3 months ago
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders say they have agreed to landmark reforms of public authorities after years of failed attempts to force greater accountability on the entities involved in some of New York's biggest scandals.
Longtime sponsor of the reform bill, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, says the measure will end what he calls Soviet-style bureaucracies in New York that collect millions of dollars in fees and fares and have so far borrowed more than $160 billion.
Long called the state's "shadow government," public authorities operate many of the major services in New York City and statewide, including the city's mass transit system, the state Thruway, and the Port Authority.
