This Week at City Hall: Special Election Edition

The special elections in Brooklyn and Staten Island were decided and then undecided in a matter of days. The newly elected Council members will have to wait until the final election results are tallied before they are sworn in. By “election results” we mean whether Dr. Mathieu Eugene’s seat in Brooklyn’s 40th District is the same place of his residency during the time of the election.

Here’s a new activity for the NYU Republicans: Find the (Legal) Immigrant at the Voting Booth Game. On Monday, the day before the special elections, immigrant advocates gathered at City Hall and called for voting rights for legal non-citizens. This view echoes a bill sponsored by Councilmember Charles Barron last year that would give non-citizens the right to vote in local elections.

The Independent Budget Office revealed that New Yorkers pay the highest tax burden among residents in cities with a population of more than 1 million. Since this figure includes the amount paid to both the city and state governments, it makes sense that the increasing costs of Medicaid are one of the many reasons for why our taxes take $9.02 out of every $100 of taxable resources.

Eminent domain is not just a Brooklyn thing. On Thursday, the city unveiled its plans for the redevelopment of the AirTrain terminal in Jamaica, Queens. This proposal initiates the public review process that is already colored with protests from residents and business owners who are concerned about its use of eminent domain to widen the streets.

In legislative news, Bloomberg wants to raise fines for un-scooped dog poop, Felder applauds Coca-Cola, and Comrie continues his campaign against the “n-word.”

Photo of City Hall by wallyg on flickr