Jennifer Fusco's Albany Blogwatch

Some Internet providers to block child pornography

2008-06-10T14:16:00.001-04:00

Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed with New York state officials to block access to child pornography disseminated through some of the tens of thousands of newsgroups and user groups available on their services, according to AP.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday the Internet service providers will block child pornography on the sites, which are designed for private communications between users sharing an interest and are difficult to police because of their numbers and privacy concerns, according to AP.

The companies also agreed to eliminate the material from their servers and will pay $1.125 million to help fund efforts to remove child porn from the Internet, according to the report.

Cigarette prices soar today

2008-06-03T12:24:00.000-04:00

New Yorkers started paying the highest cigarette taxes in the nation today with the latest $1.25 spike per pack that officials expect to bring in $265 million a year.

Convenience stores in New York and the smokers who will be pay the price are angry about the change, but health officials hail the tax increase as a success. Officials said cigarette taxes will raise a total of $1.3 billion for the state budget in fiscal year 2008-2009, including the new tax.

“Isn’t that something — to say that I’m excited about a tax increase? But I am,” said Dr. Richard Daines, the New York health commissioner. “This is a public health victory. We know one of the really effective tools to get people off of their nicotine addiction is to the raise the price.”

Smokers will be paying $2.75 per pack in state taxes. The average price of a pack of cigarettes is currently $5.82 statewide, and about $8 a pack in New York City, Daines said.

An estimated 140,000 New Yorkers will stop smoking with this tax increase, Daines said. That number is based on prior tax increases and cigarette consumption.

Source: Associated Press

Land claim to go to federal appeals court

2008-06-02T15:12:00.001-04:00

The Oneida Indian Nation will ask a federal appeals court Tuesday to overturn a lower court decision that the tribe has no right to take back title to 250,000 acres of disputed land in upstate New York, according to the AP.

At the same time, attorneys for New York will appear before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to challenge the lower court’s determination that the Oneidas might be entitled to millions of dollars in compensation, AP is reporting.

The New York Oneidas joined with Oneida tribes from Canada and Wisconsin in a 1974 lawsuit claiming that more than 250,000 acres of Oneida land in Madison and Oneida counties had been illegally purchased by New York state in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the AP.

After years of failed negotiations, U.S. District Court Lawrence Kahn ruled last May that the tribe could not reclaim title to the land it sold more than a century ago, but it could be entitled to some of the profits the state made reselling that property, AP reports.

The Oneidas claim the state underpaid them by about $500,000. With compound interest over two centuries, that is worth $500 million today, Peter Carmen, one of the tribe’s attorneys, said Monday, according to the AP.

Opposition to Paterson's directive to recognize gay marriages

2008-05-29T16:28:00.001-04:00

Opposition is surfacing against New York Gov. David Paterson’s directive to state agencies to recognize gay marriages legally performed in other states and countries, according to the AP.

The Rev. Duane Motley of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms says the Democratic governor is circumventing the Legislature and courts and slapping New Yorkers in the face, AP reports.

Motley says granting government benefits to gay couples will come at a cost to the state even as Paterson calls for cuts in spending because of looming deficits, AP reports.

Motley says Paterson shouldn’t force the state to recognize gay marriages when they remain illegal in New York, AP reports.

Paterson is directing agencies to recognize gay marriages performed legally elsewhere when granting state employment and other benefits, AP reports.

Legislature may hold off on some issues

2008-05-28T13:30:00.001-04:00

With a month left in the legislative session, state lawmakers are talking about putting off the remaining thorny issues until after the November elections, according to the AP.

On Tuesday, Gov. David Paterson held his last in a series of closed-door meetings with legislative conferences. And as with the Senate’s Republican majority, his meeting with the Assembly’s Democratic majority was full of jokes and pledges to work together while putting the animus of the clashes with former Gov. Eliot Spitzer behind them, AP reports.

There were no agreements on priorities or hashing out compromise, which many lawmakers said would seem fitting with four full weeks left in the six-month legislative session, AP reports.

Paterson hospitalized

2008-05-20T10:42:00.001-04:00

Gov. David Paterson is at a Manhattan hospital after experiencing migraine-like symptoms, according to the AP.

Paterson’s office said in a statement Tuesday that he asked to be brought to The Mount Sinai Medical Center for an evaluation. His office says preliminary tests were normal. It says he is resting comfortably and will undergo further tests, according to the report.

