<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>The Wonkster &#187; Amanda Hickman</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/author/amanda/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster</link>
	<description>Gotham Gazette&#039;s blog about New York policy and politics</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:38:29 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>Under the Hood of Balance</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/08/10/under-the-hood-of-balance/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/08/10/under-the-hood-of-balance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:59:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=5043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Part of our commitment to the Knight Foundation, which funded Gotham Gazette&#8217;s most recent round of games, is to make the source code for our games available to anyone else who wants to, say, create a Balance! style game for their own town or city. 
We&#8217;re rolling our source code out slowly as we try [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Part of our commitment to the Knight Foundation, which <a href="http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/2007/journalism-program.dot">funded</a> Gotham Gazette&#8217;s most recent round of games, is to make the source code for our games available to anyone else who wants to, say, create a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/gamesandquizzes/20090209/201/2822">Balance!</a> style game for their own town or city. </p>
<p>We&#8217;re rolling our source code out slowly as we try to find that balance between making the code reasonably accessible and publishing it all expediently.  Still, we&#8217;re pretty thrilled to announce that the <a href="http://github.com/GothamGazette/Balance">code for Balance is now available</a> on Git Hub. If you want to take a stab at setting it up for yourself, feel free to leave a comment here and I&#8217;ll be happy to work through it with you. Hopefully we can improve the documentation together!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/08/10/under-the-hood-of-balance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The MTA, in Pie Charts</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/03/17/the-mta-in-pie-charts/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/03/17/the-mta-in-pie-charts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:30:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MTA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nys senate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=3125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Albany&#8217;s new Senate CIO wasn&#8217;t kidding when he said he was going to be trying new things. The State Senate CIO&#8217;s office announced a couple of new web initiatives  in coordination with the MTA.  (Wonkster got this announcement by Twitter &#8212; we invite you to follow Gotham Gazette on Twitter.) One, they&#8217;ve put [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Albany&#8217;s new Senate CIO wasn&#8217;t kidding when he said he was going to be trying new things. The State Senate CIO&#8217;s office announced a couple of new web initiatives  in coordination with the MTA.  (Wonkster got this announcement <a href="http://twitter.com/NYSenateCIO/status/1343803249">by Twitter</a> &#8212; we invite you to follow <a href="http://twitter.com/gothamgazette">Gotham Gazette on Twitter</a>.) One, they&#8217;ve put a few <a href="http://www.swivel.com/users/data_sets/1011660">piles of numbers</a> on a site, <a href="http://www.swivel.com">Swivel</a>, that lets you review and visualize large data sets. They&#8217;re <a href="http://nymtaideas.org/">taking your ideas</a> for a rescue of the MTA on <a href="http://nymtaideas.org/">NYMTAideas.org</a> and they&#8217;ve published the <a href="http://http://www.nymtasolutions.org/proposal">Senate&#8217;s MTA Proposal</a> on <a href="http://www.nymtasolutions.org">NYMTAsolutions.org</a>. The MTA regularly comes under fire for keeping their books under wraps, but is this the transparency you&#8217;re looking for?</p>
<p>What are your MTA ideas?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/03/17/the-mta-in-pie-charts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finally! Breathing Life Into the Fulton Mall</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/03/12/finally-breathing-life-into-the-fulton-mall/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/03/12/finally-breathing-life-into-the-fulton-mall/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:02:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=3049</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[That was a joke, for anyone who hasn&#8217;t roamed Brooklyn&#8217;s Fulton Mall recently: most Saturdays the strip is as crowded as Times Square, and with 100,000 shoppers per day it ranks among the most successful commercial stretches in the five boroughs. Nonetheless, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the local BID collaborated to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>That was a joke, for anyone who hasn&#8217;t roamed Brooklyn&#8217;s Fulton Mall recently: most Saturdays the strip is as <a href="http://www.dbpartnership.org/utils/imgshow.aspx?id=151">crowded</a> as Times Square, and with <a href="http://www.dbpartnership.org/dobusiness/improvement/fultonmall/facts">100,000 shoppers per day</a> it ranks among the most successful commercial stretches in the five boroughs. Nonetheless, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the local BID collaborated to develop plans to spruce the strip up. Renovations are proceeding apace on Albee Square, the <a href="http://www.dbpartnership.org/utils/imgshow.aspx?id=177">plaza at Fleet and DeKalb</a>, set to open next spring. Yesterday&#8217;s Brownstoner <a href="http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/03/big_plans_for_f.php">writeup of the plans</a> has readers in a tizzy over the  curiously Caucasian crowd in the renderings (which are also curiously free of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80991819@N00/2329978208/">street vendors</a> and city vehicles skirting the bus-only rules). </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/03/12/finally-breathing-life-into-the-fulton-mall/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Think You Could Balance the State Budget?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/02/12/think-you-could-balance-the-state-budget/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/02/12/think-you-could-balance-the-state-budget/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:49:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2650</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Balance, Gotham Gazette&#8217;s latest game, will let you have a crack at balancing the New York City budget, but if you&#8217;ve got ideas about how the state can balance its budget, the senate wants to know. 
