State judges have been agitating for a salary raise for a while, but since state legislators are determined to link judicial raises to legislator pay raises. Now judge are planning a "rule-book slowdown" and other ways to get back at the Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver and the state legislature. The Post reports the judges have been circulating an email listing all the state legislators who work as lawyers and the law firms they work at--so......

Graphic explaining trend of train delays from the MTA's capital plan presentation The MTA unveiled its 2008-2013 Capital Plan, which explained almost $30 billion will be needed to improve mass transit and complete projects like the Second Avenue Subway, the East Side Access plan and more by 2030 (many of those projects will also be delayed). Though the current MTA capital plan doesn't expire until next year, the MTA presented this plan because the......

The NY State Legislature has long been considered the most dysfunctional state government in the country, and NY Sun has a great article giving weight to that statement: "The Empire State's Legislature employs more people than any other state legislature in the nation." Well, all that dysfunction has to be enabled from someone - or many someones! According to the most recent data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, the NY State Assembly and......

After years of warnings, the city's Off Track Betting business may be out of luck as Mayor Bloomberg said the city may pull its funding and let the gambling business close. He told the OTB Board of Directors, "The City simply cannot take dollars away from schools and hospitals to pay for a gambling operation. We have no business subsidizing betting parlors at the expense of City taxpayers, particularly at a time when we're asking......

Weighing in on the modified congestion pricing plan the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission recommended, Mayor Bloomberg said:"The Commission has done a thorough and thoughtful job. They've taken testimony from hundreds of residents, community leaders and civic organizations. They've held dozens of public meetings and have analyzed mountains of data. Although the final recommendation varies from our original proposal, I accept it. "We will work with our partners in the Council and the State Legislature, and......

The City Council voted 40-3 to end the tax breaks Madison Square Garden has enjoyed since 1982. It's estimated that the city has lost almost $300 million in potential revenue in subsidies to the "World's Most Famous Arena." Although the City Council wants the tax breaks to end (our favorite quote is from Councilman Lew Fidler: "I have spent my entire life as as Knicks fan, and I doubt if there's anyone who loves the......

"With Spitzer, it seems like he’s walked into buzz saws of his own devising." - Richard Norton Smith, biographer of former Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, to the NY Times Today, Governor Spitzer dropped in on the State Assembly Democrats' annual meeting, which has been characterized as being "almost like a pre-game show to the session," held at the Marriott in downtown Brooklyn. According to video from Elizabeth Benjamin at the Daily Politics, an almost warm-and-......

New York Foundling, an agency that cares for and placed abandoned children, was founded in 1869 in Greenwich Village, and on its first night, a baby was left on its doorstep. Now, it's organizing its vast collection of materials, from letters written by desperate mothers to admissions registers, for its 140th anniversary and an archival center. The NY Times details some of the history and efforts, as well as New York Foundling's role in the......

Six months ago, ice storms on Valentine's Day walloped airlines, especially JetBlue, at the area airports. WABC 7 got a hold of some tapes between air traffic controllers and pilots on that crazy day where some flights were lingering on runways for more than seven hours, even up to 13 hours. Here are two of our favorite conversations:Air Traffic Control 1: "These [flights] were there before I got here. You got JetBlue 80, 1048,......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A steam leak at 39th Street and Lexington in Manhattan, a car vs. building on Hoyt Avenue in Staten Island and an oil slick on Park Lane and 85th Road in Queens An unorthodox robbery in Brooklyn: a burly Hasidic Jewish man brandished a knife and threatened a woman in South Williamsburg. Defense lawyers for the men charged with shooting police officer Russel Timoshenko are wondering why Brooklyn DA......

State Ethics Commission, long time no see! It's been about eight months since you found State Comptroller Alan Hevesi had violated state law, and now you're back on the radar with an investigation into Governor Spitzer's administration's conduct regarding use of the state police to track State Senate Majority Joseph Bruno. The SEC has the power to subpoena people to answer questions, a power the Attorney General's office does not have - which means that......

While everyone else was busy trying to find someone to blame in the congestion pricing gridlock, it turns out that lawmakers have been actually trying to work out a plan. Of course, this may come too late for the city to qualify for federal funding, but progress is progress. The NY Sun reports that Albany Democrats "were close to agreeing to a deal in which they would authorize the city to begin implementing the infrastructure......

The New York Times notes an interesting and under-stressed part of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan that would charge drivers $8 for entering a certain zone in midtown and lower Manhattan: the plan is also going to charge drivers $8 to leave midtown and downtown Manhattan. The Times seems to think that charging drivers to exit a proposed congestion zone is counterintuitive, prompting Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff to admit that congestion pricing has less to......

The State Legislature's regular session is supposed to end today, but Governor Spitzer is trying to orchestrate a deal with something for everyone: Congestion pricing (which the State Senate seems to approve but the Assembly hates), campaign reform (Spitzer's pet project, which the Senate hates), and raises for lawmakers (which the Assembly and Senate love). The NY Times reports that despite Spitzer's attempts to seal a deal before this afternoon, "negotiations on a wide range......

The State Assembly voted in favor of allowing same-sex marriages in New York. Newsday said it was the first time a gay marriage bill was "debated publicly in one of the houses of the State Legislature Tuesday." However, the bill is not expected to make it pass the Republican-controlled Senate. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said, "We're not doing gay marriage by [tomorrow's adjournment], that's for sure." The Sun had a breakdown of how the......

