Empire State Political Pulse with Jim Brennan

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli talks with Jim about the impact of the current Trump administration on programs and finances in NY State.  He talks about the "Big Not-So-Beautiful Bill," the current government shutdown, the prospect of millions of New Yorkers losing their healthcare, cuts to Food Stamps, services like transportation and investments made to mitigate climate change. He discusses how NY State hopes to meet all of these challenges, and what lies ahead. 

Recently, New York's Governor Hochul delayed implementing, at the very last minute, the much anticipated congestion pricing scheme for NYC, which would charge drivers to cross into Manhattan's Central Business District between the hours of  5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.  Why the sudden delay?  What will happen now?  Will NYC see congestion pricing any time soon? How will it impact traffic, money for the MTA and transit improvements?   Join Jim and his two knowledgeable guests for an in-depth discussion: Kathryn Wylde is the President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization whose members are the city’s global business leaders and major employers. The Partnership’s mission is to mobilize private sector resources and expertise to advance New York City’s standing as a global center of economic opportunity, upward mobility, and innovation.  She is also a member of the Traffic Mobility Review Board.  and  Rahul Jain is the Deputy Comptroller, Office of the State Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. Rahul brings over 20 years of experience in financial services, government, and non-profit work to the role. He has spoken at a variety of conferences and events on topics pertaining to municipal finance and testified on issues facing New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and his work has been cited in major news publications, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, among others. 

Jim reviews the general pluses and minuses of the New York state budget (recently, the NYS House and Senate passed their own separate versions; the full legislature has yet to pass a final version) and also dives more deeply into the affordable housing crisis, especially as it relates to the budget and what's happening in Albany.  His guests are Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D-44th AD, Brooklyn), Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D- 52nd AD, Brooklyn), and Rachel Fee, Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference. 

Jim sits down with NYS Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine (D-13th District, Nassau County) and Jeffrey M. Wice, Adjunct Professor/Senior Fellow, NY Census & Redistricting Institute, NY Law School to discuss the NYS State Court of Appeals ruling that the State’s Congressional district maps set in 2022 must be redrawn yet again. How will this affect Congressional districts for the all important 2024 election? Will it be another debacle?

Episode One:  The Migration Crisis in New York Jim discusses the migration crisis in New York with guests: Rahul Jain, Deputy Comptroller for New York City Office of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli; Will Watts, Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy, Coalition for the Homeless; and  David Wilkins, Director of Immigration and LGBTQ/HIV Advocacy, Staten Island Legal Services, Legal Services of New York