By Associated Press
Friday April 04, 2008, 4:19 PM
Three days before a deadline, Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn't have the votes in Albany needed for his plan to charge a fee to drive into parts of
Manhattan, Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith said today.
"I know we don't have enough," said Smith of Queens.
Support by Democrats in the Republican-controlled Senate is critical if the traffic fee plan is to be adopted by Monday's midnight deadline. But
Bloomberg's plan is opposed by several Republican senators representing Long Island and by several Democratic senators representing Manhattan and the outer
boroughs.
There don't appear to be enough votes in the Democrat-controlled Assembly, either.
However, such hard stances days before a deadline are common in Albany. In the Legislature, an agreement can come as part of a deal on several unrelated
issues, especially at budget time. And Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman, has influence in Albany as a big contributor to state legislative campaigns.
This is also an election year.
All of which means nothing is over yet.
The biggest recipient of those Bloomberg donations, the Senate's Republican majority, says there will be enough votes for the proposal by Monday.
"The Senate supports congestion pricing and is prepared to pass this bill," said John McArdle, spokesman for Senate Republican leader Joseph
Bruno. The Rensselaer County senator has been the biggest supporter of Bloomberg's plan.
The chances of approval may have been hurt further after Gov. David Paterson today called for the Legislature to spend the weekend in Albany to focus
instead on the late state budget.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/20 ... n_l_1.html
Hopefully this stupid plan dies in Legislature.
Friday April 04, 2008, 4:19 PM
Three days before a deadline, Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn't have the votes in Albany needed for his plan to charge a fee to drive into parts of
Manhattan, Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith said today.
"I know we don't have enough," said Smith of Queens.
Support by Democrats in the Republican-controlled Senate is critical if the traffic fee plan is to be adopted by Monday's midnight deadline. But
Bloomberg's plan is opposed by several Republican senators representing Long Island and by several Democratic senators representing Manhattan and the outer
boroughs.
There don't appear to be enough votes in the Democrat-controlled Assembly, either.
However, such hard stances days before a deadline are common in Albany. In the Legislature, an agreement can come as part of a deal on several unrelated
issues, especially at budget time. And Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman, has influence in Albany as a big contributor to state legislative campaigns.
This is also an election year.
All of which means nothing is over yet.
The biggest recipient of those Bloomberg donations, the Senate's Republican majority, says there will be enough votes for the proposal by Monday.
"The Senate supports congestion pricing and is prepared to pass this bill," said John McArdle, spokesman for Senate Republican leader Joseph
Bruno. The Rensselaer County senator has been the biggest supporter of Bloomberg's plan.
The chances of approval may have been hurt further after Gov. David Paterson today called for the Legislature to spend the weekend in Albany to focus
instead on the late state budget.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/20 ... n_l_1.html
Hopefully this stupid plan dies in Legislature.
