After news that leading breast cancer charity, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, was stopping its funding to Planned Parenthood's breast screening and health initiatives, Planned Parenthood supporters donated over $400,000 in 24 hours. And a grant from a Texas couple will raise the total to $650,000. UPDATE: Now, according to NYTMetro, Mayor Bloomberg says he'll donate up to $250,000 to Planned Parenthood, which would raise the total to $900,000. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg announced a plan to give the city's animal shelters an additional $10 million over the next three years, which is good news for animal lovers, though the funding does come at a price. more ›

Two years ago, the state announced plans to forgo repairing the Tappan Zee Bridge, and instead build a new bridge entirely. Yesterday, the Tappan Zee Bridge/Interstate 287 Corridor Project unveiled the final two possible redesigns. Plan 3 is a single-level span that would have room for trains to run in the middle, bus lanes on either side of the tracks, and car and trucks traveling in the outer lanes. Plan 5 is a dual-level bridge, and would take less time to construct. Trains would run underneath the north span, vehicle traffic would be on the top level, with two dedicated bus lanes in the center. Of course, they may not have the money currently to build either of them. more ›

There's been a lot of news about the city's and the nation's education system this past week. The city is getting ready to fund education reforms, President Obama cited statistics showing America's students rank 24th in Math knowledge among developed nations, and most of Staten Island's schools failing. In light of all that, the city's DOE decided that things like after-school tutoring, arts programs and sports practices just aren't worth the money. more ›

According to New Jersey's Governor Christie, their loss in the competition for Race To The Top funding was a federal government conspiracy. Christie says that the feds should have just called if they wanted to know how much the state spent on school funding in 2008 and 2009 (instead of the projected numbers for 2010 and 2011 the state provided). And according to NJ.com, he also says officials could have easily "found the information on the internet." more ›

Looks like all that drama and work actually paid off! After failing the first time, New York just secured itself about $700 million in public school funding as a part of the Race to the Top program. Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement, "New York State's selection is a testament to what we've accomplished in our City's schools over the last eight years. Our students have shown tremendous improvement and now—as a Race to the Top participant —we will work with our teachers and school administrators to raise the bar once again." more ›

Yesterday, President Obama spent the late afternoon and evening in the Big Apple. The agenda: Thank the NYPD for thwarting the Times Square car bomb and then a fundraiser for House Democrats. At Police headquarters, Obama said, "I just wanted to stop by say,.Thank you. The country is proud of you... the president is proud of you. I don’t think I need to tell you that given the potential for attack everywhere in the country, we’ve got a lot to learn from what is taking place here." more ›

Senator Charles Schumer, who said folks at the White House "just don't get it and are not doing right by New York City on anti-terrorism funding" after it was revealed that funding for regular transit and port security was cut by 25%, now says, "I think it is unfair to blame this on the President." Instead, Schumer blames other White House departments: "Folks at OMB and at Homeland Security - they should have seen this and caught it. more ›

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand proposed $1 billion in grants and loans yesterday for her "Healthy Food Financing Initiative," aimed at building grocery stores in areas that lack access to fresh food. AP reports that the measure would try to help almost four million New York residents living in "food deserts" by providing startup grants for 350 new grocery stores statewide. She said, "By building new grocery stores in underserved areas across the state we can give people the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives, save billions in health care costs, and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs." more ›

The city is contemplating sending in a separate proposal from the rest of the state for "Race to the Top" funds. Though the state is already putting together another proposal for the second round, the city may bid on a possible third round, worth $1.35 billion. Deputy Chancellor John White told the Daily News, "If it means more money for our kids, we would apply." Though the state came in 15th of 16 applicants, reviewers called the city's student performance date system "impressive." No word yet on what they think of the city's furniture choices. more ›

As the state attempts to build a better proposal for June's second "Race to the Top" funding deadline, maybe they should think about cheaper chairs. Though New York's initial proposal for $831 million in school funding was hindered by lack of union support and charter reform, it also included requests for 24 "executive chairs" that cost $550 each, nine $3,000 desks and 15 printers that each cost over $1,500, according to the Post. The proposal came in 15th of the 16 finalists, with one judge saying the projected expenses "call into question NY's judgment on responsible stewardship of funds." Damn, did he just shatter your entire world view, or what? more ›

