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April 01, 2006

The following is posted upon request of the PTRA, please read:

March 29, 2006
OVER THE TOP AND UNDER THE WIRE
Legislature Repels Attack on Public Education

Whether the legislature’s last minute agreement will lead to a timely state budget depends on whether you’re talking to the governor’s office or legislators.  Whether their record $1.1 billion, 6.97% increase in education aid will help hold down local tax rates may depend on where you live.  But one thing was certain in last night’s agreement on the education portion of the state budget:  Legislators heard the concerns of school board members and were having none of the governor’s local school governance changes.  Gone was a tuition tax credit for private and parochial education.  Gone was a dramatic increase in the number of charter schools.  Gone was the governor’s $400 marquee bounty to vote “no” on local school budgets.  And gone were the rest of the proposals intended to encourage voter rejection of local school budgets..  NYSSBA staff would like to thank all of you who contacted your legislators to tell them the impact these proposals would have on your districts.
Legislative Budget Would Provide Record Increase
Distribution an Issue

Overall, the legislature, while cutting taxes some $4.5 billion, increases state spending nearly $2 billion above that proposed in the Executive Budget.  This raises questions of possible vetoes by Governor Pataki and subsequent veto overrides by the Legislature.  Highlights of the Legislature’s education budget agreement include:

*  An overall state aid increase of $1.1 billion, including an operating aid increase of at least 1% for each district.  This is an overall increase in aid of nearly 7%.

*  Full restoration of Executive Budget aid cuts to reimbursable district expenses like transportation, BOCES and special education.

*  Significant state compliance with the Court of Appeals ruling in the facilities construction portion of the CFE funding adequacy case, including a $2.2 billion school construction program for high need districts and $400 million for other districts.  The plan also calls for the state to guarantee bonding for $9.4 billion for school construction in New York City. 

*  School Tax Relief (STAR) rebate checks that will provide an additional 30% ($400 on average) over the amount currently received by homeowners .  Senior citizens would receive an additional increase.  Other tax relief included eliminating the income tax marriage penalty, the sales tax on shoes and clothing under $110 and adding a child tax credit of up to $330 per child for taxpayers with children ages 4-17.  Also included is an income tax credit for volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel to replace proposed local property tax exemptions.

*  New aid categories to help districts with high residential tax burdens relative to income and those with high school taxes that make a strong local spending effort per child.  The first category is intended to help high need rural districts; the second should help districts that have significant property value, but have been faced with extraordinarily high total school taxes.

*  The Legislature includes the Executive Budget proposal of $375 million in Sound Basic Education aid to address the problems faced by high need districts across the state.  Details of the distribution plan have not yet been released.  

For a complete listing of state amounts by category and actions taken by the legislature, go to http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/WAM/20060328a/education.pdf .
The following is a list of items REJECTED in the state budget
that will be voted on by April 1st.

*  Cuts to BOCES, special ed and other reimbursable expenses.

*  Private and parochial school tax credits/vouchers of $500 per child in districts with schools in need of improvement.

*  Increasing in the number of charter schools from 100 to 250.

*  STAR rebates provided only to those residents living in districts that limit their spending to contingency cap levels.

*  Limiting the length of terms of school board members to 2 years

*  Forcing school board members to sign a code of ethics prohibiting use of district resources for personal gain.

*  Allowing district residents to petition for a binding ballot proposition that would cap district spending for three years.

*  Placing county boards of elections in charge of school voting and mandating polling hours. 

*  Requiring districts to expand the Tax Report Card to include a list of all unexpended funds over 2%, creating the impression that districts are asking for increases while sitting on unused funds.

*  Requiring that districts report changes in the tax rate to both the proposed school budget and a contingency budget, despite the fact that the district seldom knowing town growth rates or equalization rates at the time notices are mailed.

*  Expanding existing whistleblower protections that would prohibit firing whistleblowers already facing employee discipline.

*Forcing districts to place construction projects on the same ballot proposition as the annual school budget vote

*  Forcing school districts to pay the cost of hearing officers in teacher discipline cases.

*  Requiring districts to prepare a contingency budget spending plan and compare it to the proposed district budget in materials sent to district residents.

*  Shifting the cost of pre-school special education evaluations onto school districts. 

*  Forcing the amortization of BOCES construction projects to a schedule that favored the state at the expense of local districts.
Things Left Undone

While the state responded to NYSSBA’s traditional concern for timeliness, adequacy and equity, some NYSSBA priorities and proposals remain unaddressed in the legislative agreement.  They include:

*  Reform of the costly and burdensome Wicks Law.