In April 2006, when he was state Senate Minority Leader, Paterson was hospitalized for almost 12 hours after complaining of chest pains. The tests came back normal, AP reports.

New state traffic alert system

2008-05-19T15:51:00.001-04:00

State officials have launched a traffic alert system that provides real-time information about delays on New York’s highways, according to the AP.

The new system, called TransAlert, sends e-mail or cell-phone text messages to subscribers to let them know when there are significant travel disruptions, such as highway accidents or lane closures, AP reports.

State Transportation Commissioner Astrid Glynn says users can customize the service to receive statewide alerts or narrow the service by county.

The service is free. The information is distributed through the state Emergency Management Office’s electronic alert system, which officials say has more than 1.4 million subscribers, AP reports.

Drivers can sign up for the traffic alerts at www.nyalert.gov.

Paterson cracks down on gun laws

2008-05-19T14:32:00.001-04:00

Gov. David Paterson is introducing legislation that would allow the state to tell the FBI if a New Yorker trying to buy a gun has been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, according to the AP.

The proposal would disqualify those applicants from getting a gun, but federal law would require states to create a way for people to apply to remove their name from the registry, AP is reporting.

The legislation is a reaction to the Virginia Tech tragedy last year, when a mentally ill student shot 32 people dead, then killed himself.

The state Assembly passed a similar measure last month. Senate Republicans aren’t commenting except to say they will look at the bill, but haven’t seen it yet, according to the report.

Paterson to propose legislation to reduce gun violence

2008-05-19T10:07:00.001-04:00

Gov. David Paterson will propose new legislation this morning to reduce gun violence.

The announcement will be at 10:30 a.m. in New York City.

To view the conference live on the Internet, go to: http://pointers.audiovideoweb.com/asxfiles-live/ca25winlive2138.asx

A felony to display a noose as a threat

2008-05-16T13:30:00.001-04:00

Gov. David Paterson signed legislation Thursday that will make it a felony to display a noose as a threat, according to the AP.

The crime would be punishable by up to four years in prison.

Paterson says the legislation still isn’t enough and New York law will need to be strengthened more, according to the report.

Nooses were found last year on a black professor’s door at Columbia University, outside a post office near ground zero in lower Manhattan and in locations on Long Island.

Paterson signs bill pertaining to the Internet and sex offenders

2008-05-15T09:09:00.001-04:00

New York officials are sending letters to the state’s 25,000 registered sex offenders telling them to disclose their Internet screen names in an effort to keep them from secretly contacting juveniles on social networking Web sites, according to the AP.

Those screen names will be made public. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says at least two popular networking sites, MySpace and Facebook, plan to remove users whose names appear on the state’s Sex Offender Registry, the AP is reporting.

The screen name disclosures are required under a law signed by Gov. David Paterson that also prohibits certain convicted offenders on parole, probation or conditional discharge from using the Internet to contact children, according to the report.

Legislature details pork spending

2008-05-14T14:05:00.001-04:00

The Senate and Assembly are detailing how they will direct $750 million in pork-barrel spending for construction projects in their districts this election year, according to the AP.

Despite the $5 billion deficit and the prospect of $20 billion in deficits in the next three years, lawmakers contend the spending — usually announced with much fanfare in their districts — is essential for boosting the economy, the AP reports.

The Senate’s Republican majority detailed nearly $218 million in spending, none of which will go to Democrats trying to take over the majority this fall.

Democratic Gov. David Paterson is expected to give Democratic senators some of his share of the $1.2 billion in capital spending approved in April, according to the report.

The Assembly released details of their $243 million share in April, according to the report.

Court action in prostitution ring case

2008-05-14T11:14:00.000-04:00

Prosecutors in Manhattan say to expect court action today in connection with the prostitution ring that brought down former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. attorney’s office says in a statement that a “proceeding of interest” will be held this morning. Further details were not available, AP reported.

Four people are charged in the case with conspiracy to violate federal prostitution laws, AP reports.

Spitzer, who’s identified in the court papers as Client No. 9, has not been charged. He announced his resignation as governor on March 12.

Griffo says stop violence on Internet sites

2008-05-14T10:21:00.001-04:00

Legislation designed to crack down on the alarming trend of recording criminal acts of violence with the intent of distributing them on the Internet for entertainment purposes is being advanced by the Senate Majority Conference, according to the North Country Gazette, http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/13/violence_ban/

The legislation, announced Tuesday at a Capitol news conference, comes in response to an increasing number of violent attacks orchestrated and recorded by individuals who want to post the videos on Internet sharing sites, such as YouTube.com and MySpace.com, according to the report.

