Assemblyman applauds property tax relief and tax cut for manufacturers to create jobs; pans publicly financed “welfare for politicians” pilot program and lack of mandate relief

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) today said the 2014-15 New York State Budget is a mixed bag for taxpayers and offered what he believes is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly on the state’s annual financial plan.

“This year’s state budget has the good, the bad and the ugly in it. It’s good the state is going to provide some modest tax relief for overburdened homeowners and small businesses but it’s bad there’s no mandate relief to reduce property taxes in the long-term. And it’s just plain ugly that taxpayers could be on the hook for paying for this publicly financed election scheme that just amounts to welfare for politicians and political consultants,” said Tedisco.

Brooklyn Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny joins bipartisan group of legislators to sponsor resolution demanding Russian “bully” Putin withdraw troops from Ukraine

Russian troops in Ukraine -- from Reuters.

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) received some key bi-partisan support today for his efforts to urge the state’s Congressional delegation to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to immediately withdraw its troops from the sovereign nation. 

Democratic Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (D-46^th Assembly District-Brooklyn), the first Soviet-born, Russian-speaking Member of the Assembly, has signed onto Tedisco’s resolution as a co-sponsor and is urging his counterparts in Washington, D.C. to send a crystal clear message to Russian autocratic President Vladimir Putin, that invading a sovereign nation is an unacceptable violation of international law.

Other Assembly members who have signed on as sponsors to Tedisco’s resolution are John T. McDonald III (D-Cohoes), Victor Pichardo (D-86^th A.D.), Frank Skartados (D-Milton), William Scarborough (D-29^th A.D.), Dan Stec (R,C,I-Queensbury), Mark Johns, (R,C,I-Webster), Michael Fitzpatrick (R,C,I-Smithtown) and Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick).

Assemblyman Tedisco introduces resolution calling on New York’s Congressional delegation to sponsor legislation calling for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) today announced he is introducing a resolution urging New York’s entire Congressional delegation to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to immediately withdraw its troops from the sovereign nation.

Under orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, on February 28^th, Russian forces entered the Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula – in violation of international law.  The Russian invasion of the Ukraine was a direct response to a popular uprising against the repressive Putin-backed government of President Viktor Yanukovych.

The Ukraine has been an independent republic and separate from Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.  In recent months, Putin used his influence to force the Yanukovych regime to disavow its ties with the West and the European Union in favor of becoming a Russian ally.

As Feb 22^nd federal deadline looms, Assemblyman Tedisco blasts inaction by Assembly Majority to pass Public Assistance Integrity Act to prevent EBT cards to be used for tobacco, alcohol, lottery tickets and cash withdrawals at liquor stores and casinos

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) today called on the Assembly Majority to apologize to the taxpayers of New York for failing to follow federal guidelines and losing $120 million in federal temporary assistance aid.

Currently, taxpayer-funded Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, which are intended to help low-income families pay for food and other necessities, can be squandered on purchasing lottery tickets, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and withdrawing cash at ATMs in casinos and strip clubs.

 A 2012 federal law set a deadline of tonight at 12 a.m. midnight, February 22, 2014, for states to stop this kind of EBT abuse or risk losing about $120 million in federal funding.

Statement from Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) on the Governor’s plan to provide free college education for state prison inmates

“We’re a compassionate state and believe that people deserve second chances after they’ve served their time but it shouldn’t come at the expense of honest, hard-working, law-abiding taxpayers who, in many instances, can’t afford to pay their property taxes and send their own children to college.”

“Students are mortgaging a lifetime of debt to pay for college loans yet the governor thinks criminals should get free college tuition. Rewarding criminal behavior with free college education reinforces their actions and makes them smarter criminals.” 

“This is definitely ‘Breaking Bad’ by potentially turning a bunch of Jesse Pinkmans into Walter Whites – all on the taxpayer’s dime.”

“Soon we will be the only state where honesty and hard work are trumped by being a bad criminal. Only in New York. When can New Yorkers wake up from this nightmare?”

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Legislators seek first-in-the-nation pilot initiative to enable service-disabled

veterans to participate in annual legislative internship program

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) and Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor (R,C,I-Fishkill) today called for the New York State Assembly to launch the G.I.V.E. BackNY program (Giving Internships for disabled Veterans not fully Employed) to enable disabled veterans to participate in the chamber’s annual legislative internship program.

Tedisco, Hawley, Lalor and their colleagues propose setting aside a percentage of the current Assembly Session Internship program positions for service-disabled veterans to apply to be part of this first-in-the-nation pilot initiative. 

This year, there are 120 interns in the Assembly Internship program, which is down from 180 interns in 2013. Currently, the Assembly Internship program is open to students matriculated in a four-year college. Undergraduates receive a $4,500 annual stipend ($6,500 for CUNY students) and graduate students earn $11,500.  It is budgeted at $929,149 this fiscal year.  Tedisco, Hawley and Lalor propose G.I.V.E. Back NY enrollees receive a stipend of $11,500 for the semester-long program. There will be no additional cost to taxpayers to implement G.I.V.E. BackNY.

