All Over Albany

Feds recommend smaller landfill expansion, advocates say budget process too opaque, unions upset about chip fab jobs, bank robber injures teller, call it a reverto

Two federal agencies are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to scale back the proposed expansion of Albany's landfill. The recommended smaller addition would only add 2.5 years worth of capacity to the dump. It's projected that the landfill will be full by the end of this year. [TU]

Good government groups say this year's state budget process is one of the most opaque since the 1980s. [TU]

Behind those closed doors, leaders are trying to cover a $14 billion budget gap -- and new taxes on households making more than $250,000 is apparently on the table. Opponents of the new tax have argued that the higher taxes will cause rich people to flee the state, but a demographer from Princeton says there's little evidence that would actually happen. [NYT]

A survey of CEOs ranks New York among the worst states in which to do business. Among the reasons: high taxes. [Biz Review]

Schenectady's bid to fire some of its cops could end up being very expensive -- the city's had to hire outside counsel to pursue the termination cases. Mayor Brian Stratton says the city has now added a sixth officer to the list. [Daily Gazette]

The Schenectady School Board has accepted the retirement of Steven Raucci, the district employee accused of arson and terrorism. The board's president said firing Raucci was not an option. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Union leaders say they have "grave concerns" that GlobalFoundries won't guarantee a certain portion of the chip fab construction jobs to union members. They're now pushing state leaders to get involved. [TU]

More than 300 local union workers have been involved in a training program to learn how to construct "clean rooms" for chip fabs. [Post-Star]

A bank robber injured a teller yesterday while knocking over a bank in East Greenbush. The robber took off on a bike before later hopping in a pickup truck. [TU] [Troy Record]

Two people in Troy were arrested yesterday after police say they were involved with selling heroin. Police seized $3,700 worth of heroin during the arrest.

The Schenectady family that was run over while crossing State Street is recovering, but it's been tough. They were nearly evicted from their home after falling behind on rent and the mother has been admitted after trying to commit suicide. [Daily Gazette]

Guilderland councilman Warren Redlich has recommended that the town stop issuing tickets to drivers with a blood alcohol level of .05 (that's "driving with ability impaired") as a way of easing the strain on the town's overloaded court system. That hasn't gone over well with anti-drunk driving activists. [TU]

Guilderland Supervisor Ken Runion says he may not run for re-election because of the flaming he's received online. [TU]

The study of Latin is experiencing a bit of a comeback in some local school districts, Shen foremost among them. [TU]

Jack's Drive-In in Wynantskill has opened for the season. [Troy Record]