It seemed like Gov. Paterson had managed to cobble together a deal for the State to take over NYC OTB yesterday afternoon and prevent its closing. A state takeover would require a vote by the legislature Monday, but Sheldon Silver and Joseph Bruno both seemed amenable to the idea. Mayor Bloomber, however, is holding fast on his insistence that he is going to close all of the city's OTB parlors tomorrow. Gov. Paterson said......

According to various sources, Governor Paterson has reached a deal to take over Off Track Betting (OTB) parlors from New York City, in order to prevent its total shutdown Despite handling more than $1 billion in wagers annually, the company lost $13 million last year. When asked if about the possibility of an arrangement to could keep OTB open, Mayor Bloomberg was very brusque in his dismissal of the idea earlier this week. He answered,......

The California State Supreme Court refused to put a hold on gay marriage in its state, denying a requested stay by opponents to the legal and social evolution that is scheduled to go into effect June 17th. The decision was 4-3 against the stay. Opponents of the May 15 decision allowing same-sex couples to become legally married had collected enough signatures to place an amendment on November's ballot specifying marriage was restricted to a bond......

A legal team with the backing of James Dobson is ready to file a legal suit against New York State, claiming that Gov. David Paterson illegally sidestepped the State Legislature when he declared a state of reciprocity in recognizing gay marriages ordained in other states. Dobson is the head of a ministry called Focus on the Family, which is dedicated to protecting what it views as immutable Christian social values, including the long-held human value......

The MTA has called a special board meeting to approve a takeover of the Hudson Yards development project in Manhattan by developer The Related Companies and investment bank Goldman Sachs. The quick switch follows an abrupt departure by real estate development firm Tishman Speyer, that won approval after a tortuously long selection process. An MTA press release quotes Mayor Bloomberg:"Today's announcement that the MTA will award Related Companies, in partnership with Goldman Sachs, the......

The New York State Legislature finally passed a budget two weeks ago, which it balanced by taking on extra debt without the approval of voters to fund a 6% increase in spending as revenues continue to shrink. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says New York is heading for trouble, especially since revenue projections are so uncertain and vulnerable to further economic downturn. The $121.7 billion budget grew 6% despite entreaties from Gov. Paterson to actually cut......

Governor Paterson joined Mayor Bloomberg at Manhattan Community College this morning to kick off the 7th annual Tribeca Film Festival, which is expected to attract at least 500,000 visitors and $125 million. Paterson used the appearance to announced an expanded state film tax credit, intended to stop the loss of movie money “to our neighbors, like Canada, Connecticut and Massachusetts.” The governor’s office say these “neighbors” have cut into the state’s film revenue to the......

The MTA will observe Earth Day (April 22nd) by stocking MetroCard vending machines with five million limited-edition green MetroCards. The cards aren’t “green” in the eco-friendly sense – they’re still not made from recycled material – they’re just, you know, green colored. So they’ve got that going for them. Oh, and some environmental factoids will be printed on the back. Governor David Paterson joined MTA officials at Grand Central Terminal yesterday morning for a......

Gov. Paterson publicly addressed the state of New York's budget and described it as "too big and too bloated." Belt tightening is the prescribed solution according to the Governor, with state spending to be cut by 5-10% in the latest fiscal year. That is a pretty dramatic reduction, but Paterson was quick to reassure that it was equally important that the state not raise taxes either, noting that many residents were decamping to lower-tax states......

Gov. Paterson is proposing cutting $60 million from the MTA's $10 billion operating budget. That's less than 1%, but further decreases in real estate revenues could make an even larger dent in the budget. According to the New York Post, real estate revenues were off $31 million this month, which could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The effect on riders will not make many happy: possible service cuts and another fare......

We may have entered an unheralded era in political frankness with the inauguration of Gov. David Paterson. The new gubernatorial head admitted in an interview with NY1 political anchor Dominic Carter that he's done drugs; different drugs. And not experimenting; he used substances a few times.Carter: Marijuana? Paterson: Yes. Carter: Cocaine? Paterson: Yes. Carter: You have used cocaine governor? Paterson: I'd say I was about 22-23. I tried it a few times, yes. Where's all......

Jim Knipfel is a Wisconsin native who arrived in New York City many years ago via a stint in Philadelphia. Knipfel has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which is a degenerative disease that leads to blindness. He's been writing a weekly column, Slackjaw, for more than a decade. Originally published in the New York Press, it can now be found online every Sunday at electronpress.com. In addition to his column, Knipfel has written a number......