"L'État, c'est moi." -- Louis XIV of France
[whose spirit lives on even to this day, personified in Mr. Molinaro himself (proof below)]
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Hi all...
Four reasons here below to come out to speak up at tonight's (Monday's) 7 pm Co. Leg. full board mtg.: on 6th floor of 22 Market St. in Poughkeepsie; feel free-- email countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!...
See below: agenda: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/CLagenda.htm :
[and recall/note-- you can download actual texts of all these resolutions by clicking on green res. #'s!]
Joel
845-444-0599/876-2488
http://www.DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com
http://www.JoelforCongress.org
p.s. Click here for webcast of this past Thurs.-- http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CLStreamingVideoLink.htm
p.p.s. I got elected five times in a row to Co. Leg. (only one other Dem now in office has done this)-- but I was bypassed for both the #1 and #2 spots in Dem caucus....and-- it was confirmed in spades at this past Thursday's Committee Day-- to add insult to injury, I've also been stripped of my voting power/rights on the Co. Leg. Public Works and Capital Projects Committee!...(not one Dem or GOP legislator spoke up for me after I brought this up at end of PW/CP committee mtg. Thurs.; priceless-- you truly must view video of this to see for yourself; shameful)...(instead, voting rights status on this committee has been given to someone elected to Co. Leg. for first time just two months ago; lol)...as the worm turns, folks (the price of speaking truth to power, methinks?)...GOP got all Dems but me in Nov. 2010 to cave in on what used to be core Dem progressive values in this county-- re: approval of jail expansion study as part of Capital Projects Plan for 2011 (back when I still had voting rights on the Public Works/Capital Projects Committee)...I launched http://www.JobsNotJails.weebly.com with Ann Perry, Manna Jo Greene, Mae Parker-Harris, Earl Brown, many more because of this...wake up, folks]
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1. RESOLUTION #2012021-- AUTHORIZING THE DESIGNATION OF COUNTY OF DUTCHESS AS THE "PLANNING UNIT" PURSUANT TO NEW YORK STATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW SECTION 27-0107
[see: http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2012/January/20/DC_SW_mgmt-20Jan12.html ]
Recall-- even Dutchess County Attorney Jim Fedorchak told us all at this past Thursday's Environmental Committee mtg. that this resolution empowered the EXECUTIVE BRANCH of our county government to deal with the Solid Waste Management Plan-- in just the same way King Molinaro actually had the gall to email out last Weds. night at 10 pm to hundreds of us on Dr. Peter Rostenberg's Hudson Valley Environment list serv re: resolution 2012021-- "I can only tell you that this proposal appropriately empowers the Executive Branch of county government to act as solid waste planning unit." [Molinaro's own words-- in his own peculiar blue font, to us all this past Weds.]
Fact: Several different reliable sources have told us over the last few years that it's actually BOTH the Legislative AND Executive branches of our county government that have to approve the Solid Waste Management Plan for the county-- Terry Laibach (DEC Region 3 Recycling Coordinator) has told us this, Barbara Warren (Ex. Dir. for Citizens Environmental Coalition) has told us this, and David Sears, citing DEC law/website, has told us this as well.
[see http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/71265.html ; http://www.CECToxic.org ; recall-- re: discussion of
http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/ResolutionsPDF/2012021.pdf ]
[update-- I just spoke with DEC Region 3 Recycling Coordinator Terry Laibach on this-- she reminded me that, "the County Legislature has to adopt the SWMP; the problem with the RRA being the planning unit was that the County Legislature was not involved until the end of the process-- but no matter what, even with the RRA being the planning unit [as had been the case for the past few years], the County Legislature gets to vote on the Solid Waste Management Plan"]
Fact: After I specifically asked for someone to confirm this, NO one was interested in actually guaranteeing publicly at this past Thursday's Environmental Committee that the Dutchess County Legislature would, indeed, get a chance to vote on the Solid Waste Management Plan for our county (in spite of the fact that the law and DEC rules/reg.'s stipulate this)...so I voted no to this resolution on Thurs.
[...and yes, there was a meek/mild/meager attempt to backpedal/cover up by Molinaro/GOP on all this at this past Thurs.'s Environmental Committee mtg....but still-- no commitment for Co. Leg. vote on SWMP!]
