Archive for February, 2009

BIG BIZ GANGS UP ON ‘MILLIONAIRE’S TAX’ PLAN

By Tom Topousis

Finally, someone is fighting for the rich guys. A group of powerful business organizations is preparing to fight a proposed “millionaire’s tax” they say will drive affluent New Yorkers out of state. Taxpayers for an Affordable NY includes the Business Council of New York, the Real Estate Board of New York, and the Rent Stabilization Association – a trio of groups that came together once before, in the early 1990s, to fight property tax hikes. “We’ll be hurting ourselves because some of those people will move out of the state, and whatever we generate in the first round of taxes will be lost in the second round,” said Steven Spinola, head of the Real Estate Board. Spinola said 4 percent of New Yorkers in what is currently the highest tax bracket pay 54 percent of the state’s income tax. Democratic lawmakers have proposed increasing the top tax rate from 6.8 percent to as much as 10.3 percent. The taxpayers group has mailed out notices to 150,000 taxpayers, calling on them to contact their state senators to block the increase, which would boost tax rates to 8.25 percent for incomes of $250,000 to 10.3 percent for those over $1 million.

Sheldon Silver Proposes $2 Toll Plan for East River Bridges

By Glenn Blain and Pete Donohue

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Wednesday night proposed putting tolls on the East River bridges equal to the price of a subway ride, currently $2.

Silver pitched the proposal to his Assembly colleagues gathered to discuss the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s fiscal crisis.

A bailout plan drafted by former MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch recommends East River tolls matching those at MTA crossings like the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. Drivers with E-ZPass pay $4.15 to cross that span.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky billed Silver’s proposal as progress in the bid to avoid huge fare hikes and severe service cuts the MTA says will be necessary later this year without a massive bailout.

“It was attractive to people who had problems with the other proposal, but there were a great variety of opinions,” Brodsky (D-Westchester) said of the lower-priced tolling concept. “We are in the process of building consensus. That doesn’t happen in one meeting.”

Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) didn’t reject the Silver proposal but wasn’t completely sold, either.

“Honestly, I’m still evaluating it,” Gianaris said. “This idea is certainly better than the Ravitch plan, but I remain very apprehensive about any tolls on the East River crossings.”

Tolls disproportionately affect the people of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, Gianaris said.

Proponents dispute that argument, saying any successful bailout would include higher contributions from many others, like bus and subway riders in the form of modest fare hikes.

Faced with a $1.2 billion operating budget deficit and no money for its next capital construction program, the MTA in December adopted a “draconian” budget.

It includes hikes raising fare and toll revenues by 23% – potentially resulting in a $103 price tag for a monthly MetroCard now costing $81.

The doomsday budget also would eliminate 21 local bus routes, shut down the W and Z subway lines and close a handful of lower Manhattan subway stations during the overnight shift.

Senate Democrats also met to discuss the Ravitch plan and the plight facing more than 8million daily subway, bus and commuter train riders.

No matter what the cost, some said they wouldn’t support East River bridge tolls, making it difficult for approval. Democrats hold a 32-to-30 majority in the Senate. No Republicans have expressed support for tolls.

To Pay for Health Care, Obama Looks to Taxes on Affluent

BALCONY APPLAUDS OBAMA HEALTH PLAN: AWAITS DETAILS

“President Obama has taken a bold step in the right direction to provide health care to all Americans,” stated BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York. “Our health care system is in crisis and the Obama administration recognizes that 48 million Americans, 2.6 million New Yorkers, can no longer go without health insurance. We await the details and look forward to working with our coalition to help solve this dire problem.”

By Jackie Calmes and Robert Pear

President Obama will propose further tax increases on the affluent to help pay for his promise to make health care more accessible and affordable, calling for stricter limits on the benefits of itemized deductions taken by the wealthiest households, administration officials said Wednesday.

PRESIDENT OBAMA FOCUS ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY

President Barack Obama addressed the nation and the congress detailing the adminstration’s plan for economic recovery, highlights energy, education, and health care initiatives.