After losing a chance at being rewarded up to $700 million in federal education grants from the "Race to the Top" program yesterday, Governor Paterson is pushing state legislators to come up with a better proposal for the second bid on June 1. He says that bid would have to include lifting the cap on charter schools, which was previously opposed by teachers unions. He told the Post, "Some of my colleagues don't know what the elements of victory are, or they just deliberately blew off the chance of getting this money." more ›

In December a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that it was unconstitutional for Congress to cut funds for ACORN without conducting a formal investigation into the low-income community activist group. At the time, ACORN was still reeling from hidden camera videos which seemed to show ACORN employees advising a pimp and prostitute on tax evasion. These carefully edited videos were eventually found to show no criminality, but ACORN's funding was never restored. (The group also came under fire because some workers had written false names like "Mickey Mouse" on voter registration drives in 2008.) more ›

The state has reportedly withdrawn its control of Brooklyn Bridge Park and given the cash-strapped project to the city. After a year of internal squabbles that delayed the planned opening of a portion of the parkland, Gov. Paterson is expected to hand off the unfinished $350 million, 85-acre waterfront project—meaning it will become the city's responsibility to finish and fund. more ›

After submitting what many legislators considered to be a sub-par application, New York state was named one of the finalists in a $4.35 billion federal education funding contest. In a surprising decision, federal authorities chose New York as one of 16 finalists in the competition, even though the state officials failed to increase the number of charter schools and couldn't agree on a policy for evaluating teachers by their students' test scores, the Post reports. New York will make a presentation to federal officials for the cash on March 15. If New York isn't given awarded funding then, the state can reapply in a second round in June, according to 1010WINS. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg called for more anti-terrorism funding for NYC at a Homeland Security Advisory Council meeting in Midtown this afternoon. Hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mayor Bloomberg, in what passes as a passionate display for him, stressed that NYC is still a target for terrorists, and challenged Homeland Security to add funding for programs such as "Securing the Cities:" more ›

The long-awaited plans to turn Governors Island into a public space and convert the piers beneath the promenade in Brooklyn Heights into Brooklyn Bridge Park have been set back by a lengthy squabble between the city and the state. Last spring, Mayor Bloomberg said he wanted full control of both projects, which are currently being jointly developed by the city and the state. He even offered $300 million in funding to get the projects, but thanks to "bureaucratic BS at its finest," the two sides have yet to reach a deal. more ›

If Gov. Paterson's proposed budget is approved and Mayor Bloomberg is unable to negotiate pay concessions from the teachers' union, city educators may face significant layoffs for the first time since 1976. About 11,000 of the city's 79,000 teachers might be fired, and others might be shuffled around the city to different schools, the Mayor said. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg blasted Governor Paterson's proposed budget as overly harsh on New York City and urged Albany to give "New York City a fair deal." Under Paterson's $134 billion budget, Bloomberg says the city would have to fire 18,500 employees including 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers, and 1,050 firefighters. "Such budget cuts would inevitably damage the quality of life in the city that drives the economy of the entire state. It's in your power to prevent many of those dire consequences—simply by giving the people of New York City a fair deal," Bloomberg said. more ›

31% of total traffic deaths in the NYC metropolitan area are pedestrians, but funding for pedestrian and bike infrastructure lags far behind even the meager amount spent in other cities. The conclusion is found a new national report on pedestrian traffic deaths, published by the Transportation for America and Surface Transportation Policy Partnership. Their analysis determined that only 1% of New York State federal transportation funds are spent on pedestrian infrastructure, and the NYC metropolitan area receives only $0.61 per person in federal funds for pedestrian and bike facilities, well below the $1.39 spent per person for metro areas nationwide. more ›

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is getting a green makeover, to the tune of $15 million in state funds; no word on the supermarket, but part of the plan is to install what will be the state's largest solar panel there. more ›

According to the NY Times, "For years, aides to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg routed hundreds of thousands of dollars in city money to at least two politically connected nonprofit groups in violation of government contracting rules, according to records and interviews." See, the mayor's office can only direct money (and in this instance, it was "$1.1 million to Agudath Israel of America Community Services and more than $400,000 to Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services" between 2002 and 2006) when it's requested by a city council member or borough president—but the city council member, who is indicated as the one who requested the funding in documents, says he never asked for the money! City Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) told the Times, "I did not ask for it," while a mayoral spokesman said, "We have no reason to think that the funding analysis contains any errors. And we disagree with the councilman’s recollection." Yet, the Times adds, "The mayor’s office said it had no documentation showing that Mr. Felder had made the requests." And an Agudeth executive said it also went to the mayor's office for help. Last year, the City Council slush fund mess prompted the mayor's office to open up about its own slush fund. more ›

