City Council Develops Blinders
Chairman of the Council’s redevelopment committee Mr. Gerson, said he Planned A “Forward-Looking” Hearing that would examine safeguards to prevent fires and curb falling debris, as well as an effective plan to notify neighbors of emergencies. Mr. Gerson was also careful to say what the hearing would not be about — who and what caused the fire — and who would not be called to testify, including officials from John Galt. Mr. Gerson, we can understand you not wanting to interfere with DA Morgenthau's criminal investigation but since the city was not charged with criminal wrong-doing, why not examine at your hearing the conditions that caused the City to have in place policies that led to the deaths of NYPD officers Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia?
Questions the City Should Answer
How developers run city policies that include no real inspections? How many New Yorkers have been killed with cranes? How about looking at all the money that developers are giving to candidates and the campaigns their puppet lobbyists are working in. Almost all the citywide candidates running for office this year are funded by developers. How about looking at Organized Crime control over the City's developers, which adds extra costs to rents and keeps businesses from locating in New York? How about looking at the ways in which our neighborhoods have been destroyed by overdevelopment by these same developers?
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Wall Street Mess Post Editorial MORTGAGING AMERICA - add to a deficit already expected to hit $1.2 trillion this year *** Brooklyn Nets Arena No Longer Appears to Be a $1B Project *** Nets Arena May Be Scaled Back *** Atlantic Yards Developer Denies Removing Architect *** Brooklyn Nets Arena cutbacks? *** Madoff Gets Even More Unsympathetic ***Madoff Had $173M in Checks for Friends, Relatives: Feds- FINAL MADOFF PLUNDER PLAN *** UK fraud office starts Madoff investigation *** VULTURE BIDDERS EYE EZRA'S $150M IN ART *** Madoff's secret stash *** Unemployment Hits 7.2%, a 16-Year High
City $$$ Mess City deficit at $11.3B, much worse than what Mayor Bloomberg estimated *** New report says more jobs at risk in city *** BLOATED BENEFITS COST CITY 106G PER WORKER - skyrocketing fringe-benefit 33% since 2000 *** City Employee Pay Is Outpacing Private Sector, Report Says *** Yanks keep on grabbin' *** City budget gap grows wider *** Volunteer firefighters battle city for funding.
City Hall Bloomberg Readies NYC Shopping List For Congress... *** Bloomberg Wants Cities, Not States, to Get Federal Money *** The Council's Top Earners *** The CFB declined to offer an opinion on whether candidates who freeze their campaign committees due to the term limits extension can later access the funds if they run for higher office and not re-election *** MTA would ask riders to volunteer a few extra $$$ for environmental programs *** HELP IMPROVE CITY'S TAXIS *** M.T.A. May Ask Patrons to Contribute to Environmental Programs *** Sabini weighing run for City Council seat *** Police Study Way to Jam Cellphones in an Attack *** Kelly, NYPD dial in on terror *** The race for Melinda Katz’s City Council seat getting crowded.
After Democratic Takeover of Albany FORMER GOP-ER MIKE WANTS TO GET BACK IN *** For G.O.P. in Albany, the Spoils Are Going Away *** Embattled pol wants graffiti vandals paddled *** Many rage as slash pol gets key job *** Gov addresses omitting WTC.
Washington Obama Uses Poll, Focus Groups to Sell Stimulus Plan to Congress... *** Obama Speech: Issues dire warning on economy *** Analysis: Stimulus? More like survival *** Obama's Rescue Speech: Vague - Low on Specifics, High on Scripted Rhetoric *** Our goal is not transparency. Our goal is elimination of earmarks. There is no place for them in the process. - Sen. John McCain *** DEMS SMACK O'S TAX WHACKS *** BIG MAJORITY BACKS BARACK'S PLAN: POLL *** Poll: Vast majority willing to pay 1% tax increase for infrastructure *** Conyers Raps Obama Surgeon General Pick *** Ted Kennedy back for Daschle hearing after cancer battle *** Kaine to Succeed Dean at DNC *** Daschle Pledges a Bipartisan Reform of Health Care System *** U.S. eyes big troop push in Afghanistan *** Illinois House panel recommends impeachment for Blago *** Certifying the electoral college votes, Congress declared Obama the next president of the United States.
Obama is giving Americans the right to examine how every penny of the federal bailout budget is spent.
"Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made transparently . . . Every American will be able to hold Washington accountable for these decisions by going online to see how and where their tax dollars are being spent. -President-Elect Obama
Why Can't New Yorkers Have the Same Right with City and State Spending?
Albany Lobbyist in Albany running for the pork *** Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has a new Web site *** Rockefeller Drug Law reform isn't a top priority of the Senate Democrats, whose consultants are reportedly warning them not to "move too fast on liberal things."
Senate Campaign Zimmerman Subbing for Sheldon Silver Slams Sheekey's 'Juvenile' Pro-Caroline Argument *** Sarah Palin Wants to Be Bitter About Caroline Kennedy *** Paterson: More talk on Caroline shortcomings *** So You Want to Be Senator? First, Fill This Out *** 2010 NY Sen Poll: Kennedy +18 *** Paterson hasn't even met with Kennedy yet *** CAROLINE HAS 'A MINUS': GOV *** Seeking Clinton’s Seat, Would-Be Senators Provide Exhaustive Background Details *** City Room Blogging on Ms. Kennedy *** Caroline's inexperience weighs big on Gov's mind.
Media Mess Video: Palin Unleashes on Media; Takes on Couric, Fey, Olbermann... *** Having Writ for 50 Years, Hentoff Moves On From The Voice *** Buffalo News offered buyouts to 300 of its employees.
