New York Desk

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

STATEWIDE


COMPANY TO STOP DISTRIBUTING LUNCH BOXES CONTAINING LEAD


A wholesale company agreed to stop distributing thousands of lunch boxes that contained illegally high amounts of lead, the New York State attorney general, Elliot Spitzer, announced yesterday. Fast Forward also agreed to exchange any lunch boxes returned by New York customers for cash or store credit and to pay $7,000 in civil penalties and costs. The lunch boxes contain lead to keep the vinyl they are made of stable. Wal-Mart and Target have voluntarily pulled the lunch boxes from their shelves. A spokesman for Mr. Spitzer’s office, Marc Violette, said that the lunch boxes were more of a threat to the environment than to children’s health. By the terms of the agreement, Fast Forward must dispose of the returned lunch boxes in accordance with New York State environmental laws. An attorney for Fast Forward, Alan Klestadt, said the company decided it would be easier and less expensive not to fight Mr. Spitzer’s charges.


– Staff Reporter of the Sun


TEDISCO ELECTED AS MINORITY LEADER


Republican members of the state Assembly unanimously elected James Tedisco as the new minority leader yesterday. Of the 150 Assembly members, 45 are Republicans. Mr. Tedisco, who represents Schenectady, had no challengers for the position after Assembly member David Townsend announced on Monday that he would not seek the position. Mr. Townsend joined several Assembly members in April in a failed challenge to the former minority leader, Charles Nesbitt. Mr. Tedisco dismissed Mr. Townsend and his allies at the time. The leadership change comes after Governor Pataki nominated the low-key and often criticized Mr. Nesbitt to head the state Tax Appeals Tribunal, a job that carries an eight-year term and an annual salary of $126,000. The Assembly minority leader receives $114,000 a year.


– Staff Reporter of the Sun


MANHATTAN


LESCZYNSKI PREPARING TO APPEAL


The chair of Manhattan’s Libertarian Party, James Lesczynski, told The New York Sun he “expects” he will soon appeal Judge Paul Feinman’s recent ruling that Mr. Lesczynski lacked the standing to challenge the city’s campaign-finance rules. Mr. Lesczynski had asked the judge in August to declare the city’s campaign-finance rules unconstitutional. He argued that the campaign-finance rules, which give candidates matching funds from taxpayers’ dollars, force him and other taxpayers to fund speech they objected to – a violation of their constitutional right to free speech protected under the state and federal constitutions. The judge, however, ruled that the “plaintiff lacked standing to bring this suit on behalf of himself and other taxpayers” and dismissed the case.


– Staff Reporter of the Sun


CITYWIDE


COUNCIL MEMBER INTRODUCING RESOLUTION ON IRAN’S STANCE ON ISRAEL


New York’s City Council does not have a say in foreign policy, but the body may be joining the growing chorus of voices speaking out against the Iranian president’s call to “wipe Israel off the map.” Council Member David Weprin, a Democrat from Queens, plans to introduce a resolution today denouncing comments made by President Ahmadinejad of Iran last month. The resolution also calls on the federal government to make it a major initiative to oppose Iran’s getting nuclear weapons. The council will likely vote at its next meeting, Mr. Weprin said.


– Staff Reporter of the Sun


MEMBERS OF TRANSIT UNION PICKET OVER STALLED CONTRACT TALKS


About 200 members of the transit union picketed yesterday in front of several locations throughout the transit system, voicing their grievances over stalled contract negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a spokesman for the Transport Workers Union Local 100, Dave Katzman, said. Though union leaders have not called for a strike, the demonstrations were intended to protest reports that MTA officials intended to consolidate conductor and train operator positions a one single job and have workers pay greater portions of their health insurance premiums.


– Special to the Sun


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