“It’s disturbing to see folks trying to achieve fame, attention and celebrity through criminal violent acts,” Sen. Joseph A. Griffo R-Rome was quoted as saying. “Especially those that involve children. As technology evolves to improve people’s lives or entertain them, we still need to pay attention to lawful behavior. If criminality is caught on a recorded media, then we need to use it as a tool to pursue and prosecute these offenders.”

"Ugly Betty" is coming to New York

2008-05-13T14:11:00.002-04:00

Well, this is a little different than the usual news blogs, but it caught my interest nonetheless.

Do any of you ever watch “Ugly Betty,” the television show about a young, nerdy girl who works for a magazine company?

Well, if you do, you may be interested in learning that filming is moving to New York.

That’s the word from Gov. David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC Studios President Mark Pedowitz, according to an AP article.

They said Monday that the popular ABC drama will be taking advantage of a 35 percent tax credit from the city and state when it makes the move from Los Angeles to the Big Apple.

“Ugly Betty” is the story of an ordinary girl from Queens, starring Emmy-winner America Ferrera as Betty Suarez. It will be filmed in Manhattan in Queens, and create more than 200 full and part-time jobs, according to the AP.

New York City’s film and television production industry employs 100,000 people and generates $5 billion a year to the city’s economy.

Trash trucks must find a new route

2008-05-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen a garbage truck rollover out in the Finger Lakes region?

Well, you’re not the only one, and now, thanks to Gov. David Paterson, the problem may soon cease to exist.

Trash trucks will no longer be allowed to take short cuts across upstate New York’s scenic country highways and will be required to stay on the state’s major interstates as they transport waste to upstate landfills, Paterson said today, according to an Associated Press report.

Paterson directed the state Department of Transportation to immediately begin developing regulations for large truck routes and gave the agency until June 1 to finish and present its plan for public comment, according to the AP.

The new regulations will keep all large trucks on the national interstate network for as much of a trip as possible. They will not affect local pickup and delivery trucks, according to the AP.

Paterson expected to have the regulations in place before the end of the summer, taking effect initially in the Finger Lakes region but eventually expanded statewide. Violations will carry substantial fines and the new rules will be enforced by local and state police, Paterson said.

Local legislators react to Internet tax

2008-05-02T14:06:00.004-04:00

Amazon.com has filed a suit challenging New York State’s new law that forces online retailers to collect sales taxes on shipments to state residents, the New York Times reports.

On Friday, Amazon filed a complaint in New York Supreme Court in New York City, objecting to the law. The provision is meant to contribute about $50 million to the $122 billion budget that was passed by the state legislature April 9 and signed by Gov. David A. Paterson last week, according to the Times.

The new law includes any Web site based in the state that earns a referral fee for sending customers to an online retailer, according to the report.

Here’s what some Mohawk Valley legislators have to say about the Internet tax:

Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome:

“I actually had mixed feeling about it. People are buying off the Internet and not having to pay sales tax. The Internet is such a unique opportunity. When you look at a county like ours that is charging 8 and three quarters percent sales tax, the businesses are bearing the brunt of that burden as well.

I believe that we should collect the revenue. Anyone who has a presence in New York state must collect sales tax. I think it’s a matter of fairness.”

Assemblyman Dave Townsend, R-Sylvan Beach:

“I don’t like any new taxes and fees to be put on the people. It’s just another way to have the government grab the residents’ money and I voted against it. I don’t like it and I don’t think it’s fair.”

Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome:

“The Senate initially rejected all of those fees, but in the final weeks many of those were taken out and some were sunset and a few remained. The cigarette tax and the Amazon tax remained. In this particular tax, I think overall I don’t like it – because I don’t like imposing any new taxes. But, it also levels the playing field. One retailer shouldn’t be given an advantage over another.

I think this is going to end up in court. I don’t know how it will be resolved."

Paterson decides not to follow limits

2008-04-30T12:01:00.005-04:00

Gov. David Paterson will take the full campaign $55,900 contribution allowed by law in his expected run for governor in 2010, quietly abandoning limits set by his predecessor, according to the Albany Times Union.

“In order to compete on a level playing field he will adhere to the limits that are set under current rules,” spokesman Jonathan Rosen said, according to the article.

Resolving the Hinckley mess

2008-04-30T09:39:00.003-04:00

Local and state officials say the Hinckley Reservoir Working Group's final report due today will serve only as the starting point for examining issues related to this important water resource.

