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March 11, 2011
Lobbyist Lipsky and the power of media
Crain's NY Business
by Greg David
Greg David points out that he and disgraced lobbyist Richard Lipsky, who's been fired by just about everyone but Donald Trump in the past 48 hours, disagree on just about everything. But he fails to mention the one thing they both love: Atlantic Yards. At least Lipsky was smart enough to get paid for his shilling.
Lobbyist Richard Lipsky, charged this week in a bribery scheme that ensnared state Sen. Carl Kruger and Assemblyman William Boyland, was a master at using the media to build support for his clients. But the allegations, if true, also make it clear that Mr. Lipsky didn't think the media was that powerful or effective a tool.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must note that Mr. Lipsky and I disagree on the vast majority of issues in the public spotlight. In recent months he has criticized me repeatedly, and quite vociferously, for my support of both Walmart's entry into the city and the city's effort to redevelop Hunts Point. There were rare moments of agreement. We concur that taxes are too high in New York. And he praised a blog post I wrote analyzing the limits of The New York Times' commitment to reform in Albany.
The reaction among reporters yesterday to the charges was one of shock. "I thought he was a nudge, a total pain in the butt, but clean," one told me yesterday.
That says volumes about the New York media, doesn't it? It didn't occur to you people that someone so obviously, unscrupulously mercenary might just do anything for money? Why don't some of you boys try to redeem yourselves by poking into why Forest City Ratner keeps popping up in federal corruption indictments?
Posted by eric at March 11, 2011 11:29 PM