http://www.myzipple.com/forum New York News from timesunion.com en Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:09:31 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.myzipple.com/forum http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1147974&goto=newpost Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:02:54 GMT Calling all Democrats:Do you know who's going to earn your vote to become the party's attorney general nominee?[...] for Republicans:Go to timesunion.com to check out our new online 2010 Voters Guide, which features candidate information and policy questions from almost two dozen state and local races and some 60 aspirants.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1147974 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1147258&goto=newpost Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:12:06 GMT A wealthy real estate developer from the Buffalo area, Paladino has spent $484,000 on his campaign in the last three weeks, including $185,000 on TV... A wealthy real estate developer from the Buffalo area, Paladino has spent $484,000 on his campaign in the last three weeks, including $185,000 on TV advertising, $25,000 on a poll and $200,000 on mail pieces, according to a campaign finance report filed Friday.Both Republican hopefuls, it should be noted, face a fundraising disadvantage against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic candidate, who had $23.6 million in his war chest as of July.Lazio retains the support of the most populous counties in the state - with the exception of Erie, home to Paladino's home city - and the GOP machines that have always churned out primary voters in the past.In recent days, he unveiled a new video in which he calmly explains a proposal to create work centers for welfare recipients at closed prisons, a program which Paladino's team has been not consistently specified as voluntary.[...] this week, he was endorsed by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, which in its opening sentence lauded him as "the only credible candidate running on a major party line with any respect for our civil rights."

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1147258 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1147153&goto=newpost Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:28:10 GMT A wealthy real estate developer from the Buffalo area, Paladino has spent $484,000 on his campaign in the last three weeks, including $185,000 on TV... A wealthy real estate developer from the Buffalo area, Paladino has spent $484,000 on his campaign in the last three weeks, including $185,000 on TV advertising, $25,000 on a poll and $200,000 on mail pieces, according to a campaign finance report filed Friday. Both Republican hopefuls, it should be noted, face a fundraising disadvantage against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic candidate, who had $23.6 million in his war chest as of July. Lazio retains the support of the most populous counties in the state -- with the exception of Erie, home to Paladino's home city -- and the GOP machines that have always churned out primary voters in the past. In recent days, he unveiled a new video in which he calmly explains a proposal to create work centers for welfare recipients at closed prisons, a program which Paladino's team has been not consistently specified as voluntary. [...] this week, he was endorsed by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, which in its opening sentence lauded him as "the only credible candidate running on a major party line with any respect for our civil rights."

