AIR CARRIER AT 17000 FT WITH ZNY RECEIVED TCAS RA WITH VFR TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 17500 FT. REPORTER ALLEGED VFR TRAFFIC WAS VIOLATING VFR CLOUD CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS AND ATC VECTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFLICT.

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I WAS IN COMMAND OF ACR X; OPERATING FROM JFK TO LAX ON NOV/08. AT APPROX XA00 OUR ACFT WAS DIRECT TO RBV VOR AND BEGINNING A TURN ONTO J64; LEVEL AT 17000 FT AND UNDER ZNY CTL DURING CLB PHASE TO FL340. ATC ISSUED A VECTOR TO 320 DEGS 'FOR CLB.' SHORTLY AFTER ROLLING OUT ON THE ASSIGNED HDG; THE TCAS ISSUED A TA; FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY AN RA TO 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND DIRECTING 'NO CLB' ON THE PLT'S PFD. I NOTED THE CONFLICT ACFT ON THE NAV DISPLAY DIRECTLY AHEAD; INDICATING 500 FT ABOVE MY ACFT AND ON A COLLISION COURSE. UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS SITUATION; I INITIATED A DSCNT AND INFORMED ATC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; MY FO NOTED THE CONFLICT ACFT; A CITATION BIZJET; DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AND ESTIMATED OUR VERT SEPARATION AT LESS THAN 500 FT. AFTER DSNDING TO 16000 FT; WE REQUESTED A CLB BACK TO 17000 FT WHEN CLEAR OF THE CONFLICT. 2 ISSUES CONCERN ME. A THIN CLOUD LAYER EXISTED AT APPROX 17500 FT; SO THE CONFLICT ACFT WAS OPERATING VFR IN CONDITIONS THAT DID NOT SATISFY THE VERT CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS FOR VFR OPS IN CLASS E AIRSPACE. I ALSO QUESTION ATC ISSUING A VECTOR PLACING US IN CLOSE PROX TO AN ACFT OPERATING VFR WITH NO MORE THAN 500 FT OF VERT SEPARATION.