Read the entire speech: Obama Feb. 24, 2009

Study Cites Obstacles for Poor to Renew Health Insurance

By Julie Bosman

More than a third of New York State’s recipients of Medicaid and other public health insurance programs fail to re-enroll on time, losing coverage even though they remain eligible, because of daunting paperwork and other obstacles, according to a new study.

The study by the New York State Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve public health through education and expanding access to high-quality care, said many people were deterred by Medicaid’s annual recertification process and that the resulting churning, in which recipients fall off the rolls and then reapply from scratch, costs the state money because it is more inefficient.

ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO OUTLINES LEGAL PROPOSAL TO REDUCE GOVERNMENT WASTE AND SAVE TAXPAYER MONEY

State’s Patchwork Quilt of over 10,500 Governmental Entities Buries Residents with Nation’s Highest Taxes and Outdated Services

New Law Proposes to Eliminate Legal Barriers that Make it Virtually Impossible for Citizens to Reform Local Government

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 11, 2008) – Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo outlined today a new legal proposal to give communities across the state the power to reform local governments. As the current fiscal climate continues to financially squeeze communities and residents across the state, Cuomo’s proposal is designed to cut government waste and reduce taxes. Currently, the state is home to over 10,500 governments that saddle residents with the nation’s highest taxes and leaves the state with layers of antiquated government entities and special districts.

Read the entire release from the Attorney General’s office: Reduce Waste

As Revenue Falls, M.T.A.’s Deficit Could Rise by $650 Million

By William Neuman

Plummeting tax and fare revenues that have been depressed further by the ailing economy could increase the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s budget deficit this year by $650 million, according to a new estimate made public on Monday. If the doomsday forecast is borne out, the authority’s deficit this year could grow to nearly $2 billion.

The authority has already proposed a steep increase in fares and deep service cuts if it does not get a state bailout. But if its finances worsen significantly, it could be forced to take even more drastic measures.

“This is obviously breathtaking,” Gary Dellaverson, the authority’s chief financial officer, said as he presented the projections to a meeting of the authority board’s finance committee.

Transit officials also said that average weekday subway ridership declined 2 percent in January compared with the same month last year, probably because of shrinking employment in the region. It was the first time that that measure of subway ridership had fallen since 2003, except in months where the drop was attributed to bad weather or quirks of the calendar, like holidays falling on weekdays.

Lower ridership also means less money collected in fares, worsening the authority’s fiscal straits. In January, the subway system recorded an average of 4.9 million trips each weekday, 98,000 fewer than in January 2008.

Mr. Dellaverson said that revenue from taxes on mortgages and real estate transactions was $71.5 million so far this year, slightly less than half of what the authority had predicted it would receive when it made what it thought was a conservative forecast late last year.

That forecast called for the authority to receive $880 million in real estate tax revenue in 2009. But Mr. Dellaverson said that if the trend continued, the authority could receive $446 million less than predicted.

Mr. Dellaverson cautioned that the figures he was presenting did not rise to the level of a formal budget forecast.

But the possibilities he sketched were grim enough.

They included a $123 million decline in fare and toll revenue, below what was budgeted. And he said that state taxes receipts that go to the authority, including a sales tax and a corporate income tax, could be $82 million less than forecast.

“The scary number is when you add them all up,” Mr. Dellaverson said.

That would put the total revenue decline for the year at about $650 million below what was in the austerity budget passed by the board in December.

That budget was meant to fill a predicted $1.2 billion gap, with a series of drastic financial measures, including a 23 percent increase in fare and toll revenues starting in June, deep service cuts and other budget cutbacks. (If the new estimate becomes reality, it would bring the deficit this year to more than $1.8 billion.)

As an alternative, the authority hopes that state lawmakers will pass a financial rescue plan proposed by a state commission headed by Richard Ravitch, a former authority chairman. That plan calls for a payroll tax to be paid by employers in the 12-county region served by the authority and for tolls on the East River and Harlem River bridges. It also incorporates a more moderate fare and toll revenue increase of 8 percent.