Here’s what state officials and representatives had to say:

* State Department of Health officials, who have been facilitating the working group, still were receiving input and finalizing the report Tuesday night, spokeswoman Diane Mathis said. She said she expects today's deadline to submit the report to Gov. David Paterson will be met, and the report will be made public.

*Paterson's office will review the report and release a response about how the governor plans to address it, governor's spokesman Jack Downey said.

*State Assemblyman Marc Butler, R-Newport, said the working group made recommendations about some key components of the situation, such as improving communication, but the report is just the first stage of fully understanding what should be done.

“I think this is only part of the puzzle — a very large puzzle that needs to be resolved,” he said.

*State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, said he looks forward to reading the report and determining what issues were left unaddressed. The next step should be following through and preventing problems from occurring again, he said.

Where was Paterson?

2008-04-30T09:28:00.004-04:00

Tuesday was Reform Day, when self-described good-government groups converge on the Capitol to pitch causes like tougher campaign finance rules and more transparent public information laws, according to the New York Times.

Shortly after Eliot Spitzer was elected governor on a platform of “It all changes on Day One” — one of his first orders of business was to sit down with government watchdog groups.

According to the Times though, the watchdogs are finding that the new governor, David A. Paterson, is a little harder to pin down — who did not attend the luncheon, citing a scheduling conflict.

He instead issued a written statement reaffirming his commitment to reform and sent his senior advisers to meet with the state’s leading watchdog groups, the Times reported.

SUNY funding drops

2008-04-25T13:11:00.005-04:00

ALBANY - State University of New York officials announced Thursday the 64-campus system's funding is $109 million less than originally expected, according to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Across-the-board spending reductions required by the recently enacted state budget will apply to revenues it collects from tuition, housing, SUNY hospitals and other services. That money is considered state revenue and has to be appropriated by the Legislature and governor, according to the report.

Gov. David Paterson has given commissioners and the schools a May 16 deadline for submitting plans on how they will change their budgets accordingly, according to the article

Paterson vetoes first bill

2008-04-24T15:40:00.002-04:00

Gov. David A. his veto pen for the first time, according to the New York Times.

The legislation would have required smaller municipalities to hire a full-time police chief, even if they only have part-time police officers in their departments, the Times reported.

The bill was opposed by town and county officials, who said it amounted to yet another unfunded mandate that Albany policymakers wanted to impose on lower levels of government, according to the article.

Paterson removes member against toll hike

2008-04-23T10:25:00.003-04:00

Gov. David Paterson has put his stamp on the state Thruway Authority Board of Directors, replacing a holdover Western New York appointee with one of his own picks, and in the process removing the only board member to vote against the proposed Thruway toll hikes, according to a Buffalo radio station report.

Paterson has appointed Donna Luh of Cheektowaga to replace Jeffrey Williams of Lewiston. During last year's hearings on the proposed Thruway toll hike, Williams was the only board member to vote against the budget and related hikes now under consideration, the report states.

The Thruway Authority floated a plan last month to increase cash tolls by 5 percent in 2009, and another 5 percent in 2010, according to the report.

The cash rate for a car driving from New York City to Williamsville, just outside Buffalo, is now $15.15 on the half-century old superhighway. When fully implemented, the trip will cost $18.36 when paying in cash, or $17.58 if paid through E-ZPass, according to the report.

Favorable outlook on Paterson

2008-04-23T10:22:00.003-04:00

New Yorkers are optimistic that Gov. Paterson will succeed where Eliot Spitzer failed miserably — bringing a bipartisan spirit to state government, a new Siena College poll finds, according to a Daily News article.

According to the report:

*Nearly two out of three predicted Paterson will work cooperatively with both Republicans and his fellow Democrats in Albany.

*The survey also showed voters' honeymoon with Paterson — who took office March 17 in the wake of Spitzer's resignation - entering its second month, with 48 percent giving him a favorable rating, 18 percent unfavorable.

Paterson plans to seek election, orders hiring halt

2008-04-22T13:03:00.003-04:00

Gov. David Paterson called for a hiring freeze on all nonessential state positions yesterday and earlier in the day hinted at retooling the state's popular property-tax-rebate program, according to an Albany media report.

In a letter yesterday to the head of state agencies, Paterson warned that only "job openings absolutely essential to your agency's operations and protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers are to be filled,” according to the article.

In yesterday's interview, Paterson said he also plans to seek election as governor in 2010.