MTA Chairman goes to DC to block LIRR strike, de Blasio family flying to Italy to escape LIRR strike

de Blasio family flying to Italy for luxurious 10-day vacation of Italy's finest tourist destinations practically on eve of possible LIRR strike

Italian vacation will feature stops in Rome, Naples, and romantic Venice -- meanwhile, LIRR straphangers face possible strike and commutes from Hell. The lure of Italy in summer is too great for the de Blasio family, who are expected to depart on July 18 for a 10-day Italian vacation, even as the deadline of a potential strike by Long Island Railroad workers is set for two days later -- on July 20.

RELATED Mayor de Blasio, family will take a 10-day vacation away from the city to Italy (The New York Daily News)

MTA Chairman goes to DC, seeking federal help, Mayor de Blasio calls travel agent

Last Wednesday, a delegation of New York Congressional Representatives -- including three from Long Island -- said that Congress won’t get involved in negotiations for new labor contracts for LIRR employees. “We’ve made it clear to both sides that neither should count on congressional intervention,” said Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY). "Hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders would have to work from home, stay with friends in the city, carpool or take a crowded shuttle bus to a Queens subway if a strike moves forward," The New York Post reported.

RELATED Congress will not help the MTA avoid an LIRR strike (The New York Post)

Suburban Long Island commuters are on their own ; meanwhile, WNYC wonders how a strike may impact the race for governor

THE POLITICAL FALLOUT OF A RAIL STRIKE CAN BE SERIOUS : The last time LIRR workers walked off the job, it contributed to Gov. Mario Cuomo losing his reelection campaign in 1994, WNYC reported. Facing discontented Democratic voters, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is busy trying to help LIRR union officials and the railroad to strike a new deal to forestall the need for a union strike. If Gov. Cuomo can't avert a strike, then he faces the prospect of a dire political fallout that could cost him his gubernatorial reelection campaign -- much like his own father faced under similar circumstances exactly 20 years ago. "Despite his efforts, Mario Cuomo didn't win his bid for a fourth term. According to Newsday, he lost Nassau and Suffolk Counties by 115,018 votes — and the statewide election by 173,798 votes." How convenient that Mayor de Blasio, who got elected with the help of many unions, is rushing out of town to miss all this political and commuter drama. Will his absence be construed to mean that he doesn't care about LIRR workers, if a strike does take place ?

RELATED With LIRR Strike Looming, It's 1994 All Over Again (WNYC)

A Gay Man Shuts Down Hateful Urban Preacher on NYC Subway

A man, who identified himself as gay, spoke up for himself and on behalf of all LGBT people, after an urban preacher began to shows hateful religious messages. At one point, the gay man calls the urban preacher a "false prophet." After some back and forth, the other straphangers applauded several times in a show of support to the gay man.

The video was posted on YouTube on Saturday, February 16, and it has begun to go viral.

What Influence Does Carolyn Ryan Have Over Metropolitan Political Articles That Are Biased Against Joe Lhota ?

After having gone on a spree of Tweets ridiculing Joe Lhota's campaign for mayor, The New York Times metropolitan editor Carolyn Ryan's metropolitan desk then publishes a critical article of Mr. Lhota's campaign. Coïncidence ? Probably not.

Oh, Lordy ! I think @carolynryan ought to cut back on that #eggnog ! @joelhota @mattfleg @grynbaum twitter.com/carolynryan/st…

— Stop Christine Quinn (@stopchrisquinn) December 19, 2012

Ooo-wee ! I'll have some of them brownies that @carolynryan is eating !! @mattfleg @grynbaum twitter.com/carolynryan/st… @donnymossnyc

— Stop Christine Quinn (@stopchrisquinn) December 19, 2012

A movement has begun: RT @juliweiner: HILLARY CLINTON FOR MTA CHIEF

— carolynryan (@carolynryan) December 19, 2012

Well, maybe @joelhota has #statenisland strategy. But @chriscquinn has @nytimes strategy. @carolynryan twitter.com/stopchrisquinn…

— Stop Christine Quinn (@stopchrisquinn) December 19, 2012

Notice how The New York Times article of Mr. Lhota's campaign did not disclose that Kathryn S. Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City, was editorialised as the "city’s premier business association," and how it was not disclosed that Ms. Wylde is invested in the campaign of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Furthermore, the article allowed Josh Isay, Speaker Quinn's campaign consultant, to openly criticize Mr. Lhota over MTA fare hikes. “Joe Lhota announced his resignation the day before the Lhota fare hike gets voted on,” Mr. Isay, the told The New York Times. “He may think he’s pulled a fast one, but voters are too smart for that.”

But the article did not mention the litany of criticisms that Progressives have with Speaker Quinn's political ethics -- ranging from the change in term limits, the spree of hospital closings, including of St. Vincent's Hospital in Speaker Quinn's very own City Council district, the reckless approval of the expansion of New York University, and the disruptive zone-busting development plan for Chelsea Market. Meanwhile, The New York Times chose to portray Speaker Quinn as a "presumptive front-runner for the Democratic nomination," even though that editorial qualification was not attributed.

