Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District - Merrick) will once again open his district office to collect new unwrapped toys and clothing during the holiday season and donate them to the Bellmore-Merrick Chapter of the Children's Medical Fund to benefit children and teen patients at Schneider Children's Hospital. Last year, Senator Fuschillo enlightened hundreds of children and families when he visited the hospital with a truckload of new toys. "I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity and support by the community last season and look forward to bringing more joy to the children who must spend this holiday season away from home," Fuschillo said.

New toys and new clothes can be dropped off or mailed to Senator Fuschillo at 30 South Ocean Avenue, Room 305, Freeport, New York, 11520 or his Suffolk County Office at SUNY Farmingdale, Campus Commons, Building #6, Route 110, Farmingdale, 11735.

The Children's Medical Fund is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization devoted to helping support Schneider Children's Hospital of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. Children's Medical Fund's financial donations help pay for needed medical equipment to enhance exploration in areas such as oncology and neurology, education, and institutes new programs for the hospital. It also helps finance the Child Life Program, designed to lessen the stress of a child's hospital stay through therapeutic play and activities. The Children's Medical fund also sponsors The Angel Campaign, supporting the Bone Marrow Transplantations Program at the hospital, and funds the Pediatric Urology Research Center, trying to find the cause and cure for the most common pediatric kidney malignancy, Wilm's tumor.

Senator Fuschillo also proposed the complete elimination of New York's Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) on electricity and natural gas, a move that will reduce taxes on utility bills for residents and business owners.

"The GRT is a hidden tax charged to utility companies which in turn is passed on as increased rates for residential and business customers," Fuschillo said. "Under this new plan, consumer and business electric bills would be reduced by $710 million a year. LIPA residential electric consumers with an average annual cost at $1,269 would see a yearly savings of $51, and $33 for residential natural gas customers."

Elimination of the GRT, a four cent surcharge on every dollar spent on electricity in the state is also a way Senator Fuschillo says will further help small business owners, attract new businesses and jobs to Long Island and throughout the state. This is also a top priority of business advocacy groups who also contend that the elimination of this tax will assist small business owners and attract new manufacturing and other industries to the state and create more jobs.

"Elimination of the GRT will provide real savings for all New Yorkers and continue to bring down utility costs on Long Island," the senator said.