*  The Executive Budget proposal for creation of a Blue Ribbon Commission on Pension Reform (requested by NYSSBA).

*  A retirement incentive for school district employees.  There is speculation that this issue will be revisited at the end of the calendar year.  The timing of that incentive would not allow schools to offer an incentive for the upcoming school fiscal year.

*  BOCES aid for claims auditing and internal auditing services .

*  Reforming operating aid in a way that expands the CFE court order to the entire state.  
NYSSBA’s VIEW

The governor and legislature have made a significant attempt to produce a timely state budget.  This allows school districts the certainty needed for planning school budget votes.  The proposed state budget (which will be voted upon over the next several days) begins to address the operating and facilities problems in high need districts throughout the state.  It provides an operating aid increase for all districts and adds new aid categories for high tax districts, regardless of traditional wealth levels.  It rejects harmful governance proposals and adds some that are extremely beneficial, like “one stop shopping” for energy conservation services and a $25 million program for school energy improvements.  While districts had all reimbursable aid restored and will receive at least a token operating aid increase, some districts will still face significant local tax increases.  This budget agreement sets a total education aid record, (half a billion dollars above the governor’s proposal) but the distribution of funds does not address the needs of all districts.  NYSSBA will continue to advocate for fundamental reform of the state’s education aid formula.  These reforms include permanently addressing the problems in high need districts, a 2% annual inflationary operating aid increase for all districts and recognition of regional cost differences.

Under the budget agreement, taxpayers in school districts that do not receive significant aid increases should receive a large share of increases in the STAR PLUS program.  These increases are projected to reach nearly a billion dollars by next year.  While this will eventually provide some relief to frustrated property taxpayers, it does little to ward off widespread rejection of this year’s school budget proposals.  NYSSBA had advocated for STAR rebates to be distributed in May prior to local school budget votes, rather than immediately prior to statewide elections next fall. 

Do not assume that proposals rejected in the state budget agreement will not be considered once the budget is passed.  NYSSBA and local school board members alike should continue to be vigilant in their advocacy.  Within traditional political constraints, the Legislature has been extremely responsive to NYSSBA positions.  Together, we must now advance NYSSBA priorities that were not addressed in the budget and prevent harmful proposals that may yet be considered.

NYSSBA will issue state aid runs for individual school districts and update you on legislative voting results as soon as they become available.
Thanks to You!

On behalf of your NYSSBA advocacy staff, thank you for your perseverance in demanding that the state pay its share of school inflationary increases in a timely manner.  Our efforts were largely successful as a result of your willingness to focus legislative attention on the impact of proposals on your schools and the need for significant state resources.  Thank you.

Please take the time to thank your legislators and their leaders for their responsiveness.  While there is certainly more work to be done and inequities in its distribution, this state budget does a great deal to provide the resources needed to educate students that have thus far been underserved. Congratulations and best of luck in building your local district budgets!

 

March 21, 2006

Call our NY State Representatives Now!!

 

Let them know that Plainedge School District must receive more state aid!

 

Call everyone listed below before March 31

 

Follow the script

 

 

My name is ____________________ and I am calling to let you know I support Bill
A7702 to change the school aid funding formula to allow for a regional cost adjustment.  Nassau County receives the least amount of state school aid in NYS, with only 17% of our school funding coming from the state.  Nassau has more than 7% of the students in New York State, but is getting less than 4% of the state aid!! 

 

I am also requesting that Plainedge School District receive a special appropriation and a substantial increase in state aid as we have no commercial property base and most of the funding for Plainedge schools comes from the property owners.  We may be property rich, but we are cash poor!!  This is unfair and we need you to take action to help us. 

 

Thank you for your time and help.  We will be following the state budget process!!

 

Call the following representatives:

 

Governor George Pataki

(518) 474-8390

 

Senator Joseph Bruno

Senate Majority Leader

(518) 455-3191

  

Assemblyman Sheldon Silver

Speaker of the Assembly

(212) 312-1420

 

Assemblyman Dean Skelos

Deputy Majority Leader

(516) 766-8383

 

 Senator Kemp Hannon

(516) 739-1700

 

Assemblyman Joseph S. Saladino

(516) 844-0635

 

Senator Carl Marcellino

(516) 922-1811

 

February 28, 2006    

PTRA letter writing workshop at the Plainedge Library, Tuesday 2/28/06 from 7:30pm to 9pm

February 26, 2006

Dear Resident,

At the request of community members the Plainedge Tax Relief Association has drafted a letter for your use in our letter writing campaign. Please use this letter to send to All the Government  Officials listed.  One letter should be sent to each official.  We are hoping that you can dedicate a small amount of time to do this ASAP. The tax situation in Plainedge affects everyone.  Your letters will go a long way in helping our representatives deliver our message to Albany. Only as a unified voice will we be heard....Thank you the members of the PTRA
 
Phil

Winter 2006

Dear Plainedge Resident:

 

Our school taxes are too high and we must demand more state aid for Plainedge!!

