New York State’s Power For Jobs program has been flickering in recent weeks because despite its importance to our vital upstate manufacturing base and to the average residential ratepayer, the program has been caught up in the political whirlpool of Albany politics.For several months, as the Ranking Member of the Senate’s Energy Committee, I’ve called for a ...
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A bill that would amend the Executive Law to ensure the preservation of the records of New York’s governors has recently passed the Senate and is making its way through the Assembly. This bill (S6846/A9928) will ensure that the records of a sitting governor will be transferred to the New York State Archives at the end of each administration. Governors’ records ...
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A recent chain of events has brought the issue of net neutrality to the forefront of the discussion on telecommunications regulation. The Federal Communications Commission’s regulatory ability was curtailed by a ruling of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in Comcast v. FCC. The Court decided that the FCC had no jurisdiction to enforce their “broadband policy ...
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Does this situation sound familiar? Someone knocks on your door, telling you they can help save money on your energy bill if you just switch energy services companies. While some of these door-to-door salespeople are above board, far too many make phony claims and shill energy contracts that are more likely to bankrupt you than save you a few dollars each month. These ...
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Since late last year, residents across Westchester County have witnessed, with disbelief, the disappearance of the natural landscape that has shielded homes and properties from exposure for decades. In the days following the removal of broad swaths of vegetation with chainsaws, the lush greenery that had always been there was gone and left behind were areas littered with ...
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The environmental devastation wrought by the Gulf Coast oil spill, one of the worst man-made disasters in history, is a stark reminder why we must lessen our reliance on fossil fuels. This fact has been repeatedly hammered home each time the oil giant BP failed to stanch the flow of oil from the wrecked undersea well.BP’s inability to stop the flow was attributed in part ...
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As a first-term senator, I was honored to be selected to chair the Senate Banking Committee; a post that is especially important given the ongoing mortgage foreclosure crisis that has wreaked havoc on communities throughout our state. Through my work on the committee and my interaction with countless constituents who have shared their stories with me, I have come to appreciate ...
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The Senate and the House have passed their respective bills for financial regulatory reform, offering an opportunity to address the shortcomings that contributed to the economic meltdown. Both bills contain provisions to strengthen consumer protection and reduce systemic risk. As the reconciliation process to harmonize the bills begins, however, it is critical that states ...
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When the discussion in Albany these days turns to the state workforce, the topic typically is the workforce’s size and cost. I predict the discussion very soon will turn to the knowledge, skills and abilities of that workforce.A real challenge to New York State’s capacity to deliver the services its citizens need will arrive, hopefully not before we’ve ...
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On April 5 an underground explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 employees and forced West Virginia officials to re-examine long-held assumptions about mine safety in their state. The tragedy exposed a system in which safety violations went unheeded and workers operated in a dangerous environment with too little information. We stand together with ...
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For too long, New York has been without an energy policy in place to develop, guide and coordinate the resources we need to meet our energy demands. New Yorkers deserve an energy plan that fosters job creation, entrepreneurship, technological advancement and environmental sustainability, and benefits consumers. With the 2002 expiration of our energy planning law, New York has ...
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Right now, our country has a dependency problem. We are addicted to foreign oil. It’s impossible for us to quit cold turkey. But with the right approach, we can rehab our communities and end our reliance on our national drug of choice: petroleum.Ending our addiction to foreign oil will require a host of new technologies and new partnerships to spur new innovations. For ...
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When I accepted the chairmanship of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee this past December, I did so because I knew that our State stands at a real crossroads in terms of energy policy and that long-term reforms are badly needed. As chairman, my first commandment has been and will continue to be, “do no harm.” This may seem obvious to some, but if ...
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How New York State can best promote renewable energy has been a subject of intense debate recently, as various parties try to balance the combined goals of providing reliable electricity, creating jobs, reducing harmful pollutant emissions and sustaining this fledgling industry in a time of financial distress. While it is easy to get lost in the conflicting information and ...