They&#8217;ll take your cost cutting and revenue generating ideas by voicemail (800-706-9995), sms (text NYSS to 41411) or Twitter. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20090209/200/2822">Balance</a>, Gotham Gazette&#8217;s latest game, will let you have a crack at balancing the New York City budget, but if you&#8217;ve got ideas about how the state can balance its budget, the <a href="http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sws/budgetideas/index.html">senate wants to know</a>. </p>
<p>They&#8217;ll take your cost cutting and revenue generating ideas by voicemail (800-706-9995), sms (text NYSS to 41411) or <a href="http://twitter.com/ahoppin/status/1199764468">Twitter</a>. No word on whether they&#8217;re planning to take input via MySpace comments.</p>
<p>PS. You can find <a href="http://twitter.com/gothamgazette">Gotham Gazette on Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/gothamgazette">MySpace</a>, too. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/02/12/think-you-could-balance-the-state-budget/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ugh Indeed. Maybe We Can Call it Bailout Ballfield?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/30/ugh-indeed/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/30/ugh-indeed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:31:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citi field]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shea stadium]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2472</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An anonymous tipster pointed out that we skipped over a significant bit of news in this morning&#8217;s Eye Opener: a bi-partisan committee of two is asking the Mets to vacate Citigroup&#8217;s naming rights contract &#8212; in 2006 the now-beleaguered bank agreed to pay $400 million for naming rights to the stadium. With taxpayers funneling more [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>An anonymous tipster pointed out that we skipped over a significant bit of news <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com">in this morning&#8217;s Eye Opener</a>: a bi-partisan committee of two is <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nyshea306016739jan30,0,1930544.story">asking the Mets</a> to vacate Citigroup&#8217;s naming rights contract &#8212; in 2006 the now-beleaguered bank <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2006/11/14/shea-stadium-citi-field-ugh/">agreed</a> to pay $400 million for naming rights to the stadium. With taxpayers funneling more than a few dollars into Citigroups gaping maw, some in Washington think that stadium naming is a luxury the bank can ill-afford. No word yet on how far back that would set the <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/28912977">otherwise complete stadium financing.</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/30/ugh-indeed/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fare Hike Hearings Start Tonight</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/fare-hike-hearings-start-tonight/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/fare-hike-hearings-start-tonight/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:22:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MTA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2333</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The MTA is kicking of  a series of public hearings about the proposed fare hike tonight at 6. There&#8217;s still time to get to the Midtown Hilton if you don&#8217;t need bus service to get you there.   You can follow the proceedings on NY1 if you can&#8217;t make it (or check the schedule to find [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The MTA is kicking of  a <a href="http://www.mta.info/mta/news/hearings/index.html">series of public hearings </a>about the proposed fare hike tonight at 6. There&#8217;s still time to <a href="http://www.onnyturf.com/subway/?address=1335+Avenue+of+the+Americas,+New+York,+NY+10019,+USA">get to the Midtown Hilton</a> if you don&#8217;t need bus service to get you there.   You can <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/92227/mta-to-hold-public-hearing-on-proposed-fare-hikes/Default.aspx">follow the proceedings on NY1</a> if you can&#8217;t make it (or <a href="http://www.mta.info/mta/news/hearings/index.html">check the schedule</a> to find a hearing you can make).</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/fare-hike-hearings-start-tonight/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bored of Your Community Board?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/bored-of-your-community-board/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/bored-of-your-community-board/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:07:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community boards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get involved]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/bored-of-your-community-board/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Think you could do better? Streetsblog wants you to know it isn&#8217;t too late. They&#8217;ve got information and applications for all five boroughs. You&#8217;ve got until tomorrow to apply for a Manhattan spot, the Queens BP is taking applications all month and Bronx or Brooklyn residents have until early February. Staten Islanders can cool their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Think you could do better? <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/want-a-seat-on-your-community-board-theres-still-time/">Streetsblog</a> wants you to know it isn&#8217;t too late. They&#8217;ve got information and applications for all five boroughs. You&#8217;ve got until tomorrow to apply for a Manhattan spot, the Queens BP is taking applications all month and Bronx or Brooklyn residents have until early February. Staten Islanders can cool their heels until May, though. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/14/bored-of-your-community-board/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What will &#039;09 bring?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/12/22/what-will-09-bring/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/12/22/what-will-09-bring/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:59:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2184</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Will newspaper publishers be the next to demand a bailout? Azi thinks so.  Paul thinks  Governor Paterson can save the MTA by taking a cue from Chicago politics and auctioning off New York&#8217;s open senate seat to the highest bidder. 
