WORKING CLASS:
WE'RE AT BREAKING POINT
Albany's Crisis Budget Meltdown - 18% tax on soda, beer, iPod tax, movie theater tax, sporting event tax, taxi tax, bus tax, limo tax, gas, cable TV tax, radio tax, haircuts, massages, gym membership, clothing tax... and layoffs
Paterson budget throws out everything but the kitchen sink *** Paterson Brings a World of Hurt Upon Himself *** Aid to schools slashed in Paterson budget for next year *** Tickets to movies and sporting events, along with other entertainment expenses, would be subject to sales tax for the first time. Senate Dem backers appeal to “Gang of Three” to come back into fold *** Drivers May Feel Squeezed in Paterson Budget *** Silver: ‘real cuts, tough choices, shared sacrifice’ *** From Albany, Move to Trim Pension Plans *** Paterson Proposes Austere Budget to Close Deficit *** A Tax on Many Soft Drinks Sets Off a Spirited Debate *** FACING MU$IC ON DOWNLOADS *** N.Y. sounds off on Gov. Paterson's plans to tax music downloads *** NY Post Editorial: BUSINESS AS USUAL . . . impose tax and fee hikes in excess of $4 billion - larger than any New York governor has ever sought before *** Pay more (taxes), get less in new budget *** The millionaire's tax is back on the table *** The millionaire's tax is back on the table *** The governor proposed cutting school aid to the city and also wiping out its municipal aid *** steep rollback of the generous benefits public employees enjoy.
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More $$ increases The MTA board to approve drastic fare increases and service cuts *** NYC: Gas Drilling Will Raise the Cost of Water by 30 Percent
Who is in Charge? Village Voice - How the 'Gang of Three' Ties Up Senate Dems (Tom Robbins) *** Queens Tribune - Queens Leads In Comptroller Race ***
NYC Economy "Rapidly Deteriorating," Comptroller Says: New York City's budget gap will be as much as $1.9 billion in fiscal 2009 and could possibly balloon to as much as $5 billion by 2011, according to a wholly depressing new report from City Comptroller (and mayoral hopeful) William Thompson Jr. *** Nationwide construction starts fell in November to the lowest point since the government started keeping track in 1959 *** Mayor Frets Over State Budget’s Impact *** Goldman declares first loss since crash of ‘29 *** Prominent NY law firm to seek bankruptcy... GM won't be the automotive sponsor for the Bronx Bombers when the team's new stadium opens next year *** Gonzalez: How city went to bat for Yanks in tax ripoff *** Housing Authority sloppy oversight and huge cost overruns *** Bloomberg thinks Paterson's budget is unfair to the city *** Bloomberg doesn't think Staten Island should secede from the rest of the city.
Chicago's Pay to Play - Jackson Jr. talked to feds for years *** Targeted Tribune Writer Talks Blago on CNN *** Is There A Bigger Story Behind Spitzer's Downfall? *** Jesse ratted on Illinois Gov *** Saudi Businessman Offers $10 Million for Shoes Thrown at Bush
The Non Campaign . . . Senate Campaign
Hillary Clinton told her supporters not to impede Caroline Kennedy's path to the US Senate seat she's giving up *** Reid Urged Paterson To Pick Kennedy *** As Privacy Ends for Kennedy, a Rough Path Awaits *** Caroline Kennedy: Through the years *** Let the candidates come forward and tell New Yorkers why they should be the one *** Could seal the deal by saying she'll run for the seat in 2010 if she isn't appointed to it *** The Kennedys don't lack for connections *** Ferraro endorses Melinda Katz for comptroller *** Vito Fossella owes campaign cash
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"Will she, as Mrs. Clinton did, do the hard political work to show she would represent New Yorkers who live outside Manhattan’s best ZIP codes? When one New York City congressman was asked recently whether he was interested in the Senate seat, he sniffed: 'I don’t do Utica.'”
New York Times Editorial
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Is Madoff's Spin Unraveling? Madoff once boasted about profits *** Were the regulators too close to Madoff? *** Madoff: ‘In Today’s Regulatory Environment, It’s Virtually Impossible to Violate Rules’ *** SON WON'T SAVE HIM FROM JAIL ? Is someone trying to sell the idea that the son was not involved? *** SEC admits it blew many chances *** 'HEDGE-HOG FRAUD' LAWYER SIDESTEPS BANKRUPTCY
Bloggers Report on the City
Vos Iz Neias - Bicycle Clowns To Defend Their Turf By Protesting Hasidim Dislike Of Bike Lanes Cuts would 'devastate' a service for 1,000 seniors *** City Limits - HPD Boss Leaves; City Policy at a crossroads *** Bay Ridge Journal - Vito Fossella "Farewell" Luncheon *** SI Live - SI DA Donovan: I was at the luncheon for Vito *** The Brooklyn Optimist - Toxic Greenpoint and Joe Lentol's Inaction *** Your Free Press - Lawsuit Takes on NYPD Press Credential Policy *** Westside Spirit - WESTSIDER GOES TO ELECTORAL COLLEGE *** Soho Journal - Wall Street to City: Drop Dead - building will d
efault *** Landmarks NYC Lost in 2008Preview of Three Special Elections
Borough Voters SI - District 49 (McMahon elected to the U. S. Congress) North Shore City Council Race Special Update
City Hall News - District 21 (Monserrate elected to the State Senate) Two Young Latino Activists Already Trading Barbs
Queens Chronicle - 32 District (Addabbo elected to the State Senate) Three Local Leaders Prepare for Coming Special Election
Bloggers Supporting Bloggers
From Queens Crap, December 17, 2008
Where have we read this before?
If this NY Times column seems like a familiar read, it's because I recently linked to almost the same exact commentary from True News from ChangeNYC.org."
What’s cheap is some self-absorbed nitwit sitting in front of a computer in his bathrobe, stealing the facts that some hard-working, low-paid newspaper drone just spent hours collecting." - Ellis Henican, writing about bloggers. Just curious... What is it called when the opposite happens? Tapping a source? Journalists and bloggers can have a symbiotic relationship. Time to quit yer bitchin' Ellis and get with the times.
Maybe if journalists questioned those in power instead of kissing their asses, there wouldn't be a demand for information from other sources. It was done once upon a time, ya know!
Media Meltdown
Detroit Newspapers To Abandon Daily Home Delivery *** Mr. Obama’s Internet Agenda rank 15th in high speed broadband access
