Catskill Mountains

If the extra $1 billion surplus announced by the state Senate weren't a big enough hurdle to Eliot Spitzer's plan to reduce health care spending, how about this letter from the American Cancer Society and other groups who concerned over a loophole that'll allow smoking in the casinos built in the Catskills.

"We believe the compact's failure to meaningfully address smoking is backsliding and a bad deal for the health of New Yorkers."

The letter goes on to say:

"Your strong record as Attorney General in combating tobacco's threat makes this situation even more disappointing and uncomfortable for us."  read more »

The full letter is after the jump.

-- Azi Paybarah

Ben looks at Hillary Clinton's gender-based campaign.

Hillary Clinton notes that the South Carolina state legislator who endorsed her shortly after she hired his consulting company has been a supporter of hers since 1992.

Eliot Spitzer said he'll do everything he can to get federal approval to build casinos in the Catskills.

The Times editorial board wants Spitzer to tackle global warming.

Spitzer is using leftover money from his predecessor to pay for special projects in Democratic state Senate districts, according to Jacob Gershman.

In a profile, Ray Hernandez notes that freshman Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand of upstate has a hectic schedule which already includes a campaign fund-raiser.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker told voters in his city he can turn public schools around faster than Mike Bloomberg did in NYC. Construction on the Atlantic Yards Project may start today.

A prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's office was suspended after she gave confidential information to her fiance, a private defense attorney.

Former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. may be making $3 million a year in his new job with Merrill Lynch. (Second-to-last item.)

XM and Sirius agreed to merge.

And Former Senator Phil Gramm makes the case for John McCain [subscription].

-- Azi Paybarah

By the mid-60’s, the standard that had been established for sitcoms in the previous decade&mda  read more »

Responding, perhaps, to the low literacy rates among Jews, the Bloomberg campaign provided the Jewish press a pre-written article on his trip to the Catskills.

The Forward's Eve Kessler reprints the story, and takes offense:  read more »

"In case we in the 'Jewish media' don't write our own stories, the Bloomberg campaign helpfully has sent a press release with the subject line 'Catskills Article for the Jewish Media.' Here it is, complete with a joke at the end that, shall we say, condescends to its audience..."

At a time of budget cuts and work-force reductions, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has committed billions o  read more »

At trying times like these, some people turn to vodka, drugs or end-of-the-world sex for solace.  read more »

Louis Cappelli, 49, lives in a rented apartment on the UpperEast Side and dates 30-year-old actress  read more »

It is bad enough that Senator Robert Torricelli of New Jersey is among those responsible for persuad  read more »

I met him at the coffee store.  read more »