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We already have at least one facility named after a corporate donor--The Tisch Children's Zoo, named in 1997 after a tobacco baron--Lawrence A. Tisch, then the co-chair of Loews, which owns Lorillard Tobacco Co.

You'll recall Tisch's nephew Andrew holding up his hand before Congress in 1994 and swearing to tell the truth about nicotine: "I believe that nicotine is not addictive," were his exact words.

You'll also recall Lorillard was one of the tobacco companies convicted of racketeering in 2005 in the Dept. of Justice suit.

Even waste pick-up cuts!? Let's hope it doesn't get to be to the point as in Naples. Have you seen that ordeal? Personally I think it stinks.

Di...Di...Did anybody laugh? Anybody? Anybody at all?

Why aren't the pensions of NYC and NYState workers restructured? For example MTA bus drivers are able to work overtime for the last few years of their employment to inflate their respective pension upon retirement. No institution (profit or nonprofit) can sustain such a plan.

What's really important: With apparently most of the budget relatively well balanced, and the city even being well prepared for a recession that may lie ahead, according to the mayor's statement yesterday, and as we're facing increasingly serious concerns about global warming and carbon emissions at the same time, an issue that a large city like NY is an important factor and part of, I think the city government ought to switch its own entire energy supply to green / renewable energy AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It would be a great opportunity for the city government to make an impressive example to the country and the world, and at the same time spur development of alternative energy technologies as a potential boost to restart a slowing economy.

Joking that "Spitzer's presentation of the budget was SO boring, it should replace waterboarding" is NOT funny. We torture people. We do. America. Not something to joke abt. Not cool.

"Katrinafication" -- exactly! But bear in mind that this "withdrawal" by the government is in reality the outsourcing and privatizing of government works, a dream of Republicans since Reagan and sadly the defacto position of most politicians and media commentators. The dereliction of duty on the part of government is a civic failure on the part of all Americans.

Yeah, we always ought to balance budgets on the backs of the poor. /snark

Infrastructure:

Of course the federal govt has walked away. They only support projects that their private sector bussies can make a profit out of.

New York sends far more than it gets back?

Well, NYC is vastly more wealthy than upstate New York. Before Bob Hennelly tells us how NYC is getting the short end of the stick, perhaps he should check out the conditions north of Westchester County? Buffalo's economy is abysmal. New York is no engine for upstate New York at all. Sheer nonsense.

Hennelly and most New Yorkers sound like trickle down theorists.

Whose land was seized to supply water to New York? Where is the bulk of money going for roads?

Only on schools can New Yorkers make a serious case that they are short-changed. But ask: How many million dollar homes in Park Slope have lower property tax rates than vastly poorer homes upstate?

Brian/ Bob Hennelly: Why doesn't Bloomberg do away with the inefective $400 property rebate. - There is a 'give away' program that is completely inefficient and costs private businesses millions of dollars in lost productive due to the manual process- Just leave the 7% property tax and get rid of this cheap political pandering and use that money to pay down the debt by $500M and use the other $500M to pay new police officers a living wage ($32K from the $25K they currently get) and use what's left to education. Kids are being cheated so much~!!

Glenn: EXCELLENT Questions!!!. Right on!.
Brian. Can you ask these questions? I am trully disappointed that the media in this state - including WNYC - do not really hold our local politicians accountable - There has been A LOT of mismanagement and misuse of MY TAXES AND FARES for publicity stunts - Remember December 2006 when the MTA decided to 'spend' $100M on a special fare discount program that did not benefit any of the regular users - This was money spent on Publicity. PLUS the MTA funds used during Pataki's last reelection to saturate the airwaves with Pataki's voice selling all of the MTA 'improvements'.
where is the acountability?

Where are the city and state budget numbers available for the public to see? How much detail is provided?

How effective is the City and State Comptroller's office in fighting waste, fraud and political patronage in city and state governments?

It may be somewhat off topic but just as relevant: Where are the MTA's budget numbers to view by the public?

How have the city and state quantity and quality of debt changed over the last decades?

Can you give us any information on The Citizens Budget Commission and if this has been a reputable watchdog? Here is a list of NYT articles about it:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/citizens_budget_commission/index.html?inline=nyt-org