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Perhaps this year more than any other, it is imperative that we fund the maintenance and operation of New York’s roads and bridges.As budget negotiations proceed, I have made it known to my colleagues in the Senate that I cannot support a budget that does not provide for our state’s roads and bridges, at least for two years.Given the financial climate in New York, ...
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Each year, budget constraints make it less and less likely that differing parties, leaders and legislators will have the same priorities when it comes to ensuring we are judicious stewards of taxpayer money. That is why as the Ranker on the Assembly Transportation Committee, and the Assembly Republican appointee to the Transportation Budget Conference Committee, I wanted to ...
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Have you or someone you care about ever needed an ambulance or the fire department in an emergency? Ever had to rush to school to pick up a sick child, or run to catch a bus or a train?When you think about getting somewhere, how often do you consider the condition of the infrastructure you’ll use as a factor in how long it will take to get there?In truth, most people ...
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With a statewide graduation rate of only 70 percent and below 50 percent in many low-income communities, and too many high school graduates unready for college, we must work urgently to deliver the promise of educational opportunity for New York State’s three million school children. Keeping the promise requires that all schools have truly effective teachers and ...
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With the start of a new decade, the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Education looks ahead at what needs to be done to make sure that every student in New York State gets the best education possible. Last year, the Assembly helped to stop debilitating mid-year cuts that had been proposed by the Executive. These mid-year cuts would have resulted in schools and ...
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These are challenging times for most New York schools. Buffeted by declining state aid and mounting property tax fatigue, school districts are struggling to maintain educational programs with fewer and fewer resources. As chair of the Senate Education Committee, I fought hard to avert devastating mid-year cuts to state education aid in 2009, affording school districts an ...
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Across the country, the pressure on public colleges and university systems is reaching the breaking point. Collapsing state budgets and the erosion of financial aid support during the Bush years has low-income and working families facing cost barriers that are threatening access to college. In Georgia, California and Arizona the 30-percent-plus tuition increase proposals have ...
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The New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation (NYC OTB) was created in 1970 to close a New York City budget gap, and to provide a continuing source of revenue for the City while eliminating illegal gambling on horse races. The NYC OTB was the first of its kind in the United States.It has become popular for editorial writers, the press generally and, accordingly, the public ...
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Governing is choosing. Those of us privileged enough to serve in government face difficult decisions that each day require us to weigh two or more opposed—yet valid—arguments. Not all professions see this degree of adjudication on a regular basis. An emergency room doctor’s immediate priority is to stop a bleed or restore rhythm to the heart, setting aside ...
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I first became involved with the New York State pari-mutual industry in 1974 when, as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, I was involved in conducting investigations into allegations of race fixing at various tracks throughout New York State.Since then I was privileged to serve as executive director, then chairman of the New ...
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Health Care
In our nation’s capital, the extensive debate over federal health care reform focused attention both on how best to provide health insurance as well as how best to deliver high-quality, affordable health care. One way in which New York State is taking a lead in the latter is by focusing our resources on developing and strengthening primary and preventive care. To achieve ...
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Health Care
If some form of health care reform happens in Washington, then we in New York will have the opportunity to improve on it. If national legislation doesn’t happen, there will be an even greater need for New York to tackle health care reform.Either way, this is a time to think about what values and social policy ought to guide reform. At the heart of the debate is the ...
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Health Care
Obesity and smoking are two of New York’s greatest public health challenges. These avoidable conditions impair happiness, inhibit life success and cause many chronic and debilitating conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, lung and other cancers, and emphysema. Obesity and smoking are particularly prevalent in lower income populations already ...
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Health Care
At more than $50 billion, Medicaid spending in New York State has almost doubled since 2000 when total spending was $29.9 billion. Today, Medicaid spending represents more than one third of the entire state budget. In addition, enrollment is projected to increase in the 2010-11 fiscal year to 4.7 million, a 9.5 percent increase over the current year. In 2000 enrollment was 2.7 ...