[.......one more update here-- Molinaro himself just walked into the Democratic Caucus room here on the sixth floor of our County Office Building at 22 Market St. in Poughkeepsie-- and specifically asked me to attempt no amendments to this resolution tonight (similar to what I tried at this past Thursday's Environmental Committee mtg.-- to stipulate that the County Executive work together with the County Legislature and county staff on the SWMP......(don't kill me Marcus-- but why are you so bent on not actually having it in writing in black and white in this resolution that the County Legislature and county staff be involved in developing the SWMP?)....arrrgh]
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2. RESOLUTION #2012018-- CONFIRMING APPOINTMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR TO THE DUTCHESS TOBACCO ASSET SECURITIZATION CORPORATION (TASC)
[below-- 8 key facts on this; see http://www.PutItOutRockland.com -- what we should have in Dutchess; instead, we don't even have the Reality Check anti-smoking program for kids in our county any more!]
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3. RESOLUTION #2012022-- ALLOCATING THE POSITION OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
[see below-- article in today's paper on this]
Of course, it's COMPLETELY a coincidence that John MacEnroe, Pres./CEO of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation, was just ushered out...of course, NOTHING to do with this, natch...
Curious, isn't it-- Molinaro/GOP priorities (ushering cronies into county government)-- as opposed to making sure law is followed and county contract with 22 county Dept. of Mental Hygiene employees honored; recall 500+ signed on to http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-layoffs ; layoffs by Mar./Apr...
Recall-- "The County will not exercise its right to contract work out if the result of contracting out is the layoff or discharge of then existing employees"... [recall efforts from Shaun Chesley, Liz Piraino]
[from page 25 of Dutchess County's contract (1/1/05-12/31/09) with CSEA-- still in effect now, folks;
http://www.dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2011/12/emergency-candlelight-vigil-mon-630-pm.html ]
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4. RESOLUTION #2012020-- ADOPTION OF THE PERMANENT RULES OF THE DUTCHESS COUNTY LEGISLATURE
[for years we Dems have pushed for members of the public to be able to speak on non-agenda items at the beginning of Co. Leg. full board mtg.'s-- GOP don't care 'bout this-- come out and speak up today!]
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From http://www.PutItOutRockland.com/index.php?section=making-a-difference ...
[again-- Rockland County (even with GOP County Exec there) provides shining example for us here]
Rockland is Putting It Out!
Rockland County's smoking rates are lower than those of the US as a whole, New York State as a whole and are the lowest of any county in the Hudson Valley and Long Island! Plus, exposure to second-hand smoke has been dramatically reduced since 2003. Data from a 2008 survey demonstrate a 27% drop in the number of homes in which smoking is allowed, and, a 34% drop in the number of smokers who live in homes where smoking is allowed.
Put It Out Rockland: A History of Success:
Since its inception in 2001, Put it Out Rockland has helped hundreds of Rockland County residents quit smoking. We've also reduced second hand smoke exposure county wide and advocated for important quit smoking initiatives. This is only the beginning--we're not going to quit until you do!
Here are some of the highlights of our program:
* Since 2002 over 1500 smokers have participated in PIOR group or one-on-one quit smoking programs.
* The county youth tobacco use rate dropped since 2002 by 17% among 10th graders and 34% among 8th graders.
* Put It Out Rockland and Reality Check (youth led anti tobacco action program) collaborated with POW'R Against Tobacco to obtain the following signed resolutions:
1. 4 Municipalities and 9 PTA's and School boards signed resolutions supporting Smoke Free Movies
2. 8 School districts and PTA's signed resolutions supporting Tobacco Free Magazine Advertisement's for schools. School Boards & PTA
3. 8 Municipalities plus the Rockland County Board of Legislators signed a resolution supporting reducing or removing tobacco advertising from stores (Point of Purchase [P.O.P])
Exposure to second-hand smoke has been dramatically reduced since 2003. Collaborative efforts have strengthened the resolve in Rockland County to continue to make our environment a safe and healthy one. Steps to a Healthier NY and Put It Out Rockland invited all municipalities in Rockland County, NY to join the Young Lungs at Play campaign, a county-wide effort to ban tobacco in outdoor spaces where children play.
1. Over 85 towns, villages and municipalities now provide smoke free playgrounds, ball fields and other outdoor spaces
2. Over 80 day cares, apartment complexes, schools, camps, and faith-based organizations now provide smoke free playgrounds, ball fields and other outdoor spaces
3. The Village of Nyack signed an ordinance in 2009, making their entire park system completely smoke free.
* Along with all these ordinances, policies and resolutions the Rockland County legislature and the County Executive signed into law a unique smoking regulation, called the Kids in Cars Smoking Safety Act, Local Law #6. This law prohibits smoking in cars in which there are minors present. The law protects and promotes the public health, welfare, and safety of children in Rockland County. Rockland is one of the few counties in the state as well as in the country that has a law protecting children in cars from the hazards of tobacco smokes
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Again-- 8 reasons here why you all need to question same old status quo re: TSAC resolution above:
Fact #1: Just confirmed from DC Health Dept.: Dutchess Co. no longer has tobacco cessation program.
