The Independent Budget Office released a report examining who might be affected by congestion pricing. The report, "Behind the Wheel: Who Drives Into The Proposed 'Congestion Zone'" can be read here (PDF) but the topline is that drivers are middle-class and over half are from Nassau County, Westchester, NJ, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The report states, "Looking at the extremes of the earnings distribution for all congestion zone commuters, motor vehicle users were less likely... more ›

No one likes getting a parking ticket, but it's those instances when tickets are handed down unfairly that really make people crazy and determined to beat them. Sanford Young, a lawyer, spent two years and an estimated $10,000 to beat a $65 ticket in Manhattan Supreme Court. From The Post:

Young got the ticket on Nov. 29, 2005, after he parked on First Avenue near East 70th Street to have dinner with a friend. He returned from his $60 dinner to find a $65 ticket. more ›

READING: We've been gushing over filmmaker, performing artist and writer, Miranda July's new book (and its accompanying website), No One Belongs Here More that You. Tonight she reads from her collection of short stories at Paula Cooper Gallery. There she is at left, typing away, and you can listen to her reading on her MySpace. more ›

A look at some noteworthy programs this week: more ›

For the "Too Good to Be True, So It's Just Not True" file: The NY Times reports that 23 year old Daniel Markovitz "told people that he could get their parking fines reduced, saying that he knew someone in the Parking Violations Bureau or that he worked for a Web site that helped adjudicate tickets." Markovitz collected up to $780 from each person and did pay off fines for 53 parking tickets (which totaled $4,700). Except he used stolen credit cards to do so and making a profit of $2,000. more ›

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Gen Art is well underway with its decadent parties and premieres. The good news is there are still five more nights of revelry. What makes Gen Art unique is that it only screens seven features and seven shorts, while other fests screen tens of hundreds of films. And each night’s film is followed by an afterparty at some hot spot with 2-hour open bar. Also unlike other festivals, this one is more audience-driven and accessible. more ›

Charismatic and charming?!? We never knew, Mr. Mayor. Then again, he has been reaching spreading his word throughout the city as well. An Australian member of the International Olympic Committee said, "He was a very powerful figure in the presentation. But he is also intelligent and approachable and he understands the Olympics. He sees the Olympic Games as a great unifying event for New York and its future." After reading comments from some of our readers, Gothamist wonders how unifying the Olympics will be. Then again, Bloomberg is talking about how the actual games would be unifying, not the process leading up to a potential winning bid. more ›

Yes, welcome back little boy, Christ child... NOAA has announced the return of the warm waters to the Eastern Pacific, though noting that this time, it's not as strong. "Weaker" is the decription that they use actually. The last El Niño, was in 1997-1998 when it seemed that everything and anything weatherwise was being blamed on the friggen thing. Rain? El Niño. Cold? El Niño. Warm? El Niño. Headache? El Niño. more ›

This year's competition jury has three Americans: Novelist Edwidge Danticat, Kathleen Turner, and Quentin Tarantino, who is the chair and has already been on a Cannes panel about piracy: "I would be a liar if I was to say, across the board, no piracy." more ›

The new trailer for Kill Bill, Volume 1, is up at Yahoo! Movies. Gothamist can't tell if we are that into some of Uma's line deliveries, but we do think some of the set-ups are great (school girl with crazy weapon; school boy who is shamed into crying; Uma vs. Vivica Fox, interrupted by Vivica's character's kid coming home from school; Daryl Hannah walking menacingly down the hall). And we can't complain when a character in a movie says, "Silly rabbit." more ›