Less Bus Than An Entire Fleet

I don’t know which is worse — that he threw her under the bus, or that he’ll probably get a bump for throwing her under the bus:

Cathleen P. Black, a magazine executive with no educational experience who was named New York City schools chancellor last fall, stepped down Thursday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced.

Mr. Bloomberg called Ms. Black into his office Thursday morning and urged her to resign, officials said, ending a tumultuous and brief tenure for the longtime publisher.

. . .

Ms. Black’s time as chancellor was troubled from the start. During her three months on the job, she offended parents with an offhand joke about birth control and bewildered City Hall aides when she seemed to mock a crowd of parents protesting the closing of a school. Aides complained that she required intensive tutorials on every aspect of education policy. And on Monday, a NY1-Marist poll put Ms. Black’s approval rating at 17 percent, the lowest ever for a Bloomberg administration official.

Inside City Hall, mayoral advisers said, there was a growing sense that Ms. Black could no longer do the job. Mr. Bloomberg is famously reluctant to dismiss members of his handpicked team. But even he agreed it was time for Ms. Black to go, they said.

That’s Disappointing

The lady who a judge sentenced to indefinite jury duty after accusing her of lying about her biases on her juror’s questionnaire was let go:

Juror 799 sat off by herself in the jury assembly room for most of Wednesday, calmly flipping through newspapers and a pamphlet entitled “A Guide to Continuing Your Education After Prison,” until the judge sent a clerk and a deputy marshal to fetch her in the late afternoon.

He told her she was free to go, but that he would dock her $40-a-day juror pay. She didn’t argue.

“The purpose of this order was to attempt to create some consequences or disincentive for people who intentionally obstruct the court’s ability to empanel a fair and impartial jury,” he said.

John Liu, You Were Elected To Get On Camera And Put Yourself In Position To Become The Next Mayor, Not Carry Water For Public Employee Unions

And by “half” he means that “only” $2.4 billion of last year’s budget went toward increased pension costs for public employees:

Controller John Liu pushed back against Mayor Bloomberg’s drive to reduce pension benefits, saying half the city’s increase in pension costs was caused by Wall Street.

A report from his office said city taxpayers paid $3 billion last year to make up for low returns on the pension funds’ investments after the economy crashed.

In contrast, increased benefits for cops, firefighters, teachers and other city workers have captured headlines — but were only worth $2.4 billion last year, Liu said.

Third Term Malaise: People In Positions Of Power No Longer Give A Shit, Resign, And Move Away

Because third terms are all about appointing seasoned CEOs who make sure all the super-whipsmart people are in charge:

Schools chancellor Cathie Black’s lousy week is continuing — another high-ranking city Education Department official resigned on Wednesday.

. . .

The departure will be a blow to the Bloomberg administration, which argued in November that the former magazine exec, whose job approval rating hit a shockingly low 17% in a Monday poll, would have the benefit of help from experienced deputies.

White’s departure means half of former Chancellor Joel Klein’s eight deputies will be gone — including Deputy Chancellor Santiago Taveras, whose resignation was announced Monday.

(Oh yeah, which reminds me: Fuck you, Observer.)

Third Term Malaise Spreads: Thinking Any Of Us Give A Fuck About Your Title (Or Your Press Conference, For That Matter)

Christine Quinn’s sense of entitlement is striking for someone who had to bend the rules to stay politically relevant:

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn on Wednesday lashed out a reporter for The Daily News who did not invoke Ms. Quinn’s proper title when asking her a question.

The reporter, Erin Einhorn, referred to Ms. Quinn as “m’am” in asking the speaker about her efforts to improve the city’s response to snowstorms.

But Ms. Quinn was none too pleased with Ms. Einhorn, who earned the speaker’s scorn recently with a series of articles that were critical of the Council.

“You can call me speaker,” Ms. Quinn said in a testy tone. “It’s my press conference. I actually decide what words are necessary.”