Ashland
Ashland, NY · Municipal
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The Overlook
wamc.org
Albany mayor defends decision to attend conference in Puerto Rico
Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs is defending her decision to attend a conference in Puerto Rico while the city works to pass a balanced budget. Applyrs and two members of the Albany Common Council — Majority Leader Alfredo Balarin and Majority Whip Owusu Anane — attended the annual Somos conference in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan from Wednesday to Saturday.
New York Post
Expect Albany’s leaders to throw away its $8B Wall Street revenue windfall
Albany just got a windfall of $8 billion — get ready to watch the state’s leaders throw it away. Wall Street bonuses are soaring for a third straight year, not only producing an $8 billion surplus this year, but also slashing the coming year’s deficit by $6.4 billion to $2.9 billion, a gap the current overage can obviously cover. As state Budget Director Blake Washington noted Tuesday, “It’s hard to talk about new taxes when revenues are performing the way they are,” indicating that Gov. Kathy Hochul won’t be proposing tax hikes, but only “presenting a new favorable financial plan.” This explains Hochul ‘s comment to reporters at the Somos junket in Puerto Rico, namely that she’s open to new taxes “if there’s a need.” Where California Propositions stand as votes are tallied: Prop 40 wealth tax, home loan funds and more Of course, that doesn’t rule out a political need. She’s facing intense pressure from Mayor Zohran Mamdani to hike taxes, because for the socialists, the huge amount of taxes the rich already pay is never enough: They must be punished until they flee New York, taking this massive windfall with them. California voters overwhelmingly reject union-backed Prop. 44
spectrumlocalnews.com
Albany County Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin weighs in on major redevelopment projects in Albany
This weekend on In Focus, Albany County Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin discusses the importance of community engagement, equitable investment and ensuring underserved neighborhoods have a voice in local government decisions. She weighs in on major redevelopment projects in Albany, including proposed data center development and the distribution of state funding, emphasizing...