All Over Albany

More budget reaction, power almost completely restored, Kennedy goes upstate, Pine Hills residents upset about crime, police say penis guy wasn't wearing shirt or shoes

A Siena poll reports that 78 percent of people polled support raising taxes on people making $1 million a year or more as a way to help cover the state's budget gap. The Paterson budget plan currently doesn't include such a tax. [SRI]

There's some question as to whether the Luther Forest chip fab would still qualify for all its tax breaks under the Paterson budget plan's proposed adjustment to the Empire Zone program. Yesterday the state approve the transfer of $650 million in incentives from AMD to the spin-off company that will be building the fab. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Proposed cuts to state subsidies for Amtrak could halt service between Albany and Montreal. The line that runs between Rutland and Albany could also be in jeopardy, which -- when combined with the possible cut of the Montreal route -- would mean the station in Saratoga Springs would be left with no trains. [TU]

Liquor store owners are upset by David Paterson's proposal to let supermarkets sell wine. They say rules prohibiting them from owning more than one location and from staying open late will hurt their ability to compete with the supermarket chains. [TU]

Almost 2,000 homes in the Capital Region are still without power. A National Grid spokesperson said the ice storm was like "our version of a hurricane." [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette]

Caroline Kennedy made stops in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo yesterday as part of her non-campaign campaign for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. She also may -- or may not -- have said she'd be running for the seat in 2010 if she's not appointed. [NYT] [AP/TU]

Troy police still have not ruled whether the death of an RPI student in his apartment was a homicide, suicide or accident. They say the first officer on the scene did find a gun and an open wallet near the student's body. Witnesses who said they had been interviewed by police said the police had mentioned items were stolen from the student's apartment. [TU] [Troy Record]

Jerry Jennings and Albany police chief James Tuffy attended a neighborhood forum in Pine Hills last night -- and anxious residents told them it seems like the level of crime is rising in the neighborhood. Tuffey said he's working "working with people so that the perception doesn't get that [crime is] more serious than it is." [WNYT] [CBS6]

Momentive Performance Materials -- the former GE Silcones -- laid off another 15 people. Its union has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board over an earlier round of 225 layoffs and pay cuts to 400 others. [Troy Record] [Daily Gazette]

Police say a driver in a stolen car crashed into a bus stop in Troy early this morning, seriously injuring a person inside the bus shelter. [CapNews9]

More details about Penis Guy allegedly stealing that truck in Saratoga. Police say he carjacked the truck on Rt 50 in Wilton, then drove it to downtown Saratoga Springs where he parked it at the police station -- exiting the vehicle wearing no shoes or shirt. Said a state police investigator: "We're still trying to figure out his motivation and state of mind." [TU] [Saratogian]

Ten people from the Capital Region won tickets to next month's presidential inauguration in a lottery held by Chuck Schumer's office. [Daily Gazette]

Obama's nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, is an Albany Law grad. [TU]

The Center City building in downtown Schenectady is getting a new glass and steel addition> at the corner of State and Jay streets. [Daily Gazette]

The Bridge Street Bridge in Cohoes will be closed in March for reconstruction. It could be closed for more than a year. [Troy Record]

The local Red Cross is looking for donations to help it cover cost of its response to the recent ice storm. [CapNews9]