Category: Uncategorized

June 14, 2019

Letter of Endorsement, From Allegany County Legislative Clerk Brenda Rigby Riehle:

Dear Citizens of the NYS 57th Senate District:

We have a rare opportunity on June 25 to put one of our own one step closer to filling the Senate seat that became vacant when Senator Cathy Young resigned earlier this year. Please join me in voting for Curt Crandall for Senate in the June 25 GOP primary. Curt has spent the majority of his adult life in public service in a variety of capacities, whether it was with the Boy Scouts, his church, or town and county government to name just a few. Curt has been a dedicated County Legislator since 2000 and has served as Chairman of the Board since 2006. The dedication, hard work, and integrity that Curt has displayed in Allegany County will continue as he serves the entire 57th Senate District with which he is very familiar and involved. It is difficult to serve in a public capacity for as many years as Curt has and keep 100 percent of the people happy 100 percent of the time, but every decision that Curt makes is based on our best interests and the betterment of the community. I do not believe that anyone can dispute or deny Curt Crandall’s commitment to those he serves. Please do not waste this unique opportunity to send one of our own to Albany. Curt works hard to represent his constituents in a fair, dedicated, and ethical way and always acts with our best interests in mind. Please support Curt Crandall for Senate in the June 25 primary and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Thank you,
Brenda Rigby Riehle

June 14, 2019

JAMESTOWN, NY – Statement From State Senate Candidate George Borrello:

George Borrello, the Chautauqa County Executive running to become the next state Senator in the 57th District, today received the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers (NYSTPBA). NYSTPBA advocates for better resources and support for state troopers, and have found an ideal partner in working together to strengthen support for law enforcement in Borrello.

Borrello has a proven record of working hand-in-hand with local law enforcement as County Executive and is honored to have received the PBA’s endorsement.

“Every day and every night, law enforcement put their lives on the line to keep us safe,” Borrello said. “Lawmakers in Albany continue to push an agenda that emboldens criminals and puts police and communities in jeopardy. As our next Senator, I will push back against this radical agenda and put public safety and law enforcement first.”

“I thank the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers for endorsing me and my campaign for Senate,” he added. “I’m proud of my record of support for police and in the weeks and months ahead, I will work with all law enforcement to ensure they receive the resources they need to continue doing the dangerous work of protecting our families and most vulnerable.”

“The Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, Inc. is proud to announce the endorsement of George Borrello for the 57th Senate District. George Borrello served as a Chautauqua County Legislator for eight years and was elected as the Chautauqua County Executive in 20l7. With this extensive experience, George Borrello understands the needs of the district and will work to strengthen the economy, help businesses and protect the public,” wrote the NYSTPBA in its letter officially endorsing George Borrello for State Senate.

Borrello is running for Senate to replace the recently retired Senator Cathy Young. Elected Chautauqua County Executive in 2017, Borrello is the endorsed candidate of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties.

June 14, 2019

Statement From The Steuben County Sheriff’s Department:

FISCAL IMPACT STUDY
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AND NEW YORK’S
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
A Study by Smart Approaches to Marijuana- NY
in Cooperation with
the New York State Chiefs of Police Association and
The New York State Sheriff’s Association
J. Scott Moody –Economist
JUNE, 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The proposed legalization of marijuana in New York will result in higher costs to state and local law enforcement and emergency services. Towns and cities across the state will face increased budgetary pressures at a time when New York’s tax burden is already a serious drag on the economy. In fact, according to the Tax Foundation, New York has the highest state and local tax burden in the country as a percent of the economy (12.7 percent) and fourth highest per person property tax burden ($2,782).

Marijuana legalization in New York will have both significant budgetary and societal costs.

First, marijuana legalization will be a major cost driver for state and local law enforcement and emergency services agencies. Keeping New York’s roads (from DWI’s) and communities (from black market operations) safe will require additional drug policing with Drug Recognition Experts (DRE’s), drug testing equipment, and drug-sniffing dogs all of which will require expensive new acquisitions and training. Also, dealing with the consequences of increased impaired driving, and the corresponding increase in car crashes will lead to higher costs to law enforcement and emergency services.

Overall, upfront budgetary costs to law enforcement and emergency services ranges from $190.3 to 235.2 million (Table 1). Ongoing annual costs range from $157.5 to $192.2 million. Car crashes would cost another $44 million between 2018 and 2028 (Table 2).

