ALBANY—In what may well be an exercise in budgetary saber-rattling, David Paterson just pooh-poohed five-year plans for funding the M.T.A. as well as upstate roads and bridges as "simply unaffordable given New York's current fiscal condition."
Paterson indicated he would support neither plan, and said that "if the Legislature does not work with me to Read More
ALBANY—In a legally questionable move that is likely to bring a challenge, David Paterson named former M.T.A. chairman Richard Ravitch as his lieutenant governor in a live address Wednesday evening, hoping to break the deadlock in the State Senate.
"The Senate is paralyzed, there is no presiding officer," Paterson said. "I Read More
ALBANY—In a legally questionable move that is likely to bring a challenge, David Paterson named former M.T.A. chairman Richard Ravitch as his lieutenant governor in a live address Wednesday evening, hoping to break the deadlock in the State Senate.
“The Senate is paralyzed, there is no presiding officer,” Paterson said. “I have selected Richard Read More
ALBANY—Where's the bill?
There was an announcement of an M.T.A. bailout deal last night, but no legislators have seen an actual bill at this point. Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos, leaving a leaders meeting a few moments ago, lamented this fact.
Outside the legislative chambers, I found Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign Read More
ALBANY—Where’s the bill?
There was an announcement of an M.T.A. bailout deal last night, but no legislators have seen an actual bill at this point. Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos, leaving a leaders meeting a few moments ago, lamented this fact.
Outside the legislative chambers, I found Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate’s second publicly presented plan to provide revenue to the M.T.A. is getting a better reception, at least, than the dead-on-arrival program they introduced last month.
If Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is to be believed, it might actually pass the chamber.
Smith told reporters, at a press conference about rules reform, Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate's
Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Smith, said that a bill will be introduced Wednesday, and a vote will take place next week.
Counting Padavan as a "yes" and Foley and Johnson as "no," and assuming all the other Democrats will vote yes (everyone I've seen has said they will, but Read More
ALBANY—About forty hours before the M.T.A. board will vote on whether to adopt a "doomsday budget" (unless state lawmakers enact a revenue package), Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith left a closed-door meeting with the other members of the state government troika. He had no good news.
"I'm not saying the deadline is of Read More
As the M.T.A. budget deadline approaches, the Troika toils in private while agitated politicos jabber at the Read More
