As the summer months begin to fade away and the back to school season approaches, many children will be ramping up their level of physical activity.
Some may be returning to sports or joining an athletic team for the first time, while others may be looking forward to physical education class or simply rejoining their friends on the school playground. Continue reading
In recent years, I have helped win passage of key measures that are starting to right New York State’s economic ship.
The once notorious atmosphere of dysfunction at the Capitol has evaporated, replaced with a new streak of accomplishments highlighted by four consecutive on-time state budgets. Continue reading
As families and individuals look for ways to enjoy the wonderful summer weather, people need to look no further than our local state parks.
July is Park and Recreation Month across the nation, and here in New York we have many great reasons to celebrate.
Our public parks and state lands are among our greatest resources, particularly in upstate, and they fulfill a number of roles. Continue reading
The New York State Snowmobile Association unveiled a special informational exhibit on the concourse level of the Empire State Plaza in Albany.
Among those welcoming the group was Senator James Seward.
“Snowmobiling is a terrific winter pastime and means a great deal to our local economy,” Seward said. Continue reading
The governor recently presented his budget proposal for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Now, the real work begins!
Let me first say, I share in the governor’s optimism that we will produce a fourth straight on-time state budget.
I also feel some of his stated goals—keeping spending in check, enhancing private sector job growth, and delivering meaningful property tax cuts—are all attainable objectives.
Though, we differ a bit on the optimal way to reach those goals.
We are working with a budget surplus, thanks to the fiscal responsibility exhibited over the last three years, and we must continue to budget in that vein.
In fact, I believe we need to enact a permanent state spending cap to ensure that budget restraint continues long-term. Continue reading
Last year the New York State Snowmobile Association released information regarding a study of the economic impact of snowmobiling in New York and the results were staggering.
The report concluded that snowmobiling generates $868 million annually—big business especially in upstate New York.
This is great news for outdoor sportsmen and many area businesses alike.
According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), there are over 10,300 miles in the Statewide Snowmobile Trail System traversing 47 counties, maintained by over 200 clubs, and funded through 55 municipal sponsors.
The vast trail network is comprised of lands under the jurisdiction of OPRHP, the New York State Department of Environ-mental Conser-vation (DEC), NYS Canal Corporation, national forest land, local governments and many private landowners who have increasingly opened their property to snowmobiling with insurance coverage provided by the state snowmobile program.
The state snowmobile program was created by the legislature to fulfill several objectives: Continue reading
A number of positive steps have been taken in recent years to improve our state’s economy and boost job growth potential.
My colleagues in the senate and I have advanced tax cuts, eliminated barriers to business growth, and implemented fiscally responsible, on-time state budgets.
We also enacted an historic cap on property taxes, which is widely regarded as the most effective method of attaining property tax relief.
And this cap is paying real dividends. In the first two years of the cap, it is estimated that property taxpayers saved nearly $1.2 billion. Continue reading