We believe we can obtain more state aid for Plainedge if every voter in Plainedge sends the attached letter to each one of the legislators listed. 

All you have to do is sign each letter, write your name and address, address and stamp 7 envelopes and send a copy to each of the legislators we have listed for you. 

You should receive a response from the legislators you write to within a few weeks.  When you receive a response, we suggest you write back again.  If you do not get a response, we ask that you resend your letter indicating that you have not heard back.

For more information, or to download a copy of the form letter, you can go to www.plaintalkonline.com or the Plainedge Schools website at www.plainedgeschools.org.

Thank you in advance for your support. 

Plainedge Tax Relief Association

The Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) has been formed by concerned residents of Plainedge to advocate for additional school funding and school tax relief for the Plainedge School District.

Below is a copy of the form letter:

February/March 2006

To: 

Governor George Pataki

Executive Chamber

The State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

 

Senator Joseph Bruno

Senate Majority Leader

Room 909

Legislative Office Building

Albany, NY  12247

 

Assemblyman Sheldon Silver

Speaker of the Assembly

Room 932

Legislative Office Building

Albany, NY  12248

 

Assemblyman Dean Skelos

Deputy Majority Leader

55 Front Street

Rockville Centre, NY  11570

 

 Senator Kemp Hannon

224 Seventh Street

2nd Floor

Garden City, NY  11530

 

Joseph S. Saladino

200 Boundary Avenue

Massapequa, NY  11758

 

Senator Carl Marcellino

Room 812

Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247


Dear Sir:

I am writing to express my concern over the state education funding formulas and to request that Plainedge School District receive an increase in state aid.

I am requesting your action on Bill A.7702 which would allow for a regional cost of living adjustment to be applied to the education aid formula.  Nassau County school districts only receive 17% of their school funding from the state, while other areas of New York State receive an average of 37%.

Plainedge has no commercial property so the residents have to pay 85% of the school taxes.   The state aid to Plainedge for operating costs has decreased every year in the past 6 years – from 25.9% to 18.24% of our school budget.  This means the taxpayers have had to pay more, despite the fact that Plainedge has the lowest per pupil expenditure in Nassau County (K-12).  Plainedge’s school budget failed in 2005 and the district is now on austerity. 

This issue is uniting our community, from Senior Citizens to young adults.  We all believe the state must make education funding equitable for all New Yorkers.  We also are demanding that the state provide for a special appropriation for high residential districts that have little or no commercial property to alleviate the tax burden in communities such as ours.

Thank you for your help in this endeavor.  I look forward to hearing from you soon to tell me what you are doing on this important issue.

Sincerely,                                                         

Print Name: ________________________________

Address:  __________________________________

Signature of Plainedge Resident:  __________________________________________

 

February 13, 2006  Below, a letter / information packet that was given out at the PTRA Community meeting to help with the letter writing campaign.

Winter 2006

Dear Plainedge Resident:

We need your help!!  The Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) has been formed by concerned residents of Plainedge to advocate for additional school funding/school tax relief for the Plainedge School District in the State Senate, State Assembly and Governor's Office.

Plainedge has no commercial property so we, have to pay 85% of the school taxes.  Did you know that the state aid to Plainedge for operating costs has decreased every year in the past six years - from 25.9% to 18.24% of our school budget?  This means the taxpayers have had to pay more!  We deserve a bigger piece of the education pie!!

We believe we can obtain more state aid for Plainedge if we all work together and write ad or call key legislators.  (A listing is attached.)  We want to put continuous pressure on those individuals in state government that make the decisions on school funding, and we can only do it with your help.

Attached, please find an outline of a letter for you to write and send to any or all of the legislators listed.  We want the community to give a consistent message, so we have given you some key facts to use.  The letter should be written from your heart and please feel free to add anything you feel is important.  The most important people to write are Governor Pataki, Senator Bruno, and Assemblyman Sheldon in addition to our own representatives:  Assemblyman Saladino, Senator Hannon and/or Senator Marcellino.

We ask that you try to write your letters within the next two weeks as we want to have letters sent every week between now and when the state budget passes.  You should receive a response from the legislators you write to within a few weeks.  When you receive a response, we suggest you write back again.  If you do not get a response, we ask that you resend your letter indicating that you have not heard back.

