Week in Review 12/19-12/23

Monday 12/19
New York risks losing many of its most creative residents if the city does not address the high cost of real estate, a study released found.

The report by the Center for an Urban Future considered trends relating to a wide variety of fields in the city's "creative core." Though the city remains a world leader with more than 300,000 creative workers in nearly 11,700 businesses, the study found NY lagging behind London in areas such as access to workspace and affordable housing.

New York is the sixth safest state in America. During the first half of 2005, crime in NYS decreased by 2.8% as murder dropped 5.3% and burglary fell 64%, according to FBI data. Overal crime has declined by 45% since 1994.

Tuesday 12/20
Democracy is Spreading, Freedom House Finds. Reports of increased freedom emerged from lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories. Observers attribute the results to the Bush administration's support of fledgeling democracies worldwide.

Unfortunately, when it comes to local politics here in New York City, Grassroots Initiative finds a crisis of local political representation that permeates each of New York's five boroughs. Vacancies in... county committees are rampant and there are few contested elections for [committee] seats. ...The result is limited democracy and over a million New Yorkers without any local party representation.

President Bush sharpened his attack against senators who blocked reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act, zeroing in on lawmakers from New York and other target-rich states (i.e. Sens. Charles Schumer & Hillary Clinton).

The City Council's transportation committee unanimously voted to approve a bill that would implement "no-wake areas" on the Harlem River. The Committee chairman, John Lui, said the legislation was prompted by the proliferation of boats on the city's rivers and the fatal crash of a boater, Jim Runsdorf. The no-wake zones the bill would establish are Swindler Cove from High Bridget to University Heights Bridge.

Wednesday 12/21
Republican candidate for governor, William Weld, challenged Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to take a stand on the transit strike.

City Council, Bloomberg administration, and New York Nightlife Association may have reached a compromise deal on revamping the city's noise code. The parties were in down-to-the-wire negotiations as of today. The code has been hotly contested, partly because of its potential economic affects, for more than a year.

Thursday 12/22
Immigration advocates in New York are stepping up pressure on Senator Clinton and Senator Schumer, saying they have been diappointed in the lawmakers for their low profiles on the issue of immigration policy.

Gifford Miller ended his tenure as Council Speaker presiding over a council meeting that passed 36 pieces of legislation. The Health Care Security Act was on the floor, as were bills on finance, land use, noise code policy and graffiti removal laws.

New York State's Medicaid Program pays for the highest share of doctor and hospital bills, according to a survey by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. NY's Medicaid program covered 21% of doctor and hospital bills in 2003, more than double a national average of 9.2%.

New York City Council passed a resolution urging the state to opt out of the Real ID Act, a federal legislation that created national standards for driver's licenses. The council fears the Real ID Act will hurt immigrants and may not prevent against terrorism.

Jeanine Pirro officially announced that she will bow out of the US Senate race and now direct her sites on the Attorney General race, which already included prominent Democrats such as Andrew Cuomo and Mark Green.

Friday 12/23
The USA Patriot Act is extended until February 2.

Senate Republicans in Albany proposed a $2.4 billion cut in local government and school taxes through rebate checks and state subsidies. The Democrat-led Assembly, which would have to approve a 3-year plan, will review it but is skeptical of the approach of many provisions. Governor Pataki will review the proposal as well. The Senate proposal would involve tax rebates, tax breaks adjusted for rising property assessments, and measures aimed at cutting waste in local governments and school districts.

New York state will hire 100 state troopers as part of a new effort to crack down on illegal gun trafficking. The program comes after lawmakers at the special Wednesday session approved tougher penalties for gun-trafficking offenses. Under the $4.5 billion project, state police investigators and federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, will work with local police departments to target illicit gun sales.

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Some readers may have noticed I did not do much talking about the transit strike, while bloggers throughout the five boroughs had lots to say. Well, the strike really didn't affect me a whole lot.

You see, I live twelve blocks from my job. I walk to work every day. Okay, well sometimes I ride my bike, but for the most part, I didn't have much to worry while the subways and buses weren't running. On Tuesday, the first day of the strike, I had a Christmas Party up at 83rd Street and ended up riding my bicycle the 77 blocks in 20 degree weather, but for the most part, I stayed downtown and did a lot of walking. I do a lot of walking anyway. It made for an exhausting week, but I could use the excersize. So could a lot of us.

Would I have done something drastic if I was in a position of power? Of course. I don't believe in having the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Transport Workers Union running and opperating our mass transit system. I agree with Nicole Gelinas on what we should do about our transit system. If not the way she describes it, in some way to prevent a mass transit shutdown. Our subway system was built by three, three, indpendent rail companies. We used to have many independent bus lines all using the same token for fare. The idea of the Second Avenue Subway line getting built by the MTA is proposterous. An independent company would have the line halfway dug up when the revival talk sprang up a decade ago.

I have a lot of underground rail ideas, but the likelihood of them getting done is less than the current projects that constantly get stalled. Have the shovels hit the ground with the SAS yet?

Happy New Year.