Republican Lawmakers Call for the Journal News to take down the Gun Map
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Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino has made a formal request to the publisher of the Journal News, Janet Hasson, that she take down the interactive map on the newspaper's website that identifies those who have gun licenses and also lists their home addresses.
In his letter he says, "The Journal News has the right to request the information from the Westchester County Clerk's Office under the Freedom of Information Act.... But simply because the right to do something exists does not necessarily make it right to do."
In his letter Astorino states that the map "demonized individuals who did nothing wrong, violated their privacy and potentially put them and their families -- especially victims of domestic violence and current and former judges and law enforcement officials --in harm's way."
He ends by saying, " for the safety and welfare of our citizenry, I implore you once again to delete the information from your website. Taking down the map would be in the public's interest, which your newspaper is in the business to serve. "
On Monday, State Senator Greg Ball, a Republican from Putnam County claimed that a burglary on Davis Avenue in White Plains could be tied back to the publication of the interactive map in the Journal News.
In Balls view, "The Journal News has placed the lives of these folks at risk by creating a virtual shopping list for criminals and nut jobs. If the connection is proven, this is further proof that these maps are not only an invasion of privacy but that they present a clear and present danger to law-abiding, private citizens. Former convicts have already testified to the usefulness of the asinine Journal News 'gun maps' yet the reckless editors are evidently willing to roll the dice, gambling with the lives of innocent local homeowners."
Ball is introducing legislation to protect the privacy rights of citizens and to protect "lawful" gun owners. According to Ball, "The same elitist eggheads who use their editorial page to coddle terrorists and criminals are now treating law abiding citizens like level three sexual predators."
Letter to the Editor: Suspend Gun Permits for DWI's
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This letter was submitted by Harry Reynolds of Bradley Road: Assuming that everyone is playing with a full deck, the disclosure upon an application for a gun permit that the applicant has been known to drink alcohol excessively warrants a denial of the application. From this it must follow that upon the lawful arrest of the holder of a gun permit for driving while intoxicated, the evidence supporting the arrest is a sufficient predicate for the temporary suspension of the permit.
A statute providing for such a suspension, whether compelled or left to the discretion of the court, diminishes the risk of death or injury by defendant's use of his gun, a defendant indeed who ordinarily is unknown to the court and whose conduct, insofar as it is known to the court, suggests that the defendant may be troubled and may have an impaired judgment. Further, delay will infuse itself into the action. The consequences of a finding of guilt are substantial and rare is the defendant who yearns for a speedy disposition. His attorney will inquire into every factual and legal test available to the defendant. In short, unless there is a suspension and a handing over of the gun to the police, the risk attending defendant's continued possession of his gun is exacerbated by the inevitable delay.
Would our legislators consider a bill providing for the suspension of a gun permit during the pendency of an action for driving while intoxicated?
Harry Reynolds
Bradley Road
County Taxes to Increase 6.33% for Scarsdale Residents
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The Westchester County Tax Commission released its estimate of the effect that Westchester's 2013 budget will have on individual municipalities on 12/20/12. For the third year in a row the overall county property tax levy has not increased and remains at $548 million, identical to 2012 and 2011. However, because communities assess properties at different levels of full value and property values don't go up and down uniformly from community to community, the amount owed by each municipality to the county changes from year to year. A state equalization rate is applied to each municipality so that the tax can be fairly apportioned.
The result is that 15 communities will see their portion of county taxes go down and 10 will see them go up. Scarsdale's increase is among the highest in the county, rising 6.33%, second only to the City of Rye, where taxes will go up 7.46%. Increases here are offset by decreases ranging from 7.67% in Mount Vernon to 0.45 percent in New Castle.
According to County Executive Rob Astorino, "The county has done its job to hold the line on our county property tax,"... "However, every year the county tax levy affects local governments differently."
County property taxes account for about 15 to 20 percent of a property owner's tax bill. School taxes account for about 60 percent and village government taxes for the remaining 20 percent. Therefore, to estimate how much your county taxes will go up in 2013, take 20% of your real estate tax bill, and increase that by 6.33%.
Here's the estimated percentage change in tax levy by municipality for 2013:
City of Mount Vernon (7.67)
City of New Rochelle (2.53)
City of Peekskill (2.63)
City of Rye 7.46
City of White Plains (6.07)
City of Yonkers (3.19)
Town of Bedford 2.51
Town of Cortlandt 1.60
Town of Eastchester (0.98)
Town of Greenburgh 2.10
Town of Harrison 5.73
Town of Lewisboro (5.56)
Town of Mamaroneck 5.16
Town of Mount Kisco (1.54)
Town of Mount Pleasant 1.22
Town of New Castle (0.45)
Town of North Castle 3.25
Town of North Salem 0.90
Town of Ossining (5.00)
Town of Pelham (2.52)
Town of Pound Ridge 0.83
Town of Rye (3.74)
Town of Scarsdale 6.33
Town of Somers (3.18)
Town of Yorktown (2.17)
In Favor of Game On 365
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Dear Scarsdale10583: I am writing as a 30 year Greenburgh resident who operates a business and has raised his family at our home on Wayside Drive, just off of Dobbs Ferry Road. My business partner and I currently own and operate the Westchester Golf Range, a facility that a large number of Greenburgh residents have enjoyed for over 60 years.