Together, those steps would be meant to hold off service cuts.

But the worsening financial situations raised fears that even the Ravitch plan might not be enough.

“I hate to think we’re going to have a budget that’s going to maybe end up with a $650 million deficit even after we’ve had these increases in either fares or tolls or taxes,” said a board member, James L. Sedore Jr.

Mr. Sedore was also critical of plans announced on Monday to carry out service cuts regardless of whether the Ravitch plan is approved by lawmakers.

“The concern that I have is that this was presented to the public as part of a budget package that would be avoided if we got the funding,” Mr. Sedore said. “Now we’re going back and saying, “Well, we’re going to do it anyway.’ ”

Howard H. Roberts Jr., the president of New York City Transit, said that he planned to make reductions in weekend subway service on most of the lettered subway lines. The reductions would save $4.4 million a year.

He said that the changes were meant to make weekend subway service more predictable, since it is already often disrupted by track and signal maintenance and improvement projects.

The plan is to set the time between trains at 10 minutes on the A, D, E, F, G, J, M, N, Q and R lines. Most weekend service on those lines runs with 8-minute gaps.

The changes are to begin in June. Similar changes were made in 2003 on the numbered lines.

“This is just terrible,” said Andrew Albert, a rider advocate with a nonvoting seat on the board. He called the changes “a major service cut.”

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GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES FIRST ECONOMIC RECOVERY PROJECTS, CREATING MORE THAN 1,100 JOBS

Outlines Approval Process for Transportation Projects Funded through Economic Recovery Act

State Economic Recovery Cabinet Continues Work to Identify, Prioritize Infrastructure Projects

Governor David A. Paterson today announced the first transportation projects eligible for federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be put to bid as early as March 5, creating thousands of jobs in Upstate New York. These projects include the replacement and repair of bridges in Steuben, Onondaga, Oneida and Herkimer counties, and will be fully-funded through the federal legislation. The Governor also outlined the process that will produce the final list of transportation projects to be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

“First, I want to reiterate my gratitude to the New York Congressional Delegation for their outstanding work in securing funding for these critical projects,” said Governor Paterson. “Clearly, there is a serious need in New York for federal infrastructure funding, and the projects announced today represent just a small number of the opportunities that will be funded with economic recovery dollars. This will be an open process with significant local input, and will create jobs across the State at a time when New York is facing widespread unemployment.”

The economic recovery funds coming to New York for transportation projects are required to be distributed through the same process that all federal transportation funds follow, and are not under the discretion of the Governor’s office. The funds will be allocated to projects that are selected by the 13 regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) across the State, which are comprised of local elected officials, local transit agency staff and members of the Department of Transportation. MPO’s vote unanimously on projects for their Transportation Improvements Programs (TIP), and economic recovery funds will be directed to projects on those lists. Similarly, regions of New York without MPO’s are served by the State Department of Transportation, which consults with local elected officials and selects projects for the State Transportation Improvement Program. The Department is working with local officials and the Governor’s Economic Recovery Cabinet to identify priority shovel-ready projects eligible for recovery funds.

The 13 MPO’s around the State have established schedules to update their Transportation Improvements Programs. Upcoming updates include:

• Adirondack/Glens Falls Transportation Council:  3/3/09
• Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study:  TBD
• Capital District Transportation Committee:  3/5/09
• Elmira-Chemung Transportation Council:  2/27/09
• Genesee Transportation Council:  3/12/09
• Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council:  2/23/09
• Herkimer-Oneida County Transportation Study:  2/26/09
• Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council:  3/10/09
• New York Metropolitan Transportation Council:  Ongoing
• Orange County Transportation Council:  2/24/09
• Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council:  3/3/09
• Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council:  2/25/09
• Ulster County Transportation Council:  3/5/09

A listing of MPO’s and links to their web sites are available at the State Economic Recovery and Reinvestment web site: www.economicrecovery.ny.gov. 

