Senate declines to approve Hemmerdinger for PANYNJ post

After Dale Hemmerdinger was ousted from his role as the MTA Chair as part of last summer’s funding package, he resurfaced in November when, in a fit of cronyism, Gov. David Paterson nominated him to join the Port Authority board. Well, apparently, that nomination isn’t going too smoothly. As Eliot Brown of The Observer reported earlier this week, the State Senate has so far passed on the Hemmerdinger nod because the transportation committee hasn’t given its approval yet. And why the hold-up? State legislatures still believe that Hemmerdinger, despite meeting with anyone who asked, was not, in the words of Andrew Lanza (Rep. – S.I.) “forthcoming with information about the policies of the MTA or responding to the riders or elected officials.” What a bunch of buffoons.