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Thursday, March 20, 2008

TODAY’S NEWS Rough road ahead for congestion pricing CONNOR’S JOB The says it is back- Neither congestion pricing supporters 26 votes needed, if most of the undecid- ing Daniel Squadron over state Sen. Marty nor opponents have enough pledged ed members jump on board. Connor in the Democratic primary because votes in the City Council to declare victo- Congestion pricing faces an uphill bat- Squadron would be a far better legislator. ry, according to head counts from both tle in Albany as well, in part because there Connor had blamed WFP opposition on a sides. A handful of the council’s 51 mem- is no pressure on legislators from above. disagreement about . bers remain uncommitted just a week be- County Democratic chairmen such as Rep. But Dan Cantor, the party’s executive direc- fore the expected vote. The council’s ap- Joe Crowley of Queens and Assemblyman tor, says WFP screeners from Manhattan and proval is needed for the proposal to Vito Lopez of Brooklyn are not rallying their Brooklyn “were superimpressed by Squadron advance to Albany. delegations to support the plan. Neither and felt that he will bring new energy on Opposition leader Walter McCaffrey in- are some legislative conference heads, no- housing, jobs and campaign finance reform sists that the council will kill it. He says he tably Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver and to the Legislature.” counted heads for 16 years as a Queens Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith. Go councilman and was never wrong. But a to crainsnewyork.com for a report on the A TAXING PROPOSITION lobbyist for congestion pricing says his mayor’s congestion pricing appearance at Upon completing its purchase of Bear own count shows the plan can garner the yesterday’s Crain’s breakfast forum. Stearns, J.P. Morgan Chase will inherit the company’s $70 million city tax break and the obligations of the agreement. Bear nounced last month. Following Pat Foye’s the same time, the agency says, federal Stearns made the deal with the Giuliani ad- resignation from the Empire State Develop- funding for such projects has been declin- ministration in 1997 for $75 million; the ment Corp., filling out the panel is likely to ing. Environmentalists foresee trouble for wa- amount was later reduced. To date, Bear has be delayed. Duane says the task force re- ter quality across the state. The outlook is claimed $37 million in benefits. J.P. Morgan mains the best way to satisfy all of the proj- no better for roads and bridges. The state’s is expected to drop the Bear name but must ect’s disgruntled stakeholders. “Everything 20-year transportation infrastructure costs maintain Bear jobs and account for them is really expensive at a time when there is are now estimated at $175 billion. separately to keep the tax break, according no money, and everyone is really unhappy” to the Bloomberg administration. with the process so far, Duane says. AT A GLANCE JAVITS TASK FORCE STATE COSTS RISING JOB IN DEPT. OF AGING: The Assemblyman Dick Gottfried and Sen. In the face of a $5 billion budget deficit Department of the Aging is seeking an as- Tom Duane, both Democrats representing and worsening economic climate, the state sistant commissioner for management and the West Side, will join City Council Speaker Department of Environmental Conservation budget to oversee the agency’s $352 mil- Christine Quinn on the Javits Center Task puts New York’s sewage infrastructure needs lion budget. For more information, e-mail Force. So far, they are the only confirmed over the next 20 years at $36 billion—a 50% [email protected]. members of the task force, which was an- increase from a recent federal estimate. At Comments? [email protected]