“Let’s not just talk the talk, let’s walk the walk and G.I.V.E. Back to our disabled veterans by truly thanking them for everything we hold dear as Americans and as New Yorkers by offering them a birds eye view of the government they sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears and nearly their own lives to protect. Who better than our wounded warriors to see the inner workings of the republic and representative democracy they put their lives on the line for to the extent they now have to deal with a life-long disability,” said Tedisco.

Statement from Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville)

“As the Governor puts the finishing touches on his 2014-15 New York State Budget proposal, I hope he follows through on many of the fiscally conservative Republican promises he made to turn our state’s economy around and lower taxes.  The budget should cap state spending, include a plan to freeze and ultimately cut property taxes, fast-track the elimination of the 18A energy tax that is passed on to consumers, cut the Estate and job-killing Corporate Franchise Tax, and reduce burdensome and unnecessary bureaucratic red tape that stifles job growth.”

“I welcome the Governor’s call for ethics reform and strengthening campaign finance reform laws to go after violators as I have called for in ‘Espada’s Law’ to make it a crime for any candidate to repeatedly fail to file campaign finance disclosure reports as required by law.”

“Lastly, as I first championed in 2011, we need to get serial drunk and dangerous drivers off our roads with a strong three strikes and you’re out law to get these cowboys who cause carnage off the road – forever.”

“For too long some have suggested that New York has had a revenue problem when in fact, it’s had a taxing and spending priorities problem. And one of those spending priorities should be to keep a safety net in place and not cut $120 million for people with developmental disabilities and for those who are in need as the Governor did last year.  As a compassionate society we must be willing to invest in and help those who have long-term challenges and who truly are incapable of helping themselves – not giving handouts to the rich and famous in Hollywood.”  

“Let’s hope the Governor sticks to his guns on his conservative Republican budget promises that will help us move away from that altered reality.”

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Legislators who co-sponsor annual NYS Animal Advocacy Day announce strong new legislation to prevent puppy mills like the one in Montgomery County from leaving dogs out in extreme cold where they could face death; Tedisco and Ball also announce that 4^th Annual NYS Animal Advocacy Day will be held in Albany on May 28, 2014

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) and Senator Greg Ball (R,C,I-Patterson) today called for tough new legislation to protect our companion animals from being left outside in the freezing cold all day and night like what was occurring in the puppy mill in the town of Sprakers in Montgomery County.

The new legislation, which is being drafted, will make it a felony for intentionally failing to provide adequate shelter for a dog. The owner of the puppy farm in Sprakers was only charged with a violation of the state’s Agriculture and Markets Law, which caries a maximum fine of $100.

Ball and Tedisco’s legislation will make state law on this fall into line with the punishment for Buster’s Law which is punishable with up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

“The people did it! Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of animal advocates, the Governor has signed into law legislation (A.740A/S3753A) to enable local governments to stop puppy mills and pet dealers like the one in Sprakers that are operating in immoral and unethical ways. This truly illustrates that the most powerful voices in our representative democracy aren’t on the Second Floor of the Capitol or in the Assembly and Senate Chambers; they are in the homes of the people we represent.  And those voices of our animal advocates spoke loudly for those who will have no voice on Election Day.”

Tedisco, Lyall Family, DeCrescente Distributing say demand for Coasters for Hope is huge; drink coasters with info on 7 local missing persons expanding from 5,000 to 50,000 coasters

Demand from local restaurants and taverns for the new “Coasters for Hope” to help find Capital Region missing persons is so large that the print-run for the drink coasters is being immediately increased from 5,000 to full implementation of 50,000 according to program partners Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), Doug and Mary Lyall of the Center for Hope, and DeCrescente Distributing Company. 

Coasters for Hope, which launched this past Thursday, features pictures and information about seven local missing persons that are being printed and distributed by DeCrescente to restaurants and taverns across the Capital Region. 

Each drink coaster has a number where people can anonymously call or text a tip to law enforcement about a missing person’s case. A key way to jogging people’s memories in these cases to keep information about missing persons in the public eye.  

“The overwhelming demand for the Coaster for Hope is a testament to how many caring and compassionate small businesses owners we have in the Capital Region. Now that we are able to fully expand to 50,000 coasters, there will be 10 times as many opportunities to help generate tips that could lead to a major breakthrough in these cold cases and help find a missing person,” said Tedisco. 

“We are overwhelmed by the tremendous support from the restaurants and taverns in the Capital District wanting to display the Coasters for HOPE. This support and the support from DeCresente Beverages may be the catalyst to helping families and friends get the answers to finding their missing loved one,” said Mary Lyall of the Center for Hope, whose daughter Suzanne Lyall, a UAlbany student, has been missing since 1998.