NY Gov. Cuomo vows to reject livery/taxi Bill, must add cars that should be accessible to the disabled

ALBANY, NY - Gov. Cuomo is set to slam the brakes on Mayor Bloomberg's controversial plan to allow livery cabs to pick street hails.

Cuomo, during a late-night press conference Wednesday, said a "myraid" of significant issues remain unresolved with the bill and that he expected to veto the measure and start over again when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

"There is no agreement on the taxi bill," Cuomo said. "I don't believe there was ever agreement on the taxi bill."

Among the issues left unsettled, according to the governor are the the percentage of yellow cabs and livery cars that should be accessible to the disabled and whether livery cars should have the right to pick up at airports.

"If we don't have resolution I'm going to veto the bill," Cuomo continued. "We could then come back in January and try to resolve the differences and pass the bill at that time and that's at this point, probably the most likely scenario."

Bloomberg administration officials, who have championed the bill as a way to bring much-need taxi service to the outer boroughs, insisted Wednesday night that most of the issues surrounding the bill had already been resolved.

The disagreement over the bill has further strained the chilly relationship between the governor and the mayor, whose staff had said that Cuomo's office had been finalizing an amendment to legislation as late as Wednesday morning but never sent it to the Legislature.

Cuomo's veto threat came hours after talks aimed at amending the legislation - passed in June - stalled and the Democrat-controlled Assembly announced it would send the bill as-is to Cuomo's desk Friday. The move would give Cuomo 10 days to sign or veto it.

"This is playing chicken with the governor," Assemblyman Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan) said Wednesday.

The bill would allow 30,000 livery cars to accept street hails in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan. It also calls for the Taxi & Limousine Commission to sell up to 1,500 new medallions, generating $1 billion for the city.

"Over the next 10 days, we are available to discuss any questions or concerns the governor has, and strongly urge him to sign this historic legislation," top Bloomberg aide Micah Lasher said in a statement.

# Source: NY Daily News BY Glenn Blain & Kenneth Lovett: Dec 7, 2011
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/democrats-send-taxi-bill-as-is-gov-andrew-cuomo-veto-threat-article-1.988421#ixzz1gFXOuBGS