WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. June 30, 2008: Legislator Bill Ryan, Chairman for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, was released from the hospital this weekend after undergoing heart bypass surgery last week. He has returned home and is said to be making a steady recovery.

The Ryan family extends its thanks for the many expressions of comfort and well-wishing during this time.

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WPCNR’S AMY PAULIN’S ALBANY. By Assemblyperson Amy Paulin. 88th Assembly District. June 29, 2008: With the close of the 2008 legislative session, I am very pleased that a remarkable number of the bills I authored passed the Assembly and the Senate: a total of 18. Here is a summary:

Protecting Our Children To ensure that our children remain healthy and well protected, my legislation: obligates parents to financially support their children until age eighteen, instead of sixteen (Chapter 70). aims to reduce underage drinking.  This bill encourages bar and restaurant owners to provide employee training on how to identify underage drinkers and the legal consequences of serving minors.  Restaurant owners will receive an insurance incentive for offering this training (A.537b). prohibits smoking in dormitories and on-campus residence halls to eliminate the adverse health effects of second-hand smoke, reduce the number of college students who become regular smokers, and mitigate the possibility of fires (A.538a). requires the Crime Victims Board to reimburse hospitals and child abuse advocacy centers when they call in child abuse pediatricians to identify children who have been abused or mistreated (A.5206a). establishes state-funded fellowships in child abuse pediatrics to encourage physicians to become trained specifically in identifying, treating and preventing child abuse and maltreatment.  Currently, there is a shortage of such experts in the state (A.9628b). creates a uniform least restrictive restraining procedure for children placed in mental treatment programs.  This will eliminate the confusion of deciding which procedure to use during an intervention thereby protecting both the distressed students and the persons caring for them (A.11231). Fighting Crime and Domestic Violence Named “A Leader in the Fight Against Domestic Violence“ by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV), I have passed legislation to protect victims against domestic violence and other crimes.  Such legislation: protects victims of domestic violence by establishing a criminal penalty for those who prevent a person from calling 911 or seeking any other kind of emergency assistance (Chapter 69). requires the State to reimburse domestic violence agencies for emergency shelter they provide to undocumented human trafficking victims (A.10228). clarifies that the crime of sodomy is included in the list of crimes for which there is no statute of limitations.  This bill eliminates a loophole in an existing law which had the unintended result of not including sodomy as a crime that can be prosecuted without a time limit (A.10760).   Open and More Responsive Government To ensure that citizens have maximum access to public records and policy-making decisions, I have passed legislation which: requires government agencies designing information systems to do so in a manner that separates public information from non-public data, such as personal health data or social security numbers.  Previously, otherwise legitimate FOIL requests have had to be denied because the public data could not be segregated from private data thereby prohibiting maximum access to public records (A.582). provides reimbursement for attorneys’ fees where a party was compelled to go to court to enforce the state Open Meetings Laws.  Awarding attorneys’ fees to successful petitioners eliminates any financial barriers that could prohibit full enforcement of the law due to the inability of an individual to afford counsel (A.1033a). allows New York State unemployment insurance recipients to withhold 10% of their weekly unemployment benefits for state income tax purposes.  Taxpayers who choose this option can avoid a large and sometimes unexpected payment when their state income taxes are due.  This option already exists for federal income tax purposes (A.9868). establishes that property assessment data, consisting of the physical characteristics of a property, must be made available for public inspection and copying.  Allowing the public access to these records will assist property owners who seek to challenge their assessments and ensure a more accurate tax roll (A.11150). Honoring Women’s History In recognition of the contributions that women have made throughout history, my legislation: promotes awareness of women’s history by publicizing historic places in New York State that represent the struggle for equal rights.  Some of the sites to be included on the trail are Carrie Chapman Catt’s home in New Rochelle, the Susan B. Anthony house, Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, the Elizabeth Stanton House and the gravesites of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Carrie Chapman Catt in the Bronx (A.9952a).   Affordable and Accessible Healthcare To ensure affordable, quality healthcare for a wider group of people, my legislation: allows licensed pharmacists who have received proper training to administer flu and pneumonia shots to adults.  New York was the only state in the country other than Maine that did not allow trained pharmacists to provide these vaccinations (A.2140d). aims to decrease the rising number of unnecessary caesarian section births by offering education and outreach programs to patients and healthcare providers.  The programs will include information on the benefits and risks of birthing procedures, the various delivery options, and the importance of maintaining proper health care from preconception through delivery (A.7674b). Responding to Community Concerns To alleviate parking problems, my legislation: grants residents of the village of Bronxville who live in the vicinity of a construction site an exemption from on-street parking restrictions until the project is completed in 2011.  Approximately 180 parking spaces will be displaced by the construction project creating a shortage of parking for nearby residents (A.10519). Recognizing Veterans In honor of the service that all veterans have provided to our nation, I have sponsored legislation which: allows municipalities to provide veterans who served in the Cold War an exemption from real property tax (Chapter 6). Fifteen additional bills passed in the Assembly but not in the Senate. I will continue to work to pass them into law next year. Representing you in the New York State Assembly has been a great privilege for me.  While this past year was tumultuous in many ways, it was personally very gratifying.  I look forward to continuing to work with you to move our great state forward.  As always, please contact me at any time with your issues or concerns.

