majority of Brooklyn’s district “this isn’t political; it’s personal,” adding hinted that the party might wage a leaders are backing lawyer Bob Miller to that Graham is a good friend who would $250,000 campaign for the seat vacated replace Seddio, but Markowitz is pushing do an excellent job. when Pete Grannis joined the Spitzer admin- istration. Republicans Roy Goodman and Charles Millard represented the area in the ment travel to Manhattan, especially for quately labeled, NYRA says it had requested state Senate and City Council, respectively. high-quality cancer and heart care; the pro- that the ad say, “Paid for by NYRA.” There posed fee of $8 a car would apply to them. was a mixup, however, and the Albany Times PRESIDENTIAL POLL Also, London began with a fee of about $8 Union ran the item without that information, Do New Yorkers think Mayor Mike and is considering hiking it to about $20. says Bill Cunningham of Dan Klores Commu- Bloomberg will stay in public life? That’s the And retailers who pay higher delivery costs— nications, which represents the association. question behind an ABC News/Channel 7 a $21 truck fee is proposed—would pass Cunningham adds that the group did not pay telephone poll yesterday. It asked people if them along to customers, McCaffrey argues. for the ad with taxpayer money and that they think Bloomberg will run for president, NYRA is operating on a loan from the state governor or any other elected office after his GORE OVERFLOW that is secured by future revenues. A com- term ends in 2009. The mayor has consis- Al Gore’s speech at the 92nd Street Y on petitor for the state horse-racing franchise tently said he won’t run for president, but May 24 is such a draw that the Y has opened had complained to Insider. aides have often hinted otherwise behind a second room for the overflow crowd to the scenes. City Hall did not comment. watch it via live feed. It has had to do this AT A GLANCE only twice before: for Bill Clinton in 2003 PRICING OPPONENTS and Steve Martin in 2000. In all, 1,128 peo- MOVING IN: Jay Kriegel will join The Related Foes of congestion pricing will launch a ple will attend the event, which sold out Companies as a senior adviser focusing on series of press events Monday, each ham- 2.5 weeks after it was announced. national development and business strate- mering a different theme, says opposition gy. He previously was an adviser at the Aber- leader, former City Councilman Walter Mc- AD SNAFU nathy MacGregor Group, where his clients in- Caffrey. One message will be that two-thirds Responding to criticism that an ad by the cluded the Turkish prime minister. of Queens residents needing medical treat- New York Racing Association was inade- Comments? [email protected].