We will be holding letter-writing workshops at the Plainedge Public Library on Friday, February 3rd from 2:30 - 4:00 PM and Tuesday, February 28th from 7:30 - 9:00 PM.  There will also be another PTRA Community Meeting on Monday, February 13th at 7PM at Plainedge High School.

Please know that the PTRA will likely lead more tax relief initiatives in the months to come.  We are starting with this campaign to obtain more state aid for Plainedge.  For more information, you can go to PlainTalkOnline.com.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Plainedge Tax Relief Association

A LETTER TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE  -  THE ESSENTIALS AND GUIDE

Your Name & Address {PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THIS}

 

Date

 

[The Official’s information will appear here – see attached listing for names/addresses]

The Honorable First name Last name

123 Street Address

City, NY, Zip

 

Dear [Official’s Title and Name will be inserted here]:

 

Dear Senator _______: (OR) Dear Assemblyman ________: (OR) Governor Pataki:

 

Paragraph 1:  Say why you are writing.  State what you are writing about.

 

           

        School taxes in Plainedge

        Property tax relief from school taxes in Plainedge

        State aid for the Plainedge school district

        help for Plainedge school district

 

Paragraph 2:  Pick any two or more of the following points to include:

 

        Plainedge has no commercial property so the residents have to pay 85% of the school taxes  

        Plainedge has the lowest per pupil expenditure in Nassau County (K-12)

         The State aid to Plainedge for operating costs has decreased every year in the past 6 years – from 25.9% to 18.24% of our school budget.  This means the taxpayers have had to pay more.

        The average household in Plainedge pays $ 6,000. in school taxes

        Standard and Poors rated Plainedge as among the “top cost effective districts” in NYS

        New York State School Board Association rated Plainedge “highly efficient” as compared to other comparable schools

        Plainedge’s budget failed in 2005 and is now on austerity

        The Plainedge community formed a grassroots organization and was successful in raising monies to restore high school sports

 

Paragraph 3:  Say who you are.  You can include such things as:

 

        I have lived in Plainedge ________ years

         I am:

                      a single parent household

                      two parent working family

                      working two jobs to make ends meet

                      renting and concerned my rent will be raised

                      worried I will have to sell my house and move away

                       not a property owner, but I live in the community and I am concerned   about   school taxes

                      I have _____ number of children

                      I am a Senior Citizen

                      I own a small business in Plainedge:  Say what it is:

                      Other

 

Paragraph 4:  State what you want.  You can pick one or two of the following suggestions, or create your own:

 

   Create a special appropriation for high residential districts that have little or no commercial property

   Create a grant or aid program to recognize districts that operate at low per pupil spending while maintaining above average academic performance

   Increase the school aid to Plainedge

 

Paragraph 5:  Thank them for their help, support or efforts.

 

Sincerely,

 

Your signature

February 13, 2006

The Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) will have a Community Meeting on Monday, February 13, 2006 at the Plainedge High School Auditorium.  The discussion will be about how residents can help increase state aid for the Plainedge School District, thus lowering the property tax burden.

February 3, 2006    

PTRA letter writing workshop at the Plainedge Library, Friday 2/3/06 from 2:30pm to 4pm

January 30, 2006

Plainedge Tax Relief Association Meeting Minutes

 

Participants:   Craig Heller; Anne Weeks; Jeanne Toscano

 

Discussion Areas:

1.       Community Meeting:  A preliminary outline of the Community Meeting was agreed upon.  The primary purpose will be to inform the community and motivate the residents to take action, e.g., write letters, call, etc.  The agenda will be as follows:

a.       Phil will open the meeting and explain how PTRA was formed and its purpose and actions.  Phil will motivate the residents to take action!!!  He should include the plans for the phone campaign in March in his overall description of our actions.

b.       Craig will discuss the actions being taken on the County level and incorporate some of the information Legislator Dave Mejias spoke of at his property tax assessment meeting to better educate the community.

c.       Anne will speak on the letter writing campaign, what to do, petitions, and the library workshop. 

d.       Hannon (if he accepts our invitation) will speak on how we can best impact Albany to get change accomplished and have them listen to us.

