On Friday, President Obama asked Congress for $60.4 billion in Sandy aid for New York, New Jersey and other states. Nearly $48 billion of it would go to relief, while the rest would be used for mitigation of future storms. To further help recovery efforts, two U.S. senators have also proposed billions in tax breaks, a plan modeled after a Katrina bill. Meanwhile, a relief fund set up by Gov. Cuomo has been criticized for the political nature of the board that oversees the money it raises. Many members were involved in fundraising for the governor's election campaign. In related news, a number of the area's non-Sandy related charities have seen a drop in donations since the storm hit.
In the Press...
Housing Agency’s Flaws Revealed by Storm (NY Times)
Poor Schools Struggling to Meet State Standards, Years After Critical Ruling (NY Times)
City is No Longer Reporting the Costs of its Settlements of Federal Cases (NY Times)
Workers and Residents Sickened or Injured in 9/11 Attacks Still Haven't Been Paid (NY Post)
Amid Criticism from Minorities, Senate Coalition May Give Power to Outside Democrats (Daily News)
MTA Rolling Out its Final Fare-Hike Plan (NY Post)
Speaker Quinn Defends Campaign Finance Bill (Daily News)
NY, NJ Ponder New Boardwalks Without the Boards (Associated Press)
Storm Warnings Throughout the Decades Unheeded (Associated Press)
Why The Latest Delay To The Bike Share Program May Not Be The Last (Gotham Gazette)

