WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 30, 2015:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Sunday announced an agreement on the 2015-16 State Budget.

The Budget agreement includes landmark education reforms and investment, an ethics package with the nation’s strongest disclosure laws for legislators with outside income, and new investments in rebuilding and growing the state’s economy, including $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and $500 million to make New York the first in the nation to have statewide broadband.

The Budget agreement holds spending growth below two percent for the fifth consecutive year, continuing a record of fiscal discipline that has reversed decades of state budgets where spending grew at a higher rate than inflation or personal income growth.

Governor Cuomo said: “With this agreement, we address intractable problems that have vexed our state for generations. After decades of leading the nation in education spending but lagging in results, New York will set an example for all other states with a complete overhaul of the entrenched education bureaucracy. These reforms – accompanied by an unprecedented financial investment – will put students first by bringing accountability to the classroom, recruiting and rewarding our best teachers, further reducing over-testing, and finally confronting our chronically failing schools.

“I said I would not sign a Budget without real ethics reform, and this Budget does just that, putting in place the nation’s strongest and most comprehensive rules for disclosure of outside income by public officials, reforming the long-abused per diem system, revoking public pensions for those who abuse the public’s trust, defining and eliminating personal use of campaign funds, and increasing transparency of independent expenditures.

“This is a Budget that all New Yorkers can be proud of.

“I commend Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Skelos, and their colleagues in the Legislature for their hard work and leadership in reaching this agreement.”

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said: “I am pleased that we have arrived at a responsible Budget agreement that lives within the 2 percent spending cap, rejects tax increases and meets the needs of every region of this state – reflecting the priorities of our Senate Republican conference. Thanks to a dramatic reduction in the Gap Elimination Adjustment along with an overall school aid increase of approximately $1.4 billion, students will continue to have the resources they need to learn and thrive. The Budget also includes a blueprint for significant new reforms designed to improve performance in the classroom, reduce over-testing and promote excellence in teaching. In addition, we make sound investments in our infrastructure to create new jobs and encourage the private sector to build and grow. Working together, the Legislature and Governor have also significantly tightened up the state’s ethics and disclosure laws to improve transparency and restore the public’s trust. I thank the Governor, Speaker Heastie, Senator Klein and all of the members of the Senate and Assembly for their hard work and contributions to this year’s enacted Budget, which we expect to pass on time before April 1.”

Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said: “Throughout this Budget process, the Assembly Majority pledged to stand strong for New York’s families. This financial plan provides historic increases in education funding for our children, funds our Higher Education Road to Success initiative, provides safe and affordable housing for a growing number of New Yorkers who are on the brink of homelessness, and grows our economy. I am particularly proud that this agreement builds upon our core values to strengthen our families, uplift our communities, and restore faith in our government. I thank Governor Cuomo and our colleagues in the Senate for their hard work in crafting a Budget that will help move New York forward.”

Spending
The Budget agreement includes spending in the following categories:· Total State Operating Funds: $94.25 billion; 2.0% growth
· School Aid: $23.5 billion; 6.1% growth
· Medicaid: $17.741 billion; 4.6% growth
· Funds from financial settlements: $5.4 billion, including $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and $500 million to make New York the first in the nation to have statewide broadband.
Full details and language to be released Monday.

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MR. RECEPTION: Frank Asprea of United Cerebral Palsy at the front desk.

WPCNR PEOPLE TO BE PROMOTED. From Cerebral Palsy of Westchester. March 28, 2015: 

United Cerebral Palsy’s Frank Asprea speaks volumes to the gifts that those withdevelopmental disabilities possess. Leading the way with an attitude of gratitude, Frank has not only held consistent employment in the community throughout his career but he has brought an awareness to individuals that the only disability in life is a “bad attitude”

.Frank began working at Cerebral Palsy of Westchester in March 2001 in which he worked as a cashier at the Company store for seven years. One year later, in 2002, he was offered a part-time position at Kohl’s in Port Chester again working as a cashier for the Company. As Frank’s skills progressed he continued to push himself and left Kohl’s as a cashier and was hired into the Human Resource Department at Target in Mt. Vernon, NY in which he was responsible for putting together new hire packets for employees, prescreening potential applicants, ordering supplies for the department, working on computers and photocopying bills.

