Assemblywoman Paulin Comments on Tax Increase for Wealthiest New Yorkers: Will They Leave?
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Many in Scarsdale were dismayed to learn that the New York $212 billion budget deal includes a tax increase for the state’s wealthiest individuals and couples. Under the bill, which was approved last week, the tax rate for individuals earning $1 million and more and couples earning $2 million and more, will increase from 8.82% to 9.65%. For those earning between $5 million and $25 million, the rate goes to 10.3% and to 10.9% for those who make more than $25 million.
We spoke to NY State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who lives in Scarsdale and represents us in Albany.
She explained that she was not in favor of the tax increases, especially in the year of a pandemic, but explained, “Any budget is a compromise and this year is no different. There are always things in the budget that I love less and don’t like at all.”
Paulin added, “Considering the original proposal, which was to raise rates starting at incomes of $300,000 I felt like we had a win. Some were advocating for a wealth tax, an estate tax starting at $250,000 and a stock transfer tax. We were able to hold the line.”
In order to offset these increases, Paulin introduced legislation called the SALT Cap Tax Relief for Partnerships which is part of this budget. The law provides state and local taxes (SALT) cap tax relief for partnerships like attorneys and accountants, giving a much needed boost for at least some New Yorkers who’ve been disproportionately affected by the SALT cap.
The budget includes some more positives for Scarsdale. About school aid, she said, “We were able to beat back the Governor’s change to an expense driven formula that would have negatively impacted Scarsdale. In addition, BOCES aid will continue to be $500,0000, and funding for special education and library and textbook aid were preserved. The district will receive $464,000 in pandemic aid from The American Rescue Plan which the Governor tried to eliminate.
For Scarsdale Village there will be funds available for clean water infrastructure projects and CHIPS funds for roads, in addition to the $1.9 million the Village will receive from the federal government.
Are legislators afraid that top earners will leave New York State? Paulin said, “My neighbors are leaving. I am aware of the flight. When you combine the loss of the SALT tax deduction with the increase in the tax rate you have a cumulative effect. With one tax you don’t leave, but with two or three you do!”
Paulin noted that New York State has already suffered population losses that will lead to the loss of two Congressional seats from the state.
We asked where the Governor stood on the tax increase and Paulin said, “The Governor was completely absent in this negotiation. He did not fight the tax increase.” She continued, “I believe in due process but I think we need an engaged Governor. How can you do your job when you’re facing a lengthy investigation and perhaps criminal charges?
LWVS Donates 66 Books to the Scarsdale Library and Produces Video to Honor its 100 Anniversary
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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In honor of its Centennial Year, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale has made a large donation of books to the Scarsdale Public Library. The book topics include voting rights, women's rights, civil rights, the environment, and more in the Adult, Young Adult and Children's book genres. The LWVS ordered the books through Scarsdale bookstore, Bronx River Books, and they appreciate their partnership with bookstore owners Mark Fowler and Jessica Kaplan. The LWVS has already donated 59 of 66 ordered books to the library and is proud to give this gift to the Scarsdale community.
The list of books was curated by the library and can be viewed here:
The League has also produced a Centennial Video Montage that includes statements from many of our local leaders. Watch it to hear statements about the importance of voting, democracy and consensus building from Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Amy Paulin, George Latimer and others.
Here's to the next 100 years of the League of Women Voters.
Speakers Condemn Hate and Violence at Vigil in Scarsdale Village
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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A compelling issue and beautiful weather brought many to Chase Park on Saturday March 27 to condemn hate and memorialize those lost in gunmen’s attacks in Atlanta and Boulder. The Vigil Against Hate was sponsored by students from the Scarsdale High School Asian Conscientization and Empowerment Club and the Scarsdale Chinese Association to mourn the senseless loss of lives, to condemn hate and bias against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and to call for love and respect for all human beings.
The event drew government officials and lawmakers who spoke about policy changes to support equity, inclusion and diversity.
There were speeches by SHS students, Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick, School Board VP Alison Singer, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin as well as the daughter of a hate crime victim in White Plains.
We also spotted many local officials in the crowd including Mayor Elect Jane Veron, Police Chief Andy Matturro, Village Manager Steve Pappalardo, Ellen Hendricks, County Legislator Damon Maher and members of the Chinese community Jingqing Chair, Vivian Lin, Jing Lu and student organizers Vivian Guo and a committee who hosted the event.
Other vigil activities included moments of silence, song singing, reflective yoga moments, music, and a shrine decorated with pictures, poster boards, flowers and cranes.