They&#8217;re kidding, of course. Or are they? What is Caroline Kennedy spending to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Will newspaper publishers be the next to demand a bailout? <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20081222/202/2787#azi">Azi thinks so</a>.  <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20081222/202/2787#Paul">Paul thinks </a> Governor Paterson can save the MTA by taking a cue from Chicago politics and auctioning off New York&#8217;s open senate seat to the highest bidder. </p>
<p>They&#8217;re kidding, of course. Or are they? What is Caroline Kennedy spending to court the state&#8217;s movers and shakers? </p>
<p>What we know for sure is that <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20081222/202/2787">Gotham Gazette&#8217;s annual predictions issue</a> is back. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/12/22/what-will-09-bring/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are Broadway Busses Running Faster?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/12/19/are-broadway-busses-running-faster/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/12/19/are-broadway-busses-running-faster/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:51:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[busses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2169</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The famously frustrating bus bulbs of Broadway get a review in this week&#8217;sDowntown Express, which includes a somewhat disorienting revelation that the D.O.T. didn&#8217;t start the project with any data on bus speeds on Broadway:
&#8220;But [Lower Manhattan borough commissioner for the city Department of Transportation] Sanchez does not know if that&#8217;s an improvement in bus [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The famously frustrating bus bulbs of Broadway get a review in this week&#8217;s<a href="http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_294/citytells.html">Downtown Express</a>, which includes a somewhat disorienting revelation that the D.O.T. didn&#8217;t start the project with any data on bus speeds on Broadway:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;But [Lower Manhattan borough commissioner for the city Department of Transportation] Sanchez does not know if that&#8217;s an improvement in bus speed since the D.O.T. did not collect data before the bulbs were installed. It&#8217;s possible the bulbs have slowed down cars, rather than speeded up buses.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Someone should have talked to <a href="http://www.straphangers.org">Straphangers</a>, which has been gathering data on bus speeds since they started awarding their <a href="http://www.straphangers.org/pokeyaward/08/">Pokey Awards</a> to the very slowest of the lot. Broadway&#8217;s own M1, which NYPIRG reports was &#8220;significantly off schedule&#8221;  24% of the time, was a <a href="http://www.straphangers.org/pokeyaward/08/table2.html">runner up for the Schleppie</a>. That represents something of an improvement over 2006, pre-barricade, when the M1 won the Schleppie by bunching up, leaving riders waiting and departing way off schedule 28% of the time.</p>
<p>Now. Go make a <a href="https://www.citizensunionfoundation.org/secure/donate/">donation to our annual appeal</a> while I call NYPIRG to find out just how fast the ems one and six were travelling in 2006. Deal?</p>
<p>Maybe one day we&#8217;ll be able to see, at a glance,<a href="http://www.nextmuni.com/"> when the next bus </a>is really going to arrive.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/12/19/are-broadway-busses-running-faster/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Essay Contest Insights</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/11/06/vote-now/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/11/06/vote-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:44:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election 2008]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[essay contest]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve closed voting on Gotham Gazette&#8217;s first ever writing contest, but we&#8217;d still love to know what you think of the entries. Read the five finalists that we think best answered the question, &#8220;How will the 2008 elections affect you?&#8221; and let us know who you think ought to win. 
Beyond the Rhetoric of Change
Educating [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve closed voting on Gotham Gazette&#8217;s first ever writing contest, but we&#8217;d still love to know what you think of the entries. <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20081027/202/2691">Read the five finalists</a> that we think best answered the question, &#8220;How will the 2008 elections affect you?&#8221; and let us know who you think ought to win. </p>
<p><a href="/article/issueoftheweek/20081020/200/2684">Beyond the Rhetoric of Change</a></p>
<p><a href="/article/issueoftheweek/20081020/200/2686">Educating Children with Special Needs</a></p>
<p><a href="/article/issueoftheweek/20081020/200/2682">The Fading of the American Dream</a></p>
<p><a href="/article/issueoftheweek/20081020/200/2683">Sad Times Call for a Bit of Optimism</a></p>
<p><a href="/article/issueoftheweek/20081020/200/2685">What the Candidates Can&#8217;t Do</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/11/06/vote-now/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>It&#039;s Election Day!</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/11/04/election-day/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/11/04/election-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:24:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2095</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is Election Day. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Board of Elections website can help you find your polling place and Gotham Gazette&#8217;s thorough  coverage of state and local races includes information for first time voters and tips on handling problems at the polls.
