Oil Gushes into the Gulf of Mexico; More Drilling Planned

Written by John Dennehy

Last month President Obama approved a plan to increase offshore oil drilling; maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. 

As massive amounts of oil gush into the Gulf of Mexico and creep towards Louisiana it is becoming more and more difficult to defend additional oil drilling.  The energy giants such as British Petroleum and Halliburton have spent years trying to put a clean spin on dirty energy but perhaps the disaster in the Gulf can do more to change our mind than the industries advertising and lobbying campaigns.  British Petroleum, the same company responsible for one of the largest oil spills in recent memory, even went so far as to call itself Beyond Petroleum and tout its ambition towards a greener future.  And then their oil rig malfunctioned, their workers died and the Gulf of Mexico burned.  Is this the future they were talking about?  Are these the new technologies that will prevent significant environmental impact?

I know; the nation is still hurting from the recession and fossil fuels are the cheapest way to keep the lights on in the house.  I know; the energy infrastructure that has been built around fossil fuels can not be replaced overnight.  I know; alternative energies still have some ways to go before they can replace coal, oil and gas. 

Still, this latest disaster should at least give us pause enough to think; is it wise to drill more holes and spend any more money or effort on an energy infrastructure that not only is having serious environmental consequences but will almost certainly be replaced by cleaner and cheaper energies in half a generation. 

I’m not saying that we need to tear apart any existing oil rigs, but does it make any sense to continue to build news ones.  

Smithtown women from Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO)  chapter CK toast their sixth anniversary of raising funds for women's educational opportunities.

MTA Tax - Does it Violate NYS Constitution?

Fighting the MTA Tax

By Erica Jackson

This week, two more municipalities joined the fight against New York State’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Employer Payroll tax.  Calling the tax “unconstitutional,” the towns filed a joint lawsuit against New York State and the MTA.  

“The tax is a bad idea, with bad implications that could not have come at a worse time,” said Southampton Councilman Christopher Nuzzi.  “We’re trying to do more with less; we can’t afford to bail out the New York City transit system.”

The towns’ lawsuit, filed on Friday by attorney John Denby, Esq., of Devitt Spellman Barrett LLP of Smithtown allege that when the state adopted the tax, it violated the towns’ “home rule powers to transact business without suffering an overly-burdensome payroll tax.”  The suit also claims that the tax was improperly passed “since it was not adopted by a two-thirds majority of each house of the state’s legislature.”

In the lawsuit, the towns are asking, according to Denby, “a declaratory judgment that the MTA Payroll Tax Bill violates several provisions of the NYS Constitution.” It also seeks a “stay against further collection of any and all taxes and fees imposed by the tax.”

Under the MTA tax, which was adopted in March of 2009 to pull the MTA out of debt, employers, including municipalities and school districts must pay $3.40 on each $1,000 of payroll.  Southampton, to date, said Nuzzi has had to pay $155,000 towards the tax.

Bill Schoolman, owner of Classic Coach, was pleased that the towns filed an action; he delivered a similar action to the MTA and state in December.  “I think it is a horrible tax. It is a tax that supports fiscal irresponsibility and corruption,” said Schoolman.  He added, “The MTA is probably the most fiscally irresponsible corporate entity in the United States.”

Schoolman says the tax costs him about $20,000 a year, but he said, it’s not so much the money that upsets him, but rather, “the mismanagement of the money by the MTA.”

It is expected that additional municipalities will join the fight, including Suffolk County.  

In March of last year, the towns of Brookhaven, Huntington, Smithtown, Islip, Riverhead and Babylon vowed to challenge the payroll tax.

At the time, Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said,“I am pleased to join with other elected officials in an effort to have this onerous and burdensome tax eliminated.”

According to Maryann Genzale, payroll supervisor for the Town of Smithtown, with nearly 1,200 full, part, and seasonal employees on the books, the town is required to pay at least $90,000 a year.  “It is just another expense,” said Genzale.

Local School districts also felt the weight of the tax this year. Smithtown, Commack, Kings Park and Hauppauge School Districts all reported that they are asking voters to approve increased budgets due in part to the MTA tax.

As previously reported by SmithtownMatters.com., Smithtown School District alone was required to make a $400,000 payment toward the MTA tax this year.

“The tax has people pretty upset because it is indicative of government’s inability to control itself,” said Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown), who voted against the tax.  He went on, “The New York City delegation stuck us with the payroll tax rather than increase its fare.  In the short term, I’m afraid there is nothing that we can do about it.”

But, Fitzpatrick assured, “This is going to be a major issue in the state campaign this year.”

State Senator John Flanagan (R-2nd district) agreed with Fitzpatrick, saying, “I hate the tax. I didn’t like it when it was proposed or when it was implemented.  It was a bad idea altogether.”

Flanagan, who also voted against the tax, said he was happy to hear that Southold and Southampton filed a lawsuit against the tax.  “I just wish there was more stride and opposition at the time the tax was being discussed,” he said.

