Quinn Blocks Legislation That Would Help People In Wheelchairs

Bronx Councilmember Wants To Force Vote On Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi Legislation. Quinn Is Blocking Vote, Because It Doesn't Benefit Her Personally.

In a rare challenge to the stranglehold that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has over other Councilmembers, Bronx Councilmember Oliver Koppell is trying to force a vote on his bill to make all yellow cabs accessible to wheelchairs.

Councilmember Koppel sent a letter to the chair of the transportation committee explaining that the councilmember was invoking the "sponsor's privilege" rule to compel the committee to vote on his bill, which has 35 co-sponsors, NY1 reported.

But Speaker Quinn gatekeeps which bills are allowed to be voted by the entire City Council. "The speaker determines which pieces of legislation move forward and which ones die in committee or languish without a hearing," reported NY1.

If it does not personally benefit her, then Speaker Quinn blocks legislation, like Councilmember Koppell's bill to help people in wheelchairs.

Bloomberg-Quinn's Budget Has A Hole Innit

From True News From Change :

Just weeks after Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn celebrated their inside budget negotiation deal, acting Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued an opinion that put a stop to the mayor's taxi medallion revenue plan for the Fiscal Year 2013 budget. The court ruling creates a $600+ million hole in the Bloomberg-Quinn budget.

... At issue is a law, passed in February, allowing New York City to create a new fleet of 18,000 lime-green "borough taxis" to service the outer boroughs and Upper Manhattan, where regular yellow cab service is a rarity.

That same bill also allowed the city to auction off 2,000 wheelchair-accessible yellow cab medallions, which were expected to garner more than $1 billion for the city's budget and also vastly improve the fleet's ability to serve passengers in wheelchairs. As the fleet now stands, there are only 233 wheelchair-accessible yellow cabs. ... (Capital New York)

Mayor Bloomberg warns of layoffs after judge shoots down outer borough taxi plan (NYDN) Judge's decision creates $1.46 billion hole in the budget, including $635 million for this fiscal year.