In addition to the president, New Yorkers [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today is Election Day. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Board of Elections website can help you <a href="http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm">find your polling place</a> and Gotham Gazette&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080929/200/2712">thorough  coverage of state and local races</a> includes information for <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080929/200/2712#firsttime">first time voters</a> and tips on <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080929/200/2712#problems">handling problems at the polls</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to <a href="http://gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080929/200/2677">the president</a>, New Yorkers are choosing <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:New_York_and_the_U.S._Congress#Candidates">members of Congress</a>, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/albany/">state legislators</a>, one <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080929/200/2712#council">City Council member</a> and a handful of <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080929/200/2712#judgeships">judges</a>. The contest between State Sen. Serphim Maltese and challenger Joe Addabbo in Queens <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20080811/202/2606">could be key</a> in determining whether Republicans keep control of the State Senate.</p>
<p>Gotham Gazette will begin posting results in all local races when the polls close tonight.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/11/04/election-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Report from the Hearing Room</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/10/16/report-from-the-hearing-room/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/10/16/report-from-the-hearing-room/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:11:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[term limits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2067</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s standing room-only hearings on term limits extensions got underway at 1 PM, though the scramble for seats had started several hours earlier. A room-full of New Yorkers is watching on closed circuit TV next door to council chambers, while those who couldn&#8217;t fit into the overflow room were sent home to watch NY1.
If you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today&#8217;s standing room-only hearings on <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/city/20080915/203/2646">term limits</a> extensions <a href="http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/term_limits.shtml">got underway at 1 PM</a>, though the scramble for seats had started several hours earlier. A room-full of New Yorkers is watching on closed circuit TV next door to council chambers, while those who couldn&#8217;t fit into the overflow room were sent home to watch NY1.</p>
<p>If you don&#8217;t have cable, <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/live-blogging-the-term-limits-hearings">City Room is live-blogging the hearings</a> and<br />
 <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/">Liz Benjamin</a> has been<br />
posting regular updates, including an observation that <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/10/shhhh-theyre-with-the-mayor.html">many of the seats filled early</a> with &#8220;Democrats for Choices,&#8221; a collection of Bloomberg supporters who &#8220;have steadfastly refused to tell reporters their names and also won&#8217;t say if they were paid to show up at City Hall.&#8221; The Observer <a href="http://www.observer.com/2008/politics/term-limits-hearing-fills-early"> has more</a> from their source inside council chambers.</p>
<p>Citizens Union Foundation&#8217;s resident Coro Fellow, Daren Mills, not (yet) acclimated to the perambulations of elected officials, complained that the preambling, post-ambling, non-questions, multi-part questions and generally avoiding getting to the point make for a whole lot of dragging out. Just two hours in and already, he&#8217;s drained. </p>
<p>The overall debate has centered around predictable issues: the Council does have the legal authority to amend the charter, though that doesn&#8217;t mean they should; the Council does have the legal authority to amend the charter, which does mean they should; a referendum would draw too few voters; incumbents have too much power; a referendum would be expensive. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, the multi-part questions are a long way from over, though things are starting to heat up a little. Hearings are expected to extend well into the evening and <a href="http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/term_limits.shtml">start all over again</a> at 10:00 tomorrow. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/10/16/report-from-the-hearing-room/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Where do you stand on term limits?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/10/02/where-do-you-stand-on-term-limits/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/10/02/where-do-you-stand-on-term-limits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:19:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[term limits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2049</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So far, voters in this morning&#8217;s Eye Opener Poll are pretty evenly split between letting term limits stand and wanting them gone. The top two choices point to New Yorker&#8217;s concern that the voters should have a chance to make the call,  with 38% of respondents answering No, the voters have spoken twice already [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So far, voters in this morning&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/city/20081002/203/2666">Eye Opener Poll</a> are pretty evenly split between letting term limits stand and wanting them gone. The top two choices point to New Yorker&#8217;s concern that the voters should have a chance to make the call,  with 38% of respondents answering <em>No, the voters have spoken twice already</em> and another 28% arguing  <em>Yes, but only if the voters approve it in a referendum</em>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/city/20081002/203/2666">Let us know what you think</a> or <a href="http://premiere.whatcounts.com/bin/poll_results?realm_id=1567&#038;id=86">take a look at the results</a> yourself. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/10/02/where-do-you-stand-on-term-limits/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An Essay Contest: How Will the 2008 Elections Affect You?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/08/18/an-essay-contest-how-will-the-2008-elections-affect-you/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/08/18/an-essay-contest-how-will-the-2008-elections-affect-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[students]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1984</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gotham Gazette&#8217;s is pleased to invite submissions to our first ever Writing Contest. As election day approaches, we would like to know: How Will the 2008 Elections Affect You?
