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The Latest on Choppergate
August 14th, 2007

UPDATE: Since the original posting of this blog entry, the office of the Attorney General has refuted the Sun’s claims in a letter to that paper’s editor.

As Representative Carolyn Maloney, Democrat from Manhattan, comes out in support of Governor Eliot Spitzer, there is new news from the scandal involving the governor, the State Senate majority leader and the use of state aircraft.

Maloney, who agrees with Spitzer that any further investigation should be handled by the State Ethics Commission, said in a prepared statement, “The Senate leadership should stop trying to score political points at the expense of doing the people’s business and instead let the professionals do the investigating.”

Meanwhile, The Sun is back to the original investigation of Majority Leader Joe Bruno, though this time the attack is targeted at Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, according to The Sun, cited a nonexistent document when absolving the Senate majority leader (who is under federal investigation for other wrongdoing prior to this latest skirmish).

Andrew Cuomo, who also has been called out for misuse of government funds, is a possible gubernatorial candidate for 2010.

As the “choppergate” scandal drones on, the magnitude of the political capital at stake for all parties involved is becoming apparent, and it seems victors could be absent from this very political battle.

By Brian Bonci on August 14, 2007, 11:44 am
In category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Eye on Albany, Gotham City | No Comments »

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A Train to the Plane -- in Newburgh
August 6th, 2007

Residents of Brooklyn cannot get a one-seat (i.e. no transfer) ride to LaGuardia, but The Sun reports that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is studying a one-seat, 75-minute train ride to Stewart International Airport in Orange County.

Stewart Airport, located in Newburgh, is one of the Port Authority’s planned new “reliever” airports, designed to offset the air traffic woes of New York’s three major airports. According to transit officials, the airport, which saw 300,000 travelers last year could accommodate up to 10 million air passengers annually with some infrastructure upgrades, greatly reducing traffic at other area airports. But since the airport is 60 miles north of New York City, a rail link may prove the only feasible way for the Port Authority to divert air traffic from JFK, LaGuardia and Newark to Stewart International.Getting to the runway with the MTA

The rail link would cost an estimated$600 million. The link is currently undergoing a $4 million feasibility study, with findings to be published within a year. Meanwhile, most New Yorkers must make a series of transfers to get to other area airports. For LaGuardia, there is no rail link at all. The accompanying graphic illustrates possible connections to JFK and LaGuardia airports via public transit.

Check out this week’s photo essay on New York’s airports from the Gotham Gazette for more.

By Brian Bonci on August 6, 2007, 7:33 pm
In category: Gotham City, Transportation | 2 Comments »

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No Taxes for Iraq
July 20th, 2007

The Congresswoman at City HallRepresentative Nydia Velázquez wants to put decision-making for the Iraq war in the hands of the people who are footing th bill for it: U.S. taxpayers. In a press conference at City Hall today, the New York Democrat announced that she has introduced the Opt Out of Iraq War Act of 2007 in the House of Representatives. It would require that the Internal Revenue Service amend its tax forms to include a checkbox for voters to opt out of funding the Iraq war. By ticking the box, the taxpayer would block their individual contributions from being spent in Iraq.

The money diverted from the Iraq War would create a trust fund known as the “Future Fund.” It would be divided equally between the Headstart early childhood education program, reduction of the national debt and a college fund for children of Iraq War veterans.

At City Hall, Velázquez chastised the Bush administration for not heeding public opnion and withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. She asserted that, if the president won’t withdraw troops, this bill can end the war by simply not funding it. “I have voted against this war more than 20 times,” Velázquez said, adding, “we have to leave Iraq so that the Iraqi people can start to determine their own national direction.”

Velázquez, who represents parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, was joined by activists, war veterans, and supporters at the press conference. One, Carolyn Eisenburg said that this bill will send a clear message: “If our Pinocchio President can’t see past his nose, it’s time for our Congress to show him the way out of Iraq!”

By Brian Bonci on July 20, 2007, 1:39 pm
In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City | 2 Comments »

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A Victory for Bloomberg's Gun Battle
July 17th, 2007

After recent battles with out-of-state gun dealers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has something to celebrate: new mandatory minimum sentences for carrying an illegal and loaded weapon in New York. The mayor’s message: carry an illegal, loaded weapon and be prepared to go to jail for three and a half years.

In a news conference this morning, Bloomberg and Citizens Crime Commission of New York City unveiled a new public service campaign to highlight the new penalties for illegal gun possession in New York. The campaign, GUNS=PRISON, will feature posters calling attention to the sentence. The notices will be displayed on donated space on phone kiosks, in buses and subways and in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

The state’s new mandatory minimum sentence for illegal possession of a loaded handgun, increased to three and a half years at the mayor’s urging, is the toughest such law in the country.

(For more from the mayor’s reaction, gohere. For more on his war on guns go to Gotham Gazette.)

By Brian Bonci on July 17, 2007, 5:31 pm
In category: Albany, Crime & Safety, Gotham City, Law | 2 Comments »

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Zip Bikes?
July 9th, 2007

The New York Bike Share Project rolled into 97 Kenmare Street this week, bringing with it ideas from abroad and proposals to change the face of transportation in the city. To research bike sharing in New York, the Forum for Urban Design has 20 bikes avilable to riders for free for a half hour. On Wednesday, it will put forth a recommendation for implementing a bike share program within city limits.

The concept? 40,000 bicycles for use within the city. To get one, riders would simply swipe a card or make a phone call, ride the bike to their destination, check it back in to the system, and it’s there for someone else to use. Cyclists would pay for the time they use

An overview of bike share programs in several European cities on display at the Storefront for Art and Architecture until July 11.  There will also be public presentations on the European Programs, Tuesday at 6 and 6:30 pm and a closing reception on Wednesday.

For more, visit www.nybikeshare.org

By Brian Bonci on July 9, 2007, 5:02 pm
In category: Environment, Gotham City, Transportation | No Comments »

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March Against Violence
June 27th, 2007

“STOP THE VIOLENCE! INCREASE THE PEACE!” hundreds of youth and area adults shouted as they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn Tuesday. The gathering in the Brownsville/East New York Area was the second annual march and rally put on by the East New York Urban Youth Corps.

The teenagers, who know all too well the dangers of violence, hope to spread the message of non-violence and work to keep small altercations from culminating in fights and even bloodshed. The youth took a pledge of non-violence and were urged on by City Councilman Charles Barron who told them to encourage their peers to “put down the guns and pick up a book!”

By Brian Bonci on June 27, 2007, 10:47 am
In category: Community Development, Crime & Safety, Education, Gotham City | No Comments »

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