Heastie Replaces Silver as Speaker

On Tuesday at 11 A.M. the New York State Assembly was called to vote for a new Speaker. Representative Carl Heastie, a democrat from the 83rd assembly district which is located in the Bronx. Heastie's appointment to the Speakership marks a historic day for he is the first African-American to hold the New York State Speakership. When mounting the podium for the first time he was taken back and only said "Wow".

Yet the celebrations are going to be short lived with many asking how to move forward with the controversy of Sheldon Silver and the allegations against him. A push for ethical reform has been established and Speaker Heastie has pushed for more democracy in the Assembly and stronger regulations on how much outside income Assembly members can receive. With this many have hope that a stronger ethics law or even an office may be put into place for the NewYork State Assembly.

The first order of business for the new Speaker is the budget process. This will be his first challenge and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds. Will we continue to see the "Three men in a room" exchange that has plagued New York State politics for 20 years now? Or will we finally get to see some transparency on certain assembly functions.

One move that will help him gain some respect and influence over his democrats and other members of the Assembly is his upstate tour. He is planning on traveling upstate New York to gain information on what are the needs outside of his distract and especially the tri-state area. With this hopefully we will see policy changes that will be for the good of upstate New York.

Time will tell if Heastie will be a breathe of fresh air for the Assembly or just another authoritative leader.

Source:http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/On-Tuesday-lawmakers-will-pick-Heastie-to-lead-6058541.php

College Education for Inmates?

 Governor Andrew Cuomo has decided to drop his plan to use state money to pay for inmates to have college classes. Many other politicians, lawmakers, and voters persuaded Cuomo to drop his plan of using public money to pay for inmate’s college classes, as a means to avoid political controversy over the subject. Governor Cuomo shortly made a statement saying that he understands the appearance of his plan and how it looked to the public but does not agree with their decision not to help pay. Paying for inmates to have college level classes would only cost a small amount of money, around $1 million. The amount may seem large and unnecessary, but is slim when you compare it to the $2.8 billion budget New York State spends through its corrections agency. Although Cuomo has dropped his plan to use public money to pay for college classes, they are still offered in over a dozen state prisons. The college programs that are currently in state facilities are funded by private money donations. A study was conducted by RAND Corporation; found that inmates who have received college classes in prison have had a smaller chance of returning to prison. New York State currently spends on average, $60,000 per year for one inmate and it will cost about $5,000 a year per inmate, for college classes to be offered in prisons across the state. Each inmate would be able to obtain his or her associates or bachelors while in prison, for free. New York’s current recidivism rate is 40%. It is believed that with the offering of college classes that this can be decreased. Governor Cuomo’s intention to use public money was to increase the amount of inmates receiving these classes. While Cuomo was still pushing for college classes in prisons, lawmakers across New York State started petitions to stop him. Many politicians used the term “Hell no to Attica University” to make their point clear on this topic. Unfortunately giving a free education to criminals does not get the support of the public. Although it looks good on paper and may help in the long run, in the public’s eye and other politicians, it’s unfair. Not just unfair to current students paying absurd amounts of money to attend school but also students who cannot afford to go to college that want to.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/nyregion/cuomo-drops-plan-to-use-state-money-to-pay-for-college-classes-for-inmates.html

Cuomo's 2015 Opportunity Agenda

           With his most recent victory in the 2014 gubernatorial election over Rob Astorino (R), Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is ready to jumpstart his new term.  Cuomo’s 2015 Opportunity Agenda plan outlines a few key proposals to restore New York State’s economy through lowering small business taxes and improving mass transportation, particularly in the airports.

            Since the financial crisis of 2009, New York State’s economy has struggled to bounce back. Economic opportunity for small businesses has struggled as large corporations have swallowed them up. The Opportunity Agenda of 2015 has thirty-four proposals to increase economic opportunity and wealth within the state. The first proposal is to decrease small business taxes from 6.5% to 2.5%. Reducing the small business taxes to 2.5% makes it the lowest small business tax rate since 1917. With 98% of New York State Employment coming from small businesses, decreasing taxes could benefit and stimulate the economy.

            The State of New York is one of the most technologically advanced states in the United States; however, transportation has seen little improvement in the last few decades. “John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia International Airports create nearly 350,000 jobs, create $18 billion in wages, and generate more than $50 billion in economic activity”(Governor). It’s about time that New York does something to improve mass transportation in the state. Modernizing the “worst rated airport in the country”(Governor) is of high importance for Governor Cuomo. An estimated eighty million passengers travel through the two airports every year, so renovating the airports to become a pleasurable travel experience is a priority. While also improving the airport terminals, many of the improvements also include the Air-Tran, which will connect to the subway, Long Island and Metro North Rail Roads.

