Results tagged “carlkruger”

After unveiling his $3 billion in budget cuts for this year (not to mention another $2 billion next) on Thursday, Governor Paterson is on the offensive, appearing on numerous radio and TV stations. Why the media blitz? Because some state lawmakers have complained about the cuts, leaving Paterson to fire back, "They can find all kinds of ways to spend money but never seem to be able to meet obligations."

The NY State Legislature is meeting this afternoon to pass the MTA bailout the News calls "a slow-motion train wreck (that's) better than nothing." With no long term plans for capital funding and future hikes expected, Richard Ravitch (pictured), the man who got the bailout ball rolling, said, "I am disappointed that they didn't fund the five year plan. I'm disappointed they didn't do the tolls. But I'm thrilled they did something." The lack of East River tolls can be attributed to the maneuvering of the Gang of Three, one of whom (Sen. Carl Kruger) joked at a press conference, "Ravitch is supporting the plan that he opposed two months ago." Politicker NY says that no one laughed. The final push from Governor Paterson and Malcolm Smith was to promise $60 million to Long Island schools in order to get the last two Democratic holdouts on board with subjecting their constituents to the payroll tax that will largely fund the plan. Still, one local official on the Island told Newsday, "I'm very discouraged. I don't believe that Long Island's interests were well represented."

With a May 1st deadline for Albany to get done in order to save commuters from the entire wrath of proposed MTA fare hikes and service cuts, Governor Paterson is continuing his aggressive push for legislators to take action. Yesterday he spoke in support of former MTA Commissioner Richard Ravitch and his rescue plan. Paterson said, “He brought back a plan that won the approval of every reasonable point of view from different sides. Except in Albany. It’s a different planet. As we like to point out, there is no gravity.”

Part of the floor plan devoted to a new, 400-seat restaurant inside the historic Lundy’s space in Sheepshead Bay is what developers are calling an “ancillary use” gourmet foods market. The controversial Cherry Hill Market, the Buildings Department contends, is actually just a grocery store by another name.

So that deal to share power between State Senate minority leader Malcolm Smith and the "Gang of Three" Senators is dead. Smith said this morning, "When we first started out, the discussion was about reform and changing the government," but now negotiations were suspended "effective immediately." City Room reports that someone asked Smith, "You really thought this was about reform?" Ha!

After weeks of hold outs preventing the fate of the State Senate leadership to be announced, the parties have agreed to a Solomonic deal: The NY Times explains that Malcolm Smith, the former Senate minority leader, "would be elected president pro tempore, a constitutional office that makes him the chamber’s leader," while Senator-elect Ruben Espada Jr. "would be elected to what would be the subordinate post of majority leader and appointed vice chairman of the Rules Committee, which must approve all legislation that goes through the Senate." This is based on a handshake deal from Smith, Espada, Senator Ruben Diaz, and Senator Carl Kruger (the latter two also get big roles)--and it still needs to be approved. And rumor has it that the deal was reached partly because Smith agreed he wouldn't bring up same-sex marriage during the next session.