Of the lawsuit, the MTA provided the following statement, “How the MTA should be funded is a question for the legislature, but the payroll tax is an important revenue source for the MTA and its existence has prevented the recent round of service cuts from being even worse.  The MTA is facing a nearly $800 million deficit due in part to shortfalls in the revenue generated by the payroll tax. Our focus remains to ensure that every dollar the MTA receives in taxes, fares and tolls is used wisely.”

The state governor’s office did not return phone calls as of press time.

* It should be noted that Pat Biancaniello, editor-in-chief of SmithtownMatters.com worked for a period of time for Bill Schoolman.

Erica Portnoy and Alexis Tchaconas - Making Commack Proud

Commack Junior Takes First Place in International Science Competition

Commack High School junior Erica Portnoy won top honors today in Microbiology at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in San Jose, California. Senior Alexis Tchaconas also took fourth place in the Cell and Molecular Biology Division, as well as receiving a $500 American Society of Physiology Award, and an $8,000 Naval Marine Corps Scholarship.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest premiere global science competition for students in grades 9-12. This year, 1,611 high school students representing 59 countries, showcased their independent research.

To qualify for the Intel ISEF, both Erica and Alexis won first place in their divisions in the NYS Science and Engineering Fair, held on March 15 at the NY Hall of Science. Today, Erica's project: "Construction of a Novel Plasmid to Study Attachment Factor Secretion in Uropathogenic E. coli Bacteria," won first place in the Microbiology division, and she received a $3,000 prize. Erica is very involved in the service learning engineering projects at Commack High School, and is a member of Team Commack, a group of students who invent customized devices to assist the disabled. The Team has also been recognized at the national level for assistive technology developed for a worker at a local United Cerebral Palsy facility.
Alexis' project, "A Genetic Investigation of Autism: The Role of Type III/neuregulin-1/ErbB4 Signaling and Contactin4 in Neurodevelopment," took fourth place with an award of $500 in the Cell and Molecular Biology Division. She also received recognition and prize money as stated above. Her interest stems from helping her brother, who has Autism, and she is very active in volunteering with autistic children. She is also the winner of other prestigious awards, including a Coca-Cola Scholarship.
Accompanied at the competition all this week by Commack High School Principal Russ Stewart and Science Research Teacher Richard Kurtz, the girls exhibited and explained their research to judges and attendees at the competition.  Richard Kurtz remarked, "These kids really deserved these awards. They work so hard at everything they do. The competition at these contests is mind boggling, and taking such high honors is an amazing tribute to the science program in the Commack School District, and to the tenacity of these young ladies."

Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Feltman was ecstatic when he heard the news. "We are absolutely thrilled at the results of the hard work of both Alexis and Erica,  and that independent judges have found the quality of their research to be so commendable."

 Erica Portnoy displays her project.

 Alexis Tchaconas with high school principal Russ Stewart.

 Erica and Alexis at the INTEL ISEF Competition.

ALS Ride For Life

On May 15, a field of 6,000 pinwheels will be on display at Stony Brook University as part of the University’s annual ALS Ride for Life Celebration & Remembrance Ceremony. Wheelchair bound patients battling ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) will ride to the pinwheel field at SBU as part of their “Ride for Life,” an event to raise awareness of ALS and funds for ALS research. The pinwheels represent the lives lost to ALS each year, with the hope that a cure is ‘blowin’ in the wind.’ The 2010 ride covers 125 miles, beginning May 10 in the Hamptons and ending along the Hudson River on May 22.

In 2009, the ALS Comprehensive Care Center at Stony Brook University Medical Center became the first ALS Association (ALSA) Certified Center on Long Island. The ALSA is the preeminent national organization that funds ALS research and oversees qualified ALS clinics. The ALSA Center Program defines, establishes, and supports a national standard of care in the management of ALS. The SBUMC facility remains the only ALSA Certified Center on Long Island.

Ride for Life Founder and President, Dr. Christopher Pendergast, a 17-year ALS survivor, is awarding the Center $65,000 from the 2009 Ride for Life proceeds. Each year the Ride for Life occurs during May, ALS Awareness Month. Since the inception of the ALS Comprehensive Care Center at SBUMC in 2002, Dr. Pendergast and the patient advocacy group has granted over $300,000 to the Center.

The Pinwheel Memorial and Remembrance Ceremony at SBU that afternoon will include a gathering of ALS patients, along with their family and friends at the South P Lot on West Campus. The ceremony features a Remembrance Tribute, announcing the names of patients lost to the disease, an ecumenical healing prayer service, and a presentation about the ALS Clinic at SBUMC. Before the ride to the SBU West campus, riders will stop at the Long Island State Veterans Home at SBU. The event concludes with bicyclists supporting the Ride for Life arriving at the Pinwheel Memorial, after their 25, 50, 100, or 150-mile bike treks.

Update on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:06PM by Shannon Troccoli

Update on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:19PM by Shannon Troccoli