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WPCNR’S THE MUCKRAKERS NOTEBOOK. June 29, 2008: Since everyone out there in the news is having a lot of trouble with straight talk these days on fuel, the economy, the property tax, the sales tax, affordable housing, it’s time to check in with the iconette of  female reporters, Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane, the intrepid, nosy, fast-talking, look-you-in-the-eye, and ask-the-hard-question reporter from the comics. Here’s our favorite brunette on credibility:

 

“Sure he seems to have everyone’s best interests at  heart, but as a reporter, I never take anyone at face value. Especially if he can fly.”

“You’re a journalist, Jimmy, and a journalist is committed to the truth. Sometimes people do get hurt when the truth comes out, but as a society, we’re better off when it happens.”

“Run with your story, Jimmy. If you’re telling the truth, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“Listen, you little weasel, if you don’t come clean with me, I’m gonna come down to city hall and punch your lights out!”

Lois Lane, Illustration of Ms. Lane, (c) 2004. DC Comics The DC Comics Encyclopedia. From the WPCNR Collection

 

 

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From The NYS Comptroller’s Office. June 28, 2008: Last week, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli launched Open Book New York, a new, easy-to-use Web site providing the public access to how state government is spending tax dollars. The site contains searchable databases of spending by 113 state agencies and more than 60,000 state contracts.

“For too long, Albany did business behind closed doors,” DiNapoli said. “Today, we’re opening the doors and opening the books. Open Book New York gives the public a roadmap to follow their tax dollars and brings more accountability to state spending. This is the closest to real-time financial tracking the state has ever seen. When everyone can see where the money goes, nothing can be hidden.

“And this is just the first step. There’s a lot more to come. We’re going to give the public even greater access to how government, public authorities and local governments spend money and how they operate. We’re looking for full transparency. We’re going to open all the books.”

DiNapoli announced the Open Book New York initiative as part of his reforms to open up government for the average New Yorker. The Web site unveiled today contains two search tools that allow tracking of more than 60,000 active State contracts with real-time information on how much has been spent on a contract to date, as well as spending for 113 State agencies and public authorities. The public can identify who is doing business with the State and how much State agencies spend on expenses such as travel, employee salaries and consultants.

Open Book New York contains active state contracts and contract amendments that state agencies have with businesses, not-for-profit organizations and other governmental entities. The contracts search tool is updated nightly and contains active contracts going back 10 years. The database can be searched by agency, company, timeframe, dollar amount and more.  

Spending for State agencies and public authorities includes 11 major spending categories, such as contractual services, travel, equipment, grants, salaries and wages, employee benefits, and supplies and materials. The State agency spending tool is updated quarterly.

Open Book New York is designed to be easy-to-use for experienced government insiders and average citizens. The site contains glossaries that define all terms and frequently asked questions to help the end-user find an answer quickly. The public can also call a help desk or send an e-mail to get questions answered. All the available data can be loaded as a PDF file or an Excel spreadsheet.

Legislative leaders, civic organizations and government watchdogs praised DiNapoli’s initiative as an innovative way to share information with taxpayers.

“Taxpayers have a right to see how and where their hard-earned dollars are spent,” said Governor David A. Paterson. “I thank Comptroller DiNapoli for taking a major step toward transparency in state spending, and encourage residents to use Open Book New York to become familiar with state agencies and contracts. At a time when I have called for across-the-board government spending cuts, it is vital that the people of the state take an active role in understanding the financial decisions made on their behalf.”

Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno said “I applaud Comptroller DiNapoli for this initiative to bring taxpayers more information and increase government accountability. This new Web site mirrors a Senate Majority bill, passed last week, that would have established a similar site to provide taxpayers with more information on government spending and performance. With millions of middle class families tightening their belts to overcome tough economic times, taxpayers have every right to demand that their government operates as openly and efficiently as possible.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said “The Assembly has long supported measures to increase government transparency and accountability. Open Book NY will do just that by giving the public easy internet-based access to information regarding state spending and contacts, and I commend Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for launching this important initiative.”

“The State Comptroller’s new Open Book New York website is another step forward for openness in government in New York State. Comptroller DiNapoli’s Open Book now joins Attorney General Cuomo’s Project Sunlight as a promising tool for making state government more accountable for how it spends our tax dollars. While it is just a start, Open Book New York creates a solid framework for sharing much more detailed information in the future,” said E.J. McMahon, director, Empire Center for New York State Policy.

“The Comptroller has made it easier for New Yorkers to examine state spending and approved contracts. It’s a good first step toward the ultimate goal of opening the books on all state spending,” said Blair Horner, NYPIRG’s legislative director.

“Open Book New York is an important step forward in making the state’s finances transparent for taxpayers,” said Robert B. Ward, deputy director of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. “The more New Yorkers know about state expenditures, the better they can assess the fiscal decisions made on their behalf.”

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. June 26, 2008:  The New York State Budget is facing revenue shortfalls from Wall Street woes. From taxes down due to unemployment. We all face ghastly gas prices all summer long due primarily to state gasoline taxes. We will pay massive property tax increases beginning July 1. School Districts will face utility and construction and expenses costs going up beyond comprehension. Sales taxes are going to take a nosedive because retail is way down. The Tappan Zee could fall into the Hudson River tomorrow.

So quick, kids,  what did the New York State legislature due this week?

They went on vacation.

Where’s the Government When You Need em? On vacation of course.

The State Senate(above) and Assembly are empty from now to January.

That’s it, I’ve done my six months. I’m gone to get reelected.

This is what our legislators always do when faced with difficulties in an election, that they do not want to take  positions on, and wish would go away. They hide. They ignore them.

Those poor “overworked”  House of Hacks in Albany have to rest up to come back next January to put together a budget that will tax us even more to make up for the shortfalls their clandestine spending will deliver this year. 

The legislators have shown how out of touch they are with reality by bailing out of Albany with a “See ya” to Governor Patterson.

They are wasting valuable time by going home for six months.

Time that can never be made up.

Look you could run donkeys for legislator this year or dead persons for legislator this year on the Democratic ticket and get them elected. It’s a gimme year.

There may not be one Republican elected this year to the New York State legislature.

Instead of working for you when the House of Hacks returns home the first week in July, they will be working for themselves:

What will they be doing: hosting fundraisers to take more of your money.  Politicking locally. Making speeches. Listening to you and telling you “yes, I’ve got a bill that will do just that.” They’ll talk about the disabled, talk about “affordable housing,” raise funds and be feeding money to political sycophants .

I mean an honest day of work, and a little crisis would kill the average state legislator. They are essentially account men and women who say anything they think the client (the voter) wants to hear, then turn around and bill the client (the voter) for it.

Whatever happened to the massive need to cut taxes we heard  a few weeks ago from these phonies?

Man, our new governor sure gave up on his property tax cap idea fast didn’t he?  He sure fought hard for it. How long did it take Joe and Sheldon and the shameless education forces to talk him out of that one?

No a strong stand on that one, Governor Patterson. You could have at least strong out the charade a week, couldn’t you?

It seems like all an act.

Did anyone ever really really believe the legislature was going to put in a  property tax cap when they rammed through in April,  a secret STAR Exemption cut to finance the school aid they increased?  (Read this site, it is the only media that reported on that chicanery.) Our Assemblypersons and State Senators treat us as fools. And when you tell them, hey wait a minute, they give the tyrant’s answer: you don’t understand.

I appreciate Governor Patterson wanting to get along, but the state, the country is in big trouble right now.

The should drop the great conciliator role and folksiness and step up.

Governor Patterson should have said to Joe and Sheldon and all the others, no way, you are coming back July 7 and we’re going to do task forces to see how this cap can be enacted. But, he didn’t.

