While we debate Hizzoner's white lies about the Goldsmith imbroglio, keep in mind there is a much pricier scandal that should make everyone thoroughly pissed. Back in June, Mayor Bloomberg finally admitted in a press conference that the $740 million CityTime disaster was in fact not a "pretty good job" as he'd previously stated, but a debacle that "nobody paid as much attention to it as they should have, from me on down, and we’re going to find out who did what." However, three sources tell the Post that at least one city official did pay attention, and warned Bloomberg's advisors that CityTime was a huge waste of money, and should have been scrapped. more ›

According to new data released by SeeThroughNY, a part of the Empire Center for New York State Policy, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's payroll jumped $15 million to $664.7 million from 2008 to 2009. The watchdog group's findings show that most of the extra money comes from overtime pay, with many police supervisors nearly doubling their base salaries. Thomas Hoey, a PAPD sergeant, more than doubled his $107,464 salary in 2009, earning $156,650 extra in overtime. One SeeThroughNY spokeswoman told the Post, "the reason [posted the salaries] is so taxpayers can see how their money is spent." more ›

Unless lawmakers can come up with new ways to fund the MTA, the transit agency might be forced to raise its base fare to $2.60 and increase the cost of unlimited monthly MetroCards to more than $100, according to a new study. The report reveals that even if the MTA implements far-reaching service cuts this year and ups fares by the planned 7.5 percent next year, it would still fall short of balancing its budget without additional funding. more ›

Under Gov. Paterson's plan to rescue the MTA from a $400 million budget shortfall, New York City businesses would see a payroll tax increase by 59 percent, surging from .34 percent for every $100 of payroll to .54 percent. Meanwhile, the payroll tax in suburban areas would be cut in half. more ›

Thanks to plummeting tax revenues, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is expected to face a $400 million budget shortfall—even if it implements drastic service cuts that would terminate bus lines and subway routes and nix free Metrocards for students. So what, if anything, could be worse than the already-proposed "Doomsday" cuts? more ›

Even if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority implements far-reaching service cuts that would eliminate entire subway and bus lines and force students to pay to get to school, the agency will still face a $400 million budget gap. Revenue from a payroll tax has apparently come up short, again, the Daily News reports. The new revenue shortfall will make it harder for transit activists to convince the agency to not to implement the service cuts, and according to the tabloid, it raises the possibility that next year's planned fare hikes might be more than the planned increase of 7.5 percent. more ›

After spending most of the winter cleaning up the free agent market with new additions CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and AJ Burnett, the Yankees finalized a deal today with a familiar face, longtime starter Andy Pettite. Pettite will return to the Bronx for a contract that reported guarantees him $5.5 million. That's a significant pay cut from the $16 million Pettite made last year, but this contract could more than double if he meets various incentives. Despite shedding bloated contracts for players such as Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano and Bobby Abreu, the Yankees are nearing last year's payroll of $209 million (that cost them just under another $30 mil in luxury tax)—the opening day total is around $196.8 million now. Sealing up the deal with Pettite appears to lock in next season's starting rotation where newcomers Sabathia and Burnett will join Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain. more ›

Whenever a NYC teacher calls out sick to wrestle in the WWE or attend a relative's sentencing, the Department of Education has to send in an expensive substitute from the Absent Teacher Reserve pool. more ›