State delaying refund checks, Save the Y rally, father of American Idol judge to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand, Hasbrouck makes NBA
David Paterson says the state is delaying the distribution tax refund checks in order to keep the state afloat. Paterson and legislative leaders are finally meeting to negotiate the budget. [TU] [TU]
Paterson said yesterday that "we wouldn't project that the Saratoga racing season is in jeopardy at this point." Members of the racing industry have said recently the Saratoga season could be in doubt because of problems with New York City OTB and the stalled-again Aqueduct racino. [YNN]
Paterson signed The Family Health Care Decisions Act yesterday, which allows family members and close friends to make decisions on behalf of a patient who lacks capacity. The law has broad support, but was hung up in the legislature for 17 years. [YNN] [TU]
More than 100 people showed up yesterday for the Save the Y rally outside the Washington Ave location in Albany (photo above -- more photos here). Protesters criticized the Capital District YMCA and city officials for their handling of the location's now-imminent closure. A spokesman for the Y says it "just wasn't possible" to keep the location open. [Fox23] [Sebastien B] [TU] [YNN]
Day 11 of the Steven Raucci trial focused on testimony by former Schenectady school district athletic director Gary DiNola, who testified that an un-exploded device left on his car and vandalism of his house had "terrorized" his family. The testimony featured a heated exchange between DiNola and Raucci's lawyers, who objected to his characterization of the situation. Emails introduced as evidence indicated Raucci at one point wrote to DiNola: "I'm not a tolerant person to begin with. I'm even less tolerant of people who show me disrespect." In an email from DiNola to district superintendent Eric Ely, DiNola said that he had "learned to park my beat-up Volvo in front of the security cameras near the loading dock." [Daily Gazette $] [TU] [Fox23] [CBS6]
During testimony in the trial of his former fiancee, fallen Albany community leader Aaron Dare detailed how he and deceased APD detect Ken Wilcox set up an elaborate mortgage fraud scheme. [TU]
The Paterson administration says it has emails that show the governor was invited to that Yankees World Series game. And a lawyer for Paterson aide David Johnson says his client never responded to a subpoena from the state ethics commission about the Yankees tickets -- because it came in an unmarked envelope and he didn't open it. [NYDN] [NYT]
Expelled state senator Hiram Monserrate fell well short in his bid to win back his seat in a special election. Monserrate vowed (threatened?), "This is not the last of Hiram Monserrate." [NYT] [NYDN]
The latest Republican to jump into the pool of challengers to Kirsten Gillibrand: former congressman Joseph DioGuardi. His daughter is American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. [NYT] [NYDN]
MoveOn is spending $36k on TV ads aimed at pressuring Scott Murphy to vote "yes" on the healthcare reform bill. [Daily Politics]
The Saratoga Springs city council has issued a freeze on hiring and large equipment purchases. The council is also taking a 10 percent pay cut. [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette $]
Police say a bundled up man robbed the Key Bank at Colvin and Washington in Albany yesterday morning with a note. [YNN] [Fox23]
Residents in Albany's Pine Hills neighborhood are trying to get a zoning variance revoked from an apartment building owned by a landlord with a history of problem properties. [TU]
Former Siena basketball great Kenny Hasbrouck has signed a 10-day contract with the NBA's Miami Heat. He's the first Siena player to make an NBA team. [AP/TU]
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okay - when state taxation or IRS discovers, years after the fact, that I owe them more money, I get hit with hundreds in interest and penalties on balances I didn't even know existed. Can we turn the tables on them and ask for interest on the refunds of our money we can't get on time?
... said upstater on Mar 17, 2010 at 6:31 PM | link