Archive: News

As Lansing school officials ponder the challenges of next year's school budget they are faced with a complex matrix of what-ifs.  What if they cut this?  What if they cut that?  What if taxpayers want to pay more to preserve the other thing?  What if they don't?  In an environment where New York State is threatening ongoing aid cuts, the federal stimulus money is drying up, and the district's largest taxpayer has negotiated an enormous reduction in its valuation the district is facing a $2.3 million budget gap.  By using reserves and strategic planning Superintendent Stephen Grimm plans to reduce the gap by more than half.

Only three weeks away from the day when the Board Of Education will have to decide how much to ask taxpayers to pay they were presented with a draft of potential cuts.  As they are considering many alternatives of what the tax levy will be they will have to sanction more or fewer cuts in the range of nearly $1 million.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri (NY-24) issued the following statement today after voting against health care legislation considered by the House of Representatives last evening.

“There is no question that we must fix our nation’s broken health care system.  Over the past several months, I have received tens of thousands of phone calls, faxes and emails, and I have spoken with small business owners, medical professionals, local health care providers and families all across Upstate New York.  The message is clear – while we need real health care reform, we can and we must do better for Upstate New York.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri (NY-24) announced $5,052,068 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Bill) funding for energy conservation projects in 14 Upstate New York communities.  These energy efficiency and renewable energy projects will not only create hundreds of temporary jobs but also reduce energy and operating costs in these communities by an estimated $337,619 per year.

	This week we present the 'School Budget' issue with five articles about cuts the Lansing and Ithaca school systems are facing and how the public is reacting.

Monday's Lansing Board Of Education meeting attracted about 200 teachers, community members and students after the initial list of cuts to next year's school budget was released.  20 addressed the board, mainly to ask them not to cut teachers or close the high school swimming pool.  But school board members are faced with filling about a $1 million of a budget gap that starts at about 2.3 million.

"The budget is two things: how much do we spend, and how much money do we have coming in?  Our sources of revenue are down $1.3 million," said Superintendent Stephen Grimm.  "Our need to expend more is up $1.5 million.  The total difference between those two is $2.8 million.  That's the amount that needs to be made up by reducing what we're spending, or bringing revenues up.  Our only source of bringing revenues up is taxpayers.  Our only sources of reducing expenditures is cutting things.  And most of those 'things' are people."

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People in Tompkins County with access to Time Warner's Roadrunner service are generally satisfied with their Internet access.  But neighbors -- who might live literally next door, but can't get  that access -- are left with expensive, less satisfying choices ranging from very slow dialup access to satellite, cell tower, spotty DSL availability, or wifi access.  Even Roadrunner users experience slowdowns based on usage on limited available bandwidth.  Hurf Sheldon has been representing the Town of Lansing in various projects that have the potential to bring competitive high speed access to rural areas here.

"Time Warner really does have an extensive (installation) in Lansing," Sheldon told the Lansing Town Board Wednesday.  "But they won't extend it even though it would make financial sense for them.  There is no other competitor and there is not a strong cable commission in the county any more.  Everyone's abdicated responsibility for prompting these companies to make an investment in our communities."

Legislature Conducts Hearing on Hanshaw Road Reconstruction

At a public hearing that lasted more than one-and-a-quarter hours, conducted under provisions of the State’s Eminent Domain Procedure Law, residents expressed concern about the Hanshaw Road reconstruction project. The hearing was held to inform the public and review public use to be served by the $3.7 million project, to reconstruct one-and-a-half miles of road between Pleasant Grove Road and Sapsucker Woods Road through the Towns of Ithaca and Dryden and Village of Cayuga Heights. 

The 2010 Community Fireworks Show needs a new firing site, and a date.  Organizers also caution that this could be the last year for the annual patriotic community fireworks show because of dwindling donations.

For only the second time in 63 years, campus construction projects have reduced the area from which fireworks can be shot without compromising safety for spectators.  For the past two decades, fireworks have been shot from atop Ithaca College’s South Hill campus to kick off the local celebration of the Independence Day holiday.  The fireworks shows moved there after new buildings constructed at Cornell University closed in on the firing area near Hoy Field and Schoellkopf Field.

New York State Senator Michael Nozzolio met with Lansing's Board Of Education (BOE) Saturday to discus the state of State aid to education and other topics impacting the Lansing school district.  Nozzolio was invited by school board member Richard Thaler to exchange information and to give Nozzolio ammunition as he tries to represent the district's interests in the State Senate.  High on the list of topics was the current 'Funding Cliff' caused by drastic reductions in State aid.

"We try to be sensitive to the taxpayers, but at the same time keep our educational program, of which we're very proud, moving forward," said School Superintendent Stephen Grimm.  "We thought we were being able to avert some of the outside pressures that some of the other school districts have had."

Albany -- In response to Governor Paterson’s proposal to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in tax refunds to New York State taxpayers, State Senator Mike Nozzolio is now sponsoring legislation requiring the State to pay refunds within thirty days of receiving a tax return.

“This legislation would require the State to act immediately and put this hard-earned money back in the pockets of New York taxpayers,” said Nozzolio. “I have received numerous calls, letters and emails from taxpayers in my District who are being denied the refunds that rightfully belong to them. Many of these individuals are depending on their tax refund to meet other financial obligations they may have. Any delay in the processing of these refunds is simply unacceptable.”

In 2008 Republican Richard Hanna challenged Democrat Michael Arcuri for the U.S. Congressional seat he had held for only one term.  The night of the election the numbers wavered, sometimes showing Arcuri ahead, sometimes Hanna.  Eventually Arcuri got the most votes, but not by much.  Hanna had received 48% of the votes.  Arcuri had largely ignored Hanna during the race, and Hanna didn't have the money or organization or the support from the national party to match Arcuri. 

This year he's ready for a rematch. Hanna was at the Ramada Inn in the Village of Lansing yesterday to meet local voters and begin to spread his message.  With Obama's approval rate slipping and growing opposition to the health care bill, the Republican Party is eying Arcuri's seat.  Hanna says they call frequently, and he has told them, "Send your money, but keep your ideas!"

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri (NY-24) issued the following statement in opposition to the proposed health care reform package expected to be taken up by the House of Representatives in the coming days:

“I have made my decision.  I cannot support the health care package that is likely to be voted on later this week.

Nearly 200 people gathered at Trumansburg High School Saturday for a forum on how state and federal school aid cuts will impact local schools.  With $1.4 billion being cut state-wide, the impact to schools in the TST BOCES system will be 10 million in cuts in the coming year.  The purpose of the forum was to join local school districts to form a louder voice than individual districts have in order to attract press and legislative attention.  The message was to slow down the onslaught of cuts and get rid of nonproductive unfunded state and federal mandates.

"We are in survival mode," said Groton Superintendent Brenda Myers.  "Groton lost 15 ½ positions last year alone."