- Details
- Category: Frontpage Articles
WMHT’s “New York Now”:
State Sen. Tom Libous sat down for a “New York Now” interview Monday afternoon just after taking part in a pro-fracking rally at the Capitol. The Binghamton Republican and strong fracking advocate — noting that his comment is “going to cause a stir” — said he believes that the work that would go into the Health Department’s review of DEC’s analysis of the potential health impacts of hydrofracking is effectively done, and that he believes nothing stands in the way of Gov. Andrew Cuomo approving a pilot drilling plan by the end of the year.
Here’s Libous:
I believe that the Health Department, long before this decision to have them do a health assessment — I think they know what the health assessment is. It’s been four years in the making. I sat on the advisory committee that hasn’t met in quite some time. We had presentations back then by the Health Department. I think they’re well aware of what the impact is. I think the studies are done. I think it’s just a matter of making a decision, to moving forward.
There is, however, the political question of DOH waiting less than three months before giving the DEC’s assessment its thumbs-up. Environmentalists on the other side are still waiting for many of the details of how DOH will conduct its review, including who the outside advisers requested by DEC Commissioner Joe Martens will be.
The full interview — including talk of the Senate elections just ahead, and what the new legislative session might bring — runs this weekend on WMHT’s “New York Now”:
- Details
- Category: Frontpage Articles
Last updated: 9:54 AM - 10/16/12
- Details
- Category: Frontpage Articles
This could have been the story all over Broome County if not for a few selfish single topic zealots spreading stories which either frightened or caused doubts in a substantial group of our population.JLCpulse
0/09/2012 05:24 PM YNN, by Web staff
BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- Residents of the Windsor School District may have been a little surprised when they opened their most recent school tax bill. Instead of going up like so many taxes are, they went down.
The reason for the decrease is due, primarily, to the laser pipeline that transports natural gas from wells in Pennsylvania to the Millenium pipeline. Officials report that the pipeline and associated compressor station have increased the municipality’s tax base by nearly $30 million.
Some are finding it hard to find a downside to this economic boost to the area.
"I think what this points out, and I think Dan Fitzsimmons said it extremely well, is that just because you're not going to have a well in your back yard or my back yard or whatever, the positive effects of natural gas drilling, if you will, will affect our community and will affect it in primarily a very positive manner," said Steve Herz, Broome County legislator, 9th District.
The 30 mile laser pipeline was just built last year after gaining approval from the New York State Public Service Commission.- Details
- Category: Frontpage Articles
Pressconnects.com Letters to the editor/opinion 7:02 PM, Oct 12, 2012
The recent Guest Viewpoint article by Elisabeth Radow on mortgages and fracking sounded strangely familiar. That’s because it was.
In March, the New York Times did a story titled “Mortgages for Drilling Properties May Face Hurdle,” in which it tried to spook people who were involved in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service program. The Times said “extensive environmental reviews” were on the way for property owners involved in shale gas drilling. Not so. The USDA issued an immediate disclaimer, saying it would continue to exempt rural housing loans from environmental reviews.
Natural gas development has been a boon — not a disaster — to property owners. In rural Pennsylvania, where shale gas development is underway, property values are substantially higher — in some cases doubling — compared to areas where no gas development occurs.
We need sustainable growth in upstate New York. We won’t grow, prosper and rebuild our communities without a positive, balanced solution to this natural gas issue.
ROBERT W. BIRCH
COOPERSTOWN
- Details
- Category: Frontpage Articles
At the time this article was written we at least we had some hope brought about by false statements from our Albany leaders. Now we know that NY is just going to continue the slide except, I assure you there will be less operating farms, even with the mushroom dreams of Yogurt saving the day. JLCpulse
Erik Kriss 4/3/12 New York Post
ALBANY — The Empire State’s economic outlook remains at the bottom of the national heap in a conservative think tank’s annual survey of the states.
“New York ranks dead last for the fourth year in a row by engaging in the same old cronyism and job-killing policies that have pushed countless job creators to look for greener pastures,” the American Legislative Exchange Council declared.
New York, which last escaped the group’s cellar in 2008 — when it ranked 49th — lost points for high taxes, generous welfare benefits, strong unions and a “death” tax in the council’s analysis of 15 factors.
Fifteen months into the job, Gov. Cuomo came in for some explicit criticism.
Noting that New Jersey recently added 66,000 private-sector jobs while cutting 21,000 from government, “across the river in New York . . . Gov. Andrew Cuomo just announced a tax increase on the wealthiest taxpayers,” famed supply-side economist Arthur Laffer and his report co-authors wrote.
Cuomo last December engineered an overhaul of state income taxes to keep rates on millionaires well above their scheduled 2012 levels — while modestly reducing rates for those making $40,000 to $300,000 a year.
Cuomo spokesman Matt Wing noted that the governor signed the state’s “first-ever property-tax cap, substantially cut back payroll taxes, and enacted the lowest tax rate for the middle class in 58 years.”
JLCNY Calendar
| No events |
Recent Stories
Please wait...