New York state has a new governor today (the old one was defective), and what better time to rethink the dumb ideas of past administrations?

Among the items topping David Paterson’s to-do list as he takes office today — get a budget done before June, remember not to sleep with hookers — is the looming disaster that is a trio of state development projects on Manhattan’s West Side. Thanks to a mix of soaring construction prices and overly rosy projections, the renovation of the Javits Convention Center, creation of a new Penn Station and extension of the 7 subway line to 11th Avenue all face uncertain futures.

All three, frankly, are good candidates for the scrapheap… [read more]

(A note on the headline: Yes, I know that David Paterson is governor, not mayor. No, I don’t know what the headline writer was smoking.)