From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - September 18, 2009

Johnson Announces Passage of Green Jobs/Green New York Initiative

In a major step toward rebuilding New York’s crippled economy and rescuing the state’s energy consumers, the state Senate recently passed the landmark Green Jobs/Green NY Act of 2009, Senator Craig Johnson announced.

This legislation (S.5888) will create 14,000 family-sustaining jobs with the goal of retrofitting 1 million homes, businesses and not-for-profits on Long Island and across New York State during the next five years. It will also reduce carbon emissions caused by outmoded construction and save New York State residents upward of $1 billion annually in energy savings.

From the Desk of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy - September 11, 2009

Making September 11, 2001 a National Day of Service

The events of September 11, 2001 were an attack on the fundamental freedoms of our country. Countless lives were affected by the cowardly actions of terrorists and it is an event that we, as a nation, will never forget. Time and time again, our country has grown stronger from the trials and adversity it has faced. The will of the American people never ceases to inspire me and it is with that in mind that I was proud to introduce and have President Obama sign into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - September 11, 2009

Ranked Among Most Effective in Passing Legislation

Senator Craig M. Johnson, (D-Nassau), has been ranked as one of the senators with the highest number of bills that passed the chamber during this last legislative session, according to an analysis released by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).

According to NYPIRG’s report, 24 bills sponsored by Johnson passed the Senate during the 2009 legislative session; that is the third highest ranking for the 62-member chamber.

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - September 4, 2009

Don’t Drink and Drive This Labor Day Weekend

As we approach Labor Day weekend, I want to remind residents to not drink and drive.

I recently attended the kick-off to District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” program that will run through this holiday weekend. This is part of the national STOP-DWI mobilization effort that is held with the cooperation of 11,000 law enforcement agencies across the country.

Town Topics - September 4, 2009

Fun Events for the Entire Family

Like most municipalities across the country, we have had to tighten our belts in the face of the lingering economic decline. Nonetheless, we remain committed to providing fun activities, events and amusement such as our fireworks extravaganza and summer-long presentation of free concerts.

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - August 28, 2009

Committee Report Shows Real Need for Authority Reform

New York State Senator Craig M. Johnson, (D-Nassau), the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations, recently released a report detailing a pattern of flawed judgment and a lack of accountability that led to the taxpayer-funded purchase of an unusable ferry boat by a state subsidiary.

Taxpayers took a nearly $900,000 loss on the 59-year-old vessel, which the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) purchased despite a report from a contractor that “raised serious concerns” about the boat’s condition. Less than 18 months after the July 2007 purchase, GIPEC sold the ferry, the M/V Islander, on eBay for $23,600.

Phil-osophically Speaking - August 28, 2009

It was the mother of all traffic jams. Cars were packed together, bumper to bumper, transfiguring the New York State Thruway into the biggest parking lot in the world. Literally nothing was moving. This crushing deadlock did not unnerve the thousands of baby boomers, bristling with excitement, who jauntily abandoned their cars and made their pilgrimage on foot to a mud splattered dairy farm in upstate New York to embrace a nirvana of peace, love and music.

Forty summers later the romance of the Woodstock Festival remains, for its memoirists, the crowning moment of the counter-cultural 1960s. The Dionysian energy of the new psychedelic rock music was the match that lit the so-called Aquarian rebellion and the subsequent explosion unleashed several social revolutions whose reverberations can still be felt today.

From the Desk of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy: August 21, 2009

Announces Recovery Funds for

New Energy Efficient Traffic Signals

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy announced the release of $4.3 million of federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to upgrade approximately 900 traffic signals on Long Island by replacing existing incandescent lights with more energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs to reduce energy use and improve the environment. The project includes installing approximately 250 pedestrian countdown crossing signals at key intersections to improve pedestrian safety.

From the Desk of Legislator Richard Nicolello: August 21, 2009

Votes to Adopt Silver Alert System

The Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously to establish a new Silver Alert System. The new system is intended to rapidly disseminate information to the public regarding missing seniors or other individuals suffering Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other cognitive disorders.

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - August 14, 2009

Major Legislation to Extend Health Insurance Coverage to Young Adults Signed Into Law

Important legislation that will improve access to affordable health insurance for young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 recently passed the Senate and has been signed into law by Governor David Paterson.