If [McCain is] the answer, then the question must be ridiculous.

As a wave of home foreclosures courses through the United States, some of the nation’s hardest hit cities think they have found a way to ease the blight left on their communities by the crisis.

Using taxpayer and private money, Boston, Minneapolis, San Diego and a handful of other places are buying foreclosed properties to refurbish and resell them to developers and homeowners in an effort to prevent troubled neighborhoods from sliding into urban decay.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR JENNINGS

Mayor Jennings Comments on Local Law C-2007

Albany, NY – After careful review, Mayor Jennings has chosen to take no action on Local Law C-2007, which amends section 603(D) of the City of Albany Charter in relation to the authority of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to transfer budgeted funds related to salary rates or salary totals.

Mayor Jennings stated: “As Manager of the City of Albany, I do not agree with the provisions of this legislation. However, I feel that it is important for the electorate to have the opportunity to decide on the merits of this proposal, and therefore, I have decided not to veto this legislation and will defer to their judgment.”

Will the Albany Common Council become stronger? A proposed local law could give them more power in how Albany’s money is spent after the approve it’s annual budget.

The proposed law would require council approval of any departmental reorganizations or any midyear raises for individual employees.

An upstate assemblyman was removed from his post as ranking member of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse on Thursday after revelations that he slept at the home of a 21-year-old female intern last month after a night of heavy drinking.

The assemblyman, Mike Cole, a Republican who represents parts of Niagara and Erie Counties, also received a rare letter of censure from his colleagues, citing his violation of a policy banning lawmakers from fraternizing with interns. Mr. Cole will also be stripped of his seniority and prohibited from taking part in the Assembly’s intern program in the future.

Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) is expected to plead guilty in the coming days to charges stemming from his association with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and he will blame a long-standing problem with alcohol for behavior that spiraled down to illegality, sources close to the congressman said last night

"I don't know how many guns were purchased. ... I don't know. There's no records, guys."

Tuffey said the department destroyed 42 of the machine guns last year. In an interview last week, he said confirming the total number of guns has been difficult because the department had almost "no records" related to the purchases.