$1,093 to HEAT WITH NATURAL GAS FOR ONE MONTH? CON ED PRICES ARE INSANE. AND NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING TO STOP IT. E.

WPCNR CITIZENETREPORT NEWS TIP,  WITH NEWS AND COMMENT BY JOHN F. BAILEY:

 

IT WAS COLD IN WHITE PLAINS YESTERDAY MORNING 32 DEGREES.

I WAS WRITING MY SCRIPT FOR THE SHOW WHEN I GOT A DISTURBING CALL FROM ONE OF MY CITIZENETREPORTERS, THEY CALLED ME ABOUT THEIR  CON ED BILL FOR JANUARY, THEIR NATURAL GAS HEATING BILL WAS OVER $1,000.

“IT’S KILLING ME, I DON’T KNOW HOW I’M GOING TO MAKE IT.”

I WAS SHOCKED.

I THINK IT’S TIME SOME ASSEMBLY PERSON, SOME STATE SENATOR, GOVERNOR HOCHUL SHOULD HIT THE ROOF ABOUT THIS COLOSSAL RIPOFF OF EVERY CITIZEN WHO USES ELECTRICITY IN NEW YORK STATE.

CALL THE NEW YORK INDEPENDENT SYSTEMS OPERATOR AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND YOUR ALBANY LEGISLATORS AND ASK THEM IF THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT THE NEW PRICE INCREASE  IS DOING TO THE THOUSANDS IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY THEY JUST APPROVED. 

THIS TIME I WANT A LEGISLATIVE HEARING WITH THE PSC AND NYISO WHY THE NYISO DECISION  SETTING THE HIGHEST COST SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY AS THE PRICE FOR BUYING ELECTRICITY OFF THE GRID.

  IN THIS CASE NATURAL GAS DETERMINES WHAT ALL BUYING ELECTRICITY THE GRID PAYS FOR ELECTRICITY HAS DONE. CAN THESE “LEADERS” IN ALBANY FIND OUT WHY DID THE NHYISO  DO THAT AND WHY AREN’T THOSE LEGISLATORS AND OUR GOVERNOR HAULING THOSE TWO AGENCIES AND CON ED AND EVERY ELECTRIC SERVICE COMPANY IN ON THE CARPET AND FIX THIS BEFORE THE SUMMER WHEN THE BILLS WILL BE JUST AS HIGH.

GOVERNOR HOCHUL MADE A STATEMENT  SAYING SHE WAS ASKING CON ED TO RE CONSIDER IT’S RATES TO GIVE NY CUSTOMERS A BREAK. THE LANDLORDS ARE HAVING BIG FUN PASSING THE INCREASE ON TO THEIR TENANTS.

PERHAPS THE GOVERNOR SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE PSC TO CUT IT. PERHAPS SHE SHOULD TELL THE NYISO TO CREATE A COMPETITIVE MARKET WITH COMPETITIVE PRICING NOW…BECAUSE PEOPLE CANT PAY $1,000 A MONTH JUST SO  THE NATURAL GAS GANG CAN MAKE BILLIONS ON THE MEEK, THE HARD WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, THE PERSONS TRYING TO AFFORD TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES THAT HAS BEEN  BY THIS NYISO POLICY RIGHT OUT OF THE ROBBER BARONS’ PLAYBOOK

THOSE DECISIONS ABSOLUTELY WRECKED THE SUCCESSFUL COMPETITOR OF OF  CON ED, WESTCHESTER POWER AND THE BIG TIME POWER SUPPLIERS.

IF THERE WERE A  REAL DICK TRACY  WORKING ROBBERY OUT THE BUNKO DIVISION, I WOULD TELL HIM THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND NYISO APPROVED DECISION DOUBLED WESTCHESTER POWER’S FIXED RATE.

I NEVER HEARD A SIGH FROM OUR FECKLESS GOVERNOR ON ENERGY,  OR OUR SAY NOTHING, DO NOTHING, READ NOTHING LEGISLATORS AND LEADERS.