 

Specific actions to be taken with regards to the Community Meeting are:

a.       We agreed with Phil’s suggestion to invite Hannon to the Community Meeting and invite Saladino to the Friday, Feb 28 Library letter writing workshop.  Maura or Christine should contact Hannon and
Saladino’s office to invite them to each event.

b.       Craig will contact Dr. Richman to request that the Community Meeting be posted on the signs in front of the schools as well as the School Website.  He will also request that Dr. Richman send out an email.

c.       Anne and Jeanie will coordinate to put up flyers and signs throughout the community as well as enlist additional help to get the signs/flyers made up and distributed.  Goal is to have them up by the end of the weekend.  Places to put up flyers/posters are:  Library, Pappalardos, Waldbaums, Pathmark, Cinos Bagels, Carvel, etc.

d.       Anne will coordinate to get the community meeting and library workshops posted in the local newspapers and PlainTalkOnline.  After the meeting, Anne spoke to Lisa after the meeting and she will get the information out to the following:

                                                               i.      Massapequa Post (Carolyn James 798-5100)

                                                             ii.      Long Island Press (Felice Cantatore (631) 648-2500 or email = felice@longislandpress.com

                                                            iii.      Massapequa Observer (Joe Scacci 747-8282 extension 156)

e.       Craig will email his contact at Newsday (Joy Brown) to alert her to what we are doing as she is writing a column on what the County is doing to address the problem of school taxes.

f.         Anne will draft an agenda and draft the flyers.

g.       Dr. Richman will be invited to the Community Meeting, but we do not think it necessary for him to speak as he will be having an educational meeting in March and we want to be the lead in this meeting.

 

2.       Letter Writing Packets/Petition Status:  We continue to man tables at the concerts/events at the schools.  We need to collect the petitions.  The group concurred that the petitions are good, but that we need to emphasis that people must ALSO send letters, they can’t just sign the petition and think they have done their part.

 

The group reviewed the meeting at PHS with Legislator Dave Mejias on property tax assessment.  Anne was able to speak at the meeting (about 40-50 attendees) about PTRA and letter writing.  We all had our picture taken (Craig, Anne, Donna with Mejias and Jeff Gold from County Assessor office).  The picture will go out to local newspapers.

 

3.       School Aid Discussion (Albany):  Anne reviewed the 2005-2006 school year aid and indicated that there appears to be room for the legislators to allocate direct aid to specific school districts/programs as $27 million was just so allocated this school year.  All agreed that the information was extremely complex and difficult to understand.  Craig indicated that one suggestion they are exploring in the County level meetings/plans is to change the formula for aid distribution in the new money allocated in the schools using cost of living, etc indicators and the new money over time would eventually be more than the old money.  This would avoid the need to directly take money from upstate schools. 

a.       The group reiterated that we may want to have a small group go to meet with legislators in Albany in March to push specific language.

We also need to speak privately with Senator Hannon to see what we need to be doing and the type of language that would realistically get through.

January 10, 2006                                           

Plainedge Tax Relief Association Meeting Minutes                            

Participants:   Craig Heller; Anne Weeks; Phil Toscano; Christine DeMarco; Christine Chernaski; Maura Roddy; Lynn Kovar; Jeanne Toscano; Terry DuRoss

 

Discussion Areas:

 

1.      Objectives/Mission of PTRA:  The group discussed the overall objectives and determined that the initial objective is limited to communicating with our legislators (both County and State) in order to increase the state aid coming into the Plainedge School District.  We should not get involved in discussions with people about the structure of school aid, the budget itself, etc. and stay focused on increased state aid. 

The group concurred that the Plainedge Tax Relief Association will likely be around for the long haul, but our initial task is to focus on increasing state aid.  Phil requested that the group members think about a mission statement.  This mission statement would be the communication to the public on what we are and will do.  We also have to think about if we want to become a not-for-profit organization.

 

2.      PPAC (Plainedge Parents Athletic Club):  Phil indicated that PPAC will reach out to different community groups to get them involved in the process.  PPAC will also be involved in getting the budget passed.

 

3.      Long Term Tax Change Strategies/Actions:  There were various discussions on what different groups are doing to address the broken system of financing our school districts.  Specifically:

a.      Nassau County:  Craig indicated there is a movement headed by the Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi to make recommendations to the state on how to fix the system.  Craig sits on the Revenue Committee with School Board Representatives to make recommendations on how to change the state aid formula.  He also will be on an Ad Hoc Committee for a legislative lobby.  One idea being considered is to change the tax methodology to an income tax, which would mean some schools would not need any state aid.  Another idea is to change the timing of the tax collection on the county level so that the schools would be issued the tax monies earlier; reducing the amount of money they have to borrow to meet operating expenses.

b.     State Senate Bill:  An impromptu discussion with Dr. Richman about the new bill proposed by the State Senate occurred.  Dr. Richman then visited the meeting and provided the members with copies of the bill.

