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Silver and Smith in 'feud' as MTA doomesday cuts becomes closer to reality


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Here an update on the events in Albany.

 

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith in MTA fight as Deadline approaches.

BY Glenn Blain, Kenneth Lovett and Pete Donohue

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

 

Saturday, April 25th 2009

 

 

Negotiations over the latest MTA bailout deal blew up Friday amid bitter squabbling between Senate and Assembly leaders, sources said.

 

 

Negotiations over an MTA bailout deal blew up Friday amid bitter squabbling between Senate and Assembly leaders, sources said.

 

A conference call to discuss the rescue collapsed when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's staff learned the state Senate had already introduced its own bill and planned to vote on it next week, sources said. "Malcolm and Shelly are having a huge fight," said one source with ties to both Silver and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat. "The staffs are not speaking." The political leaders feud started when a month ago, after Silver refused to let the Assembly vote on Smith's first bailout plan.

 

 

Silver is reported upset at Silver because the State Senate Leader introduced his latest proposal earlier this week without any notice to the Assembly Leader. The Senator new propsal includes a new $1.00 tax on all NYC taxi services and a payroll charge. Controversy grows in which half of the estimated $500 Million yearly created by this new funding source also goes to maintence highway projects in both Long Island and Upstate.

 

Multiple sources said Silver was upset Smith formally introduced his bill. "This is one-upping the Senate to show you're still in charge," said a source close to Smith. Smith is spending the weekend on an 'important business' trip in Puerto Rico.

 

Silver spokesman Dan Weiller denied the blowup and said, "Conversations continue." The deadline for Albany to bail out the MTA before the brutal cuts occurs is around May 8th.

 

c)2009 NY Daily News, Inc.

 

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