Speakers list:
Peter He (SHS) MOC/Host
Vivian Guo (SHS, Co-founder of ACE)
Karen Lee (SHS, Co-founder of ACE)
Janmariz Deguia (SHS)
Rishika Bansal (SHS)
Olivia Liu (SHS)
Jingqing Chai (SCA Chair)
Jing Lu (Board Member of SCA)
Anna Wang (Lead singer of the closing song)
Linda Toh (Daughter of the victim of White Plains attack on March 12th, 2021)
Regina Lee (Yoga Instructor)
Marc Samwick (Scarsdale Mayor)
Alison Singer (Vice President of the Scarsdale Board of Education)
Jamaal Bowman (Congressman)
Andrea Stewart-Cousins (New York State Senate Majority Leader)
Amy Paulin (New York State Assembly Member)
Community Organizations Condemn Racism and Violence
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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After the horrific shootings in Atlanta on March 16, 2021, many in Scarsdale spoke out to condemn the violence. Below please find letters from the Scarsdale Chinese Association, the Scarsdale High School PTA, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and Scarsdale Mayor Marc Samwick. See their statements below.
What can you do?
Attend a Vigil against hate at Chase Park in Scarsdale from 1-3 pm on Saturday March 27, 2021.
On April 13th the SHS PTA, the SMS PTA and the PT Council are co-sponsoring a program on Implicit (or Unconscious) Bias for parents. They encourage all parents to participate and engage with parent and school communities to talk, learn, advocate and grow.
Here are their letters:
Scarsdale Chinese Association Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Violence
Racist attacks against Asian-Americans have dramatically increased in recent months across the nation, from verbal to physical and deadly. We, the Scarsdale Chinese Association, representing over 300 families in Scarsdale, condemn such horrific violence and denounce these acts of hate and racism.
With the recent White Plains incident being so close-by and the Atlanta massacre so fatal and massive, we call for more awareness from the community on anti-Asian hate crimes. We call for more police vigilance against and timely prosecution of racially-charged crimes. We call for an end to racism against Asians that has always existed throughout American history and manifests through hate crimes, racial slurs, and stereotypes. Racial hatred must stop!
Within Scarsdale, our members generally feel safe and protected. When racially-charged incidents occur, we feel that they are adequately addressed in schools and in the community at large. We welcome Mayor Samwick's timely letter of 3/18 to the Scarsdale community, restating the goal to “promote and maintain a community culture of acceptance and inclusion, free from racism, bias, and discrimination.” We appreciate the village‘s support to our Asian communities at this difficult time, and together we build a united community.
SCA Executive Board: Jingqing Chai, Sharine Chen, Jennifer Hong, Johnny Huang, Vivian Lin, Jing Lu, Lisa Tan
Scarsdale High School PTA
We are deeply disturbed about the recent violent attacks on Asian Americans and the murders of 8 people in Atlanta, 6 of whom were of Asian descent. We are also aware that we are not immune and that there have been anti-Asian racist attacks right here in Westchester.
The PTA is an organization that is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and we stand firmly against all racism and hate. We condemn all acts of hate, and violence against people of any ethnicity, nationality, culture, race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexuality or neurodiversity. Bigotry and xenophobia of any kind is unacceptable in our school and in our community.
We stand with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community in solidarity with outrage and support in grief. We will not tolerate hate and discrimination on any level. We are a community of multiculturalism and diversity and we value, celebrate and are proud of our differences.
There remains much work to be done in our community and our school, and the SHS PTA is committed to continuing this work. To that end, on April 13th SHS PTA, the SMS PTA and the PT Council are co-sponsoring a program on Implicit (or Unconscious) Bias for parents. We encourage all parents to join us for this program, and to engage with our parent and school communities as we continue the process of talking, learning, advocating and growing. This work is ongoing and transcends one tragedy or one program. We are also working closely with the high school administration to ensure there are parent voices on the SHS Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which consists of students, teachers and administration. If you would like to get more involved, or to bring our attention to specific experiences within our community, please reach out to the PTA President.
We encourage you to have a conversation with your children about their experiences at SHS and to reflect with them upon this most recent tragedy. Your students may have discussed this in their social studies classes. If your children are experiencing bigotry, xenophobia or microaggressions of any kind, the school deans, psychologists and student outreach workers are available to listen and support them or you.
We reaffirm our commitment to stand together as a community in opposition to bias and welcoming to people of all backgrounds. We are united in the belief that everyone in our community is valued and respected.
