The city’s embattled finance commissioner Martha Stark has resigned following a number of controversies and investigations surrounding her position. The announcement comes two weeks after Mayor Bloomberg asked the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board to look into allegations Stark carried on a romantic relationship with a subordinate. In a statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “This [...]
There are now 44 confirmed cases of swine flu in New York City and that number is expected to grow, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday, but reassured residents that almost all of the cases are mild and that everyone is recovering. At St. Francis Prep High School in Fresh Meadows, Queens, Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden [...]
The MTA sent out layoff notices to at least 480 bus and subway workers yesterday, telling them their jobs would be cut without a state bailout to fill the agency’s $1.2 billion budget gap. The grim letters were sent to four union chiefs, including Curtis Tate, boss of the 35,000-member Transport Workers Union Local 100. [...]
Gay rights advocates are rallying outside the state Capitol today. About 2,000 people are expected to attend the rally in support of gay rights legislation, including same-sex marriage. Governor David Paterson and a couple of New York State Assembly members are expected to address the group before the rally. Paterson has been a long-time supporter [...]
Assemblyman James Tedisco defended his controversial decision to use a Republican Assembly Campaign Committee account to pay the legal bills of his top aide, adding that he thought of the payment as a loan. In an interview Monday, Tedisco said the $32,500 check from the RACC housekeeping account last July helped his chief of staff, [...]
Gov. David Paterson Monday signed an executive order to better evaluate state mandates pushed down to local governments, which are often blamed for the state’s high property taxes. Facing a backlash from voters over new taxes in the 2009-10 budget, Paterson’s call for mandate relief is one of several initiatives he plans to roll out [...]
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Monday that it is now projecting an additional budget shortfall of $670 million – on top of the $1.2 billion that was originally projected for this year. That means even after next month’s fare hikes and service cuts go into effect, the agency must still devise a plan to come [...]
Former Mayor Joe DeStefano was assaulted Monday afternoon on a city street. DeStefano, who is running to reclaim the Middletown mayor’s job, was treated for facial injuries at Orange Regional Medical Center’s Horton campus in Middletown and released. He has given a statement to police about what happened. Middletown police released only basic information, saying [...]
A few years ago, when New York City was pressuring advertising agencies to hire more black executives, City Councilman Larry B. Seabrook, chairman of the Council’s Civil Rights Committee, approached one of the largest companies with a plan to address the issue. The company, the Omnicom Group, ultimately endorsed Mr. Seabrook’s plan to create a [...]
The city has confirmed 20 more cases of swine flu, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference today – bringing the total number of city residents affected to 28 There are another 17 probable cases in the city, the official said. However, the mayor said that all of the cases are isolated within the [...]