 

4.      Additional Committees:  The group agreed that we should form a Media Committee to be headed up by Felice Cantatore, who is a part owner of the Long Island Press and has already established a website for PlainTalkOnline. The group did not believe a separate lobby committee was needed.  The group determined that we are not keen on a rally in Albany, but do see the value of having a smaller group of Plainedge residents go to Albany and meet with various legislators to tell our story.

 

5.      Recruitment Committee:  Lynn and Jeanie reported that they have a number of people who have volunteered already.  They plan on having a recruitment drive during the next community meeting.  It was determined that the Recruitment Committee gets the volunteers in the door and then the Telephone or Letter Writing Committees are responsible for organizing the volunteers.

The Recruitment Committee will recruit using the following script:  “We need you to help us to change the system and get more state aid to Plainedge so our taxes won’t increase as high as they have been in the past few years.  We need your support.”

Recruitment will contact the PTA presidents of all the schools.

 

6.      Letter Writing Committee:  Anne reviewed the draft plan for the Letter Writing Campaign.  The group decided on the following modifications:

a.      Hold letter writing meetings to be available to help residents write letters – it was suggested to be held on a few Mondays in Jan/Feb

b.     Since there is no funding to pay for stamps, paper, photocopies, envelopes, etc., the plan was scaled back to NOT prepare letters for residents, but to help them write them, give out the multiple choice letter sample and to encourage residents to write letters “from the heart”

c.      Tables will be set up only at the concerts and a couple of other High School/Middle School events.

d.     Phil will ask Dr. Richman for the following support:

                                                  i.      To make copies of the Multiple Choice Sample Letter and Addresses of Legislators and Cover Letter explaining what we are doing – we likely need about 5,000 copies of a 4 page document.  Copies would be in batches of 500/1000 in case changes to the letter/documents need to be done

                                                ii.      To send home above mentioned copies to all elementary school children.  We would want to stagger the letters home for all 3 elementary schools, i.e., All Kindergarten/First Graders in week one, all Second/Third graders in week 2, etc.  Terry indicated that there are 525 students at West, 565 at Schwarting and about 450 at East Plain.

                                              iii.      To allow Anne to make an announcement about the letter writing campaign at each of the school concerts.

e.      A script will be developed for volunteers to follow when soliciting residents to write letters.  A training of the volunteers will also take place to ensure a consistent message and empower the volunteers to be confident in their task.  Dr. Richman will give a review of the overall school budget process in this training.

f.        The Education Committee and leaders should be added to the listing of legislators to be contacted.

 

7.      Telephone Committee:  Maura reviewed the goals of the Telephone Committee’s goals.  The group agreed that the Telephone Committee needs to limit its focus to calling legislators and needs to be coordinated with the Letter Writing Campaign as it is an equally effective method to be heard.  The group concurred that the sample letter could serve as the basis for a script to be developed for residents to use when making the phone calls.  The Education Committees should also be called.  It was agreed that the telephone calling should not begin immediately.

 

8.      Community Meetings:  There will be another community meeting soon.  Notice will be sent through the schools as well as posted in the local organizations/areas such as the library, senior centers, etc.  Phil and Craig will determine the date.  It was noted that Kemp Hannon will be at the Plainedge Public Library on February 7, 2006.

 

9.      Senior Citizens:  Christine Chernaski volunteered to reach out to the senior groups to get them involved.  Phil will call Pete Milillo (796-7017) to see if he would be interested in sitting on this PTRA Oversight Committee as he volunteered his help at the Community Coffee Hour on January 5, 2006.

 

Next Meeting is Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 7 pm.  Phil will email the location after speaking with Dr. Richman.

January 9, 2006     Below, a sample letter regarding State Aid, written and sent by a concerned community member:

January 08, 2006

 

Joseph S. Saladino

Member of Assembly

12th Assembly District

200 Boundary Avenue

Massapequa, NY 11758

 

Dear Assemblyman Saladino:

 

My family needs your help.  As a taxpayer, registered voter and homeowner in the Plainedge School District, we are at the point of being taxed out of our homes.

 

The extreme tax burden places a hardship on my family’s expendable income.  We have become house poor as a result.  During a recent conversation with a co-worker, I was given the “simple” advice to move out of the neighborhood and move to Suffolk County in an area that is more school and property tax friendly.

 

My answer to my co-worker was “I’m not leaving my home.”  This is our neighborhood, where our children were born, attend school and forging [what we hope to be their] lifelong friends.