Second, car crashes have a broader negative societal impact in terms of increased hospitalizations (paid for, in part, by public health agencies), emergency departments, and deaths.

Overall societal costs between 2018 and 2028 would cost $388 million in hospitalization charges (of which $34.5 million will be paid for by public funded sources such as Medicaid and Medicare), $253 million in emergency department visits, and $4.3 billion in the value of lost lives (Table 3).

In the end, marijuana legalization will create numerous destructive waves through New York ranging from significant budgetary hardship to law enforcement and emergency services to the shattered lives of people involved in car crashes. New York’s law enforcement and emergency services will bear the immediate brunt of this unfolding tragedy which will create unsavory tradeoffs from reducing other services, tearing the fabric of public safety, to increasing local budgets and taxes, boosting New York’s already highest-in-the-nation level of taxation.

BUDGETARY IMPACTS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

Current experience in states with legalized marijuana, such as Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, shows that there will be more people driving under the influence and that the black market for marijuana will get larger. Consequently, the budgetary needs for law enforcement will increase.

COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUGGED DRIVING

It has been a long-standing transportation goal to make New York’s roads as safe as possible for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists among others. Factors such as technological improvements and public policy have helped create a percent decline in crashes and injuries between 2009 and 2017. However, the legalizing marijuana will likely erode these gains in safety based on data from other states.

At the forefront will be New York’s law enforcement and emergency services who will tend and mend the vehicles and lives of those involved in Driving While Impaired (DWI) crashes. As such, Marijuana legalization will increase numerous costs to the state’s local law enforcement and emergency services such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and fire departments.

The first line of defense in keeping New York’s roads safe are the patrol men and women who are on the lookout for drivers who may be impaired. However, even when there is a strong suspicion of impairment, it is not an easy task to determine the level of impairment given the wide availability and use of drugs, both legal and illegal.

In the aftermath of a traffic stop on the suspicion of impairment, the officer must use their own knowledge and experience, such as being an Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) or a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) trained officer, and tools, such as a breathalyzer, to make a more definitive judgement. Let’s examine each of these.

ARIDE and DRE trained officers: An ARIDE or DRE trained officer has received special training to being able to determine impairment caused by drugs. Marijuana is already the single most identified drug through DRE evaluations—35 percent of all evaluations in 2017.

Currently in New York, there are approximately 1,803 ARIDE trained officers and 347 DRE trained officers. To become ARIDE certified, each officer must complete 1 day of training. To become DRE certified, each officer must complete 15 days of training and 1 day of training thereafter to maintain certification.

While the ARIDE and DRE training is free to the officer, there are costs to their agency of paying the officer to attend and paying another officer(s) to cover their assignments while they are away. This expense is on average $11,069 for the initial DRE training and $1,107 for the yearly maintenance. There is also the cost of accommodations and meals to the agency.

Between 2012 and 2018, Colorado increased the number of DREs by 66 percent to 214 from 129. If New York experiences the same increase, the number of DREs would increase by 229 officers to 576 from 347 and would cost an additional $4.7 million (Table 1) for the initial training and an annual maintenance cost of $313,128.

June 14, 2019

STEUBEN COUNTY, NY – The Steuben County Sheriffs Department charged a Dansville woman, Lisa Galloway, 37, who is accused of using someone else’s welfare card, and spent close to $600 doing so. Galloway was issued an appearance ticket.

From the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office:
Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard reports that on June 12th, 2019, deputies of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lisa A. Galloway, age 37, of County Route 46, Dansville, New York. It is alleged that from May 2018 through July 2018, Ms. Galloway used another person’s benefit card issued by the Steuben County Department of Social Services. Ms. Galloway used the benefit card on multiple occasions for a total amount of $570.84. Ms. Galloway was not authorized or eligible to use or receive the benefits from this person’s benefit card. Ms. Galloway was charged with one count of Misuse of Food Stamps, a class A misdemeanor, in violation of New York State Social Services Law, and one count of Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor, in violation of New York State Penal Law. Ms. Galloway was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Village of Bath Court at a later date.

The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Steuben County Department of Social Services, and the District Attorney’s Office

June 14, 2019

ALLEGANY COUNTY, NY – The Wellsville Regional News page reports that Christopher Foster, has pleaded guilty to attempting to run over a woman with his vehicle, while driving drunk, back on July 6, 2018.

Sentencing will be September 19.
Click here for full story.