A look at some noteworthy television this week: The 61st Annual Tony Awards (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., WCBS 2) If you are a theatre fan you probably know this is already on. If you haven’t seen anything this year, think of this as a highlight reel. It also appears that they have broken tradition and have gone hostless this year. The Sopranos (Sunday, 9:00 p.m., HBO) Undoubtedly this will be the most watched Tony on Sunday,......

Yesterday, City Council members Robert Jackson, Larry Seabrook and John Liu introduced a resolution to formally apologize for NYC's role in slavery. According to the Empire Zone, Jackson hoped the resolution would "spur dialogue and interest among the new generation of New Yorkers who will lead us in the future" while Liu stated, "New York is the greatest city in the world, but let’s face it: The early foundation of this city was built on......

For the second year, Mayor Bloomberg has unveiled the New York City Card, which serves as a list of the qualities he is looking for in any politicians, be they Republicans or Democrats. And therefore, those with the money to put behind politicians can use the card to see if the politician's interests line up with what the city needs. Bloomberg said, "The City Card is not about conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat -......

Today, the Sun reports that the State Legislature is considering a formal apology as well as to study the "feasibility" of reparations for New York's role in slavery. The apologies are "technically amendments to Chapter 137 of the laws of 1817 relating to slaves and servants — laws that imposed penalties on those who harbored runaway slaves." While many expect Legislature support for the apology bill (both Maryland and Virginia have formally apologized), some......

Earlier today, former mayor Rudy Giuliani was endorsed by Steve Forbes in front of the NASDAQ board. Forbes ran for president in 1996 and 2000 and, like Giuliani, appeared on Saturday Night Live. While Forbes, who has touted a flat income tax, said that Giuliani's record "showed how exercising fiscal discipline, including tax cuts, lowers deficits, spurs economic growth, and increases revenue," we're really not sure what Forbes' endorsement does for Rudy. Encourage more......

Get ready for even more intense campaigning in NY State: The State Legislature has approved moving its presidential primary to February 5 from March. Many believe a March primary is pointless, since the most influential ones are earlier in the year. The bill passed 59-1 in the Senate; the Utica Observer-Dispatch says the lone dissent was from Democrat Ruth Hassell-Thompson of Mount Vernon. Hassell-Thompson said, "Getting people out to the polls in the cold weather......

- The confusing question of elected-to-the-City-Council- but-not-sworn-in Mathieu Eugene's residency persists. Over a week ago, he told Brian Lehrer he hadn't moved into the 40th District, but now his people say he's been living since February 1. The Politicker spoke to a campaign consultant for Eugene who claims he's seen "a lease whose term began February 1 for 40-46 Argyle Road. I've seen a check written to the landlord dated February 1." Oh, like no......

The latest Quinnipiac poll about New York politics shows that the public is behind Governor Spitzer and his "Steamroller Style." Sixty-one percent say Spitzer's way is "good for the people"; by gender, men like Eliot a little more than women, with 63% men approving to 57% of women. (Men like a man who gets angry!) Interestingly enough, 59% of Republicans approve of Spitzer's attitude - probably because they are enjoying his fight with Assembly leader......

Hours ago, former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi was fined $5,000 and sentenced to probation for "unlawful use of a state vehicle and driver" when he used his employees to drive his ill wife. The Times Union has an 18-minute video of the sentencing; reporter Rick Karlin noted that Albany County Court Judge Stephen Herrick said to the Queens Democrat, "Your fall from grace has been total and from a very great height…You are now......

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......

In a few hours, Mayor Bloomberg will give his annual State of the City address. But the cat is out of the bag, as everyone is abuzz about how he will be discussing a $1 billion tax cut. Property taxes will be reduced, the city's 4% tax on clothing and shoes over $110 would be eliminated (you would still pay the state (and MTA)'s 4.375% sales tax), and small businesses would get tax breaks, too.......

- The NY Times reports that the Democratic party will decide on where the 2008 convention will be held either tomorrow or Monday. New York and Denver are the finalist cities; while Denver is attractive for its swing-state quality, NYC can guarantee better "financing, hotel rooms, entertainment space, logistical support and labor union cooperation." - The Politicker has the U.S. Attorney's flow chart detailing how NY Senator Efrain Gonzalez allegedly stole money from federal funds......

It's pork barrel time. Earlier this week, the State Legislature made its $170 million in pet projects public, only after Hearst, which publishes the Times-Union in Albany, sued them and a state judge ruled the Legislature had to disclose spending. The Legislature spends on these projects without public approval, so in the recent past, your politicians were doling out money to places unknown. The Legislature did release the data, not that it made it easy.......

On Election Day, Alan Hevesi won re-election for State Comptroller, in spite of news that he used a state driver to chauffeur his wife for many years. This tidbit, offered by Republican challenger Christopher Callaghan, prompted: 1) A State Ethics Commission report that found Hevesi did violate state law; 2) For many Democrats, including Eliot Spitzer, to drop their endorsements; and 3) Governor Pataki to request an investigation on whether Hevesi should be removed. But......

Stuyvesant Park, on Second Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets, is one of our favorite parks in the city. We walk through it on our way home from work most days and always admire its calm and open proportions, especially compared to its closed-to-the-public neighbor Gramercy Park. So we'd been wondering what was keeping the restoration on the East side of the park from completing. Thank you Villager for providing ">the scoop along with......