The Governor today also announced the first highway and bridge projects to be submitted to the federal Highway Administration for approximately $41 million of federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The State is able to announce the projects today because these projects already completed the federal aid process, as well as the many levels of environmental and design approval. The Federal Highway Administration has allowed the projects to be advertised for bid in advance of final approvals. Bids for these projects will be solicited as early as March 5.

“This is how the economic recovery package accelerates projects, puts people to work and frees up State resources for other projects, including transportation priorities that might not be eligible for federal funding,” the Governor said. “From the outset of this process our priorities were clear: identify critical infrastructure projects from across our State that put people to work quickly and efficiently. These projects will put thousands of New Yorkers to work.”

The projects include:

• Replacement of the I-86 Bridge over Rte. 415 in the Town of Erwin,  Steuben County
• Reconstruction of Delaware Avenue and Madison Avenue, Albany County
• Bridge Replacement of the Rte. 415 Bridge over Wolf Run Creek in the Town of Campbell, Steuben County
• Replacement of the Bartell Road bridge over I-81 in the Town of Cicero, Onondaga County
• Resurfacing of I-690 City of Syracuse
• Drainage Improvements in Steuben County
• Rehabilitation of the Route 169 Bridge over CSX and the Erie Canal, Herkimer County
• Resurfacing Routes 5a and 69 in Oneida County
• Bridge Repairs in Oneida County
• Bridge Maintenance including cleaning in Allegany, Steuben, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison and Montgomery counties
• Culvert repairs in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties

These projects represent a fraction of the shovel-ready projects already identified throughout the State, and are only a portion of the funding these regions will receive. Most projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be selected though the traditional federal, state and local processes. The Governor also created the State’s Economic Recovery Cabinet to ensure that the funds are not delayed because of permitting and other issues, to oversee reporting and transparency, to advise municipalities on the qualifying for federal funds and to ensure statewide distribution of the funds. This Cabinet’s work includes:

• Reviewing the federal legislation to ensure the State is taking advantage of all available funds
• Providing economic recovery criteria and regional outreach to municipalities, to guide local proposals
• Overseeing project management and permitting processes to ensure selected projects are expedited through the process to stay within the federal timeframe for work
• Ensuring compliance with all federal requirements, including Disadvantaged Business Enterprise targets, prevailing wages for laborers and mechanics, and transparency requirements

Additional quotes provided in support of the funded projects:

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said: “These projects are a fine kick-off for the Obama Economic Recovery Plan passed by Congress and will mean jobs, jobs, jobs for Upstate New York. This is just what we need to get and keep people working during these tough economic times and to improve our aging roads. I thank Governor Paterson for quickly moving forward with this process.”

U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said: “This is great news for New York and it is just the beginning. New York needs all the federal dollars we can get to help support the State’s infrastructure and create jobs for our communities. I will continue to work with Governor Paterson, Senator Schumer and leaders across the State to ensure that New York receives its fair share of economic recovery dollars.”

Congressman Michael Arcuri said: “I am pleased that the State of New York is quickly investing stimulus funds in our region. I’m confident today’s announcement is only the beginning of future funding awards for critical local infrastructure projects. The unemployment rate throughout Upstate New York is a clear indication that we need to invest stimulus funding in local projects to spur economic activity and create jobs.  I will continue to work with the Governor and State elected officials to make sure our region’s shovel-ready priority projects receive stimulus funds.”

Congressman Eliot L. Engel said: “The rebuilding of our infrastructure is essential to our country’s economic recovery. This is a good start to that process and I thank Governor Paterson for his quick work.”

Congressman Dan Maffei said: “The Recovery and Reinvestment Act is making historic investments in infrastructure that will create jobs and benefit our community. Governor Paterson and his staff have acted swiftly to get these funds to work, and I am very pleased that some of the first projects in the State to receive funds are right here in Central New York.”

