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	A New Leader for New York Roman Catholics By Jennifer 8. Lee The New York Times February 23, 2009 http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/a-new-leader-for-new-york-roman-catholics/ Late Sunday night, Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, 59, of the archdiocese of Milwaukee to succeed Cardinal Edward M. Egan as the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York. [See reader comments.] In choosing a gregarious persona known to enjoy a good cigar or two, the pope passed over other candidates equally conservative but more confrontational with Catholic priests, parishioners and politicians who question church teaching. Many say Archbishop Dolan remains more politician than ideologue, though on matters of doctrine, he adheres to the line laid down by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, including firm opposition to abortion, birth control, divorce, gay marriage and any crack in the wall of priestly celibacy. His seven-year tenure in Milwaukee were marked with good business ethics and financial transparency. He is a church historian who speaks three languages (though not Spanish, the native language of one-third of his new congregants) and reads three more, yet he developed a reputation for speaking plainly to his flock, according to The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archbishop Dolan’s selection continues a chain of Irish-American bishops that was broken only once in the history of the archdiocese, when French-born prelate John Dubois was appointed in 1826, The Associated Press notes. Cardinal Egan, 76, despite having a successful administrative record during tough financial constraints, was a bit of a faceless stranger in the city. In contrast, one Milwaukee rector describes Archbishop Dolan as one who “never lost that sense of being a parish priest,” The Daily News reports. He is also comfortable with the press, and his brother is a talk show host on AM radio, the National Catholic Reporter points out. Among those waiting for the appointment were the congregants of Our Lady Queen of Angels in Harlem, who lead services themselves after being been stripped of a priest. They hope that Archbishop Dolan will reopen the shuttered church. A Hidden World of Housing For thousands of immigrant families in New York, illegally partitioned homes form a secret world of New York City housing: hidden from public view, unregulated and, too often, unsafe. Some rooms, like those that played a role in a deadly fire in the Bronx in 2005, are carved up by tenants hoping to turn their apartments into a source of income. Others, in Chinatown in Manhattan and Jackson Heights in Queens, were converted by building owners to generate more rent. Government & Politics Almost a year into his governorship, some people are privately questioning whether Gov. David A. Paterson has the capacity to lead the state. [NYT] The focus on Wall Street has shifted from the big firms that are now downsizing to creating an entrepreneurial start-up economy around finance. [NYT] The city’s pension system is straining under the weight of payments it makes to more than 10,000 retired police officers — all under the age of 50 — representing a staggering 25 percent of the city’s police-pension liability. [New York Post] Some of the richest pensions in the state are doled out to the loyal former librarians of the New York Public Library. [New York Post] A City Council member says it is time to end Madison Square Garden’s tax breaks. [Daily News] Representative Anthony D. Weiner — a mayoral candidate seeking to champion middle-class issues — chose a woman convicted of vehicular manslaughter in the deaths of two Greek Orthodox priests to highlight child support issues. [Daily News] Investigators are trying to stop a flood of Medicaid fraud schemes, including bills for unneeded prosthetic eyeballs, services for patients long dead and prenatal care — for men. [New York Post] The Rev. Al Sharpton and several City Council members want the Federal Communications Commission to pull a waiver allowing the News Corporation to run two newspapers and two television stations in the city. [Daily News] City Council members asked President Obama to reappoint Dr. John Howard to be in charge of coordinating health programs for 9/11 workers. [NYT] Crime & Public Safety A Bronx woman was charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of her 4-year-old grandson, Kevion Shand. [NYT] (Also see The New York Post) A woman walking her dog in Central Park on Sunday night told the police that a man struck her in the head with a metal object and robbed her of $15,000 worth of jewelry. [New York Post] A drunken driver who recently lost his job plowed into a group of Queens clubgoers, sending seven young people to the hospital, The New York Post and Daily News report. A Queens man stabbed his wife to death, then hanged himself in their Bayside home, the police said. [New York Post] Before police officers raided a Lower East Side hookah bar last week, the lounge had became an oasis for under-age drinkers, serving liquor without a license, police sources said. [New York Post] Housing & Economy A new bill would pair tax increases on the rich with middle-class tax cuts — handing the savings to taxpayers in the form of ready-to-spend debit cards of up to $1,165. [New York Post] The City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, is working with the Bloomberg administration on a program to coordinate all city inspections for new businesses to cut down on the time it takes to secure approvals. [New York Post] Transportation Experts say that although airlines are safer than ever, adopting the lessons from disasters and accidents can be excruciatingly slow. [NYT] A traffic recession is triggering a precipitous drop at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s crossings, costing the cash-poor agency $55 million a year in tolls, statistics show. [New York Post] Schools High school graduation rates have increased under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, except for students not fluent in English, who saw their rates drop to 23.5 percent, from 28.5 percent, between 2005 and 2007. [Daily News] People & Neighborhoods A Queens jury awarded a nurse $15 million after finding that hospital bosses allowed a doctor with a history of sexual harassment to abuse female staff members for eight years. [Daily News] A crowd of children and adults showed up for a woodland survival workshop offered by the Department of Parks and Recreation. [Daily News] After a robbery, friends have come to the rescue and provided Daptone Records with the gear it needs to keep producing vintage soul and R&B. [NYT] Bronx’s casitas, which serve as community gathering spots, ought to become city landmarks, according to a report issued by the departing Bronx borough president. [NYT] Major Prime Meat Market, a Coney Island staple on Mermaid Avenue since 1934, will close on Saturday. [New York Post]
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