 

As an overtaxed, overburdened homeowner, I work long hours to help maintain our standard of living.  The extra hours mean less time for family and particularly my children, only if I’m lucky enough to be home before they go to sleep.

 

Mr. Saladino, the exact reason for my letter is that the district is in immediate need of increased State Aid.  Plainedge faces an 85% tax burden falling directly on residents due to a lack of commercial property.  We also have seen our current State Aid decrease annually over the past six years adding to our extreme tax burden.  The average Plainedge household pays over $6,000. in school tax and faces a possibility of additional increases.

 

Please take my letter to the Assembly and ask for their immediate action to help this community with increased State Aid.  We simply cannot go on increasing credit card debt and having no expendable income for our families.  We do not want to be forced to move out of homes.  We do not want be another house with the “For Sale” sign on the front lawn, a situation recently affecting our neighborhood.

 

Mr. Saladino, please help us.  Thank you for your time and consideration

 

Respectfully,

 

Mr. Felice Cantatore

 

 

January 9, 2006     Email sent out by The Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) committee members:

 

On January 5, 2006, Dr. John A. Richman, Plainedge Superintendent of Schools, hosted a meeting at John H. West Elementary School which was attended by approximately 150 residents to discuss how the community can obtain further state aid from Albany.  Dr. Richman provided information as to the state aid we currently receive and how we compare to other districts.  State Assemblyman Joseph Saladino was on hand to lend his support and provide the group with an inside look at politics in Albany.

The main focus of the coffee hour was to gauge the community’s interest in a campaign to apply pressure on our local and state government for more state aid.  What was agreed upon was to attack this issue on a few fronts. To do this we needed to organize ourselves. The Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) was formed with volunteers from the meeting.

First and foremost a recruitment committee was formed. This committee will be the most critical because it will entail enlisting the help of the community from new residents to those who have graduated children to those who are now retired. This committee will be headed by
        
        Jeanne Toscano 
        Lynn Kovar

Two other committees were also formed that night, a letter writing committee headed by      
         Anne Weeks 
         Lisa Scholz

and a telephone committee headed by
         Maura Roddy 
         Christine Chernaski

         Christine DeMarco


These two committees will be responsible for the communication between our community and government officials.

Our committees are critical to the success of this endeavor. It will take the community as a whole to be involved.

Two project leaders were also put in place to oversee all activity of the committees work with the superintendent and the school board.
            Craig Heller 
            Phil Toscano


We are having our committee chair kick-off meeting the week of 1/9 to start the ball rolling.  We may be developing other committees and will certainly need people to volunteer as heads and members.  If you have any ideas please start jotting them down.  We will have another coffee hour meeting shortly and your input is wanted and needed.

It is vitally important that we all understand that this is a "community" issue and we need to come together and work as a team.  Personal agendas cannot be tolerated. We are doing this for our children and for the future children entering the district; we are also doing it for ourselves.  As home owners and stake holders in this district, this affects our quality of life.

We urge you to join us in this very worthy effort.

Thank you for your time.

Phil Toscano and Craig Heller

 

January 9, 2006     What do our Community Leaders do for us

 

There are two major bodies in Albany that can change the way we are taxed for schools - The State Senate and the State Assembly.  As far as you and I are concerned, either one or both can start the action.  But it takes the two of them to vote YES to any change - along with the Governor - to finish the action.

There are 62 State Senators and 150 Assemblymen, each with the ability to start a bill in motion. However, to bring a bill into effect, it must come to a vote. The votes are held in each house and must pass by a simple majority of those voting. Then the Governor must sign (approve) the Bill.  If he doesn't, it can go back to each house and must be passed by a 2/3 majority to become law.

We have one Assemblyman from our district (District 12), Joseph Saladino R, who already has sponsored and/or supported Bills that affect School Taxes.  But any Assemblyman in the State can do the same.  The real power or action problem is that although many have cut bills, nothing happens to them until the money is found to fund them, and/or the popularity for a particular bill arises due to public pressure. When one of those conditions is met, then the bill is brought to a vote.

Joseph Saladino is on one of the Committees in Albany that can make that happen, the education committee.  He has secured School tax changes in the past.  Presently there are 59 bills hanging out in committees in the Assembly - only 7 are for changing tax to another source (income, sales, etc.)  Most of the bills are for narrow secular relief (domestic partner's inclusion, over 75 abatements, community service discounts, etc.)  All are being "Studied".