Congressman Eric J. J. Massa said: “Today’s announcement that the 29th Congressional District is likely up for the earliest of funding with two important transportation and infrastructure projects, like the I-415 bridge over Wolf Run Creek in Campbell and the I-86 bridge over I-415 in Erwin, emphasizes the shovel-ready projects this Stimulus Package is supporting. This is what this bill is really all about: immediate jobs and improvements in our communities. I look forward to working closely with the Governor’s office as we continue to build for the future.”

Congressman Paul D. Tonko said: “I am thrilled to see that the Delaware Avenue reconstruction project will be done as part of the economic recovery package. It’s projects like these that will put people back to work and serve as a down payment on fixing the crumbling infrastructure of cities like Albany, which don’t have the resources to do it alone. We appreciate that Governor Paterson is moving quickly to identify these key projects and we look forward to collaborating on more in the coming weeks.”

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said: “New York needs to take full advantage of the stimulus plan.  The Governor’s plan will help the State move decisively without sacrificing transparency and accountability.  These days, every dime counts, and putting shovel ready projects out to bid as soon as possible will make sure New York gets full value of all its federal stimulus dimes.”

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith said: “I applaud Governor Paterson for taking quick and decisive steps to identify transportation and infrastructure projects which, through the federal stimulus bill, can put New York back on the road to economic recovery. In Upstate New York, where our economy has arguably struggled the most, job creation and protection, as well as sound economic development is absolutely essential to the long-term economic growth of our State. Together with a renewed commitment to fiscal discipline and prudent spending practices, we can start to build the foundation of a new economy, one that from Buffalo to Brooklyn, Syracuse to Staten Island, will put New Yorkers back to work and help maintain our status as the Empire State.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said: “It is great news for all New Yorkers that we will get federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for much-needed infrastructure projects, and that local officials from around the State are involved in the selection of the projects. I want to thank the members of New York’s Congressional delegation for their hard work in securing these funds for the State, as well as the Assembly members who helped identify the projects that are so important to the economic well-being and safety of their communities.”

Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco said: “The recession has sent fiscal shock waves through our local, state and national economies. Left in its wake are families, communities and small businesses that are struggling to pick up the pieces.  What our State needs right now is for the federal stimulus funding to make its way back to New York in a straight line, so people who are hurting have access to some much-needed relief.  Now, it is incumbent upon federal, state and local leaders to set politics aside and work together to ensure this funding is administered in a timely, targeted and transparent manner.”

State Senator Darrel J. Aubertine said: “The first phase of transportation and infrastructure projects is the beginning of the economic recovery we’re working for in Central and Northern New York as well as throughout the State. In Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, our highway departments and the Department of Transportation have done great work over the years with the upkeep of our roads, culverts and bridges. This money will help maintain that excellence, complete much needed projects and keep people in both the public and private sectors working. These and similar projects not only infuse revenue into our economy, but give New Yorkers and the American people something show for their money into the future.”

State Senator Neil Breslin said: “Delaware and Madison Avenues are vital to the Capitol Region’s economic health. Using the federal stimulus package for reconstruction will create jobs, beautify our neighborhoods, and provide significant economic benefits to local businesses by improving the transit infrastructure. I commend the Governor for prioritizing this project, and for partnering with myself and my colleagues here in Albany to ensure that the stimulus package provides both immediate and long-term economic benefits.”

State Senator John DeFrancisco said: “I am very pleased that the federal stimulus package will provide aid for several Upstate road and bridge projects, including funding to repave parts of Interstate 690 in the City of Syracuse. This project will help to improve the highway and create much needed jobs for our workforce.”

State Senator Joseph A. Griffo said: “We quickly need to lay the groundwork for sustainable development that will lead to fixing the Upstate economy. Like some other New Yorkers, I don’t believe that the stimulus will cure what ails Upstate right now. If it starts with these small projects, then we need to put the shovel in the ground and continue to push forward.”

State Senator James L. Seward said: “I’m pleased to see federal stimulus dollars being spent in the 51st district on a much needed infrastructure project. This will bring the construction jobs to the area and will hopefully be the first of many announcements benefiting the communities of the Mohawk Valley.”

