OTYI Post #8: Will Bloomberg's Unpopularity Skyrocket To Mars?

Is the NYC mayor being environmentally friendly or... a total ass? You decide.

Via CBS: A controversial new plan is about to be implemented to improve the quality of life in New York City. This weekend Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to introduce an $8 congestion fee for drivers who enter Manhattan below 86th Street.

A mayoral panel has proposed charging motorists to enter Manhattan below 86th Street from 6 am to 6 p.m. That charge would:

1-- Include any bridge or tunnel tolls people already pay
2-- Exempt drivers who bypass the business district on their way to another part of the city.
3-- Exempt taxi drivers, and possibly give discounts for people who live and work in the zone.

Advocates said it's crucial for a city that's expected to add another million people in the next 20 years. Opposition has already formed in the boroughs outside of Manhattan, where some view Bloomberg as a Manhattan elitist. Former Queens Councilman Walter McCaffrey represents a group opposed to the idea.

"Those individuals who are not that well to do are going to find they're being hit with a $5,000 a year tax," McCaffrey said. This could set off a battle royale from here to Albany, where the legislature would have to approve the plan. The mayor will unveil details of it on Sunday when he delivers a speech on the future of New York City. In that speech, the mayor is expected to outline an ambitious agenda for his final 32 months in office. He'll propose a new $7.5 billion freight tunnel under the Hudson River, and call for the construction of 250,000 new homes.

MP3: Sondre Lerche - Airport Taxi Reception

Posted on 8:50 AM / 0 comments / Read More

OTYI #4: The Official NYC Condom!

Oh, I'm not foolin ya! Via Breitbart: Available soon from City Hall: an official New York condom in a jazzy wrapper, perhaps one printed with a colorful subway map or some other city theme. New York City hands out 1.5 million free condoms a month in ordinary wrappers, and health officials figure people would be more likely to actually use them if the packaging were more distinctive.

"Brands work, and people use branded items more than they use non- branded items, whether it's a cola or a medicine, even," Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said. The health department, which uses the condom program to fight AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, said it still considering package designs. Among the possibilities: a subway theme, with the various lines shown in different colors.

The 18 million free condoms each year go to hundreds of organizations, which distribute them at health clinics and advocacy groups, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, nail salons and prisons. By comparison, the Los Angeles County health department gives out just over a million condoms per year. New York buys the condoms for 4 cents each, or $720,000 annually, health officials said.

City officials, who conduct an annual health survey, say a memorable package could also help them gauge how often people actually use the city's condom. "If they describe our wrapper, then we'll know that they would have used our condom," Frieden said. More than 100,000 New Yorkers have HIV or AIDS, and AIDS is the third-leading cause of death among New Yorkers under 65.

MP3: Frank Sinatra - New York New York

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