Governor Patterson should put together a mandate task force to examine the county claims that the mandates are killing them. But he didn’t.

Governor Patterson should have put together another task force to change the pension laws – create buyouts and trim the pension bills for years to come. But he didn’t.

Governor Patterson should have told the Comptroller to do an accounting of the gasoline tax and see what the impact would be of a various state cuts or temporary suspensions in the gas tax and how it could be done – and demand projections on revenues soon. But he didn’t.

Governor Patterson should have called for a task force to review all earmark projects across the state and postponed them or cancelled some of them. But, he didn’t.

You’re the governor, baby. You can do that. The legislature works for you. Does the governor really think they are going to renominate him in 2009 to run for a full term? With Andrew Cuomo just waiting to run?

Take your shot. Lead from strength.

When a company is in trouble they cut. When a government  or a School District is in trouble they spend more. They never spend less. Somehow I do not get that.

Do you think maybe, just maybe the legislators might come back in July and August and attack the property tax thing, the gas tax thing, the utility price increases, state foreclosure laws, trimming state bureaucracy?

Here are a few suggestions.

I think they can start by trimming their legislative staffs since they only  work six months this year. Just put in answering machines or have college interns do it. Forget this paid staff business.

Eliminate the reams of media offices that so many state departments have. (Now I’ll never get any calls back)  The flood of news releases, website management, is appreciated, but a press office for every department under the sun is not necessary.

Cut back on entourages and that includes the state cars and state vehicles, planes and helicopters. Cut out the travel and do some work in Albany.

Get rid of the state police.  They did not even protect a former governor from ladies of the evening, let alone report the outrageous behavior. They are also ineffectual in enforcing speed limits. Have local authorities police the thruways and state roads. I guarantee revenues locally would go up and reckless driving decreased.

Now let’s really look at what these legislators do.

These guys are in session running the state,  4 days a week, for less time than a college  student, less than a high school student, and they get paid $79 G’s a year plus stipends for some as a result of additional duties.

Let me tell you, any person that works as  a legislator in county and state government  shouldn’t even think about running for the job of Mayor. Councilperson, maybe – they don’t  work hard either.  Actually being a councilperson is somewhat like agreeing to be paid to sit in detention three times a month, one council meeting, two work sessions. At least the Mayor,the Commissioners and the Mayor’s staff are working every day.

The Mayoral workload will kill any elected legislator. Not only that, but you are accountable — somthing new for anyone in the legislature.  If  things go wrong, Battle Hill or Highlands is on the phone to you.  

But  the White Plains in 2010 when a new Mayor comes in (if America’s Favorite Mayor, Joseph Delfino chooses not to run),  will be hard to run. The tax base is suddenly gone flat because three projects have stalled out and financing sources other than the city are tightening up. Meanwhile the city school and county expenses are burgeoning. And White Plains is in reasonable shape. The same cannot be said for other cities and towns in the county.

But, I digress.

Do you think maybe, the legislators (since if you’re a Democrat there’s no way you can lose this year unless perhaps people are apprised of the facts), might try and come back to Albany and tackle some hard decisions: say no to school districts strongly on their  inept financial management? Say no to developers on breaks, cleanups, and special projects? Say no to pouring millions into the same mismanaged cities across the state they always do? Say no to unions and overhaul the pension plans? Say no to the Department of Transporation bureaucracy? Say no to hospital plans that do not make sense? Say no to commercial interests  and stop homeowner property tax moneycide?

This is a pipe dream.

They won’t.

They’re too lazy, too perhaps stupid? Or perhaps too  afraid.

These issues do not affect them anyway.

They know they can talk about changing things, fool you with budget sleight of hand and say look what we’ve done for you.

But the state is in so much financial trouble, this year, you would think they might come back for appearance sake.

They always like to appear they are working hard for you. (The jacket over the shoulder picture is meant to represent that).

The fact that they are not even vowing to come back, in what would cost them nothing in a good will, roll up the sleeves gesture, shows you that every single one of them from the Governor on down has no respect for you.

You will note that the U.S. Congress has waited until now one year after the crisis of foreclosures started to come even close to reforming foreclosure. Too late for thousands.

They play you, because they don’t think you’re very smart.

They know you want to believe them.

The truth that our representatives really do not care is too awful to contemplate.

But by going on vacation Saturday, the New York State Legislature has told you exactly that.

They don’t deserve one.