On Wednesday morning I received a call from Bob McCarthy, Amherst Personnel Director, who explained why the Town pays $250 to retirees directly when they pay the $250 deductible out of their own pocket when they, or their spouse, are hospitalized.

If the town added this as a rider to the health contract it would cost thousands more than the town directly pays the retirees who are hospitalized.

In 2007 there were a total of 6 retirees who were hospitalized which cost the Town $250.times 6 = $1500. This clearly shows the great amount of money the town saved.

This begs another question. Can we add the rider later if we see these costs rising?

The Muir Woods project is being pushed extremely hard by Bill O’Loughlin, Shelly Schratz and Mike McGuire. Some members of the current Town Board want to vote on the development at the December 3rd meeting.

Other Board members feel strongly that the matter should be tabled until all Council members have time to read the material about this project. The material is located in the Planning Department. Most of the present Town Board members, with few exceptions, have not read any of the information about this project. In January the new Board will have detailed knowledge about what they’re asked to vote on.

There are several questions which must be cleared up before voting can occur. The height of the Corporation Buildings wasn’t stated, and there are height regulations set in the Town code for certain areas of town. There are some answers needed as to who will be allowed to drive on the private road in this development and what the penalties would be for driving on private property, as this road is labeled.

Supervisor Mohan asked several questions about this project. He wants the residents who live in the area near the proposed development to come to Town hall this coming Monday night, Dec. 3rd. At that meeting he wants those individuals to give their opinion of this proposed development.

The rush to get this project approved on December 3rd is yet another example of how some Town Board members, lacking enough information to make a sound decision, are in a rush to cast their ill-informed vote. The information most Council members currently have concerning this project came directly from the people who own the parcel, the developer and their very capable attorney. DIG DEEPER PEOPLE!

Customarily December Town Board meetings have been less than work laden because often Board members couldn’t attend meetings due to holiday activities and other family responsibilities. It was never a time for major projects to be discussed and voted upon.

Council member Bill O’Loughlin plainly stated at last Monday’s afternoon work session, he was elected for a four year term which doesn’t end until Dec. 31, 2007. He will still be a Council member in December and wants to vote on this project.

Come January the work of the Amherst Town Board will resume in earnest with three new Council members on board. At that time Mr. O’Loughlin, Bill Kindel and Mike McGuire will all be replaced by the newly elected trio of Dr. Weinstein, Mark Manna and Guy Marlette. That should be the time when such an important decision is made.

The Muir Woods project is being pushed extremely hard by Bill O’Loughlin, Shelly Schratz and Mike McGuire. The current Town Board wants to vote on the development at the December 3rd meeting.

Some Board members feel strongly that the matter should be tabled until all Council members have time to read the material about this project. The material is located in the Planning Department. The present Town Board, with the exception of a few members, haven’t read any of the information about this project. In January the new Board will have detailed knowledge on what they’re asked to vote on.

There are several questions which must be cleared up before voting can occur. The height of the Corporation Buildings wasn’t stated and there are height regulations set in the Town code for certain areas of town. There are some answers needed as to who will be allowed to drive on the private road in this development and what the penalties would be for driving on private property, as this road is labeled.

Supervisor Mohan asked several questions about this project. He wants the residents who live in the area near the proposed development to come to Town hall this coming Monday night, Dec. 3rd. At that meeting he wants those individuals to give their opinion of this proposed development.

The rush to get this project approved on December 3rd is yet another example of how some Town Board members lack enough information to make a sound decision but cast their ill-informed vote anyway. The information most Council members currently have concerning this project came directly from the people who own the parcel, the developer and their very capable attorney.

Customarily December Town Board meetings have been less than work laden because often Board members couldn’t attend meetings due to holiday activities and other family responsibilities. It was never a time for major projects to be discussed and voted upon.

Council member Bill O’Loughlin plainly stated at last Monday’s afternoon work session, he was elected for a four year term which doesn’t end until Dec. 31, 2007. He will still be a Council member in December and wants to vote on this project.

Come January the work of the Amherst Town Board will resume in earnest with three new Council members on board. At that time Mr. O’Loughlin, Bill Kindel and Mike McGuire will all be replaced by the newly elected trio of Dr. Weinstein, Mark Manna and Guy Marlette. That should be the time when such an important decision is made.

The rich and richer must be lucky people to have such a steadfast supporter as The Buffalo News. In today’s Buffalo News editorial, ‘Building in Amherst’ on page A8, the News editorial draws our attention to how the Benderson Development Co. will clean up the brownfields sites on their Maple Rd. parcel, instead of expecting the taypaper.

The parcel the News refers to is the 34-acre Buffalo Shooting Club, which has been collecting lead for over 50 years. The News points to the big number the Benderson Group will be spending, a seven figure amount, to clean up the toxic waste on this parcel which will turn this once hazardous brownfield into an upscale residential-standard development.

The Benderson Group has explained this development which will be designed by a nationally acclaimed architecture firm will possibly attract researchers from UB to moved into this complex instead of where their homes presently stand. This News’ editorial further claims this mixed complex has the potential to exploit the highly academic, high-income potential of a contiguous campus location. The News feels this area will attract business like a Whole Foods Store.

The Editorial tries to help the public forget the objections raised by Council members Bucki and Ward concerning the destruction of a neighborhood, the disruption of people’s lives, traffic and noise problems for the good of commercial gain. This type of mixed development could be built in areas where it could be a bit more private not in the middle of Maple Rd.

This News editorial points out that common folk should not plan to live in this very plush area but they can come to the higher priced stores to spend their money and then leave.

The bottom line is money.