State Senator David J. Valesky said: “I applaud President Obama and Governor Paterson for understanding that putting people back to work is the best way to stimulate our economy. These very important improvements to Central New York’s transportation infrastructure are a first big step toward getting the Upstate economy back on track. I am working with the Governor and my colleagues to invest stimulus money wisely and protect the people’s investment while growing our economy.”

State Senator George Winner said: “I’m hopeful that we can continue to focus and direct these efforts toward meaningful community, infrastructure and economic development initiatives that produce long-term regional benefits. These projects represent a very positive beginning in Steuben County.”

Assemblyman Marc W. Butler said: “I am pleased that the Federal Economic Stimulus Package contains funds for a project in Herkimer County. New York State currently does not have the means to fund the rehabilitation of the Route 169 bridge so these funds are arriving just in time and are greatly appreciated.”

Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito said: “This funding will help ensure that these major commercial corridors are safer for the thousands of drivers who use them every day. It also will boost economic development in our region by putting more people to work helping to improve the aging infrastructure here in the Mohawk Valley.”

Assemblyman William B. Magnarelli said: “It is a great opportunity to use federal money to support and modernize local infrastructure. I-690 is a key arterial within the Syracuse area.  It will serve as visual confirmation that the government is taking action to put people back to work.”

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell said: “I am happy that the Governor has included North Country projects in the first wave of infrastructure improvements provided for in the stimulus package. These stimulus dollars will come quickly and have an immediate economic impact and lay the groundwork for more projects. Our roads and bridges are vital to our area and without help like this, the burden would fall to our local communities to fund these projects. These are projects that will bring dollars immediately and we look forward to more announcements as more decisions are made regarding the allocation of the stimulus package.”

Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava said: “I am pleased to hear the Federal Economic Stimulus Package will provide considerable funding towards culvert repairs in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. I have always said that if we are to get serious about revitalizing the Upstate economy, we must first get serious about revitalizing the Upstate infrastructure. It is my hope this stimulus funding will be the jump-start we need to begin our road to economic recovery so our region can attract businesses capable of sustaining well-paying jobs.”

Assemblyman Al Stirpe said: “I’m glad to see that the money from the Federal Stimulus is being put to use as quickly as possible. Updating Central New York’s infrastructure will create jobs and help the local economy. The Bartell Road Bridge has been in a severe state of disrepair for a number of years now and repairing it will be a tremendous boost because it is such an important link to the hamlet of Brewerton.”

Assemblyman Dave Townsend said: “I was happy to see that the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contains appropriations for important job-creation programs in the 115th Assembly District. Specifically, I am pleased to announce that State routes 5A and 69 in Oneida will benefit immediately from shovel-ready resurfacing projects designed to employ individuals in our area. By refurbishing this stretch of roadway, we can put people back to work, enhance the economic competitiveness of our area, and improve the quality of life for every resident of Central New York. I look forward to working closely with Governor Paterson and local officials to get New York moving at full speed once more.”

Albany County Executive Michael G. Breslin said: “I salute Governor Paterson for his efforts to bring federal stimulus money to our region and I am pleased to join him in announcing one of the first projects to be funded in Albany County. Projects, like the reconstruction of Madison and Delaware Avenues, will improve traffic flows, promote economic development and ensure safety.”

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney said: “We are pleased by the quick release of stimulus funds for Onondaga County. There are many infrastructure needs within our local community, including the Bartell Road Bridge Project. This is an important step in putting  people back to work and stimulating our local economy

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picenti said: “I appreciate the speed in which the Governor is moving the stimulus money to our county so that the much needed projects can begin allowing people to get back to work as soon as the weather allows.”

City of Syracuse Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll said: “Governor Paterson understands that the federal stimulus dollars need to flow quickly to meet critical infrastructure needs, and most importantly, to put New Yorkers back to work. I look forward to working with the Governor’s stimulus team to find more projects we can advance here in Syracuse and Central New York.”