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1147153 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1145970&goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:25:07 GMT A former CSEA vice president from Rensselaer who pleaded guilty to stealing $11,500 from the union has been sentenced to a year in federal prison and... A former CSEA vice president from Rensselaer who pleaded guilty to stealing $11,500 from the union has been sentenced to a year in federal prison and ordered to pay back the money. "The defendant's embezzlements were not isolated incidents, but rather were a continuing course of conduct that was only stopped because she was terminated from her position with her union after the union found out about her 2008 conviction," Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Belliss wrote in a pre-sentencing memo. An Aug. 10 memo said Fahrenkopf engaged in "post-plea criminal conduct" in which she admitted forging checks from an employer, identified as East Greenbush Window Coverings. In turn, Fahrenkopf's attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Paul Evangelista, wrote a memo stating his client has a pathological gambling problem and abuses prescription medicine.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1145970 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1145969&goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:25:07 GMT Mandatory pension contributions for the state as well as municipalities -- including cities, towns and counties -- will jump 37 percent within two... Mandatory pension contributions for the state as well as municipalities -- including cities, towns and counties -- will jump 37 percent within two years thanks to a drop in the value of the recession-battered pension fund, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Thursday. For police and firefighters, who are in a different, more generous pension system, the contribution will go from 18.2 percent of payroll to 21.6 percent. The mandatory increase will put the squeeze on many towns and counties, which are already groaning under rising health care costs for employees, flat sales tax revenues and decreases in state aid. Against that backdrop, though, the amounts that local governments have had to pay toward retirement costs, have gone up and down, depending on how much revenue the pension fund was generating in a given period. Wilson, a hedge fund manager who was involved in restructuring General Motors during the automaker's government bailout, released a 52-page report on the pension system in which he predicts a looming "catastrophe" of rising costs and falling revenues. Wilson believes the assumption that the fund will generate a 7.5 percent return is overly optimistic, and he believes that new public employees going forward should have to accept a less-generous retirement package, with a possible mix of pension and individually funded 401Ks, similar to the private sector.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1145969 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144989&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:36:15 GMT The Public Employees Federation, one of the state's major state worker unions, is a vigorous proponent of keeping jobs in New York, as is the case with most labor groups.[...] news that the 59,000-member union is holding its annual convention later this month in Washington, D.C. rather than New York has raised eyebrows, including those of some members who will likely offer resolutions to keep future meetings closer to home.Union officials say they make trips to the nation's capital every few years because numerous state jobs are actually funded by the federal government."About 40 percent of our membership is federally funded," PEF spokeswoman Darcy Wells said, referring to state jobs that are paid for by federal monies which are passed through the state.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144989 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144988&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:36:15 GMT Legislative term limits were one of the key areas where the 14-year-incumbent and Martland, his primary opponent, sharply disagreed Wednesday night... Legislative term limits were one of the key areas where the 14-year-incumbent and Martland, his primary opponent, sharply disagreed Wednesday night as the two Democratic rivals debated at the College of Saint Rose.Martland, 47, an Albany attorney, told a standing-room only crowd that a failure to infuse new blood into the state Legislature and the overwhelming power of incumbency has only fueled the dysfunction in state government.The action takes from voters the fundamental decision of who they want to represent them, Breslin said, adding that at the same time term limits would hand more power to back-room legislative staffers whose tenures would long outlast the lawmakers for whom they work.The hour-long debate was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Albany County and the Capital Area Council of Churches.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144988 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144987&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:36:15 GMT The retired trial lawyer and one-time federal prosecutor knows how to craft an attack argument -- something he must have perfected after years in the... The retired trial lawyer and one-time federal prosecutor knows how to craft an attack argument -- something he must have perfected after years in the courtroom -- and as Coffey attempts to distinguish himself from the other four Democrats vying for their party's nomination to be attorney general, he hasn't shied from it.Coffey accused Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice of making decisions that "align her with Albany insiders" like Assemblyman Vito Lopez, chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Committee, who endorsed Rice earlier in the campaign.Schneiderman's campaign has gained momentum in recent weeks, since he was endorsed by The New York Times and appeared at a rally with prominent African-American officials including the Rev. Al Sharpton.Throughout the campaign, Schneiderman has hoped to position himself as the most progressive candidate in the field, and is betting that the unions and endorsements from people of color he has assembled will carry him to victory.Rice attacked Schneiderman for letting a bill stall to criminalize Internet luring of children by sexual predators, saying I particularly wish he were here to answer this question."Days after Eric Schneiderman lands the coveted endorsements of four editorial pages, the good government group Citizen Union, and several prominent elected officials including Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, his trailing opponents suddenly lob 15 different desperate attacks at him," he said.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1144987 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1143110&goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:21:27 GMT The bill hit the governor's desk a few weeks ago, and Monday was the final day the governor could sign the proposed legislation, according to Paterson's press office.The bill establishes a daytime parking system for a three-quarter-mile radius around Empire State Plaza, and would regulate parking in 2,750 parking spaces on residential streets, said Albany Common Albany Common Council President Pro Tempore Richard Conti, who represents the 6th Ward.The bill also includes protections for commercial areas, and a requirement that at least one-fifth of the spaces in the target area be set aside for visitor parking for at least 90 minutes.Higgins said once the daytime parking system is in place, local leaders will start to work on expanding the permitted area into other neighborhoods and establishing a nighttime parking system.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1143110 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142471&goto=newpost Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:23:14 GMT The firm is based around its eponymous principal, Patricia Lynch, a former top aide to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Lynch's firm was reportedly among those subpoenaed by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in April 2009 as part of an investigation into pay-to-play abuses at the state's Common Retirement Fund under the stewardship of ex-Comptroller Alan Hevesi. Asked whether the unexpected expenses were related to legal defense, Dopp said, "You wouldn't be wrong to reach that conclusion."

