NEWS
Opinion/Letters
WHAT ARE THE FACTS IN THE VOTE FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM?
March 12, 2010
Tim Bishop, U.S. Congressman
To help clear up some of the confusion about the anticipated votes on health care reform, I would like to take a minute to share with you some facts that insurance companies and their allies in Congress don’t want you to know.
LEGISLATURE DESIGNATES MARCH AS PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK MONTH
March 1, 2010
Jack Eddington, Suffolk County Legislator
I and my colleagues on the Suffolk County Legislature have designated March as Professional Social Work Month. It is a small honor to bestow on a profession that works extremely hard and often in difficult circumstances for the neediest members of our community.
IT'S TIME TO MONITOR HOMELESS SEX OFFENDERS
February 26, 2010
Jack Eddington, Suffolk County Legislator
According to Parents for Megan’s Law, the average sexual offender is 31 years old, white, and male. Less than half (about 42 percent) report having never been married. Roughly the same percentages (35 to 40 percent) are repeat offenders. Furthermore, fully 93 percent of sexual assault victims know their attacker as either family members or acquaintances. That means that only seven percent of sexual predators are actual strangers, a fact that at first glance would appear to be good news, but not really. In all, the statistics are unsettling, especially when you consider that these numbers represent only the predators that have been caught.
THE 2010 CENSUS: STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
January 26, 2010
Jack Eddington, Suffolk County Legislator
This February and March every household in the United States will receive a 2010 Census questionnaire. It will be short, to the point, take about ten minutes to fill out, and will have far reaching affects on you and your community.
ROCKEFELLER DRUG REFORMS HAVE DRASTIC UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
January 8, 2010
Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive and Thomas Spota, Suffolk County District Attorney
Lawmakers and editorial writers collectively hailed last year’s rollback of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. These laws were originally enacted as a reaction to the devastation of our communities by relentless drug addiction, which often led to violent criminal conduct by drug lords and their criminal organizations. While there was merit to ending the more Draconian aspects of the laws, which mandated life sentences for some drug addicts, the new laws have made it much harder for prosecutors to get dealers off the street and into jail where they belong. In fact, the reversal has been so sweeping that non-addicted drug dealers are lining up for treatment under the provisions of the new law, and prosecutors are powerless to stop them.
IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED AT WAVERLY AVE. ROUNDABOUT
December 4, 2009
Jack Eddington, Suffolk County Legislator
There are problems with the new Waverly Avenue roundabout. At least one resident who lives near the roundabout on Waverly Avenue has complained about the lack of guardrails. Before the new roundabout was constructed, a guardrail had been put in place ostensibly to protect this resident’s home from being hit by cars.
SUFFOLK COUNTY PROVIDES MEALS FOR SENIORS
November 20, 2009
Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’m sure many of Suffolk residents are looking forward to gathering their families around the dinner table and enjoying a delicious feast. What many of our residents may not know is that Suffolk County offers the same opportunity on a daily basis for our senior citizens.
'TIS THE SEASON FOR SAFE TEEN DRIVING
November 18, 2009
Wendy Tepfer, Director, Community Parent Center
With the holiday season just around the corner, the Community Parent Center believes it is important for parents to be extra careful when handing over the car keys to their new teen drivers. The time between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day is one of the busiest for travel, and newly licensed teens do not have enough experience they need to navigate through the heavy traffic and winter weather conditions.
OCTOBER 18-24 IS NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK
October 15, 2009
Wendy Tepfer, Director, Community Parent Center
Passing a road test and receiving a driver’s license are major milestones in the life of a teenager. While these events are exciting for teens, they can be frightening for parents. Nationally, over ten thousand 16- and 17-year-olds get behind the wheel with their new driver’s licenses every year. For many teens, a driver’s license is a ticket to freedom, but of major concern is the fact that the teens do not fully comprehend the impact of getting behind the wheel of the most powerful weapon they will ever handle.
PATTON STREET HOMICIDE, JULY 20, 2009, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
August 11, 2009
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy
The perception that the elimination of stand-by pay for homicide detectives somehow lengthened the amount of time the body of Edgar Villalobos remained at the above-referenced crime scene continues to permeate into media reporting and legislative perception of the investigation process.
RESPONSE TO MAJOR POLICY SHIFTS IN SCPD
August 3, 2009
Leg. Jack Eddington
I would like to address comments made in the August 2, 2009 Newsday Article “Lawmakers want more details on Brentwood slaying.” In the present economic environment, I continue to be supportive of the County Executive and the Police Commissioner to streamline the SCPD to ensure that it is operating at peak efficiency, provided that those efforts do not impact the public’s safety.
NEW TEEN DRIVING BILL HELPS SAVES LIVES
July 24, 2009
Wendy Tepfer
In regards to the article in Newsday on July 17, “Bill Targets Teen Motorists,”: As director of the Community Parent Center, I applaud the efforts of the New York State Senate and Assembly for passing the bill that boosts the license requirements for teenage drivers and prohibits text messaging while driving statewide and urge Governor Paterson to sign the bill into law as soon as possible.
CHALLENGING YOUR ASSESSMENT CAN LOWER PROPERTY TAXES – ESPECIALLY IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES
March 18, 2009
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy
Recently, I hosted a seminar for clergy members and community leaders which provided an overview of the assessment grievance system in Suffolk County. The assessment on your home is what your property taxes are calculated upon, and each of our ten towns use different systems.
ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER: VOLUNTEERING FOR COLLEGE CREDITS
March 12, 2009
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy
Paying for college isn’t easy, especially in today’s tumultuous economy. With many colleges increasing tuition costs, and several lending agencies increasing student loan interest rates, it may seem almost impossible to get a good education. Fortunately, Suffolk County has a way to help take care of our students that care for others.
