Oil and gas companies spent millions of dollars on lobbying Albany to make a decision on hydrofracking, but the state doesn't seem any closer to allowing the practice and all sides are urging caution. "I wouldn't say it's a given," Republican state senator and hydrofracking advocate Tom Libous tells the Times. "Economically, we need it desperately. But at the end of the day, if the scientists and geologists at the D.E.C. say 'this is not a good thing to do,' I'm not going to challenge it." Did the earth just shift, or what? more ›

Is Governor Cuomo the new Joe Biden? Or, let's rephrase that, did Governor Cuomo inherit our Veep's drivers? Because for the second time in two days his drivers have gone and hit pedestrians near the home he shares in Westchester with Semi-First Lady Sandra Lee. more ›

Fresh from his gambling-happy State of the State address Governor Cuomo today introduced his $132.5 billion 2012 budget and while it is less agressive than last year's slice and dice budget it still manages to be tough on unions. Teacher evaluations sure look like the future in New York State! more ›

With the success of the Aqueduct "Racino" last year there is a serious political push, headed by Governor Cuomo, to bring real casinos to New York State. And you know who really likes the idea? Brooklyn mascot and third-term Beep Marty Markowitz, who really wants to bring Casino's to the boardwalk. Craps on Coney, anyone? more ›

Carl Paladino is not only Pope Benedict's #1 stunt double, but a reasonable man who holds his tongue unless he absolutely must speak out against injustice. But in an interview with the Observer today, it's the media's misguided lionization of Cuomo for largely bridging a $10 million deficit that forces Paladino's tongue to once again, utter truth. "He didn’t do anything. What did he do? He contrived a $10 billion deficit, you guys never inquired as to why…He didn’t solve sh@t, but you guys made him a hero.” Perhaps Cuomo didn't solve it because he was too busy bathing in it? more ›

Governor Cuomo's State of the State speech was chock-full of curious incursions into New Yorker's privacy. And we aren't just talking about the whole fingerprinting folks who want food stamps debate. Oh, no. Slipped in there amidst all that gambling talk was also a plan to make New York the first state in the country to collect DNA from anyone convicted of a crime here. And that includes misdemeanors like jumping turnstiles. more ›

How much is a crushing pall of slot machine-induced sadness in Queens worth? $90 million over two months, to be exact. The Daily News reports that's what the Aqueduct racino earned from October 28 through December 31, making more than five upstate racinos did all year. As any compulsive gambler knows, the only thing to do when you're on a winning streak that can't possibly be stopped is to double down. more ›

Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his State of the State today, vowing to make 2012 the year "we must transform our government to once again become the progressive capital of our nation." He proposed a $1 billion economic development package for Buffalo, which has the third-highest poverty rate in the country, abolishing the state's requirements for fingerprinting food stamp recipients, deemed himself the "student's lobbyist," and pitched a slew of environmental and energy improvements. But Cuomo was also mum about transportation, spoke glowingly of legalizing gambling, declined to read his brief remarks on hydraulic fracturing, and announced an ambitious plan to build the world's largest convention center at the Aquaduct Racetrack. more ›

New Yorkers have until January 11 to tell the Department of Environmental Conservation how they feel about hydrofracking, and the results of the practice in Ohio should light up their switchboards. Usually Ohio's most dangerous faults are Drew Carey-related, but it has experienced eleven earthquakes since March. Although all of them were minor, the most recent on Saturday was a 4.0 magnitude, and according to the Times the state has ordered gas companies to stop injecting "millions of gallons of brine and other waste liquids" into the ground near Youngstown until scientists can pinpoint what was going on. more ›

Governor Cuomo has two more days to sign Mayor Bloomberg's taxi bill that would put 1,500 more yellow cabs in the city, allow livery cabs to pick up street fares almost everywhere in the city and (in thoery) generate more than $1 billion in revenue. But Cuomo has pushed back against the legislation, countering that it doesn't do enough to provide cabs for the disabled. According to the Daily News, Cuomo spent the weekend devising a plan that he finds acceptable, or the legislature can try their luck in January. "This could be 'Gov. Steamroller again steamrolling on behalf of the yellow cab medallion owners who oppose the bill," one statehouse source said. more ›

Greek yogurt enthusiasts were heartened when they read a press release from Governor Cuomo's office yesterday, thanking two upstate mayors "for coming together to resolve" the Great Fage Yogurt Factory Dispute Of 2011. The towns of Johnstown and Gloversville were squabbling about the factory, but the Steamroller got involved and got them to make peace and let the delicious, rich yogurt project move forward. Interesting, apparently Cuomo heard about the two towns' spat by watching the TV. more ›

In the wake of the ongoing sex abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse, politicians around the country have been trying to figure out how to cover themselves and make it easier to punish those who don't report pedophiles working in youth sports situations. Call the resulting legislation JoePa laws if you want, the latest to trot one out is no less than our very own governor, Andrew Cuomo. Today his office proposed a new bill that would make coaches at high schools and universities in New York mandatory reporters of child sex abuse. more ›

If Mayor Bloomberg really wants his plan to make it legal for livery cabs to pick up street hails to make it out of Albany, the TLC may finally have to do something about its horrendous treatment of the handicapped. Back in June the Mayor's plan got the go-ahead and just needed Andrew Cuomo's stamp. But now it seems the Gov is witholding approval unless the additional 1,500 highly-lucrative taxi medallions that would come with the bill are all required to be handicap-accessible. more ›

Though he's couched his opposition to the renewal of the "Millionaire's Tax" in the lofty language of personal conviction, Governor Cuomo appears to be warming up to the idea of bringing more "fairness" to the tax code in order to bolster an anemic state budget. The Times reports that Democrats in the State Assembly were warned that the governor may call a special session of the legislature on Tuesday, and sources say "leaders were discussing the creation of new tax brackets that would allow them to apply higher tax rates to the state’s top earners" while giving middle-class families a tax cut. Perhaps the governor cares more about polling than he initially let on. more ›

Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo recently responded to the contentious hydrofracking issue by acknowledging that "the temperature is high. We have a process. Let's get the facts. Let the science and the facts make the determination, not emotion and not politics." But what about money? With $3.2 million spent by industry lobbyists in Albany last year so far dwarfing the $800K spent by environmental groups, it would appear that the gas companies are controlling the temperature. Who needs Indian Point, anyway? more ›

As numerous studies have shown, smoking cigarettes is one of the coolest activities in the world. The only thing cooler than smoking is taking illicit puffs after a lushy celebrity tells you not to. After a smoking ban on LIRR platforms went into effect yesterday, the Post found a smoker who was lighting up with gusto, despite the audio announcements telling him it was illegal. "Joe Namath just told me I couldn't smoke, so I wanted to," a 28-year-old man said at the Hicksville station. No word on whether Katie Couric will track him down and tell him what an awful person he is. more ›

As had been predicted Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that the new head of the MTA will be Joseph Lhota, a former deputy mayor under Giuliani and current executive at Madison Square Garden. He'll be replacing current Chairman Jay Walder, who is leaving to seek his fortunes in Hong Kong. In addition to Lhota, Cuomo is also appointing Nuria Fernandez, a transit exec who's worked in Chicago and DC, as the Administration's chief operating officer, the second-highest position there not to mention Karen Rae as his new deputy secretary of transportation. And people seem okay with the choices! more ›

It doesn't matter if 72% of New York voters want the "Millionaire's Tax" reinstated, Governor Cuomo doesn't necessarily care what you people think. "The fact that everybody wants it, that doesn't mean all that much," Cuomo told the Times at a press conference. The governor also noted that his father opposed the death penalty when many voters supported it. “Reporters would say, ‘Well, people want it,’” Cuomo said. “And the point was, you know, we don’t elect—you can’t just have as a governor a big poll-taking machine, right? And we take a poll, and whatever the poll says, that’s what we do." Except when we're talking casinos. more ›

According to new data released by the NYPD, the biggest cause of car crashes in August of this year was "Driver Inattention/Distraction" caused by people being unable to resist looking at their phone to find out that the girl they used to wait tables with in high school is engaged. 11% of the 16,784 accidents (or 1,877 crashes) were due to people not paying attention while driving, while "Following Too Closely" was the next highest cause (812), along with "Failure To Yield Right of Way" (629). Councilwoman Jessica Lappin sponsored the law that made the information public, and tells the Daily News, "I still see people talking on their phone and texting while driving when they are stopped at a red light." more ›

According to a new poll conducted by the Siena Research Institute [pdf], 72% of voting New Yorkers favor hiking taxes on those making $1 million or more annually. 83% of Democrats support the measure, but 70% of independents and 55% of Republicans do as well. “It is supported by more than two-thirds of voters from every region of the state," pollster Steven Greenberg says. So why is Governor Cuomo death threats or no, still opposed to extending New York's so-called "Millionaire's Tax?" more ›

It has been almost two months since Jay Walder announced he'd be leaving his job atop the MTA to make some real money in Hong Kong and a little more than a month since Governor Cuomo set up a committee to find his replacement. So how's that going? Pretty well, it seems. The Daily News reports that the running is now down to six finalists with Joseph Lhota, a city budget director under Rudy Giuliani, as the front runner. more ›

Earlier this week New York's DMV proudly announced that it would no longer require drivers to come in for a vision test when renewing their licenses. Because, y'know, if grams says she can drive then clearly she can drive! But that was earlier this week. Trusty sources are now reporting that Governor Andrew Cuomo is putting the brakes on the plan (which actually went into effect yesterday). more ›

Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority, intends to resign by the end of October according to reports. Combined with the departure of Jay Walder from the MTA this means that Governor Andrew Cuomo is in a position to firmly put his stamp on New York's transportation systems. The departure of Ward, a David Paterson appointee credited with getting the World Trade Center back on track, has been rumored since Cuomo took first office. And, again, rumors of Cuomo's coldness are mentioned. more ›

Governor Cuomo is confident that we can rid ourselves of the ticking time bomb nuclear power plant Indian Point, which supplies 30% of New York City's power. He's also sure that we can drum up some replacement power in the meantime: "There is no doubt that we need replacement power if we are close to Indian Point. There is also no doubt that we can find it." From where? Cuomo doesn't say, and as the Daily News reports, the governor "avoided direct answers to a number of questions" during an internet chat with constituents. Yes but does he know of the "draw me like one of your French girls" meme? more ›

It's been nearly two years since New York State banned texting-while-driving and two months since Governor Cuomo signed a stricter law that categorized texting as a "primary traffic offense," making it easier for the police to pull over drivers for texting (and especially—we hope—sexting). Not only does the offense carry a penalty of two points on a driving record and a $150 fine, it also causes worried drivers to send mistaken texts while trying to conceal their phones from the cops (which, obviously, causes actual accidents). more ›

Get ready to blow stuff up! more ›

The special election for New York's ninth congressional district (a.k.a. Anthony Weiner's old seat) is tomorrow and children? It is shaping up to be a doozy. Because of the district's demographics—no Republican has ever been elected to the House in the largely Democratic stronghold that covers parts of Brooklyn and Queens—many thought this would be an easy victory for Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin. But with less than 24 hours till the polls open, Weprin is trailing Republican Bob Turner by six points in yet another poll. Luckily for Weprin, robo-Andrew Cuomo is ready to make some phone calls today! more ›