Results tagged “statecomptrollerthomasdinapoli”

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a partial collapse on West 123rd St. in Manhattan, an unusual trauma at Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, and a shooting at Bergen St. and Buffalo Ave. in Brooklyn. The 7 train line was shut down for about two hours this afternoon after power to a number of signals failed. Service was back up by 4 p.m. AMNewYork looks at Rudy Giuliani's tendency to take phone calls...

• Hundreds of people - and counting - want enhanced F and V service in Brooklyn. You can sign a petition that asks for the "restoration of express service on the F line to Brooklyn and extension of the V line for local service to Brooklyn." The petition is inspired by a plan suggested back in 2003 to improve Brooklyn transit options.
• While it's not surprising to hear that the MTA has fallen behind schedule with a project, it's slightly distressing to hear that the project has to do with counter-terrorism work. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has found that only two out of eight projects had been completed by the end of 2006. The MTA has been trying to "harden" various locations, from tunnels to stations, by installing surveillance cameras and improving other safety features, for the past few years. Still, DiNapoli said that the MTA is "incrementally" safer. Whoop-de-doo.
• The MTA came to an agreement on a new contract with Metro-North track workers. How long has the MTA been negotiating with Local 808? About four years. The deal includes a pay raise to make their pay comparable to LIRR track workers, according to the Daily News.
• And the MTA selected another 21 acts for its Music Under New York program. We've listed them after the jump, and you can see video of some of the auditions here.

After his appointed MTA executive director Elliot Sander suggested that a subway and bus fare hike may be possible in 2008, Governor Eliot Spitzer takes up the topic. And the Steamroller says he will do “everything possible” to avoid a hike. Spitzer is not suggesting black magic to help ease an $800 million deficit but - wait, it's a novel idea - to have the state put in more money!

In a stroke of brilliance, the NY Post decided to test new State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on economics and elements of his new job. Basically, the Post ambushed DiNapoli at Great Neck's Plaza Cafe on Saturday (the Post writes that it "confronted" him). In spite of saying "I'm not up for a quiz," DiNapoli gamely tried to answer some questions:

... [He] feeble crack at five Economics 101 questions asked of him, getting them flat-out wrong, hedging on them or fidgeting uncomfortably while he fished for an answer.

Continue reading "Post Quizzes DiNapoli on Comptrolling"

Newly anointed State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli may be a "nice guy" who finished first, but the State Legislature's dealings to put him in place makes our head spin. The Legislature, and more importantly the Assembly, had agreed to select someone an outside panel would find qualified. The thing is, no one on the shortlist was an Assembly member, so the Democratic-run Assembly which calls the shots in Comptroller selection, decided to pick Assemblyman DiNapoli of Nassau County. Check out these editorials from the region:

NY Times "A Member of the Club": "The choice is a setback for a legislature that is already considered one of the worst in the nation — and a further sign that its members are not listening to the public’s demands for reform."

Continue reading "Everyone Loses With DiNapoli As Comptroller"