THE CITIZEN WHO CALLED ME ABOUT $1,000 BILL SAID THE NEW GAS RATE WAS KILLING THEM. OF COURSE IT WAS A COLD WINTER.  

BUT IT’S NOT DOWN IN TEENS AND ALREADY BUT THESE NEW RATES ARE AN  ABSOLUTE GIFT TO HEAVY POLLUTING, WORLD DESTROYING, NATURAL GAS. HOW CAN THE GOVERNOR PERMIT THE PSC AND THE NYISO TO RUN A MONOPOLY IN RESTRAINT OF TRADE, RUNNING UP THE COST OF MAKING THE ELECTRICITY TO BEYOND ANY REALM OF AFFORDABILITY BY YOU AND ME. THEIR RATES GO UP AND DOWN ACCORDING TO OUR USAGE AND THEIR COSTS.

WELL IF YOU OWN A HOME IN WHITE PLAINS AND YOU HAVE GAS HEAT –FROM CON EDISON – YOU ARE GETTING KILLED BY ELECTRIC BILLS.  YOU’RE SCARED TO DEATH ABOUT HOW MY CALLER CAN PAY THIS.

THE CON EDISON CUSTOMER WHO HAS NATURAL GAS HEAT, TOLD ME THEIR CON ED GAS BILL WAS 1,063 DOLLARS IN JANUARY, UP FROM $744 IN DECEMBER — ONE MONTH AGO –THAT IS A 44% INCREASE IN USAGE AND PRICE IN ONE MONTH.

LOOK OUT EVIL DOERS, YOU HAVE PULLED THIS OFF FOR THE LAST TIME.

DO THING LEGISLATORS AND LEADERS, AT LEAST OPEN YOUR MOUTHS.

YOU ALL TURNED YOUR BACK AND IGNORED THIS PRICE INCREASE AND BEFORE THAT YOU LET NYISO UNDER THE EXCUSE THAT THEY “HAD TO MAINTAIN AN ORDERLY SUPPLY” PRICE FIXED, AND THERE TOOK OUT THE MAIN SELLING POINT OF WESTCHESTER POWER–FIXED RATE LOWER THAN CON ED’S. EVERYBODY LOVED THIS. I DID.

NYISO’S DECISION RESULTED BECAUSE THE NYISO DIDN’T THINK THIS THROUGH. WHAT HAPPENED WAS NO ESCO WOULD BID ON THE NEW WESTCHESTER POWER CONTRACT. WESTCHESTER POWER HAD TO PAUSE AND CON ED TOOK OVER THE ELECTRIC SERVICE. WHEN WESTCHESTER FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET A FIXED RATE (DOUBLE WHAT THEY HAD IN 2022) CON ED RAMMED IN THEIR PRICE REQUEST QUOTING NICE LOW RATES.

NYISO’S DECISION AFFECTED 29 TOWNS AND CITIES IN WESTCHESTER IN WESTCHESTER POWER. 

NO ONE IN THIS COUNTY, ANY COUNTY OR  IN  NY GOVERNMENT SAID ANYTHING.

JUST PROFITS PROFITS PROFITS FOR BIG POWER AND THEIR STOCKHOLDERS.

WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE POWER POLICY SYSTEM TO LOWER COSTS, TEACH CUSTOMERS HOW TO SAVE ON CONSUMPTION AND INSTALL MORE SOLAR, WIND, WATER ENERGY TO SAVE THE STATE ECONOMY.

THANKS PUBLIC OFFICIALS. 

YOU DIDN’T PAY ATTENTION.

 

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White Plains CONSIDERS LOWERING speed limits to 25 MPH from 30 with some exceptions.

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WPCNR TRAFFIC TRIBUNE. From The City of White Plains. January 29, 2024:

Added to the agenda at the Special Meeting at City Hall Monday was an ordinance lowering the speed limit in White Plains with exceptions for key access  and egress routes.

 

Here are the street-by-street details showing exceptions to the 25 MPH limit:

  1. Central Westchester Parkway: from Grant Avenue to the City Line, 45 MPH
  2. Mamaroneck Avenue from Bryant Avenue to the City Line, 40 MPH EXCEPT SCHOOL DAYS, when it is reduced to 25 MPH in school zones marked by flashing lights and 25 MPH flasing signs.

 

  1. Mamaroneck Avenue From Bryant Avenue both North and South Bound to BLOMINGDALE RD, 30MPH

 

  1. North Street, both North and Southbound between Ridgeway and White Plains Avenue, 40MPH, except school days when limit is 25 MPH marked by flashing lights and signs reading 25MPH.

 

  1. North Street, both North and Southbound between Ridgeway to and the City line, 40MPH

 

  1. Westchester Avenue (eastbound) between White Plains Avenue and the City line, 40 MPH

 

  1. Westchester Avenue (eastbound) between Paulding Street and the Bloomingdale Road ramp, 30MPH

 

  1. Bryant Avenue, between North Street and Westchester Avenue both eastbound and westbound, 35MPH. From North Street to Mamaroneck Avenue, 30MPH

 

  1. Westchester Avenue Frontage Road eastbound from Bloomingdale Road ramp to I-287 eastbound junction, 40MPH

 

  1. Bloomingdale Road, 30MPH

 

  1. Central Avenue, 30 MPH

 

  1. North Broadway, northbound and southbound between Barker Avenue and the Cityline, 30MPH.

 

  1. Old Mamaroneck Road , northbound and southbound, between Bryant Avenue and the City line. 30MPH

 

  1. Tarrytown Road. 30MPH
  2. White Plains Avenue, 40MPH

A letter included in the “backup material” detailed the speed limit is being lowered under the new New York State Legislation (A.1007, A/S.2021-A)  which now allows cities to reduce city wide limits to 25 miles per hour in the amended Section 1643 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. The former traffic the default maximum speed through a city, town, or village was 30 MPH.

By giving  municipalities local control to reduce speed limits, this legislation  will improve public safety and prevent pedestrian fatalities.

The amendment to the city Traffic Ordinance is in accordance with recommendations of the Transportation Commission, Department of Parking/Traffic Division and is to become effective upon adoption by the Common Council.

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH STARTS TODAY

en Español

Please join us virtually Monday night for our annual Black History Month Celebration streaming live from the BOL Chamber at 7 p.m. Video link will go live at westchestercountyny.legistar.com. To access, click on the link and scroll down to “Board of Legislators Meeting.” Scroll across to the video column and click where it says “in progress.”

We are so proud to be celebrating two exemplary honorees – Linda Tarrant-Reid and The Westchester County Press.

en Español

Acompáñenos virtualmente el lunes por la noche para nuestra celebración anual del Mes de la Historia Afroamericana, transmitida en vivo desde la Cámara BOL a las 7 p.m. El enlace del video se publicará en westchestercountyny.legistar.com. Para acceder, haga clic en el enlace y desplácese hacia abajo hasta ” Board of Legislators Meeting “. Desplácese hasta la columna de video y haga clic donde dice ” in progress.”

Estamos muy orgullosos de celebrar a dos homenajeados ejemplares: Linda Tarrant-Reid y The Westchester County Press.
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MEASLES

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I’m fully vaccinated against measles. What should I know?

Can I transmit the virus? Does vaccine protection wane? Does my child get antibodies?

Measles continues to pepper the news:

I am getting a lot of questions! Here’s what you need to know if you’re fully vaccinated.

Can I get measles if I’m fully vaccinated?

The MMR vaccine works incredibly well—you’re 35 times less likely to get measles than someone with no immunity.

But nothing is perfect. A breakthrough case is rare but possible (3 out of 100 fully vaccinated people will get infected). The disease does tend to be milder.

We don’t know why there are breakthrough cases, but there are two possibilities:

  1. Waning immunity (see more below); or
  2. Vaccine didn’t work in the first place for whatever reason. 5% of people do not get protection after the first dose, but 95% of those will be fully protected after a second dose.

If I am exposed, can I transmit measles?

