TALK TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY ABOUT FOOD AVAILABILITY IN THE COUNTY–DEADLINE NOV 26

The Westchester County Department of Planning, with the support of the Westchester County Department of Health, has launched a survey as part of its Transportation and Food Access Study.

The survey asks Westchester residents ages 18 and older to share their experiences traveling to get groceries, as well as information on the type and affordability of food available to them in the County.

The goal of the study is to develop effective strategies to increase Westchester County resident access to affordable, quality food, with the goal of decreasing food insecurity, improving health outcomes, and increasing the quality of life in Westchester.

Take the survey here by Sunday, November 26.

 

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SAINT PIO FOUNDATION DONATES 60 LAPTOPS TO THE ALCANCE LATINO TECH CENTER AT ST. BERNARD IN WHITE PLAINS NY USA

 Sandra and Nancy, officers of the Saint Pio Foundation, delivering the sixty laptops to the Alcance Latino at  the Church of St. Bernard in White Plains, NY, on Friday, November 17, 2023.

The laptops will be used by the students enrolled in computer literacy courses offered by the Alcance Latino Technology Center at St. Bernies.

The Saint Pio Foundation in Tuckahoe, NY, announced that it has donated sixty refurbished laptops and tablets to the Alcance Latino Technology Center, to fulfill a request from the pastor of the Church of St. Bernard, Father Robert J. Morris, to provide these for the young students of the center.

The Alcance Latino’s Mission is to provide resources and services to immigrant families residing in White Plains, New York, to enhance and sustain their quality of life.

Father Robert Morris, Pastor of the Church of St. Bernard and Executive Director of Alcance Latino said “Alcance Latino at the Church of St. Bernard is so grateful to the Saint Pio Foundation for generously donating 60 laptop computers to our Technology Center.  This will allow us to offer computer literacy courses that will benefit the immigrant population in White Plains and Westchester.”

“The Saint Pio Foundation intends to get more involved within our community, and to do all we possibly can to change lives, for the better, in the name of Saint Pio,” said Founder and CEO Luciano Lamonarca. “We were truly inspired by Father Morris’ persuasive way of supporting the parish’s community, and to the immigrant families of the city of White Plains. Being an immigrant myself, I know how it feels to adapt and to face the challenges that come from living in a new country, most of the time without family.”

About the Saint Pio Foundation

The Saint Pio Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that promotes the knowledge of and devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. It works with institutions and individuals that share the same vision to serve those in need of relief of suffering and that seek to alleviate the physical and emotional hunger of the underserved in a dignified and supportive manner. This includes providing spiritual, physical, and emotional nourishment.

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CONGESTION PRICING TAX IN NYC WON’T STOP WITH MANHATTAN;  EXPECT IT EVERYWHERE SOON AFTER, SAYS PRO-TAX POLICY EXPERT

WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. November 20, 2023:

 

A senior fellow at think tank Brookings Metro is predicting that New York State’s impending congestion pricing tax will spread to cities throughout the state and nation in virtually no time, laying the groundwork for additional driving taxes all across the U.S., the group Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free today reports. 

In a controversial 1,440-word piece in Bloomberg last week, Brookings senior fellow Adie Tomer writes: “…chances are the idea will quickly spread to other cities. Residents and officials in Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon are already considering congestion pricing.” He continues: “Once congestion pricing gets off the ground, it can unlock the Holy Grail of transportation pricing: vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees, which would charge for every mile driven, not just those in specific zones.” 

Mr. Tomer’s piece follows a November 7 article in The Atlantic in which environmental activist and former Transportation Alternatives leader Charles Komanoff suggests that the congestion pricing tax should eventually be raised to $100 per trip, per vehicle. “I am a total incrementalist,” he said. The current congestion pricing tax estimate has a $23 cap to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street by vehicle. 

“The public needs to know what’s about to hit them, and their pro-Congestion-Pricing-Tax legislators are doing everything in their power to keep them in the dark,” said  spokesman Joshua Bienstock. “The Congestion Pricing Tax has nothing to do with congestion, air quality, or progressivism; it’s all about sucking additional tax dollars out of already beleaguered New Yorkers. If New York’s Congestion Tax goes through, just watch how many personal transportation taxes will follow all over the state and nation.” 

Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free argues that a Congestion Pricing Tax is unfair and unnecessary. The tax would disproportionately target lower-income New Yorkers, increase dangerous particulate matter in inner city communities already struggling with some of the highest asthma rates in America, and it would slow the revival of Manhattan’s core business districts. The City and State have reported that hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues have been lost following workplace changes prompted by the Covid 19 Pandemic. 

Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free

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HEARING CHALLENGES AT-LARGE REPRESENTATION IN MT. PLEASANT

CHALLENGE TO AT-LARGE VOTING –
PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
Mount Pleasant will hold a second Public Hearing at Town Hall on Monday, November 20 at 7:00 PM to consider a new method of electing its town council.
Five Hispanic Mount Pleasant residents brought the first-ever challenge under New York’s new Voting Rights Act (Election Law § 17-206) which I co-sponsored in the Assembly in 2022. They allege the present at-large voting system dilutes the voting strength of Hispanic voters and should be replaced.
Two experts hired by Mount Pleasant found the Town’s at-large system violates NYRA and the Town must act. The hearings are to determine what the action should be – council districts, cumulative voting, even-year elections, etc.
Community members should attend to support our fellow residents in challenging the unfair system. Any questions, call me (914-328-9000).
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