The Golf Range sits adjacent to 715 Dobbs Ferry Road, the site currently being considered for The Westchester Field House, a year-round, indoor sports facility. Like so many Greenburgh residents, I have watched the old Franks Nursery site languish for years and become a tax burden. As a neighbor, I have closely followed the development of this proposal, and after nearly two years of public deliberation I have come to strongly support it. After many public meetings, an open RFP, and a town-wide referendum overwhelmingly supported by two thirds of residents, it is clear that The Westchester Field House has the support of this community as well.
The project is a good fit for the immediate neighborhood and will maintain the recreational landscape along Dobbs Ferry Road. The proposed facility will complement Rumbrook Park, the Westchester Golf Range, Elmwood Country Club and Elmwood Day Camp, all of which help improve the quality of life for Greenburgh residents. Considering the alternatives, I cannot imagine a business better suited for that location.
Bringing The Westchester Field House to Greenburgh will also be good for local business, including the Golf Range. In a difficult economy, local businesses can finally look forward to a new, complementary business coming to our neighborhood. While most residents and business owners want to see real progress for Greenburgh, a handful of others have filed a lawsuit to stop this project for their own self-interests.
I am happy to see that the Town is looking to move this project forward and avoid expensive litigation and delays by planning to sell the Frank's Nursery site to Game On 365. The opposition, spearheaded by another local sports facility, motivated by commercial self-interest, will likely advocate to start the process over, with a new RFP for the site, or an open bidding process for the land. Either avenue will create unnecessary delays and result in the property remaining vacant for years to come. It would also raise uncertainty as to the type of development that may come to the neighborhood.
There is a public meeting at the Greenburgh Town Hall this Wednesday, January 9th, at 7:30pm, to discuss the Town's proposed action of selling 715 Dobbs Ferry Rd to Game On 365. I encourage all Greenburgh residents to support this action to help move this project forward.
As a resident, taxpayer, business owner and sports enthusiast, I encourage you to support this project and finally bring real progress to Greenburgh.
Steve Quagliano
Gun Show Planned for County Center on February 2 is Cancelled
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This just in from the office of Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino: there will be no gun and knife show at the Westchester County Center as originally scheduled. According to an email from the County Executive's Office recevied on the afternoon of 12/17, "With respect to the Sportsmen Firearm and Knife Show at the County Center, there is no signed contract for this event in 2013. The shows in past years were popular and run in a thoroughly professional manner. But at this time as the country grieves the loss of life in Newtown, a contract renewal is not appropriate."
Cancellation of the show may have been in response to an email from Greenburgh Town Supervisor Pau Feiner who called for a ban on gun shows at the Westchester County Center. (Here is the text of an email we received from Feiner this weekend:) The Westchester County Center, a county taxpayer owned building, will be the location for the next gun show on February 2 and 3 2013 --according to northeastgunshows.com. Shortly after the Columbine High School shootings--which took the lives of 14 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado former County Executive Andrew Spano banned gun shows from the County Center--calling gun shows at government buildings "inappropriate".
After County Executive Rob Astorino defeated Mr. Spano, Astorino revoked the ban and allowed the gun shows to resume at the county center. When the gun shows were reinstated admission was $11- with $1.50 going to the county. In light of the school shooting which killed 20 children and 7 adults in Sandy Hook, Connecticut on Friday - I am calling on the County Executive and Board of Legislators to ban gun and weapon shows from the County Center. Citizens have a right to bear arms and a right to purchase guns from reputable dealers. But, there is nothing in the constitution that requires governments to allow gun sales at government buildings. If northeastgunshows.com wants to have a gun show in Westchester they should contract with a private facility, not a government owned building.
Among the weapons being sold at the gun show: firearms, knives, and military style weapons. An article in the June 20, 2010 issue of the NY Daily News indicated that some vendors "sold books and magazines with Nazi names at these shows. At least two sold stickers bearing confederate flags and swastikas." Though 99% of the people who purchase guns at gun shows are honest, decent, law abiding citizens all we need is one crazy like the school gunman whose family obtains a gun legally and starts shooting innocent people."
