Free Republic

New York City is expensive. From parking to hotels to Broadway tickets, the city has a way of leaving the wallet lighter for any visitor. But it’s poised to get even pricier if a controversial new “congestion” fee comes to fruition. With Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s backing, the proposed charge would be imposed at all Manhattan points of entry below 60th Street. While the price has not been set in stone, a report commissioned by Cuomo’s office recommends cars entering Manhattan during peak hours be charged $11.52, and trucks be charged $25.34 – on top of any bridge tolls. New...

It was a difficult marriage from the beginning. Its success was largely regional and state by state. But where it worked, it worked well, mainly the South and parts of the West. They papered over their differences for years. Now they've grown apart and a messy divorce looms. It wasn't exactly a shotgun marriage. The Wall Street/Koch Brothers crowd gleefully accepted the support of Tea Party and evangelical leaders, as long as austerity, high-end tax cuts and deregulation were part of the agenda. The cultural right needed money and legitimacy. Everybody got along. No more. The split was thrust into...

As the race for state attorney general was beginning to take shape several months ago, two of the Democratic candidates, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and Andrew M. Cuomo, made a pact: They would disclose how they made all their money last year. But now, with Mr. Cuomo the presumed front-runner and the state party's convention just a month away, Mr. Cuomo has not released the information. And Mr. Brodsky, who stands far behind in the polls, is crying foul. "This is a matter of ethics," Mr. Brodsky said, in an interview yesterday. "It's about avoiding potential conflict and whether or not...