The 2020-21 SHS PTA Executive Committee
Leanne Freda, President
Joey Silberfein, President-elect
Jennifer Rossano, VP of Programming and Volunteers Rokaya Hassaballa, VP of Membership and School Events Chyi Landless, Treasurer
Elissa Ruback, Corresponding Secretary
Beth Cukier, Recording Secretary
League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors
Statement Condemning Racism and Supporting the AAPI Community
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (LWVS) believes in individual liberties, civil rights, human rights, and voting rights writ large; we defend democracy and oppose all threats to constitutional rights. The LWVS is an organization that advocates against systemic racism and racist violence and we are committed, in both values and practice, to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale, Board of Directors (League Board) joins our sister Leagues, including the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the League of Women Voters of Georgia, in condemning the anti-Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) racism that has long plagued our country and has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We grieve the senseless loss of eight lives, including six women of Asian descent, this past week to hate-driven gun violence in Georgia.
As stated by LWVUS: “The League is committed to listening to and amplifying AAPI voices and educating ourselves on the historic and ongoing systemic racism that plagues this country so we can be better allies.” Our own community is not immune to anti-AAPI racism, and we must remain vigilant in our stand against racism, violence and hate in all its forms. We fully support our AAPI community members.
The League Board also condemns all forms of violence against women.
The League Board denounces all forms of hate and violence in both actions and words against people of any ethnicity, religion, nationality, race, gender identity or expression, culture, or sexuality.
We urge our members to stand united with us, and call on our elected officials at all levels of government to demonstrate their commitment to keep all communities safe. The LWVUS states: “There can be no liberty in the face of racist and xenophobic violence.” We are only safe from racism, sexism and bigotry if we are all protected by the law and by our fellow citizens.
Mayor Marc Samwick
Dear Scarsdale Community,
The mass murder of eight people, including six Asian women, in Atlanta on Tuesday is yet another tragic event in a series of mass shootings that continue to plague our country with targeted attacks on specific groups of people. Scarsdale strives to live by the motto that, “hatred of any kind is hatred against everyone.” Attacking any individual or any specific group, whether with words or acts of hate, has no place in the Village of Scarsdale.
In Scarsdale, we seek to build a community that is just, fair, welcoming and inclusive, where dignity is maintained. We value and celebrate our community’s cultural commonalities and differences while strongly rejecting bias toward any group.
One year ago, I stated, and it bears repeating, “We recognize our moral and ethical responsibility to value all persons, to firmly oppose discriminatory behaviors and practices, and to embrace the inherent value that all individuals bring to this special place we all call home: Scarsdale.”
The Ad hoc Council to Combat Racism and Bias was formed in July 2020 with the goal to “promote and maintain a community culture of acceptance and inclusion, free from racism, bias, and discrimination. Whether overt or subtle, intentional or accidental, we must all strive as responsible members of the Scarsdale community to endeavor to be aware of cultural differences, value and encourage diversity, and vehemently reject all forms of racism, bias, and discrimination.”
We restate these goals today, by standing together with members of the Scarsdale Asian populace as we continue to strive to build a united community where all people are welcome to call home.
Sincerely,
Marc Samwick Mayor
Letters In Support of Limitations on the Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The Village of Scarsdale will hold a public hearing on a proposed code change to limit the use of gas powered leaf blowers. Below please find two letters in support of the change:
To the Editor:
Like me, you probably were outside taking a walk or just enjoying the warm, sunny weather last week, only to be assaulted by the deafening roar of the gas-powered leaf blowers favored by many lawn care providers. As we continue to work and study from home this spring, the problems will only intensify.
The gas-powered leaf blowers operate at a dangerous decibel level, blast hurricane-force wind and also heat at plants, grass and trees (you can be sure that this is harmful to them), and blow toxins into the air we breathe. Although the sound levels and airborne particulates are uncomfortable for us, the damage done to the landscapers who work all day long for many months at a time, without adequate protection, is severe. The progressive hearing loss and lung damage to our landscapers is simply unnecessary when other excellent alternatives are available in the form of electric leaf blowers and mulch-mowing.
The Village of Scarsdale is holding a hearing via Zoom on Tuesday, March 23, at 7 p.m., which can be accessed here: The proposal under discussion allows use of the gas-powered leaf blowers through the spring of 2021, as well as from October 1 through the end of the year, Monday-Friday, except for Federal holidays. Starting in January 2022, it adds restrictions for the spring season and for Mondays. Electric-powered leaf blowers are permitted throughout the year.
