From the NY Times:Gov. David A. Paterson is set to reject a sweeping overhaul of the state’s hundreds of public authorities that was passed by lawmakers last month but is opposed by the governor’s staff and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City.
The Paterson administration will ask the Assembly to delay sending the bill to the governor’s desk, officials said, and will try to devise a new version of the legislation before a special legislative session next month. But the governor and mayor have so many objections to the current bill that it could be difficult to negotiate a new one with the Legislature in just a few weeks.
If the governor were to veto the bill, or leave it in limbo, he would be turning aside the most ambitious attempt in decades to overhaul the system, which includes groups ranging from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, and which has been criticized as functioning as a shadow government with little oversight.
The Bloomberg administration has argued that the bill would unfairly infringe on the mayor’s power and that it contains a provision that would place prominent development projects in New York City at risk. Mr. Bloomberg has no official say in the matter, but he and the governor are on generally good terms, and their staff members have been discussing concerns about the legislation.
The governor’s office objects to a number of provisions, including one that would require the comptroller to review authority contracts of over $1 million — a restriction that Mr. Paterson and business groups say will be too time-consuming. They also oppose a provision that would require authorities to record and disclose all contacts with lobbyists because it appears to encompass contacts with officials in other government agencies or authorities.
Thank God for these two, who feel obligated to protect developers and lobbyists at any and all costs.
6 comments:
shame on Patterson, it is obvious since mayoral control that Patterson is Bloomberg's boy. I hope Quinn is not too jealous that Bloomberg found another asshole to do his bidding.
So we have a tiered system of development projects in NYC. How does one apply for a permit to be sponsoring a "Prominent Development Project?" - one that is not subject to the normal rules of city development.
Just another reason to Dump their asses. Bloomberg only cares about the Power and what he wants. Patterson is just clueless and changes his mind every other day. Please vote these people out!
A Blooming idiot of a mayor and a Babbling blind man for a governor...
Without even knowing what is contained in that bill,if Bloomberg opposes it, it must be good for middle class ny..........
Wait a minute. Bloomberg is running ads every other minute about how he "has a bold plan" for improving the MTA. First, the Mayor of NYC has NO power to control the MTA - it's an "authority." Now, he doesn't want a bill that would provide reform? Could it be that like any lowlife politician, Bloomie wants the MTA to be his punching bag? After all, everybody hates the MTA, so if hizzoner says he'll go after those bastards, all the dumkopfs (German for "voters") can say, gee whiz that Bloomie's some guy, ain't he? Of course the punchline is there's nothing the Mayor can do about the MTA, so it's a safe campaign promise.
Then Albany messes it up trying to actually do something helpful. Doesn't the legislature know its place?
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