Avella bill would give state say in large land deals
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Attorney General, City Council, City Offices, District 11, District 23, State Comptroller, State Senate, Statewide Offices on October 20, 2011 | No Comments
Inspired by the controversial sale of Creedmoor land to the Indian Cultural and Community Center, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) penned legislation that would require the state attorney general and state comptroller to review and approve all land sales worth $100,000 and higher to private companies. The state Dormitory Authority sold a 4 1/2-acre parcel [...]
$14B capital program will harm MTA operating budget: DiNapoli
Posted by Philip Newman in State Comptroller, Statewide Offices on September 29, 2011 | No Comments
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the MTA’s plan to borrow more than $14 billion could further imperil the agency’s financial straits. “The MTA is in a very difficult position as it struggles to hold together a strained operating budget while proposing the largest borrowing program in its history to fund capital projects,” DiNapoli said. In [...]
DiNapoli to look at NYRA’s books again
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in State Comptroller, Statewide Offices on July 28, 2011 | No Comments
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said he will be taking another look at the New York Racing Association’s books to determine whether NYRA appropriately followed recommendations to become solvent, his office announced last week. The racing association oversees Aqueduct Race Track, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. The review will examine NYRA’s response to two earlier [...]
Schneiderman files federal suit over poor hydrofracking review
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Attorney General, Statewide Offices on June 2, 2011 | No Comments
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he was filing a lawsuit Tuesday against the federal government for what he said was a failure to commit to an environmental review of proposed regulations that would allow natural gas drilling — including a technique known as hydrofracking — in the Delaware River Basin. “Before any decisions on [...]
Feds eye Huntley: Source
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Attorney General, District 10, Governor, State Senate, Statewide Offices on May 19, 2011 | No Comments
State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-St. Albans) is under federal investigation, a legislative source familiar with the probe said. While the source could not say exactly why federal investigators were looking at Huntley, the New York Post reported the southeast Queens senator received a federal subpoena in connection with $400,000 in member items she helped steer [...]
Hevesi graft an open secret
Posted by Howard Koplowitz in Assembly, District 28, State Comptroller, Statewide Offices on April 28, 2011 | 1 Comment
Long before disgraced former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi was charged in October for his role in a pay-to-play scandal involving the state pension fund under his watch, a little-known treasurer of Saratoga County, J. Christopher Callaghan, knew something was up — and it was in plain sight. Callaghan, who ran on the Republican line against [...]
