Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Citizens Union

City

Posted by on

BRONX COURTS: The New York Times reported that the Bronx courts "are failing." In the first installment of a three-part series, William Glaberson writes that "a plague of delays in the Bronx criminal courts is undermining one of the central ideas of the justice system, the promise of a speedy trial." The story — based on an examination of court records, observations of trials, analyses of statistics and dozens of interviews — presents examples of the dysfunction of the Bronx criminal justice system. The second part was published today

JAIL DEATHS: A state agency found that Correctional Medical Care Inc., a private health care provider for county jails, played a role in the deaths of nine inmates across New York between 2009 and 2011, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reported Saturday. The state attorney general's office says it is investigating CMC. The company told the upstate newspaper that it hires qualified medical staff. The company says the jails it operates in consistently meet or exceed national standards in their jails. 


Other Stories We're Following

Some Gun Law Provisions To Go Into Effect (Lower Hudson Journal)

Quinn Says Council Will Hold Hearing On School Safety Today (Huffington Post)

...
More about:
Tagged in: Bronx headlines

Posted by on

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has named Tom Prendergrast as the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Prendergrast is filling a vacancy created by Joe Lhota who left to run for New York City mayor on the Republican ticket.

Prendergrast is a former MTA executive and has worked in transit for most of his career. 

Here is Cuomo's statement on Prendergrast:

Tom Prendergast is a consummate public transit leader who is the ideal candidate to oversee the nation’s largest transportation system,” said Governor Cuomo. “The MTA plays a vital role in New York’s economy and the daily lives of the millions of commuters who use its services. Tom has vast experience in infrastructure and transportation and has spent years managing commuter railroads as well as New York City’s subways and buses. From the track bed to the budget to modernizing our system for the 21st Century, I can’t imagine anyone having a better understanding of how the region’s vast system operates and the challenges that it faces.

...
More about:
Tagged in: Gov. Andrew Cuomo mta

Posted by on

Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn said yesterday that she wants the city to control the Metropolitan Transportation Authority which is currently run by the state. "The MTA chair is appointed by the governor. The mayor has a minority of the appointments on the MTA board. The majority of the new members are appointed by the governor and county leaders outside of our city," Quinn said. "This has resulted in an MTA that doesn't respond quickly enough to the needs of New Yorkers and the changing face of our city." Transportation advocates have criticized Quinn's plan. Quinn also said that by 2023 no New Yorker should have a commute of more than an hour in any direction. 


Other Stories We're Following

Man Faces Hate Crime Charges in Brooklyn Burning Spree (NY 1)

New Yorkers Brace For Cuts to Unemployment (NY Times)

Cuomo's Re-election Machinery Already at Work (NY Times)

...
More about:

Posted by on

Council Speaker Christine Quinn has landed the endorsement of Sen. Gustavo Rivera. An endorsement from anyone who hangs out in Albany might not seem like a good thing given the recent federal corruption indictments of Sen. Malcolm Smith and Assemblyman Eric Stevenson but Rivera has a reputation as a reformer. 

Rivera defeated former Sen. Pedro Espada in 2009 and has allied himself with reform elements in the State Legislature since then. Rivera provides Quinn with a major Latino endorsement and support from the Bronx.  

Quinn praised Rivera, calling him "a breath of fresh air for the people of the Bronx and his colleagues in Albany." 

Here is Rivera's statement:

Speaker Quinn, throughout her career, has consistently fought for New Yorkers from all walks of life – particularly working class and low-income families. She has made it her mission to expand access to quality education, child care and after-school services, as well as to expand and prioritize affordable housing projects. Simply put, Speaker Quinn has delivered on those issues most critical to my constituents and my community.

More about:

Posted by on

Today's Lead Story

Weiner's Return? 

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner's admission in a New York Times Magazine article that he is considering a run for mayor has jolted the current pack of candidates. Weiner has considerable baggage to overcome as he resigned from Congress in disgrace after lying about sending sexually explicit internet messages to women. Weiner's wife Human Abedin has remained supportive of her husband throughout the ordeal. Even Weiner's possible opponents acknowledge he is a shrewd politician who can run a serious campaign. Most major candidates gave statements that indicated they weren't particularly concered with Weiner's entrance into the race. Comptroller John Liu playfully welcomed Weiner but warned, "Just stop Tweeting." 


Other Stories We're Following

Cuomo Blasts Washington's Compromise on Gun Control (Buffalo News)

...
More about: