Michael Bloomberg

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NYC Cabbies Win A Round In Fight Against Green Cabs

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to make every cab in the Big Apple a hybrid or clean diesel by 2012 has hit a big pothole with a judge's ruling that only the feds can set fuel efficiency rules. U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty granted a temporary injunction halting the plan after ruling the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade had "demonstrated a likelihood of success" in having it tossed out. The ruling could have implications beyond New York because Bloomberg's proposal was considered a model for other cities. Crotty said fuel efficiency standards are exclusively a federal matter, mirroring the view of the Environmental Protection Agency director who made the same argument last year when he rejected California's petition to limit vehicle emissions. Bloomberg hasn't said whether he'll appeal the decision, but he isn't backing down in his campaign to clean up the city's cabs. ?Greening the taxi fleet is a major priority and we are going to use every mechanism at our disposal to make New York a cleaner, healthier city,? he said in a statement. The mayor's plan to require every new taxi to get 30 mpg - a target met only by hybrids and clean diesels - is an example of the pragmatic, if limited and imperfect, action that's needed if we're as worried about climate change and energy independence as we pretend to be when we see Al Gore or T. Boone Pickens on TV. The taxi industry isn?t limiting its fight to the courts. The Taxicab Board, an association representing about 25 percent of the city's cabs, has launched a PR offensive on the ?hazards? of hybrids taxis. The statement it issued last month ? ?Hybrid Escape Taxis Getting Totaled, Rolling Over, Causing Injury and Damage on New York City Streets? ? shows how far it will sink to avoid the admittedly significant costs of retooling entire fleets. Granted, the venerable Crown Victoria has a five-star safety rating, but the three-stars the National Highway Safety Administration gave the Ford Escape Hybrid hardly makes it a deathtrap. Despite the Taxicab Board's best (worst?) efforts, Bloomberg has had some success using incentives, including new taxi medallions reserved exclusively for hybrids, to green the fleet. Some 1,500 of New York City?s 13,237 taxicabs are hybrids. The gas-electric vehicles are catching on in other cities, including San Francisco, where Ford says some Escape Hybrid cabs have racked up 100,000 miles, and Boston, where cab drivers are wicked mad about the city's plan to convert the entire fleet by 2015.  But the decision Crotty issued last week is a stark reminder of the bureaucratic and regulatory barriers that must be cleared before we begin to put a serious dent in carbon emissions. Photo by Flickr user Iceman75.

Growing list of successful pot smokers

Journalist Radley Balko makes fun of the Office of National Drug Control Policy's new anti-pot disinformation campaign, which "suggest that drug users can look forward to a career as a 'burrito taster,' a 'couch security guard,' or 'remote control operator.' Balko calls it "an incredibly lame campaign, [which] reeks of stodgy wonks making a desperate attempt to look hip." Here?s my challenge to Agitator readers, bloggers, and others: In this comments thread, let?s compile a master list of admitted pot smokers?current or former?who not only haven?t ended up as heroin junkies or burnouts, but have gone on to lead successful lives. If the person is famous, include a link. But feel free to add yourselves and what you do now, too, if you fit the criteria. School teacher? Cop? Stay at home mom? Grad student? Count yourself in. You can leave out your name if you like. Or include it. Either way. I?ll get it started: Barack Obama, president-elect. Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the U.S. John Kerry, U.S. Senator and 2004 Democratic nominee for president. John Edwards, multi-millionaire, former U.S. Senator, and 2004 Democratic nominee for vice president. Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, 2008 Republican nominee for vice president. British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, and and Chancellor Alistair Darling. Josh Howard, NBA all-star. New York Governor David Paterson. Former Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Oscar winner Al Gore. Former Sen. Bill Bradley, who smoked while playing professional basketball. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former New York Governor George Pataki. Billionaire and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Help Radley add to the list of successful potheads: Successful Pot Smokers: Let?s Make a List...

New Yorkers Give Bloomberg A Piece Of Their Mind As He Signs Term Limits Law (AHN)

(AHN) - For the first time New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg heard the real sentiments of city residents over the term limits lifting, which he signed into law Monday. - Tue, 4 Nov 2008 06:07:01 GMT

No Go On Hybrid Taxi Mandate

A federal judge has put the kibosh on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to require taxi companies to use mostly hybrid vehicles by 2012. read more

New York City Amends Term Limits Law Allowing Mayor Bloomberg To Run Again (AHN)

(AHN) - The New York City Council approved the extension to the two-term limit law, clearing the way for billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for a third term next year. - Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:30:02 GMT

NY allows Bloomberg new mayor bid

The city council in New York abolishes a two-term limit for officials, allowing Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run again.

NY council extends term limit so Bloomberg can run

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mayor Michael Bloomberg won the right to seek re-election as New York's City Council voted on Thursday to extend the two-term limit for elected officials as the city grapples with the global financial crisis.

Lauder Turns Around, Agrees To Third Term For Bloomberg (AHN)

(AHN) - A meeting over coffee and cookies was all it took for cosmetics billionaire Ronald Lauder to turn around and support a third term for two-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. - Thu, 9 Oct 2008 06:51:59 GMT