Just yesterday city officials were bitching about how the Justice Department wasn't giving NYC a dime from the $1 billion economic-stimulus money intended to help cities avoid laying off cops. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder explained that, "These officers will go to where they are needed most, based on crime rates, financial need and community policing activities." In other words, crime is relatively low here, and other places (like the mean streets of Caribou, Maine) need help more. Mayor Bloomberg fumed to reporters, "To punish our Police Department because they have driven down crime with fewer resources shows the backwards incentive system that is sometimes at work in Washington." more ›

The against-all-odds LES mainstay, artist collective ABC No Rio, is back on top with news of money coming in for their rebuilding costs. Three years ago the deed of the Rivington Street tenement that's housed the group for 30 years, was sold to them for $1 by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Soon after they were told they'd need about $2.4 million to rebuild what was beyond repiar, and now the NY Times reports that $1.65 million has come in. Last week "the Manhattan borough president, Scott M. Stringer, and City Councilman Alan J. Gerson allocated $1.65 million for a new building. Mr. Stringer arranged for a capital grant of $750,000, citing ABC No Rio’s resilience and cultural value. The rest of the money came in the form of a grant of $450,000 from Mr. Gerson’s discretionary budget, which was matched with another $450,000 by the City Council. The money will be controlled by the Department of Cultural Affairs." Demolition is slated to begin around next Spring. more ›

A spokesperson for Governor Paterson's office confirmed that talks were ongoing but stressed that no resolution had been reached. Governors Island has become an increasingly popular weekend recreation destination since it was opened to the public in 2003. It's run jointly by the city and state, but Paterson's budget does not include any money for the park this year, and yesterday the Governors Island board of directors imposed an austerity budget of $11.8 million, down from $18.8 million, while acknowledging that the remaining $550,000 in its operating budget will be exhausted by the end of the month. more ›

The Post reports, "Mayor Bloomberg has lowered the budget ax on funding for several community organizations after determining the groups did not meet new standards." City Council members distribute $46 million to various non-profit community groups, but last year it was discovered that money was being left for phantom groups—with the money used by the Council Speaker's office for "future gaps"—so a new review process was put in place. A Bronx community center was disqualified due to "poor performance on past contracts" while four others, including a graffiti removal company, were were deemed to be for-profit. The Post adds, "Hundreds of recipients are still under review and have yet to receive funding." more ›

With the MTA's finances in desperate, dire shape, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has "proposed a compromise on Wednesday that endorses putting tolls on the bridges over the East River and the Harlem River," the NY Times reports. The idea to toll the currently free bridges came up last November, but opposition from drivers has been fierce. Silver offered a compromise to charge $2 tolls to drivers—which is what subway and bus riders pay—and said, Obviously there are some who don’t like the toll. And I put that in the juxtaposition of, ‘Look, this is the only game in town.’” But Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) told the TImes, “Tolling the bridges is just not acceptable to me. Once you cross the Rubicon on tolling bridges the future conversation is merely, ‘How much is the periodic increase going to be?’" more ›

Last night, hundreds people crowded a ballroom at the Hilton for the MTA's first public hearing on the proposed fare hikes and service cuts. Leona Adams, an 86-year-old, spoke out against raising Access-a-Ride fares 250% (or higher): "The medical field has extended our lives to whatever age we are...yet if we are not able to continue our active lives that Access-A-Ride allows, then we will become burdens to our family, the city, the state and the nation." more ›

Yesterday there was word of Bronx Zoo funding going the way of the dodo, as Gov. Paterson’s budget proposal promises to eliminate it in two years. The Daily News reports that the cutbacks would also effect "museums across the state — including the New York Botanical Garden and Wave Hill in the Bronx." The Brooklyn Eagle has more today on cutbacks that will hit the borough, where the only good news is that the Prospect Park Zoo won't be effected. The paper reports that with the proposal the BBG's in-house exhibits and educational programs would suffer, and the institute's president said, "We can understand a reasonable reduction, but a 55 percent cut, followed by the elimination of the fund itself, is too much." All in all 76 zoos, botanic gardens and aquariums are on the funding chopping block—and the main problem here is, of course, that “animals don’t stop eating and don’t stop needing care." more ›