You could win $200 and see your work in Gotham Gazette.
To find out what this year&#8217;s elections mean to New Yorkers, Gotham Gazette presents its first essay [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gotham Gazette&#8217;s is pleased to invite submissions to our first ever <strong>Writing Contest</strong>. As election day approaches, we would like to know: <strong>How Will the 2008 Elections Affect You?</strong></p>
<p>You could win $200 and see your work in Gotham Gazette.</p>
<p>To find out what this year&#8217;s elections mean to New Yorkers, Gotham Gazette presents its first essay contest. Tell us &#8212; in 500 words or less &#8212; how you think this year&#8217;s national, state or local elections will affect you or your community.</p>
<p>We are looking for discussion of issues and of policies &#8212; not endorsement or attacks on individual candidates. All work must be original.</p>
<p>Deadline for submissions is 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. During October, Gotham Gazette will publish the leading essays on our Web site.</p>
<p>Between October 27 and November 4, readers will be able to vote for their favorite essay. The winner will be announced on Election Day, November 4. The first-place winner will receive $200.</p>
<p>To submit an essay, send your submission via e-mail to <a href="mailto:elections08@gothamgazette.com">elections08@gothamgazette.com</a>.</p>
<p>The subject line of your email must read &#8220;Essay Contest&#8221; or your entry will be discarded. Along with your essay, please also include: Your name, phone number and e-mail address, where you live now, your hometown, and, if you are a student, the name of the school you attend.</p>
<p>No anonymous entries will be accepted. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline of October 8. We will not accept entries from Citizens Union or Citizens Union Foundation staff or their families.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/08/18/an-essay-contest-how-will-the-2008-elections-affect-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>One More Reason to Stay Home</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/07/31/one-more-reason-to-stay-home/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/07/31/one-more-reason-to-stay-home/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:32:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1964</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A state bill that united unlikely allies Transportation Alternatives and the New York State American Automobile Association was quietly signed into law last Monday, offering New Yorkers a good reason to stay within the relative safety of the city. Segways, the wildly expensive motorized standing scooter things that you can&#8217;t park outside (and, at 120 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A state <a href="http://http//public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi">bill</a> that united unlikely allies Transportation Alternatives and the New York State American Automobile Association was quietly signed into law last Monday, offering New Yorkers a good reason to stay within the relative safety of the city. Segways, the wildly expensive motorized standing scooter things that you can&#8217;t park outside (and, at 120 pounds a pop, can&#8217;t possibly carry to your third floor walkup), are street legal now. And sidewalk legal. And bike lane legal, at least anywhere in the state with a population under a million. Within the five boroughs their legality remains hazy. </p>
<p>The bill, Assembly Bill  <a href="http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11429&#038;sh=t">A 11429-A</a> / Senate Bill S7509-A, doesn&#8217;t name the Segway specifically, referring repeatedly instead to &#8220;electric personal assistive[sic] mobility devices,&#8221; as though any exist that fit the requirements of a device &#8220;designed to transport one  person  by  means of an electric propulsion system with an average output of not more than 750 watts&#8221; and aren&#8217;t Segways.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.senatorowenjohnson.net/4/default.aspx">Sen. Owen Johnson</a>&#8217;s  sponsors memo describes the unnamed device as one &#8220;which transforms a person into an empowered pedestrian, allowing him/her to achieve more than they could by simply walking&#8221; and promises that &#8220;unlike bicycles, scooters and mopeds,&#8221;  these &#8220;electric personal assistive mobility devices&#8221; are &#8220;designed to be pedestrian friendly.&#8221;  He offers no particular explanation of the curious stipulation in the bill of a $50 fine for Segway riders who forgo helmets.</p>
<p>Pedestrian friendly, but riders &#8230; or rather &#8220;empowered pedestrians&#8221; need protection?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/07/31/one-more-reason-to-stay-home/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rent Guidelines Board Decision</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/06/20/rent-guidelines-board-decision/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/06/20/rent-guidelines-board-decision/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:59:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1894</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Lead: Highest Rent Hikes in Years
The Rent Guidelines Board yesterday approved increases of 4.5 percent on one-year leases and 8.5 percent on two-year leases for tenants in rent stabilized buildings. They also approved an alternative increase that will allow landlords to raise rents by up to $45 per month (one-year leases) and $85 per [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Today&#8217;s Lead: Highest Rent Hikes in Years</strong></p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.housingnyc.com/">Rent Guidelines Board</a> yesterday approved increases of 4.5 percent on one-year leases and 8.5 percent on two-year leases for tenants in rent stabilized buildings. They also approved an alternative increase that will allow landlords to raise rents by up to $45 per month (one-year leases) and $85 per month (two-year leases) for tenants who&#8217;ve lived in their homes for more than six years. Landlords can choose between the flat increase or the percentage increase.</p>