Fact #2: Sadly, Cuomo announced this week a $5 million cut to tobacco cessation programs across the state like SmokeFree Dutchess and the Tobacco-Free Action Coalition of Ulster: disgusting:
http://www.tobacco.org/news/332148.html ; http://www.99PercentNY.org ; http://www.FiscalPolicy.org ; http://www.tobaccoreviews.net/anti-tobacco-control-down-in-new-york/ (recall: $3B in tax cuts to rich).
Fact #3: Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, and Alaska all spend 50% or more of the CDC recommendation on tobacco prevention programs-- literally twice what New York State spends.
Fact #4: NYS spends less than 25% of the CDC recommendation on tobacco prevention programs.
Fact #5: "The states have cut funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs to the lowest level since 1999, when they first received tobacco settlement funds. The states this year (Fiscal Year 2012) will collect $25.6 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only 1.8 percent of it - $456.7 million - on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. This means the states are spending less than two cents of every dollar in tobacco revenue to fight tobacco use. The states have cut funding for such programs by 12 percent ($61.2 million) in the past year and by 36 percent ($260.5 million) in the past four years." [thx to Ellen Reinhard for these facts]
[from "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 13 Years Later"
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what_we_do/state_local/tobacco_settlement/ ]
Fact #6: "On Nov. 23, 1998, the nation's four largest cigarette sellers agreed to pay $200 billion over 30 years in what seemed like a victory for David over Goliath. The money was supposed to help the states pay for health care and anti-smoking campaigns. Instead, much of it -- even payments that aren't due for 20 years -- has already been spent on politically popular tax breaks through complicated borrowing schemes initiated by Wall Street investment banks. The cigarette companies agreed to make annual payments that would total $200 billion by 2025. The money was to be divided among the 46 participating states, with New York and California each getting about $700 million a year, Ohio about $300 million, Wisconsin just over $100 million and so on."
[from "Ten Years Later, Tobacco Deal Going Up in Smoke" by Bob Sullivan
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/11/ten-years-later.html ]
Fact #7: "It didn't take long for Wall Street to invent a way to take a cut. The creative minds at the now-defunct Bear Stearns investment bank traveled the country making this pitch to statehouses: Why wait for the money? Why not take a lump sum payment up front? Bear Stearns and other Wall Street firms eventually persuaded legislators in most states to "securitize" the payouts by issuing bonds and paying the bondholders back with the annual tobacco payments. The first tobacco bond issue hit in 1999. Soon, states around the country fell in line."
[from "Ten Years Later, Tobacco Deal Going Up in Smoke" by Bob Sullivan
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/11/ten-years-later.html ]
Fact #8: "Taking the early lump-sum payment has its price, however. Many states receive only 30 or 40 cents on the dollar. In a typical example, Wisconsin would have been entitled to about $5 billion in payments through 2025. Instead, it settled on one payment of $1.6 billion in 2001. "When you securitize on the municipal market, you lose a lot of money," said Kevin Olson, who runs the independent Web site MunicipalBonds.com. "It's not very efficient.""
[from "Ten Years Later, Tobacco Deal Going Up in Smoke" by Bob Sullivan
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/11/ten-years-later.html ]
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[below-- from today's paper]
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012301230010
Reaction to job-growth post mixed
Lawmakers will weigh Molinaro's plan for deputy
11:16 PM, Jan. 22, 2012 | 1 Comments
Written by
Larry Hertz
Poughkeepsie Journal
The Dutchess County Legislature will field its first major request from newly elected County Executive Marc Molinaro tonight when it considers a proposal to create a new economic development post in the planning department...
The Legislature’s government services committee voted 9-3 to send Molinaro’s request to the full Legislature for a vote tonight. But some lawmakers, including several Republicans, said they had some reservations about it...
Michael Kelsey, R-Pleasant Valley, said he was “troubled philosophically” by the proposal.
“I think county government ought to tread lightly here. Maybe it’s better to let the EDC (spearhead economic development efforts) rather than entangling county government in the process,” Kelsey said.
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