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By Sen. Neil Breslin, By Assembly Member Joseph Morelle, By Superintendent James Wrynn
No-Fault System Needs To Be Fixed To Restore Its Original PurposeBy Superintendent James WrynnNew York’s no-fault system is broken and needs to be fixed. Flaws in the system encourage unscrupulous individuals to engage in fraud and undermine the system’s intended purpose of restoring accident victims to health and productivity as swiftly as possible. The problem ...
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From thundering Niagara Falls to bustling Manhattan, the climate of New York is changing. Records show that spring is arriving earlier, summers are growing hotter and winters are becoming warmer. These changes are consistent with global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. According to researchers, if greenhouse gas emissions in New York continue to grow unabated, the ...
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Each citizen in New York has an interdependent relationship with the environment. We thrive and grow from the environment’s natural treasures, and simultaneously impact the earth’s health with our actions.Two major initiatives to protect the environment have passed the New York State Assembly and have considerable support in the State Senate. The bills will help to ...
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Each citizen in New York has an interdependent relationship with the environment. We thrive and grow from the environment’s natural treasures, and simultaneously impact the earth’s health with our actions.Two major initiatives to protect the environment have passed the New York State Assembly and have considerable support in the State Senate. The bills will help to ...
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By State Sen. Tom Libous, State Sen. Darrel Aubertine, State Sen. David Valesky
Upstate New York: A New Way Of ThinkingBy State Sen. David ValeskyUpstate New York, like any other region of the state or nation, has many inherent strengths, including available land and natural resources, geographic proximity to markets, a strong manufacturing base and skilled workforce, and a high concentration of colleges, universities and research centers.Yet, despite ...
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By Rep. Eliot Engel, Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, State Sen. Darrel Aubertine
Calling Card Consumer Protection Act Will Protect New Yorkers From Unsavory TacticsBy Rep. Eliot EngelCalling cards are an invaluable resource for people without long-distance telephone service in their home or those who make frequent overseas calls. Common users are students, members of the Armed Forces, those who have family living outside of the United States and those who ...
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Clean Energy Jobs In New York’s Economic FutureBy Garry BrownAs a result of growing concerns about climate change, along with justifiable fears about high energy prices and fossil fuel shortages, we find ourselves at an important crossroad in terms of finding a way to meet future energy needs.Fossil fuels—oil, natural gas, coal—provide about 50 percent of New ...
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By The Capitol
February 26th, 2009
BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER KEVIN CAHILL, STATE SEN. KEVIN PARKER, FRANCIS MURRAY, ...
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BY SUPERINTENDENT ERIC DINALLO & BY STATE SEN. NEIL ...
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By The Capitol
December 18th, 2008
By Assembly Member Audrey Pheffer, Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart & Rep. Eliot ...
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By The Capitol
November 13th, 2008
BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER JAMES BRENNAN, COMMISSIONER ASTRID GLYNN & REP. JERROLD ...
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BY STATE SEN. JOHN BONACIC, DEBORAH VANAMERONGEN and ASSEMBLY MEMBER ANNETTE ...
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By The Capitol
September 22nd, 2008
BY JOHN SABINI, STATE SEN. WILLIAM LARKIN, JR., and ASSEMBLY MEMBER J. GARY ...
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State Sen. Thomas Morahan, Commissioner Michael Hogan, Rep. John Hall, and Assembly Member Peter ...
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BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER PETER ABBATE, COMMISSIONER NANCY GROENWEGEN, AND STATE SEN. DIANE ...
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State Sen. David Valesky, Assembly Member William Magee, Commissioner Patrick Hooker and State Sen. Cathy ...
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By Paul Tonko, Rep. Steve Israel, State Sen. Kevin Parker and Assembly Member Andrew ...
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By The Capitol
February 11th, 2008
By Paul Tonko, Rep. Steve Israel, State Sen. Kevin Parker and Assembly Member Andrew ...
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