If you were not aware, an average voter would read this article and think that Mr. Lhota was not a viable candidate, instead of the fact that biased reportage was portraying Mr. Lhota as such, according to predetermined agendas of the people involved in this article.

Lhota Entry Into Mayoral Race Upsets Carolyn Ryan Over Quinn Tumble From Grace

Now that Joe Lhota is running for mayor, Twitterverse is in apoplexy over Carolyn Ryan's nervous breakdown. That's right, Ms. Ryan is worried that her favourite candidate, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, now will not be such a shoe-in to become mayor. Ms. Ryan is concerned that the business community will abandon Speaker Quinn in favour of Mr. Lhota.

Ms. Ryan recently had lunch with former Mayor Ed Koch, to talk about Speaker Quinn's election strategy.

Wow wonder what @chriscquinn is doing now? RT @carolynryan: BREAKING: @joelhota to step down from MTA on Friday, preparing run for mayor.

— Emma Gilbey Keller (@emmagkeller) December 18, 2012

Indeed, Ms. Ryan has begun a schmear campaign against Mr. Lhota over Twitter. I wonder what her superior editorial bosses at The New York Times have to say about this ?

Lhota once called Mike Bloomberg an "idiot" and told an elderly Holocaust survivor to "be a man" in dispute at hearingnyti.ms/SESwj8

— carolynryan (@carolynryan) December 19, 2012

Whereas Ms. Ryan's reporting may be factual, it is not objective for an editor to be attacking a mayoral candidate over Twitter, when she must supervise and edit the reportage of objective reporters. How is that possible ?

Mona Eltahawy arrested after defacing controversial MTA ad in Times Square

A camerawoman stands between a provocative "Pro-Israeli" ad and Egyptian-American activist Mona Eltahawy who defaces it in the name of protesting racism.

After having spent about 22 hours in police custody, Ms. Eltahawy was interevewed by Hala Gorani on CNN International.

In an attempt to deal with future hatemongering advertisements like the ones currently appearing in subway stations, the MTA yesterday amended the standards that govern what advertising it will accept. (Gothamist)

Subway Fight Baby Stroller

2 Females Fighting in the L Train in NYC. Iphone HD Video, July 19, 2011

2 Females Fighting in the L Train in NYC all because of a seat, Really a seat? Wigs out and one of the lady's baby stroller went rolling out of the train. Other people taking care of her baby while she fights WTF?

Well-Educated Train Diva

''Excuse Me, Do You Know What Schools I've Been To and How Well-Educated I Am ?''

Update on Hermon Raju, the well-educated screamer commuter on Metro-North : ''We give a lot of credit to the conductor, who keeps her cool during the whole interaction, and doesn't raise her voice once. Best of all, according to the video's uploader there was an announcement on the train a minute later, asking all passengers to please not use profanity on the train, 'especially those people who went to Harvard or Yale or are from Westport.' Pshaw, as if the Crimson elite would deign to follow such commands.''

NY Senate Democrats Outraged by Bloomberg's Disgraceful Comment

Senate Democrats Didn't Take Kindly To Mayor Bloomberg Calling Their Time In The Majority "A Disgrace," Reported Celeste Katz.

Earlier today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in Albany for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address, after which the mayor insulted the Democrat Senators.

"I thought, if you take a look, it was a disgrace what happened in the last couple of years in the Senate. Most people, regardless of party, think that," said Mayor Bloomberg.

Upon hearing the mayor's insult, Senate Democrats reacted with anger.

"The actual disgrace is failing to manage a fatal blizzard because you and all of your top aides were on vacation and nobody was left in charge," a Senate Democratic source told Ken Lovett of The New York Daily News.

For the past two years, Democrats in the New York State Senate carried out Mayor Bloomberg's Republican agenda, and now Mayor Bloomberg has expressed a lack of gratitude by calling the Democrats a ''disgrace.'' Where have we heard the word ''disgrace'' come from the mayor before ? Oh, that's right. When the mayor was confronted with his ''rationale'' for extending term limits, Mayor Bloomberg called the brave reporter a ''disgrace.'' Here is that famous video :

DiNapoli Rejects SAIC MTA Contract

SAIC $80 Million CityTime Fraud Spreads To MTA ; State Comptroller Rejects SAIC Contract With Transit Authority.

From Capital Tonight is only on YNN:

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli just announced he has rejected a $118 million contract between the NYC Transit Authority and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the firm that designed the scandal-plagued CityTime payroll system, saying the firm’s role in the mess “remains unclear.”

The contract was for an upgrade to the Transit Authority’s VHF radio system in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx was the first contract submitted to DiNapoli’s office under the Public Authority Reform Act passed earlier this year.

Read the full article on Capital Tonight about DiNapoli Rejects $118M SAIC Contract. Meanwhile, you can read the Office of the State Controller official rejection letter to the MTA below :

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