June 13, 2019

FROM ASSEMBLYMAN PHIL PALMESANO:

“Today’s bill allowing undocumented immigrants to receive New York State driver’s licenses is the latest example of the Assembly Democrats misguided priorities and penchant for pushing flawed legislation. Driver’s licenses would be issued to undocumented-immigrants, who are not here legally, based on unverified, possibly fraudulent, foreign documents-an obvious public safety risk. This legislation restricts information that can be shared with law enforcement, and it also opens the door to potential widespread voter fraud at a time when we should be working to secure our electoral process in a bipartisan way. Sixty-one percent of voters upstate and a majority of voters statewide oppose this bill. I’m one of them. I voted no today, and I’m encouraging my colleagues in the Senate to reject this bill before it can get to the governor’s desk,” said Palmesano.

FROM ASSEMBLYWOMAN MARJORIE BYRNES:

Today, the state Assembly passed Assembly Bill 3675-B, known as the “Green Light Bill,” that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain New York state driver’s licenses. A recent Siena Poll found that 61% of New Yorkers opposed driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. Despite a large percentage of residents opposing the measure, the Green Light Bill passed the Assembly and is set to be voted on in the Senate.

“I don’t think people realize the repercussions this bill will create. The Green Light Bill is granting more privileges than just allowing illegal immigrants to drive a car. It is opening the door for voter fraud. Boards of elections will be forced to sort through applications of legal and illegal individuals who have registered to vote. Local Departments of Motor Vehicles will have to allocate taxpayer dollars towards additional labor costs to handle the influx of individuals receiving driver’s licenses,” said Byrnes. “As we reach the end of session, our taxpayers are seeing little return on investment. It’s necessary that we shift priorities to relieving the tax burdens of the middle class instead of making it easier for those who have broken the law.”

The driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants proposal originated in 2007 by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer. The proposal was highly opposed by both Democrats and Republicans. On April 8 of this year, Monroe County passed a memorializing letter in opposition of the Green Light Bill. Concerns were raised that the proposal goes against federal laws on immigration and will create additional incentives for individuals to enter our country illegally.

“As Monroe County Executive, I am disappointed to see the New York State Assembly vote “yes” on this misguided legislation to issue driver’s licenses to those who are here illegally. In 2007, when I served as Monroe County Clerk, I successfully rallied my fellow clerks on both sides of the aisle to stand up to Albany and stop this proposal before it was enacted in the first place. It was my hope that county clerks from across the state, particularly the Monroe County region, would use their platforms as elected leaders to stop this legislation again this year,” said Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo.

FROM ASSEMBLYMAN JOE GIGLIO:
“I am deeply concerned with the negative impact that this legislation has for our county clerks. Their oaths of office are taken very seriously and this bill would create conflict in their efforts to support the United States and New York State constitutions and New York State law. I stand by them and their opinion that we should not be granting illegal immigrants any official government identification. We shouldn’t be discussing this in the final hours of session while doing nothing to help our taxpayers or our students who are burdened with debt. This is a matter of priorities and public safety.”

June 13th, 2019

HORNELL, NY – Hornell Police Chief Ted Murray told the Board of Public Safety Thursday morning that criminal arrests have spiked the last few months. “Arrest are up sharply, almost double from what we usually have,” explained Murray, “We also have a substantial increase in criminal investigations that have been completed and are ongoing.”

Murray said he mostly attributes the increase to drug use and sales, pointing out methamphetamine as the primary culprit. “We really have been hitting it hard,” said the chief, “And we are having an impact, but unfortunately with the current arrest and release system people are getting out of jail or rehab and getting right back into it.”

Fire Chief Frank Brzozowski said his department is happy to get back their refurbish ambulance from Simmons Rockwell recently. According to Brzozowski, the Fire Dept. saves thousands of dollars each year by refurbishing their ambulances instead of buying new ones. The chief also reported that backyard fires have become a nuisance recently with the wave of nice weather. “We have had quite a few complaints on that,” stated the chief, “And even if your fire is within city code ( 2’ by 2’ within a pit), we can still ask you to put it out if it is annoying a neighbor.”

Code enforcement Officer Bud Burdette said that there is a county tax auction coming up July 10th and there will be at least 10 or 12 properties from Hornell up for auction. Also he said that overgrown lawns are becoming a problem as some people cannot keep up with it.

And finally the board approved a block party on the 4th of July on Oak Street. Buckley said that even though the road will be closed, local residents and emergency vehicles will still have passage.