Here is a typical Assembly bill concerning changing the tax source:


In the other body, the Senate, there are 29 bills concerning education. Two are by State Senator Marcellino just north of us (who is also pushing a bill for School Tax Rebates) and 2 are by our Senator Kemp Hanon.  Both bills from each are for narrow secular relief, none for fundamental School Funding changes.  Our other Senator, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., has other items on his agenda for now - although he does focus on the STAR program on occasion.   Again, like in the Assembly, the Senate committees are "hard at work" studying these bills.   In time, some will come out of committee and by reviewed and approved by the other house and go to where the real action is - the official "Majority member" of the body.

In the Senate that Majority Leader is Joe Bruno, a Republican from the upstate 43rd Senate District. He is a member of all committees, and along with his counterpart in the Assembly, Speaker of The Assembly Sheldon Silver ** (Democrat, 64th Assembly District, lower East Side of Manhattan), he is known as one of three men that run Albany!  The third man is the Governor, George Pataki.

The three together can make or break a bill.  In each body, the chances for a bill coming out of committee for action depends upon Bruno in the Senate and Silver in the Assembly.  They will respond to public and political pressure.  But if a bill does not meet with their favor for one reason or another, we can kiss its chances for ever passing goodbye. If they like it, or are forced to like it by public pressure, both houses pass the bill, the Governor signs it - and it becomes the law!

Besides passing upon legislative proposals and constitutional amendments as the Assembly does, the Senate confirms or rejects nominations made by the Governor for the filling of certain State and judicial offices. It also sits at times as a court of impeachment, and can be convened in extraordinary session to perform either of these latter functions. The Lieutenant Governor while not a member of the Senate,  is its President and presiding officer but, by constitutional enactment, has only a casting vote therein. The Majority Leader is also the Temporary President, presides in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor and is next in line to the Lieutenant Governor in succession to the governorship.

Our representative in the Nassau Legislation, David Mejias, also serves on the Finance and Education committees. He is a very vocal champion of School Tax reform.  However, like even Nassau County Executive Suozzi himself, he can't pass Albany Laws which will make a change in the system.  He and Suozzi are on the right track however as they try to get the School Superintendents in Nassau to act as on cohesive body to bring coordinated public and political pressure to bear on the leaders in both houses in Albany.  This is a more powerful way to accomplish the goal.


Ed


 

The following is re-typed information handed out at the Community Coffee hour to help in regard to lobbying for State Aid funds to reduce the impact on homeowners individual school tax:

A Dozen Effective Tips for Lobbying

1.   Always make an appointment to visit your legislator.

2.   Identify yourself and/or the organization you represent, always mentioning the number of members or    constituents in the organization.

3.   Make sure you inform the legislator that you are a registered voter in his/her district. (However, Committee Chairs represent your special interests, therefore you do not have to live in their districts.)

4.   If lobbying with a group, one or two persons should speak on behalf of the group.

5.   Always prepare and present two or three points.  Leave supporting documents with the legislator.

6.   Get your point across in the fewest possible words.  Do not use jargon or rhetoric make it a conversation or short discussion.

7.   Give the legislator a chance to express his/her point of view and be a good listener.

8.   Don't be afraid to admit ignorance on special points.  This will give you an opportunity to find the answer and contact the legislator again.

9.   Do not argue, name call, or threaten.  Leave that to the opposition.

10. Give special recognition to the legislators who are known to be on your side, and ask them for advice and help in reaching other legislators.

11. Even if you are turned down, leave on a friendly note, with a firm handshake.

12. Send a letter immediately, thanking the legislator for his/her time and enclose information on your affiliate or the issues you discussed.

 

Send your letters and Correspondence to the New York State Government at the following addresses:

George Pataki, Governor (R)                                                           

Executive Chamber, The State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

518-474-8390

www.state.ny.us/governor

 

New York State Senate                                                    New York State Assembly

Joseph Bruno (R)                                                                                   Sheldon Silver (D)

Senate Majority Leader                                                                          Speaker of the Assembly

Room 909 LOL                                                                                      Room 932 LOB

Albany, NY 12247                                                                                 Albany, NY 12248

518-455-3191                                                                                        speaker@assembly.state.ny.us

bruno@senate.state.ny.us

 

Dean Skelos (R)                                                                                       Joseph S. Saladino (R)

Deputy Majority Leader                                                                           200  Boundary Avenue

55 Front Street                                                                                         Massapequa, NY 11758

Rockville Centre, NY 11570                                                                    516-844-0635

516-766-8383                                                                                        

fax: 516-766-8011                                                                                  

skelos@senate.state.ny.us

 

Senator Kemp Hannon (R)

224 seventh Street, 2nd Floor

Garden City, NY 11530

516-739-1700

fax: 516-747-7430

hannon@senate.state.ny.us

 

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