NYS Authority regulation
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
"The state’s vast, often-impenetrable public authorities will get
stricter oversight than ever under a measure that the State Assembly
approved on Wednesday."
"The measure would require greater disclosure at the approximately 700
state authorities, which, despite their enormous role in government,
have been relatively free to operate without the scrutiny that other
state agencies receive."
for full article please see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/nyregion/19albany.html?hpw
In 1974 Robert Caro wrote a Pulitzer-prize winning book documenting
the power and secretiveness of the Triborough Bridge & Tunnel
Authority. His work included references to other reporters who broke
through various NY authorities in the 1950s and 1960s.
So, it's only now, 50 years later, that they're getting around to more
transparency laws?
OR: perhaps adequate laws already exist (the MTA books are available
online and in person in gory detail), but the legislator just wants
to be seen as doing something.
'Mr. Paterson and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had objected to many of
that bill’s measures, which they said were too broad. For example, the
governor was concerned about a provision that would have required the
state comptroller to review all contracts that authorities awarded
worth more than $1 million."
Will all of this help NY transportation or hinder it?
Bolwerk
> In 1974 Robert Caro wrote a Pulitzer-prize winning book documenting
> the power and secretiveness of the Triborough Bridge & Tunnel
> Authority. His work included references to other reporters who broke
> through various NY authorities in the 1950s and 1960s.
>
> So, it's only now, 50 years later, that they're getting around to more
> transparency laws?
Well, one thing you have to hand to Moses, his graft got jobs done into
the 1960s. The current authorities seem to just squander resources and
opportunities and then come back begging for more $.
zzyzxroad
from personal experience
NYS Thruway and NYSDOT, public records req for const plans are handled
very expeditiously but $3 a printed sheet is outrageous
currently, NYSDOT const plans are available free on cd if you supply
the cd
old plans/as-builts are not available electronically as of this time
hopefully eventually they will
Thruway, no plans current or otherwise are available electronically
In all honesty, the Thruway is dragging its feet
MTA: unfortunately, public records requests take forever and ever
I have not made one in some years and I doubt since 9-11 they are any
better
on a historical note, back in the 1970's I wrote the TBTA for info on
signing
no joke, they sent me signing plans for every sign on TBTA facilities,
the VZ, Henry Hudson, Triboro, Whitestone, the bridges to the
Rockaways, Midtown Tunnel, Battery Tunnel, all of them
I wish they were anything like that today
zzyzxroad
we have been thru this so many times
he did not have the environmental laws
he did not have the neighborhood boards
MTA B & T can have plans ready to go for a particular project and one
idiot on a community board can send it back 5 years
RM did not have anything like that to deal with
a good example is the 2nd ave subway
how many neighborhood boards does that go thru
and they have quite a bit of power
the reason they exist is because of RM