Senator Craig Johnson Issues Congratulatory Message to Martins

“I congratulate Senator-elect Martins on his victory and wish him the best as the next representative of the 7th State Senate District.

“I am truly thankful to those who supported me throughout my 10 years of public service in Nassau County and Albany, during this hard fought campaign, and during this lengthy - but vitally important - recount process.

School Districts Face $815M Shortfall Under Tax Cap

Cumulative Gap Would Be $3.3B From 2010-11 to 2013-14,

Based on NYSSBA Projections

(Submitted by the New York State School Board Association)

School districts across New York face a potential shortfall of $815 million per year over the next four years just in meeting personnel costs under a property tax cap, according to a report issued by the New York State School Boards Association. The report, entitled Property Tax Cap: Pass or Fail for School Districts, illustrates how a tax cap of 2 percent or the rate of inflation – whichever is less – would limit property tax increases in school districts to an average of $229 million per year over the next four years. At the same time, school districts could have a projected average annual increase of more than $1 billion in salaries, health insurance, and employee pension contributions. That would leave school districts with an average shortfall of $815 million each year just in meeting these basic personnel costs.

Visit ‘Your Money New York’ Website to Understand Local Government Budgets

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has announced the release of a new “Citizens’ Guide to Local Budgets” available on his ‘Your Money New York’ website (www.yourmoneynewyork.com) that helps citizens understand how a local government budget is put together, how their tax dollars are being spent and evaluate whether the budget is a sound one.  

“A local government budget can be difficult to understand for taxpayers,” DiNapoli said. “New Yorkers should know where their tax dollars are going. The Citizens’ Guide to Local Budgets is a great start toward helping New Yorkers understand how their local government is spending their money.”

Letter: Resident Wants His Voice Heard

On Nov. 9, I went to Town Hall to speak about Kate Murray’s excessive mailing habit. So far this year, I have received 25 mailings from Town Hall (that comes to about 1 mailing every 11 days). I have been speaking at every Town Hall meeting about this subject since Aug. 3. I would like for residents to be given the option to receive these mailings by email.

At this meeting, animal rescue groups were protesting the conditions of the Town Shelter in Wantagh, and the banning of three rescue groups that had volunteered their time and money to help the animals there. Due to the large number of speakers, the meeting lasted over three hours.

Letter: Elmont Resident: ‘No Taxpayer Bailout for O.T.B.’

There should be no taxpayer bailout for the patronage laden O.T.B in New York City, Nassau County or Suffolk County. There are simple solutions that wouldn’t cost the taxpayers a dime and would make greater sense. Turn O.T.B. into a private company with people who know gaming, or close the patronage mill altogether.

If the state should close O.T.B., then it should focus on both Belmont and Aqueduct racetracks by adding sports betting and other types of gaming. New York State loses billions every year to illegal sports betting.

From the Desk of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy: November 26, 2010

Congresswoman McCarthy Honors the “Voice of Yankee Stadium”

I am proud to announce that the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 1529, a bill that I introduced, commending Bob Sheppard for his respected career as the public address announcer for the New York Yankees and New York Giants. Mr. Sheppard, who was a memorable voice in sports announcing for more than 50 years, passed away earlier this year at the age of 99.

Around the Town: November 26, 2010

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Seeking Volunteers

With the holidays just around the corner, taxes are far from most people’s minds. However, there is a good reason to think about tax returns. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is seeking volunteers for its program. In its 36th year, the VITA program is designed to help senior citizens in the Town of Hempstead prepare their annual income tax returns.

Around the Town: November 19, 2010

Thanksgiving

It’s hard to believe that the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us once again. This is the time of year when families come together to give thanks for our blessings and for the positive things in our lives.

Letter: Voice of the People

The Elmont Public Library opening ceremony was held on Sept. 10, 2006. Previously, this location had been an eyesore for some time with a run-down building, ill kept grounds, and a vacant litter site. In March of 1989, in a school auditorium, a group of business developers made an impressive presentation. They made an offer to purchase the site for $20 million and transform it into a major mall akin to Green Acres. This caused a major problem resulting in a community referendum. The debate was on. “Don’t let any developers destroy our neighborhood” was the united cry. Finally, the vote was 16,795 opposed and 3,185 for it. The late Rita Mezzappelle, the founder of the Elmont Herald, was responsible for securing the real estate that allowed for the building of the new Elmont Public Library. The unlucky developer lost several hundreds thousands of dollars attempting to sell the public this bill of goods. The Elmont American Legion is specially pleased with the library building as it contains inscriptions that pay tribute to the war veterans. Let it be known that it was Angelo Covo, an architect known for his great designs, who invested the Elmont Public Library with its great interior and exterior works.

Frank Castronovo

Elmont resident

From the Desk of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy: November 12, 2010

Falling Airline Debris

A stone’s throw away from arguably one of the best cities in the world and tremendous beaches, our district is comprised of incredible historic villages with a deep and diverse history and high quality of life. Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked ardently to help preserve this quality of life. Over the years, Long Island has evolved from rural agrarian roots to an area now home to bustling suburbs with its own unique business sectors and culture. Living in the greater New York Metropolitan Area brings great rewards as well as challenges. I have consistently heard from my constituency of concerns they have regarding their respective proximity to both JFK and LaGuardia Airports, including high levels of noise from planes landing and taking off and its effect on their quality of life. As a resident of Mineola, I know first-hand of the tremendous impact airliners flying overhead at low altitudes have on residents. As such, I have made it a priority to have the federal government address this issue.