Maloney gets $550K for LIC public schools
Posted by Philip Newman in City Council, City Offices, Congress, District 12, District 14, District 26, State Senate, U.S. House on June 16, 2011 | No Comments
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) has announced a federal grant of $552,000 for volunteer mentoring and tutoring in an effort to increase attendance and graduation rates in Long Island City schools. The money is part of a $2.9 million grant for such activities throughout New York City. “With tough budgets in Washington, federal education grants [...]
Schumer decries loose pilot regulation plan
Posted by Philip Newman in Congress, U.S. Senate on February 17, 2011 | No Comments
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has complained to the Federal Aviation Administration that airlines are trying to water down rules against using fatigued pilots that he championed. The regulations were put into effect as a result of a crash that left 49 people dead near Buffalo, N.Y., in 2009. The National Transportation Safety Board said [...]
DiNapoli searches for fraud in MTA overtime
Posted by Philip Newman in State Comptroller, Statewide Offices on September 2, 2010 | No Comments
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli recently audited the MTA and found what he said was “a culture of acceptance” of overtime pay. Now his office will soon begin what is known as a forensic audit to determine whether fraud or any other illegality was involved in the hundreds of millions of dollars in overtime paid by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority over the past few years.
MTA plans boro subway, bus service cuts
Posted by Philip Newman in City Council, Congress, District 27, District 30, Governor on December 23, 2009 | No Comments
Transit officials have approved drastic subway and bus system cuts because of a nearly $400 million deficit, but the new MTA chairman as well as several MTA board members appeared to suggest the possibility of a way out or at least mitigating the worst of the dreaded plan. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Jay Walder listened [...]
‘Doomsday’ returns for MTA
Posted by Philip Newman in Governor on December 16, 2009 | No Comments
Transit officials, once again teetering on the edge of a financial abyss, said they will be forced to shut down the W and Z subway lines and 25 bus routes, carry out layoffs and pay cuts and take free MetroCards away from a half-million schoolchildren. “I wish I could tell you that losing this amount [...]
Mayor’s grace period veto will come before Council
Posted by Philip Newman in City Council, District 20 on December 16, 2009 | No Comments
The City Council meets next week to vote on whether to override Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s veto of legislation that would provide a five-minute grace period for drivers who get parking tickets. The Council Transportation Committee paved the way to a final vote Monday by voting 10-1 to override the veto. Bloomberg vetoed the parking legislation, [...]