To say Frank has a heart of gold is an understatement. After years of work
experience in the field of hospitality and human resources he applied for a
full-time position at Cerebral Palsy of Westchester as the Agency Receptionist.
In August 2011 Frank was hired by the Agency and continues to do an
excellent job to this day. Frank says: “I’ve always wanted to be an inspiration
to others. Showing all people that when you put your mind to something you
can do it.”

He then added: “As far as I’m concerned you can never judge a
book by its cover. What you see on the outside is not always what you get on
the inside.”
Due to Frank’s hard work and dedication he was voted employee of the
month in February 2011 and accepted the award for employee of the year in
October 2011! Frank Asprea is an exceptional employee who brings awareness
every single day to the life and accomplishments of those with developmental disabilities

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You are invited to attend
“Present Day Enslavement in our Communities,”
a forum on human trafficking.
When? April 15, 7-9 p.m.
Where? White Plains Public Library, 100 Martine Avenue
Confirmed Speakers:

NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin;

Gonzalo Martinez de Vedia of the Human Trafficking Program, Worker Justice Center;

Carl J. Boykin, Director of Human Trafficking Prevention for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services;

Lauren Hersh, Director, Anti-Trafficking Policy & Advocacy, Sanctuary for Families 

Sponsors: White Plains League of Women Voters, White Plains Rotary,

The Slater Center, El Centro Hispano, and the White Plains Public Library

For more information, contact:
Denise D’Ambrosio, denisedambrosiolaw@gmail.com

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ROBERT BERRY

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From White Plains Department of Public Safety. March 24, 2015 UPDATED JANUARY 25, 2015:

Within 24 hours of the posting on the internet by Lohud.com and The White Plains CitizeNetReporter of the surveillance photo above, the suspect who was shown in the progress a walk-in, walk-out, help yourself robbery of this picture, White Plains Police are  pleased to announce the arrest of the suspect.

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong said, “Robert Berry a 54 year old Mt. Vernon resident was arrested last night by our investigators for the USA Pro Auto Shop larceny of $90k. The White Plains Police Department appreciates the assistance of the news media which helped lead to his apprehension.”

White Plains police released the above photograph overnigh Monday  of a man who police said robbed the USA Service Pro Auto Shop service station, 578 Mamaroneck Avenue last Wednesday, March 18.

Lieutenant Eric Fischer told The Journal News  the man loitered a small amount of time outsdide the office, and when the office was unoccupied, walked in and helped himself to an open safe, departing quietly with $90,000 in cash.

Police are asking anyone who knows this man (captured on video) above to contact the police anonymously at 422-6200 or 422-6223. Information and your identity will be kept confidential..

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Communications Director.March 23, 2015:
The Governor and the legislative leaders are in the midst of ongoing budget discussions which have intensified as we have gotten closer to the budget deadline. As rumors swirl in the Capitol, several issues should be clarified.

The Governor has stated repeatedly and clearly that ethics reform was a top priority and that he wouldn’t sign a budget without ethics reform. Nothing has changed. A budget done with both houses must include ethics reform. The Governor believes that the concerns of legislators who have outside employment such as a law practice have been addressed consistent with his program for increased ethics disclosure and transparency. The Assembly obviously has already agreed with the Governor’s ethics package and has numerous members with outside employment. The Governor said he would not sign off on a budget that doesn’t include the ethics reforms he outlined, and he meant it.

Education reform is another top priority in this budget. The key education reforms are dealing with the epidemic of failing schools, improvement to the teacher evaluation system, tenure reform, teacher performance bonuses and scholarships to attract new teachers. If those reforms are passed, the Governor will support a significant funding increase. The Governor believes these changes will be transformative to our education system.

The DREAM Act is supported by the Assembly and the Education Tax Credit is supported by the Senate. Last year, neither initiative was passed. The Governor believes at this point, that either both will pass or neither. The Governor supports passage of both and included them in his budget. If they don’t pass in the budget, they could still pass in regular session.

The Governor supports a pay commission and included it in his original budget. The charter cap and mayoral control for New York City are issues that can be addressed in the budget, or more likely in the remainder of the session. Regardless, both should be addressed before the conclusion of the session.

Other top priorities in the budget include raising the minimum wage, a small business tax cut and real property tax relief, the Governor’s $1.5 billion Upstate Revitalization Initiative, statewide broadband, a Thruway stabilization fund and a substantial increase in funding for affordable housing.