Mid-Morning Read: Paterson's Team, Rapper Money

“This is congestion pricing in another form” New York 1 News anchor Pat Kiernan said about tolling the East River bridges.

David Weprin was on Fox News 5 saying he supports the commuter tax, but opposes tolling East River bridges [no link yet].

Matt Cooper’s favorite candidate for U.S. Treasury Secretary: Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg’s advice to Obama was to fix the bond market by offering insurance.

David Paterson is reportedly shopping around for new political consultants.

Carolyn Maloney makes the case for replacing Hillary Clinton in the Senate.

Maloney has a fund-raiser in Vail, Colorado next month.

David Seifman finds contradictory survey information about street cleanliness.

Peter Spencer said results of the city’s survey offered a “vague and often contradictory portrait.”

Andrew Cuomo launched a criminal probe of gubernatorial aide Carl Andrews.

Education activist Geoffrey Canada said he won’t take money from rappers.

As schools face major funding cuts, superintendents in Oyster Bay and Roslyn got raises.

Some students have a 90-minute bus ride to school.

To smoke in Onondaga County, you now have to be 19 years old.

In the comments section, Nick Simpson said the senate seat being vacated should be considered Hillary Clinton’s, not Pat Moynihan's.

John Riley wonders why Andrew Cuomo is siding with David Paterson instead of the state commission that recommended judicial candidates.

Stock prices for Forest City Enterprises are down.

Greg Meeks is among the people expected to attend a fund-raiser at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas today.

Bill Thompson has an op-ed pushing his idea of raising money by raising revenue from heavy vehicles.

Karol Sheinin wishes George W. Bush had “Nixon’s determination.”

And YouTuber Eric Sundwall wants to be appointed to Hillary Clinton’s seat, asking Paterson, “Have you considered a redhead?”