wikicommons

The New York Times is comparing the salaries of New York City government workers to those working the same jobs in other cities. The good news, of course, is while they have less money, they do not have mo' problems. That is, if you concede to the arguments presented here. This is concerning when you consider that NYC municipal workers used to make more than their counterparts in some of these cities and also they work hard for their money. So hard for it honey.

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The scene at the Greenmarket at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza.

In a populist sense, a farmers' market is like the gastronomic version of a town hall; citizens come to barter with other citizens, trading locally grown strawberries instead of talking points. Every day of the week, you can find one of these fine establishments in almost every borough. It is a trend of the Great Recession: swap the supermarket for the cheaper, more utilitarian alternative. And, according to a report just released by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, New York City is steamrolling this food upheaval forward as farmers' markets slowly take over public spaces.
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We hate the phrase 'double-dip,' especially when it becomes an unfortunate reality.
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Sam Levin

Mayor Mike Bloomberg takes questions today at Google's headquarters in Manhattan.

Today, City Comptroller John Liu and Mayor Mike Bloomberg talked about the actual one percent of New York City. And unsurprisingly, they differ in their views on how the wealthiest top percent of New Yorkers impact the city's economy.

Liu, who is expected to run for mayor in 2013, released a report today on income disparity in the city, finding that the top one percent of income tax filers receive one-third of all city personal income -- a share which his office says is nearly twice the national average. The report, called "Income Inequality in New York City," -- drawing on Occupy Wall Street rhetoric -- found that nationally, the top one percent accounts for 16.9 percent of income, while in New York, the richest percent account for 32.5 percent of reported income in 2009 (which is the most recent data available from the state).

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America might have had a lot more in common with Sweden than IKEA furniture and H&M clothing, according to new research.

Two economists now say that the Founding Fathers' nation was "more egalitarian than anywhere else in the measurable world," reports Reuters (via New York Times.)

Hm. This sounds rather strange, considering that Colonial America had arguably the most inegalitarian institution ever -- slavery. Some researchers insist, however, they have financial data to back up claims that the U.S. was "a great country for the 99 percent, particularly compared with the folks back in the old country."

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No shocker here, but a New York Post op-ed contributor is peddling the same misleading bullshit about minimum wage increases that opponents always peddle.

Enter Nicole Gelinas.

Raising minimum wage -- as per the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act -- is "left-wing social engineering." (Classic Post prose, really.)

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via nyc.gov feed.

As expected, Mayor Mike Bloomberg today vetoed the City Council's wage legislation, but unlike his past public comments on the matter, he didn't go so far as to compare the bills to Communism.

Still, if the legislation passes, Bloomberg will sue.

The proposals in question were the prevailing and living wage bills, which essentially would require that businesses pay employees higher wages -- $10 an hour plus benefits, instead of the current $7.25 minimum hourly wage -- at some city-subsidized developments.

The bills are significant because they have come to represent a politically important challenge for City Council Speaker Quinn, a mayoral hopeful who has been forced to navigate the competing interests of business and labor leaders in negotiating the legislation. Additionally, the living wage battle has pitted the mayor against Quinn, who has typically been seen as the potential successor most aligned with Bloomberg's views, especially given their pro-business records.

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In March, the U.S. added 120,000 more jobs, just released Bureau of Labor stats indicate. Now, this sure sounds like a lot, but compared to February -- when America's payroll swelled by 240,000 jobs -- this turns out not to be all that exuberant.

But is this cause for concern or disappointment?

Economists were banking on continued employment growth in March -- and hoped for 200,000 new positions.

Still, the national unemployment rate dipped to 8.2 percent, down from 8.3 percent in February -- def a step in the right direction.

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Sam Levin

Comptroller John Liu at his State of the City speech.

Bad timing for Comptroller John Liu.

Yesterday, news broke that Xing Wu Pan, a fundraiser for the campaign of Liu -- a likely mayoral candidate -- was indicted on federal wire fraud charges.

The Daily News also dug deeper into the departure of Liu's top deputy, who allegedly was clashing with the comptroller's chief campaign bundler.

All this, a day before Liu delivered his State of the City speech -- a move seen as an effort to move away from the negative publicity and focus on citywide policy issues that could set the groundwork for his mayoral campaign.

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New Yorkers will spend around $566 million on Valentine's Day -- mainly on predictable, boring gifts such as cards and candy, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Using data from the National Retail Federation, the NYCEDC says that 60 percent of adults in the Northeast have decided to celebrate love with abject materialism, and plan on spending $146.30 apiece buying crap for their loved ones (who might be cheating on them).

They will spend around $22.71 on confections and $38.65 on bouquets this year -- supporting an industry that's said to employ 3,000 New Yorkers.

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