Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Tom DiNapoli

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Authorities Budget Office Director Jeffrey Pearlman run the two watchdog agencies that advocates expect to investigate MTA construction bloat, but neither office says it's pursuing the matter. Pearlman photo via Bearian/Wikimedia Commons

Will Any of New York’s Government Watchdogs Lift a Finger to Control MTA Construction Costs?

By Ben Fried | Feb 1, 2018 | 4 Comments

Despite the incalculable value of the NYC transit system to the welfare of the city and state, no one in government is racing to solve the MTA's cost problem.

DiNapoli: Most New York DWI Offenders Ditching Ignition Interlocks

By Brad Aaron | Oct 9, 2015 | 3 Comments

Ignition interlock devices, intended to prevent cars from starting if alcohol is detected in a driver’s breath, can be an effective tool to curb drunk driving. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s DMV rule reforms include an interlock requirement for drivers who are issued restricted licenses after multiple DWI convictions. In 2009 the state legislature passed Leandra’s Law, which among other things mandates six […]

DiNapoli: If Cuomo Borrows More for the MTA, Get Ready for Fat Fare Hikes

By Stephen Miller | Oct 21, 2014 | 13 Comments

Without a commitment from the state to close the $15.2 billion gap in the MTA’s capital program, the cost of a MetroCard is likely to spike as the MTA adds to its cumbersome debt load, according to a new report from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli [PDF]. The warning comes as Governor Andrew Cuomo and the legislature […]

Straphangers Will Be Asked to Shoulder MTA’s Growing Debt and Labor Costs

By Stephen Miller | Oct 3, 2012 | No Comments

A new report [PDF] from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says that the MTA budget picture is slowly improving as tax collections and ridership increase with a recovering economy, but that won’t protect straphangers from big fare hikes. Revenues from the Payroll Mobility Tax and the more volatile tax on real estate transactions are […]

Albany Grabs Another $16.7 Million From MTA

By Noah Kazis | Oct 5, 2010 | 22 Comments

Last week, the MTA announced it lost another $16.7 million to an Albany raid [PDF]. Because of lower-than-expected federal assistance for Medicaid, Albany instituted an across-the-board budget sweep of 1.1 percent, cutting state spending and also siphoning off theoretically separate revenue streams dedicated to specific programs and agencies, like the MTA. It’s a reminder that the […]

DiNapoli’s Press Release Obscures Biggest Source of MTA Budget Woes

By Ben Fried and Noah Kazis | Sep 29, 2010 | 8 Comments

Earlier this week State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli came out with his latest report on the MTA’s troubled finances [PDF], and if you take a look at the numbers, the big takeaway is pretty stark. Without funding for the $9.9 billion hole in the agency’s capital program, MTA debt will soar even higher. If legislators don’t […]