Higgins Says New Thruway Authority Capital Plan Shortchanges WNY over $200 million from 2007 - 2010

Changes to the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) Capital Plan will result in over $200 million less for Western New York from 2007 to 2010, according to Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27). In order to justify the toll hikes of May, 2005, the Thruway Authority promised substantial construction work in its Buffalo District over the following six years.

“The Thruway Authority told us in exchange for higher tolls, they would invest hundreds of millions in our roads and put construction people to work,” said Higgins. “This about-face is a significant blow to the Western New York economy and completely disregards the promises made to the good people living and paying tolls in this region.”

Congressman Higgins raised a red flag earlier this year when it became apparent that the Authority would fall well short of its goal of letting $131.4 million in construction in the Buffalo area in 2007-so far this year the Authority has only let slightly more than $7 million.

The Congressman has subsequently learned that the Authority intends to continue this pattern of shortchanging Western New York. According to the most current edition of the Authority’s Capital plan, which was conveyed to the Congressman earlier this month as a result of his Freedom of Information Request, instead of attempting to catch up their shortfall of local improvements in 2008, the Authority intends to further shortchange Western New York in 2008 and 2009, compared to the improvements they had previously promised.

Instead of the promised $148.6 million which was to have been let in 2008, the Authority’s new plan calls for only $30.1 million in improvements in the Buffalo area. And in 2009, when the Authority had promised $110.5 million in Buffalo-area improvements, they intend to let only $68.3 million.

“I am hopeful the State Comptroller’s audit will shed light on the apparent shell game being played by the Thruway Authority,” added Higgins.

Question for the Town of Amherst Personnel Director:

The health insurance our retires presently carry has a clause which states, if they have to be hospitalized they must pay the hospital a $250 deductible out of their own pocket.

My question is: Do these individuals get the $250 deductable fee returned to them? and who pays them back?

Answer: The Town of Amherst sends a check for the $250 to these individuals.

Spitzer Administration Moves to Combat Health & Housing Concerns Raised by more than 21,000 NYC Residents Last Year

New York—State Senator Liz Krueger today applauded Governor Spitzer for enacting the New York State Toxic Mold Task Force, an initiative signed into law by former Governor Pataki more than two years ago, which was never activated.

“This summer, I sponsored a sign-on letter to the Governor asking him to act to create this Task Force to ensure that this law was worth more than the paper it was written on,” Krueger explained. “I then co-hosted a meeting with experts from the Governor’s relevant agencies, as well as City agencies and experts from the field to discuss the problems and how to solve them. I want to applaud the Governor for moving so quickly in response to my concerns. Year after year, no matter what was happening to New Yorkers’ housing and health, individual efforts to fight toxic mold were ignored. The problems of mold and its associated health effects are serious, and we hear regularly from constituents who don’t know where else to turn as their home literally poisons their family.”

Mold can pose a significant challenge to maintaining safe and healthy indoor health environments. Toxic mold can cause allergies, trigger asthma attacks, detrimentally affect the function of vital human organs, and increase susceptibility to colds and flu. Certain types of mold have been identified as a major trigger of asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems, especially in children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. These toxins can also have deleterious effects on humans when ingested, inhaled or when they come in contact with skin.

“Doing nothing is dangerous. Mold is one’s house is like anything in nature—it will continue to grow and spread as long as nothing is done. Mold also does a great deal of harm to buildings and structures, placing far too many New Yorkers needlessly at risk,” Krueger said.

In 2006, the City’s 311 hotline received more than 21,000 complains of mold, and the incidence of mold related actions filed in NYC Housing Court has increased dramatically in recent years.

The mandates placed upon the 14-member Task Force include:

Assessing the scope and magnitude of the adverse environmental and health impacts caused by toxic mold in NYS;
Measuring adverse health effects of exposure to toxic mold, including disproportionate risk to sensitive populations;
Assessing the latest scientific data on exposure limits to mold in indoor environments;
Determining control and mitigation methods that are environmentally sensitive and cost effective;
And Preparing a report to the Governor and Legislature with recommendations for actions by the Legislature and State agencies.

All 14 members of the Task Force have been named; the Task Force will be led by Dr. Nancy Kim of the State Department of Health and Mr. Thomas Mahar of the Department of State, and the first meeting will take place in early December.

“This is yet another example from the Spitzer Administration of what State government can do to serve the public good when time, resources, and most importantly, proper attention are paid to solving a problem. What we’re talking about here is more than just a mere inconvenience or a cosmetic issue. Safe, sound housing is vital to the health and well-being of New Yorkers,” Krueger concluded.

Co-signers on the letter to the Governor included Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, State Senator John Sabini, Assembly Members Linda B. Rosenthal and Keith Wright, and Council Member Rosie Mendez.

WWW.LIZKRUEGER.COM

211 East 43rd Street, Suite #1300
New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 490-9535
Fax: (212) 490-2151

The difference between Democrats and Republicans always came down to the rich and the poor. Not that the front runners in the Democratic party are poor. Far from it. But the Democratic machine is so well oiled right now that their war chest is full to overflowing and the Republicans are looking to match that or exceed it and they are pulling out all the stops to do so.

“Confronting an enormous fund-raising gap with Democrats, Republican Party officials are aggressively recruiting wealthy candidates who can spend large sums of their own money to finance their Congressional races, party officials say.”

“At this point, strategists for the National Republican Congressional Committee have enlisted wealthy candidates to run in at least a dozen competitive Congressional districts nationwide, particularly those where Democrats are finishing their first term and are thus considered most vulnerable. They say more are on the way.”

“These wealthy Republicans have each already invested $100,000 to $1 million of their own money to finance their campaigns, according to campaign finance disclosure reports and interviews with party strategists. Experts say that is a large amount for this early in the cycle.”
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