<p>The ruling is effective as of Oct. 1, 2008. For more, see <a href="http://gothamgazette.com/resource/housing/inthenews/10">Housing Links in the News</a>, or read the Board&#8217;s summary after the jump. <span id="more-1894"></span></p>
<p><strong>SUMMARY OF GUIDELINES ADOPTED ON JUNE 19, 2008 </strong><br />
(reprinted from <a href="http://www.housingnyc.com/downloads/guidelines/guidelines2008.pdf">Rent Guildelines Board</a>) </p>
<blockquote><p>This summary of the Rent Guidelines Board guidelines is solely for the informal use of the public and should not be substituted for the full text of the Apartment and Loft Order 40 and Hotel Order 38. The full text of these orders will be made available to the public after they have been filed with the City Clerk. Copies of the orders will be available on or around July 1, 2008 and can be obtained from the Board&#8217;s offices at 51 Chambers Street, Suite 202, New York, NY 10007 or from our website <a href="http://www.housingnyc.com/">housingnyc.com</a>.The following renewal lease guidelines for rent stabilized apartments, lofts and hotels were adopted by the Rent Guidelines Board on June 19, 2008.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><h2>Rent Stabilized Apartment Renewal Guidelines</h2>
<p><strong>ADJUSTMENT FOR RENEWAL LEASES (APARTMENTS)</strong><br />
Where heat is provided or required to be provided to a dwelling unit by an owner from a central or individual system at no charge to the tenant, the adjustments are as follows:</p></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>For a one-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:                 4.5%</li>
<li>For a two-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:                 8.5%</li>
<p>    Provided, however, that where the most recent vacancy lease was executed six years or more prior to the date of the renewal lease under this Order, the following shall instead apply:</p>
<li> For a one-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:          4.5% or $45, whichever is greater.</li>
<li>For a two-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:         8.5% or $85, whichever is greater.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<p>Where heat is neither provided nor required to be provided to a dwelling unit by an owner from a central or individual system, the adjustments are as follows:</p>
<li>For a one-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:                 4.0%</li>
<li>For a two-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:                 8.0%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<p>    Provided, however, that where the most recent vacancy lease was executed six years or more prior to the date of the renewal lease under this Order, the following shall instead apply:</p>
<li>For a one-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:          4.0% or $40, whichever is greater.</li>
<li>For a two-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:         8.0% or $80, whichever is greater.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p>Adjustments for renewal leases shall also apply to dwelling units in a structure subject to the partial tax exemption program under Section 421a of the Real Property Tax Law, or in a structure subject to Section 423 of the Real Property Tax Law as a Redevelopment Project.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<h2>Sublet Allowance</h2>
</blockquote>
<ul>
In the event of a sublease governed by subdivision (e) of section 2525.6 of the Rent Stabilization Code, the allowance authorized by such subdivision shall be 10%.  </p>
<h2>Special Guideline</h2>
<li>(1) 50% above the maximum base rent, or</li>
<li>(2) The Fair Market Rent for existing housing as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the New York City Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area pursuant to Section 8(c) (1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. section 1437f [c] [1] ) and 24 C.F.R. Part 888, with such Fair Market Rents to be adjusted based upon whether the tenant pays his or her own gas and/or electric charges as part of his or her rent as such gas and/or electric charges are accounted for by the New York City Housing Authority.<br />
Such HUD-determined Fair Market Rents will be published in the Federal Register, to take effect on October 1, 2008.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Rent Stabilized Loft Renewal Guidelines</h2>
<ul>Lease Renewals:</p>
<li>For one-year increase periods commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:             3.5%</li>
<li>For two-year increase periods commencing on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009:             6.5%</li>
</ul>
<h2>Rent Stabilized Hotel Rent Adjustments</h2>
<ul>
The allowable level of rent adjustment over the lawful rent actually charged and paid on September 30, 2008 shall be:</p>
<li>1) Residential Class A (apartment) hotels &#8211;            4.5%</li>
<li>2) Lodging houses &#8211;                                    4.5%</li>
<li>3) Rooming houses (Class B buildings containing less than 30 units) &#8211;                    4.5%</li>
<li>4) Class B hotels &#8211;                                    4.5%</li>
