January 23, 2005
Reading the Jets tea leaves
New Yorkers digging themselves out this weekend can take a break by reading a blizzard of news analysis about the proposed Jets stadium:
- The New York Times' Charles Bagli tackles the question of whether state assembly speaker Sheldon Silver will veto the stadium, noting that "his ambivalence is driving other politicians slightly batty." Some local political observers speculate that Silver is just following his usual pattern of holding out for a quid pro quo (more state money for his lower Manhattan district, say); others say he's ready to make a stand on principle, with one telling Bagli that the speaker "really loathes what [Mayor] Bloomberg is trying to do here." The state's Public Authorities Control Board meets February 16 to discuss the stadium, but Silver has the power to delay a decision for up to 30 days if he chooses.
- The Jets stadium is promising to play a major role in this year's mayoral race, with the Times reporting that Bloomberg is even getting pestered by middle-school students about the project. Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, likely to be one of the mayor's strongest challengers, called today for a public referendum in November on the stadium project and its $600 million in taxpayer funds. The growing controversy is starting to worry Bloomberg's supporters, one of whom told the Times: "They're spending a tremendous amount of political capital on what is a peripheral issue in his administration. If he wants to get elected on education, that's fair game because that's really important. If he loses a chunk of votes because of this stadium, it would be a crime."
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