FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com APRIL 25, 2013 • THE COURIER SUN 11 FURLOUGH FRUSTRATION BUDGET CUTS AND FEWER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS CAUSE DELAYS BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] Weather is not the only thing delaying travelers this week. U.S. government spending cuts forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ax $637 million from its budget this year and to furlough it staff, the FAA confi rmed. Air traffi c controllers are now required to take one day off without pay for every 10 days of work. That will come to 11 days of furlough per employee by the end of the year. With fewer eyes on the skies, the FAA estimates the furlough could delay as many as 6,700 fl ights per day at 13 of the country’s largest hubs, including John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. On Monday, April 22, the fi rst weekday of the furloughs, JFK already experienced delays. “I didn’t know about the furlough, but I’ve been waiting for my fl ight for over an hour now. I’m fl ying to Tampa and it’s been delayed,” said Matt Frankel. “My fl ight has been delayed for almost two hours. This is ridiculous,” said one traveler. But Joan Lamercka said she had no issues with her fl ight. “My fl ight actually went pretty smoothly—no delays. But I can see how this would cause problems,” she said. The FAA said there were 1,200 delays throughout the counrty as a result of the furlough on Monday. The body attributed an additional 1,400 delays to the weather and other factors. Senator Charles Schumer said the FAA estimates there could be delays of up to 80 minutes out of LaGuardia and 50 minutes at JFK. He called on the Senate to repeal the cuts and is pushing to make up the revenue by closing tax loopholes. “These furloughs will turn every day into a blizzard as far as fl ying is concerned,” said Schumer. “These delays can and must be avoided by passing a balanced budget to repeal the sequester through both closing tax loopholes and by making smart cuts.” -Additional reporting by Luke Tabet Not guilty plea entered in ballot bribery case BY MELISSA CHAN [email protected] Two Queens politicians and a borough “WHEN YOU SCREW SOMEBODY OVER MONEY LIKE THAT ... YOU’RE LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER ALL THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.” State Senator Malcolm Smith Checking that earns like savings. BestRate Checking 1.00APY1 % On balances of $5,000 or more. Plus, get up to $ 1 5 0 when you open a new checking account.2 Additionally, a BestRate Checking account provides you with: Free online banking and bill pay, Free Mastercard® ATM/Debit card, Free direct deposit and more. For more information or to find a branch near you, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. The APY is effective March 1, 2013. The annual percentage yield (APY) for BestRate Checking is 1.00% and will remain in effect for 90 days after account opening. At the end of this 90-day period the rate will revert to 0.60% and rate may change at any time without notice. You must maintain a daily balance of $5,000 for the statement cycle to receive the disclosed yield and to avoid the monthly maintenance fee of $10. A daily balance below $5,000 will be assessed a lower Annual Percentage Yield. Fees may reduce earnings. 2 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new checking account is $100. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $75 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments OR Direct Deposit – You will receive $75 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal OR signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Online Bill-payments, Debit Card Purchases and Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $150. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about 75 days after the account is opened. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. All offers are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details and information about these offers. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark GOP boss pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, April 23 in a federal case alleging they conspired to rig the mayoral election, the U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce said. State Senator Malcolm Smith, Councilmember Dan Halloran and Queens County Republican Party Vice Chair Vincent Tabone face bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Bronx County GOP Chair Joseph Savino, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret also entered not guilty pleas. Prosecutors say Smith, a registered Democrat, sought to bribe county GOP leaders to let him run for mayor as a Republican. He needed consent from three county chairs to appear on this year’s GOP line. According to indictment details, Smith discussed the possibility of being cheated by county chairs with an undercover FBI agent. “The worst part about that is, when you screw somebody over money like that ... you’re looking over your shoulder all the rest of your life,” he allegedly said. The state senator, elected in 2000, is also charged with plotting to misuse $500,000 in state funds, the indictment said. Halloran is accused of setting up meetings between Smith and county bosses and negotiating payoffs. He also agreed to give an undercover FBI agent $80,000 in City Council discretionary funds in exchange for cash to fuel his 2012 congressional campaign, according to the indictment. The councilmember allegedly pocketed nearly $39,000 in cash and $6,500 in campaign checks, authorities said. Tabone and Savino took at least $40,000 in cash bribes for their support, according to court papers. An attorney for Tabone said the married father of three is “innocent of all charges.” “Vince Tabone has never before been accused or convicted of any crime and has been an attorney in good standing for the last 13 years,” said his lawyer, Deborah Misir. “We are confi dent that when all the facts become clear, Vince Tabone will be fully exonerated.” Lawyers for the other defendants could not be immediately reached.
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