Members of the Lawn & Turf Association will appear and take the position that the gas-powered leaf blowers are "necessary," and also that not using them will be very costly to Scarsdale residents. This is not true; many landscapers use electric leaf blowers, and their prices are competitive with the other companies. We need your help. Please attend this Zoom hearing, raise your hand, and speak out about why the noise, pollution, and environmentally destructive effects caused by gas-powered leaf blowers are not right for Scarsdale. Many other towns are restricting these devices; Scarsdale needs to join them.
Susan Douglass
Crane Road
59 Crane Road
[email protected]
914-419-0571
Social and Environmental Justice: Banning Gas Powered Leaf Blowers
As a lifelong physician dedicated to public health and safety, individual wellness, and social and environmental justice, I urge my fellow residents of Scarsdale to please queue up to speak (for all these reasons!) at the Village public hearing on Tuesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. and support the adoption of the proposed resolution to extend our current "summer ban" of gas-powered leaf blowers. It’s a small but urgent step in the right direction.
Gas-powered leaf blowers have highly inefficient two-stroke engines, in which fuel mixes directly with oil and 30% of it fails to undergo complete combustion, thereby propelling toxic fumes comprised of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carcinogenic contaminants like benzene into our air with deafening 185 mph blasts. Using a gas blower for 30 minutes produces pollutants equal to those generated by a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor traveling 3,900 miles, or as far as from Texas to Alaska. Blowers disperse up to 5 pounds of tiny particulates per hour, matter which is inhaled and easily absorbed in our lungs. Medical societies caution us that a few hours of exposure to these dangerous particulates can cause death and other severe respiratory and cardiovascular harms. These machines are an environmental hazard in our own backyard, one which we can ill-afford in our current climate crisis.
Serving a highly disadvantaged population for the last quarter of a century, and as a physician to many landscapers, I have experienced with them firsthand the damaging health impacts of gas blowers. Their ill-health has been socially determined. Catherine Plume, board member of the Sierra Club, notes: “The use of gas powered leaf blowers is as much as an environmental justice issue as it is an environmental issue.” The extreme noise permanently damages their hearing. Environmental health advocates remind us of studies of landscapers wearing monitoring devices revealing that ultrafine particle levels are 50 times higher around a gas leaf blower than at a clogged intersection at rush hour. Landscape workers put in long days toiling in these toxic emissions and particulate, breathing and inhaling contaminants deep into their lungs due to their physical exertion. I for one don’t have to guess at the consequences of this exposure.
Social determinants of health include factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care. The origins of these determinants are ugly, suffice it to say they are based in societal disparities and inequities, and structural racism. Addressing social determinants of health is important for improving health and reducing longstanding disparities in health and health care. And it can be done.
We all in Scarsdale now have a chance to be part of this solution rather than the ongoing problem. As a community, we must seek to shape policies and practices in non-health sectors in ways that promote health and health equity. Banning gas powered blowers is an example of an initiative we are ethically obligated to take to help eradicate these social determinants and promote health in our Village landscape workers.
Please join me in queuing up at the zoom mic on March 23, 2021 at 7 p.m. in support of extending the ban on gas powered leaf blowers. It’s a small but important first step in the right direction.
Sincerely,
Darlene LeFrancois Haber M.D.
Nelson Road
It's Noisy Out There - Let you Voices Be Heard About the Harms of Gas Leaf Blowers
The village board and village staff across all departments have been proactively working to protect residents from the preventable harms to our health and wellbeing caused by gas leaf blowers. The board has scheduled a public hearing this coming Tuesday, March 23 at 7:00 pm, when it will be important for residents to offer comments in support of the village’s new proposal to regulate gas leaf blowers. This is a significant advance in Scarsdale policy. Gas leaf blowers are dangerous because they do not blow air – they blow at hurricane speed a combination of dangerous chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic, other pollutants, and particulate matter that pose grave health risks to residents of all ages, landscape workers, pets, and wildlife. Not to mention the harm to human hearing from excessive noise and the deleterious effect on air quality and our environment generally. Village action will also help prevent the proven cardiac, respiratory, and other adverse impacts from gas blowers.
The village board together with the residents who serve on its appointed Conservation Advisory Council were instrumental in advancing this initiative. They are to be congratulated for encouraging the use of safer and quieter electric/battery operated landscape care equipment, which is already required most of the year in Scarsdale.
Please participate on Tuesday, March 23 at 7:00 pm as follows: via online link at https://zoom.us/j/93183703358; or login via Zoom using ID 931 8370 3358; or phone in to the meeting using 1-929-436-2866 and entering the same Meeting ID 931 8370 3358. To participate in the public comment period, if online click “Raise Hand,” or if by phone dial *9.
Madelaine Eppenstein
Autenrieth Road
For more information contact me at [email protected]