City of Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings said: “I applaud Governor Paterson for his assistance in funneling stimulus money to the City of Albany for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Delaware Avenue from the City line to Madison Avenue.  This shovel-ready project is illustrative of how President Obama has envisioned the use of these funds, which will not only create numerous jobs, but also, result in an enhanced gateway, and contribute to our efforts in the revitalization of this most important Albany neighborhood for both residents and visitors.”

M.T.A. Plan for Revenue Draws Host of Critics

by Ken Belson

An array of city, state and federal elected officials sharply criticized the proposals to bail out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at a legislative hearing on Thursday, raising fresh concerns about whether the proposals can survive in Albany.

City Council members opposed a plan to introduce tolls on the East and Harlem Rivers. Representative Anthony D. Weiner and business groups said they were against introducing a new payroll tax. And state senators, as well as many advocacy groups, disagreed with the proposal for an 8 percent fare increase.

The proposals are a rescue plan for the authority that was proposed by a state commission created by the governor and headed by Richard Ravitch, a former authority chairman.

“Some of my colleagues said the Ravitch plan is dead on arrival,” State Senator Martin Malavé Dilan, a Democrat of Brooklyn, said on Thursday. “They said to me there’s no way they can vote for it. It’s the M.T.A.’s responsibility to convince my colleagues.”

The Ravitch plan includes imposing tolls on the Harlem River and East River bridges connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, and introducing a new tax on payrolls in the 12 counties served by the authority. The new payroll tax would raise $1.5 billion a year.

With few exceptions, the speakers, who included City Council members, transit advocates and community groups, opposed some part of the plan.

They also took aim at what they called draconian service cuts, and large fare and toll increases that the M.T.A. is planning if the Ravitch plan is not approved by the State Legislature next month.

State Senator Bill Perkins of Manhattan, who led the hearing, at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building in Harlem, asked Mr. Ravitch several times if his commission had considered ways to avoid raising public transit fares.

Mr. Ravitch said that some fare increases were necessary. He said his plan was needed not just to help close the M.T.A.’s $1.2 billion budget gap, but to ensure that all constituents — including drivers and subway, railroad and bus riders — share the burden.

“Nobody likes to pay anything,” Mr. Ravitch said in answer to questions by Senators Perkins and Dilan. “We concluded that the only ultimately feasible way to get the financing done is come up with recommendations that everyone contribute.”

The 8 percent toll increase in Mr. Ravitch’s plan is far less than the 23 percent increase approved by the M.T.A. in December. The agency also plans to increase the tolls on its bridges, if paid with cash, to $6.50 each way from $5.

Elliot G. Sander, chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said his agency would have to lay off 1,100 employees if Mr. Ravitch’s plan were not adopted. He said his agency had already merged some administrative functions to save about $40 million a year.

“We are clearly at a crossroads,” Mr. Sander said. “Times are tough this year, but times will be even tougher if the State Legislature doesn’t act.”

Senator Dilan said the Senate “will try to move as quickly as possible.”

Representative Weiner said the state should not be rushed into considering the Ravitch plan, which he said was filled with “old ideas.” He opposed the payroll tax as a burden on the middle class and small businesses.

Instead, he said that more help would most likely come from the federal government.

“We should step back from the apocalypse,” he said. “There’s going to be help coming from Washington.”

The new payroll tax was also opposed by several business groups, as well as Pattern for Progress, a research group for businesses in the northern suburbs. Jonathan Drapkin, the president of the group, said that the M.T.A. already received revenue from as many as seven taxes, and that a new payroll tax was unacceptable to suburban residents who use M.T.A. services far less than city residents.

“The state has turned to a series of Band-Aids,” Mr. Drapkin said. “This is one tax too many.”

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CDC: ‘Young invincibles’ have significant health concerns

by Madison Park

The perception is that 20-somethings are youthful and robust, in the peak of their health.

But a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that young adults have their fair share of health woes.

A third of 18- to 29-year-olds, a demographic the insurance industry calls “young invincibles,” are cigarette smokers. A quarter are obese, as the rates among young adults have tripled in the past three decades. Nearly two-thirds of young adults reported not having regular leisure-time physical activity.