<li> 5) Single Room Occupancy buildings   (MDL section 248 SRO&#8217;s) &#8211;                           4.5%</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p>Except that the allowable level of rent adjustment over the lawful rent actually charged and paid on September 30, 2008 shall be 0% if permanent rent stabilized or rent controlled tenants paying no more than the legal regulated rent, at the time that any rent increase in this Order would otherwise be authorized, constitute fewer than 85% of all units in a building that are used or occupied, or intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied in whole or in part as the home, residence or sleeping place of one or more human beings.</p>
</blockquote>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/06/20/rent-guidelines-board-decision/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cleanups, Calorie Counts and Campaigns</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/06/02/cleanups-calorie-counts-and-campaigns/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/06/02/cleanups-calorie-counts-and-campaigns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:25:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1867</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Elsewhere in the blogosphere today &#8230;
Miss Heather has some sharp words about Exxon&#8217;s recent Greenpoint Courier insert, which addresses the still-stalled spill cleanup effort there. 
Gothamist commenters are nonplussed that many city restaurants have chosen to ignore new rules requiring that they post calorie information on menu boards, but one reader makes the rather salient [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Elsewhere in the blogosphere today &#8230;</p>
<p>Miss Heather has some <a href="http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=5150">sharp words</a> about Exxon&#8217;s recent Greenpoint Courier insert, which addresses the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/environment/20060209/7/1754">still-stalled spill cleanup effort</a> there. </p>
<p>Gothamist <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/06/02/city_says_34_ch.php">commenters are nonplussed</a> that many city restaurants have chosen to ignore <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080301/200/2450">new rules requiring that they post calorie information on menu boards</a>, but one reader makes the rather salient point that &#8220;obesity and heart disease kill more New Yorkers than crane accidents.&#8221; Anecdotally at least, it sounds like the calorie count information does lead to changes in people&#8217;s eating habits.  </p>
<p>Finally, Simcha Felder&#8217;s announcement that he&#8217;ll seek Kevin Parker&#8217;s state Senate seat this year has ruffled at least Parker&#8217;s feathers: Liz Benjamin reports that Felder <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/06/02/2008-06-02_democratic_state_senator_my_foe_is_a_rep.html">may</a> or <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/06/felder-im-a-malcolm-smith-demo.html">may not</a> be a Republican in Dem&#8217;s clothing. (Stay up to date on all the races with <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/campaigns/">Who&#8217;s Running for What</a>, Gotham Gazette&#8217;s up to the hour guide to candidates and their campaigns.)</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/06/02/cleanups-calorie-counts-and-campaigns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>To Be Poor in New York</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/05/27/to-be-poor-in-new-york/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/05/27/to-be-poor-in-new-york/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2008 14:39:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Demographics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poverty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Times]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1857</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gothamist commenters have plenty to say about Cara Buckley&#8217;s recent Time&#8217;s piece, written (apparently) in a demographic vacuum, about the suffering (oh, the suffering) of young, white new yorkers trying to get by on a budget. Tight budgets have them making difficult choices like mascara or lip gloss while foraging for B.Y.O.B. brunch spots (making [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/05/26/young_broke_new.php">Gothamist commenters</a> have plenty to say about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/nyregion/25scrimp.html">Cara Buckley&#8217;s recent Time&#8217;s</a> piece, written (apparently) in a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/current/5">demographic</a> vacuum, about the suffering (oh, the suffering) of young, white new yorkers trying to get by on a budget. Tight budgets have them making difficult choices like mascara or lip gloss while foraging for B.Y.O.B. brunch spots (making your own waffles is, apparently, as unimaginable as a Saturday morning without mimosas). I double checked: April Fools Day has long passed.  A little refresher course: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_New_York_City">median income</a> in New York City? $38,293. The suffering of a single guy making that and then half again sounds like the distant wail of one teeny, tiny violin. </p>
<p>One commenter came up with a fairly plausible theory: the Times is trying to <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/05/26/young_broke_new.php#comment-1370767">stir up their comment boards</a> by offending as many new yorkers in a single article as they possibly can.</p>
