THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Bradley: Governor’s Contingency Budget Further Assails Education.

Posted on February 14, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR Aisles of Albany. February 14, 2005: Assemblyman Adam Bradley of the 89th District released a statement Monday sharply criticising Governor’s George Pataki’s contingency budget. Mr. Bradley states:

The governor’s release of a contingency budget is further evidence of his effort to become a virtual budget czar, dictating state spending and laws without input from citizens and their representatives in the Legislature. Among other things, the governor’s contingency budget further underfunds education – leaving school districts and property-taxpayers to foot the bill for his wrong choices. For schools in my district, the contingency budget would mean a cut of $3.5 million compared to what the governor proposed just a month ago in his Executive budget. This proposal is unacceptable since it does not deal with any of the structural problems which need real reform.”

Walking Club to Launch at The Westchester

Posted on February 14, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR EAST SIDER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. February 11, 2005: Westchester County and The Westchester are launching a new walking club called “Be Fit” at The Westchester in White Plains Feb. 15 at 12 noon. (Meet at horse fountain retail level 2.) County Executive Andy Spano will lead the walk that day.

The club will officially begin Friday, Feb. 18 and will hold walks Tuesdays and Fridays from 8-10 a.m. The walks are led by a county parks department employee who is a registered nurse and nutritionist. Club members get free pedometers and log books to track the number of miles they have walked. The mall is offering prizes to walkers who complete 25, 50 and 100 miles at the mall. The first 25 people to sign up will also get free t-shirts, and free parking is available to registered walkers between 8 a.m. and 12 noon on club days.

NYPH, WEILL CORNELL TO HIRE SUPER FUNDRAISER: $1.8 Billion Campaign Planned.

Posted on February 13, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR EAST END OBSERVER. February 13, 2005: New York Presbyterian Hospital is about to launch a $1 Billion fundraising drive.

Whether or not this is to raise money to fund their cash-short proton accelerator-biomedical research facility approved by the city two-and-a-half years ago, with no ground broken yet, is not known at this time.

A contractor, reported by WPCNR to be in ongoing talks with New York Presbyterian Hospital to develop the White Plains proton accelerator, Hitachi North America, in Tarrytown, told WPCNR last month that the state-of-the-art cancer treatment therapy center has been put off at least six months by New York Presbyterian Hospital because funding is the big stumbling block.

New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weil Cornell Medical Center, its academic and professional partner are taking financial matters into their own hands.

They are launching a $1 Billion fundraising drive for NYPH and a $750 Million campaign for the Weill Cornell Medical College. The plans became known by the appearance of an advertisement in The New York Times Sunday for a “Super Fundraiser,” a Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations for “planning, implementation, and coordination of corporate and foundation gifts and grants and fund-raising programs” for the support of both campus fund drives totaling $1.8 Billion.

WPCNR has often noted the lack of candor, information, and ongoing news about the proton accelerator project on New York Presbyterian Hospital. Opponents of the proton accelerator project have long argued that the hospital does not have the money to build the project, and though promised $100 Million of support from the Governor’s office as a Center of Excellence, that money has apparently not been forthcoming from New York State, otherwise the proton accelerator could be well under way by now.

Now with the announcement of the $1.8 Billion fund drive, it appears Weill Cornell Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital both need to turn to the private sector for future growth, whether the $1 Billion New York Presbyterian Hospital hopes to raise will be in part for the White Plains project, is a subject of inquiry.

Bradley: Governor Pataki’s Cuts Will Cost White Plains Schools $687,000.

Posted on February 12, 2005 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley, 89th Assembly District. February 12, 2005: Governor Pataki has seriously threatened the quality of New York schools. His legacy of proposing school aid cuts and devastating tuition hikes is not only irresponsible, it’s harmful – and children and property taxpayers end up paying the price.

The Legislature has historically fought to restore the governor’s cuts. Last year, we rejected the governor’s meager increases to education aid, and enacted an overall increase of $752 million – a five percent increase – which was the fourth largest in state history. This restoration of state funding for schools once again preserved vital education programs and prevented massive local property tax increases.

Under the Governor’s proposed budget, some schools will see an increase in aid, however, Byram Hills and White Plains lose funding, while many others struggle to keep up with the rate of inflation:

Byram Hills will lose $169,092; and
White Plains will lose $687,400.

Cuts in Building Improvements & BOCES

All our local schools will suffer from the Governor’s proposed cut to reimbursable aids such as building improvements and the BOCES program. This will have a negative impact on schools in my district:

· Katonah-Lewisboro – $114,318

· Bedford – $293,945

· Harrison – $ 83,788

· Chappaqua – $112,328

· Byram Hills – $117,131

· White Plains – $256,941

The bottom line is that our schools need more support, and our governor needs to work with the Legislature to ensure that our children are given the best possible education.

College Students Impacted by Tuition Hikes

An affordable college education has also come under attack by the Pataki administration. The attack came from Pataki’s hand-picked SUNY Chancellor Robert King who – while quietly planning a 6-month leave of absence – called for the second tuition hike in three years for SUNY schools. A $950 a year hike was adopted in 2002 and tuition has gone up $1,700 since the governor took office. Another increase would make it even harder for students to attend.

This year, Pataki has called for a $500 tuition increase – that means student tuition will account for over 50 percent of the budget for SUNY and CUNY schools. When the governor took office in 1994, the revenue from student tuition accounted for only 37 percent of the higher education budget.

The Governor has also proposed deferring 50 percent of the Tuition Assistance Program. Many students from SUNY Purchase have spoken to me about the possibility that they will be forced to end their college education as a result of this substantial reduction to TAP. Given the economic troubles facing our state and nation, now is certainly not the time to deny deserving, often underprivileged students the opportunity for a brighter future.

New York currently ranks 41 out of 50 in terms of annual percentage change in state support for higher education operating expenses for 2004 – 2005, according to new research from Illinois State University. We must do more to help our students, not hinder their chances of succeeding. I call on the Governor to change directions and focus on our students needs both in secondary and higher education.

I have continuously worked to provide our schools and SUNY with the funding they need to provide a quality, affordable education and increase aid for students through the Tuition Assistance Program. Property taxpayers and students are being asked to sacrifice too much. It’s time for the governor to make a real investment in our future – in our children.