Freelancers Union releases full slate of endorsements
Posted by Connor Adams Sheets in Assembly, Attorney General, District 11, District 15, District 16, District 25, District 26, District 28, District 35, District 36, District 39, Governor, State Comptroller, Statewide Offices on August 13, 2010 | No Comments
Freelancers Union announced this week the Queens candidates it is endorsing in this year’s primary and general election campaigns, siding with politicians it believes “share their commitment to modernizing labor laws to meet the needs of the growing and evolving independent workforce.”
Queens pols divided but far from ecstatic about state budget
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Assembly, District 11, District 15, District 28, Governor, State Senate on August 11, 2010 | No Comments
State legislators passed a budget four months late and the response from Queens elected officials has ranged from lukewarm approval to outrage.
Court dismisses Aqueduct lawsuit
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Governor on July 29, 2010 | No Comments
AEC, formerly known as Aqueduct Entertainment Group, sued the state in Schenectady Supreme Court – a suburb of Albany – after the Lottery decided not to grant the consortium a gaming license. Scrutiny of AEC intensified after it was awarded the VLT contract due to the involvement of influential southeast Queens minister the Rev. Floyd Flake, who had a 0.06 percent stake in the group.
Health Dept. asks Cuomo to investigate Jamaica, Flushing hospitals
Posted by Anna Gustafson in Assembly, District 38, Governor on July 15, 2010 | No Comments
State Health Department officials said they have asked state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to investigate MediSys Health Network, which runs Jamaica and Flushing hospitals, after the health network was linked to a scandal that involved corrupt Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio pushing the interests of Jamaica Hospital administrators at the state level in exchange for hundreds of [...]
Legislature passes spending bill of $16B to keep gov’t running
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Assembly, District 15, Governor, State Comptroller, State Senate, Statewide Offices on June 16, 2010 | No Comments
A state government shutdown was averted after the state Legislature approved an emergency spending bill late Monday with the help of three Republican state senators. The legislation provides $16.4 billion in funding to help state services and agencies run until June 20, including $2.096 billion for state employees including troopers, guardsmen, corrections officers, nurses and [...]
Queens GOP dumps Mermel, backs Lazio for governor
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Governor on June 10, 2010 | No Comments
And you thought Elizabeth Taylor was fickle? The Queens GOP is changing its endorsements for governor like Taylor changes husbands. The party made its fourth endorsement for governor shortly after the end of last week’s state Republican convention, deciding to back former Long Island Congressman Rick Lazio, whom they originally endorsed before they dumped him [...]
County GOP switches backing for guv – again
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Governor on June 3, 2010 | No Comments
The Queens GOP is having commitment problems. After initially endorsing former Long Island congressman Rick Lazio for governor, the Queens County Republican Party reversed its decision last month in favor of Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who abandoned the Democratic Party to run as a Republican. Now the party has withdrawn its backing of Levy [...]
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 [...]
Guv touts progress on foreclosures at town hall
Posted by Ivan Pereira in Governor on December 16, 2009 | No Comments
Jamaica residents have been hit with a barrage of problems due to the state’s recession. Job losses, thousands of home foreclosures and depleted health services have been lingering in the minds and lives of residents over the last few years. In a special town hall meeting last week, Gov. David Paterson took time to hear [...]
‘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 [...]
Area leaders demand VLT firm pick
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Assembly, District 15, District 23, Governor, State Senate on December 9, 2009 | No Comments
Frustration is mounting by the day over Gov. David Paterson’s indecision on picking a firm to construct and operate video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track. “I’m very upset at the governor. I’m very angry at the governor,” state Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach) told Community Board 10 last week at a meeting. “Gov. Paterson, [...]
No deadline set to pick an Aqueduct VLT firm
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in District 15, Governor, State Senate on December 2, 2009 | No Comments
With the state in a budget crunch and losing $1 million in education money for every day the video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track are not up and running, a spokesman for Gov. David Paterson said there is no deadline for selecting a firm to run the machines at the Ozone Park track. “There’s [...]