<p>For real coverage of New York City demographics, economics and fianance, I suppose we&#8217;ll all have to read Gotham Gazette.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/05/27/to-be-poor-in-new-york/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rumblings of a Placard Crackdown</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/09/rumblings-of-a-placard-crackdown/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/09/rumblings-of-a-placard-crackdown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:29:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYPD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1786</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a sign that Bloomberg&#8217;s plans to reduce parking perks afforded to city employees weren&#8217;t just for show, Streetsblog  reports  that the Post reported that NYPD Internal Affairs is cracking down on falsified parking permits.  Comments on Streetsblog say this isn&#8217;t enough &#8212; could it be the right approach to actually changing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In a sign that Bloomberg&#8217;s plans to <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/01/03/parking-pullback/">reduce parking perks</a> afforded to city employees weren&#8217;t just for show, <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/04/09/internal-affairs-crackdown-nets-placard-abusers/">Streetsblog  reports</a>  that <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/04092008/news/regionalnews/park_shark_bust_105606.htm">the Post reported</a> that NYPD Internal Affairs is cracking down on falsified parking permits.  Comments on <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org">Streetsblog</a> say this isn&#8217;t enough &#8212; could it be the right approach to actually changing a pervasive culture of flagrant placard abuse? Not if the whole thing stops with one sweep. </p>
<p>I&#8217;ll confess to a teeny tiny bias on this particular issue, as my commute to and from Gotham Gazette HQ takes me down bike lanes that are rotten with, <a href="http://nyc.uncivilservants.org/post/index/1031">if not permit abuse</a>, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&#038;hl=en&#038;geocode=&#038;q=intersection+of+adams+and+tillary,+brooklyn+NY&#038;sll=40.696323,-73.982577&#038;sspn=0.012429,0.029182&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;ll=40.695469,-73.988226&#038;spn=0.001554,0.003648&#038;t=k&#038;z=18">parked cars</a>* </p>
<p>We&#8217;ll keep watching the city&#8217;s progress on this one, and we&#8217;ll let you know if any watchdog groups decide to raise the issue of parking with impunity as a basic issue of abuse of power by city employees. </p>
<p>* You probably can&#8217;t tell from the Google Map flyover that the Adams Street service road has a bike lane full of cars, but maybe if it weren&#8217;t so full of cars you&#8217;d be able to see the bright green bike lane beneath them.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/09/rumblings-of-a-placard-crackdown/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Diaz wants Green Roofs?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/07/diaz-wants-a-green-roofs-law/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/07/diaz-wants-a-green-roofs-law/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:18:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amanda Hickman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congestion pricing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/07/diaz-wants-a-green-roofs-law/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Elizabeth Benjamin is reporting that the legislation might have a little fight in it, but nonetheless in the race to take credit for bringing down Congestion Pricing, at least one Albany legislator is offering up some interesting suggestions. No fan of the proposal, Bronx Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr. argues in his release that &#8230;
If the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Elizabeth Benjamin is reporting that the legislation <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/04/congestion-pricing-chaos-in-th.html">might have a little fight in it</a>, but nonetheless in the race to take credit for bringing down <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080324/200/2473">Congestion Pricin</a>g, at least one Albany legislator is offering up some interesting suggestions. No fan of the proposal, <a href="javascript:;" onclick="openWindowSpecifySize('/city/campaigns/display.php?t=indiv&#038;id=105','campaigns','693','545')" title="who is running">Bronx Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr.</a> argues in his release that &#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>If the Mayor really wants to protect the environment and the air that we all breathe then he should have proposed that a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/environment/20051028/7/1635">Green Roof</a> is required on every new commercial development in our city.</p></blockquote>
<p>Should we expect to hear more about his green roof visions?</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="javascript:;" onclick="openWindowSpecifySize('/city/campaigns/display.php?t=indiv&#038;id=127','campaigns','693','545')" title="who is running">Queens Councilmember John Liu</a>, who supported the legislation, is calling the Mayor to task for letting  &#8220;A high-and-almighty approach [supplant] what should have been a collaborative process&#8221; and  insisting that the city now needs to look at the alternatives that congestion pricing opponents argued would have been a better fit:</p>
<blockquote><p>Opponents of congestion pricing did in fact offer constructive alternatives to help alleviate traffic congestion, including initiating programs for carpooling, cracking down on parking placard abuse and restoring express bus service to levels that existed prior to Bloomberg becoming Mayor.</p></blockquote>
<p>So, was that bluster, or can we look forward to a round of proposals from the bills&#8217; opponents here and in Albany, looking to improve express bus service and crack down on placard fraud?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/04/07/diaz-wants-a-green-roofs-law/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