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142471 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142472&goto=newpost Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:23:14 GMT A month after an independent counsel concluded Gov. David Paterson and several members of his administration made "errors of judgment" in contact they had with a woman pursuing domestic violence charges against a gubernatorial aide, Paterson said no disciplinary action is planned against any of his aides. Harris was present Monday at a news conference to laud New York's securing of money under the federal Race to the Top program, greeting elected and educational officials as he stood by the door from the Red Room to the governor's office in the Executive Chamber. Another report by Kaye, released Thursday, concluded Paterson had given the PIC "inaccurate and misleading" information but deferred any decision to bring perjury charges to Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142472 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142473&goto=newpost Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:23:14 GMT Democratic congressman makes $238G; accused by GOP of double-dipping [...] it is one that has been attacked by some fiscal conservatives -- including Ted Danz, Tonko's Republican opponent -- as "double-dipping" and an unjustifiable expenditure at a time when state coffers are stretched thin. Tonko applied for his pension in 2008 when he quit as the chief of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Data kept by the Office of the State Comptroller -- reviewed by the New York Daily News -- show that eight of New York's 29 congressional representatives receive pensions like Tonko. Danz, the founder of Family Danz Heating and Air Conditioning, said Tonko was "sucking the blood" of New York taxpayers, and that his dual-income arrangement was particularly insensitive during a recession. Chris Gibson, a retired Army colonel who is the Republican candidate against Rep. Scott Murphy, is also a pensioner, earning around $68,000 for 24 years of active duty service.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142473 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142474&goto=newpost Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:23:14 GMT Unlike the federal stimulus program, it won't go toward hiring teachers but instead will fund a series of long-term changes including creation of a better data system to track student progress as well as development of teacher training and evaluation systems. State Education Commissioner David Steiner said his office will spend the next three months working with school districts statewide to plan out details of putting the grant funds to work. For Duncan, who has occasionally butted heads with unions over issues that include his push for more charter schools, the visit was part of a national tour to promote the RTTP program. [...] for New York union officials and politicians, the visit was a chance to pat themselves on the back for being one of 10 applicants to win the federal dollars. Primarily, the realization that the federal government was serious about the need to embrace reforms in areas like charter schools and teacher evaluations, leaders said. Additionally, lawmakers, including traditional teacher union allies such as Assembly Democrats, led by Majority Speaker Sheldon Silver, didn't want the election year embarrassment of losing out on federal dollars when the state is so strapped for cash. Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, which advocates for school funding, believes the grants needed to pay more attention to parental involvement, and should have incorporated better plans to foster that.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142474 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142017&goto=newpost Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:03:30 GMT Vanessa Lockel, a spokeswoman for Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, said if the Department of Taxation & Finance had filed a lien, then Lehman's unclaimed funds would have been released to help pay the tax bill.When defunct corporations owe the state taxes and have money in the unclaimed funds account, the dollars are routinely used to help pay the tax debt, she said.Jeffrey Margolin, the bankruptcy trustee's lawyer, said customers of Lehman deserve the unclaimed assets -- cash and securities -- under the Securities Investor Protection Act.Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office signed off on the order, according to a court document, but it is also trying to help the tax department get its debt paid.In the five-way Democratic primary for the rights to run for attorney general, the upstate vote may be key to winning, according to candidate Sean Coffey's consultant, Bruce Gyory, a lawyer and political historian.

Click here for More of this story... or click post reply below to share your comments on this story. ]]> New York News timesunion.com http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1142017 http://www.myzipple.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1141250&goto=newpost Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:32 GMT Vanessa Lockel, a spokesman for Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, said if the Department of Taxation & Finance had filed a lien, then Lehman's unclaimed funds would have been released to help pay the tax bill. When defunct corporations owe the state taxes and have money in the unclaimed funds account, the dollars are routinely used to help pay the tax debt, she sad. Jeffrey Margolin, the bankruptcy trustee's lawyer, said customers of Lehman deserve the unclaimed assets -- cash and securities -- under the Securities Investor Protection Act. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office signed off on the order, according to a court document, but it is also trying to help the tax department get its debt paid. In the five-way Democratic primary for the rights to run for attorney general, the upstate vote may be key to winning, according to candidate Sean Coffey's consultant, Bruce Gyory, a lawyer and political historian.

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