“At that age, people tend to be healthy but take it for granted,” said Dr. Jennifer Shu, CNNhealth’s Living Well expert. “Diabetes and heart disease start at much earlier ages now. The obesity and cigarettes can impact how young you might be when you get a serious illness.”

And when young adults get seriously ill, they can find themselves in a bind: A third of people ages 20 to 24 are uninsured. They are too old to qualify for their parents’ insurance, looking for work or in a job that doesn’t provide health insurance.

“It’s a transitional time in people’s lives,” said Sara Collins, an economist and assistant vice president for the Program on the Future of Health Insurance at the Commonwealth Fund.

The organization’s research about young adults found that a year after they’d finished school, a third of college graduates lacked health insurance.

“Young adults often lose coverage if they don’t go on to college,” she said. “If you’re insured through Medicaid or a state insurance program, when you turn 19, you’re reclassified as an adult; you lose coverage.”

Dr. S. Todd Callahan, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University, has seen teenage patients with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, congenital heart disease and cystic fibrosis age out of their family’s insurance.

“They’re navigating the changes in health insurance,” Callahan said. “Many of them struggle, fall out of care. We have patients we see, all of a sudden we don’t see them any more, only to re-emerge with a health care crisis. They’re trying to navigate the system, and there are lots of gaps.”

Attention is focused on teenage years, but the young adult years are often neglected, he said. “When a youth reaches their 20s, they’re in a vulnerable time. The social supports for adolescents fall by the wayside, become discontinuous.”

Deaths caused by suicide, homicide or accidents are two to three times more likely for young adults than for adolescents, Callahan said. The CDC reports that in 2005, unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide accounted for 70 percent of deaths among young adults 18 to 29.

“There’s a perception that after adolescence, it’s smooth sailing — that if we just get adolescents through their adolescent years, things get better and easier,” Callahan said. “Instead, many of the same things we worry about in adolescence get worse, and the social support fragments beneath them.”

According to the CDC’s 2008 statistics on the nation’s health, 45 percent of young women between the ages of 20 and 24 in the United States were infected with human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer, in 2003-04.

This is problematic for people who don’t regularly get medical care, said Shu, who is also a pediatrician with the Children’s Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia.

“The prevalence of HPV — that’s just one sexually transmitted infection,” she said. “There’s so many others that are very common in young women. A lot of women don’t get tested, because many of them don’t cause symptoms. There are hidden illnesses that they don’t realize, because they don’t feel sick.”

The CDC report also said:

* Almost 40 percent of adults 18 to 20 years of age, about one-third of 21- to 25-year-olds and a quarter of 26- to 29-year-olds reported using an illicit drug in the past year.

* One-fifth of young adults reported having five or more drinks in a day on at least 12 days in the past year.

* Young adults also have one of the highest rates of injury-related emergency department visits of all age groups.

Health insurance

Some experts argue that because young adults are an inexpensive group to insure, age limits in the federal program State Children’s Health Insurance Program should be extended.

Other efforts have been launched to reach the young and uninsured. In 2004, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Blue Shield in California introduced a health insurance option geared towards young people, called Tonik. Insurance information is written in more youthful language, and the Web site flashes images of young people. According to the company, approximately 78 percent of Tonik enrollees were previously uninsured.

Even with health care plans, young people have trouble paying for health insurance. With grim economic forecasts and more than half a million jobs lost in January, many can’t afford the coverage.

Dr. Jay Parkinson, chief innovation officer of Hello Health, suggested finding an affordable physician and paying cash for visits to the office.

“If you’re looking to prevent financial ruin [in case of a medical emergency], you can purchase the highest-deductible insurance you can get,” he said. “People young and healthy only use the doctor three or four times a year, so the amount of money you save with a high deductible, you can put that into an account as a buffer [for the deductible].”

For example, he said, a health insurance plan in New York with a high deductible would cost about $150 a month, compared with a $600-a-month plan with a lower deductible.

Click here to read the CDC Press Release

Click here to read the full CDC Report