Transmission after vaccination, especially if you’re asymptomatic, is rare:

  • We see this in the lab data. A small study found no viral shedding among asymptomatic or mildly ill patients. But this is a very old study, and we need to replicate findings with more sensitive lab equipment.
  • We see this in the epidemiological data. While there are several studies showing spread among vaccinated people, especially after intense or prolonged exposure, the epidemiological implications don’t seem to be dramatic. In other words, cases don’t transmit enough to sustain outbreaks.

In 2011, there was a well-documented outbreak in New York. This was the first documented measles outbreak where the index case had two doses of MMR. Out of 88 close contacts, 4 got infected and had symptoms. Those who got infected had more than 200 contacts, and none got measles. (Note: We would expect ~90% to get infected if this population didn’t have immunity.)

Figure by YLE

Why does the measles vaccine work better than the Covid-19 vaccine? 

These are very different viruses:

  1. Mutates differently. Measles is much more restricted in how it mutates compared to Covid-19. For example, new versions of measles don’t come out every few months to escape our immunity. The 1960 measles virus is largely the same today. (See this previous YLE post for more).
  2. Infects differently. Measles is a lot slower at infection. It requires going deep into the body to start replicating. Because of this, the measles vaccine is much better at stopping transmission, as our body has much more time to control measles infection. This is different from Covid-19, which replicates on the surface of the nasal cavity very quickly. It’s hard for our cells to reach it in time to prevent replication.

If we are protected from measles for life, why are there booster rumors?

I think this happening for a few reasons:

  1. MMR combines protection for three diseases into one shot: Measles, mumps, and rubella. Each of these wanes at different rates, which is confusing:
    1. Measles. Measles antibodies are incredibly durable (the most durable of the three) but wane over time. This isn’t too concerning because we have T cell protection, too. Studies that followed people for 17 years showed the vast majority (~91%) remained above the threshold needed for protection. What happens if they continue to wane? We are at the mercy of time, but currently, outbreaks continue to occur among unvaccinated people.
    2. Mumps antibodies are also durable but wane faster than measles. Approximately 25% lose protection within 8 years and 50% within 19 years of vaccination. This is why some consider a third dose of MMR before kids go to college.
    3. Rubella wanes, too, but you’re generally considered fully protected for life. Recent studies showed that the younger a person is, the quicker it wanes. This raises the question of whether women, especially those who get pregnant at an older age, need another booster.
  1. Other countries are discussing the possibility of a measles booster, for example for health care workers in Korea. Studies show a booster provides benefits, but they are short-lived.
  2. The guidance says if you were born before 1957, it is assumed you had measles and you’re fully protected. This group can probably skip getting MMR for measles protection unless other factors are at play (e.g., chemotherapy).

As vaccines have started eliminating diseases, people’s exposure to those diseases in the community has declined. This is good news, but it also means our immune systems have had less opportunity for boosting by asymptomatic infections (i.e., hybrid immunity). We don’t know the implications of this, but we are keeping a close eye on the data.

I hear measles infection-induced immunity is more durable than vaccine-induced immunity?  

This is true. Infection-induced antibodies wane less quickly among adults and fetuses compared to vaccine-induced immunity.

The problem is that an infection comes with many more risks than a vaccine. If I were to bet on it, I would rather have the odds on the right than left.

Are babies protected if their mom was fully vaccinated? 

Anyone trying to conceive should have MMR titers checked, and if levels are low, MMR should be administered 28 or more days before conception.

The vast majority of moms transfer antibodies of all three—measles, mumps, and rubella—to fetuses. Once born, antibodies wane really quickly and are almost all gone at 6-12 months of age.

So why do we wait until 12 months to get children vaccinated? 

We try to get to the sweet spot by balancing a few factors: maternal antibodies waning, maturity of the immune system, and the most common age of infection. For example, maternal antibodies can greatly reduce the infants response to the MMR vaccine. So we want to be sure these wane before getting a child vaccinated.

That said, if there is a measles outbreak, protection is needed ASAP for young children. Early vaccination is one provisional measure we can take.

Bottom line

If you’re fully vaccinated, you can be confident in your protection. We continue to follow the data, but failure to vaccinate still plays the biggest role in measles in the United States compared to vaccine failures.

Love, YLE

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