            With a price tag of $17 billion dollars to be put towards infrastructure, transportation, and developing natural recourses, a lot of money will be designated to spend on improving means of travel. Renovating the airports will create both short term and long term jobs, boost economic growth in the area and provide a better experience for New Yorkers and visitors. The 2015 Opportunity Agenda Plan is a bold outline of where Cuomo wants to take New York State. With many priorities on top of his list, it should be interesting to see which one he starts the 2015 year with.

           

Information retrieved from: http://www.governor.ny.gov/news/2015-opportunity-agenda-restoring-economic-opportunity-7

Picture from:  http://queens.brownstoner.com/tag/jfk-airport/

The New York State Comptroller

Thomas P. DiNapoli is the current Comptroller (54^th Comptroller). He has been the Comptroller since 2007. Something interesting about DiNapoli is that he become the first eighteen years old in New York State to hold public office, he has elected as a trustee of the Mineola Board of Education. DiNapoli is known for his “integrity, independence and steadfast leadership” (Biography).

The State Comptroller is the “fiscal officer who ensures that the State and local governments use taxpayer money effectively and efficiently to promote the common good” (Responsibilities).  The “common good” includes the public authorities (like for example infrastructure). The responsibilities of the Comptroller include reporting on state finances, managing and issuing State debt, reviewing State contracts and payments, conducting audits, overseeing the fiscal affairs of local government (including New York City), maintains the State’s accounting system and administering the payroll (app. $15 billion), and trains and provides technical support to improve government operations at al levels (Responsibilities).

Some other interesting responsibilities that the State Comptroller are that acting as sole trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund ($176.8 billion), which is a newer duty as of March 31, 2014 and the Oversees the Justice Court Fund and Oil Spill Fund. Also, the State Comptroller is in charge of the unclaimed funds and making sure those funds get to their owner. On the Office of the State Comptroller website there is even a place were you can see if there is unclaimed funds in your name (or organization) and feel free at check at https://ouf.osc.state.ny.us/ouf/.  

One of DiNapoli’s goal is more transparency and accountably. One way he plans providing this to the people of New York is the Open Book (I was unable to actually get on the website but there is a link to a video). The Open Book let’s people look at where their tax money is going and can see state contracts as well.  This should also help with making people more informed and hold their officials more accountably.

Video link about open book: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/openbook/obvideo.htm

Sources:

Biography. Office of the State Comptroller. Retrieved from http://www.osc.state.ny.us/about/bio.htm

Responsibilities. Office of the State Comptroller. Retrieved from http://www.osc.state.ny.us/about/response.htm

Yes Means Yes

       New York's state university system has recently adopted a yes means yes policy to combat sexual abuse on its 64 campuses state wide. This policy will apply to nearly half a million students. "Under the new "yes means yes" standard, silence cannot be interpreted as permission to engage in sexual contact, and consent may be withdrawn at any time. The new definition says: "Affirmative consent is a clear, unambiguous, knowing, informed, and voluntary agreement between all participants to engage in sexual activity. Consent is active, not passive. The standard goes on to say that a prior sexual relationship does not confer consent to future sexual activity." This law also applies to private universities across the state. Here at SUNY Potsdam, we've been confronted with several rape cases earlier in the semester. The amount of rape cases vastly differ from campus to campus. I personally don't see how this law will reduce rape cases in any way, but I am interested to see the effect it will have on New York in the future.

Ever upward?

In a piece by George Will, past governor Nelson Rockefeller is discussed and not so favorably...

School Merger Shot Down

          Canton-Potsdam school districts have proposed and since vote on a merger between the two school districts. Which to the public overwhelming disapproval did not go through. The state asked for this merger because ever since the 2010-2011 cuts made the county aid has been reduced, and in turn districts have less money and have even had to make cuts. They enacted a Gap Elimination Adjustment which was supposed to adjust districts aid evenly and reduce cuts. But this has come to not help as much as desired. Governor Cuomo has said to blame the Financial turmoil on "lack of efficiency in public schools." 

(Google)

          Vic Rycroft, Canton school board President says the state offer the districts a $75 million reward for merging as well as $75,000 for merger study. to this Vic says the state is trying to pressure schools into merging when it was there negligence who got us here. With their vote, residents were asked to fill out surveys and about 1,500 coming in the public spoke. With more than a majority expressing desire of separate districts. Potsdam Super Intendant Patrick Brady said in an email, “Hopefully, the large showing of support for our schools last week will translate into a grass roots effort to lobby the governor and state legislature for a more equitable school aid formula,”. Similarly, “There is strength in numbers for this type of work and Albany is more inclined to listen to our parents and other community members than school officials.”

(Google)

         As for now we are left in the dust. We have no where to go from here says Brady. School will have to come out with budgets soon and it will be interesting to see what they cut this year.“There will have to be some kind of general change in the way education is handled in the county,” Says Roycroft.