From friends and family to good food and gifts, for many people, the holidays are the happiest time of the year. However, for our brave troops serving overseas, they can be the loneliest. In an effort to send a “touch of home” to our troops, I’m once again calling on Central and Northern New Yorkers to participate in my “Holiday Mail for Heroes” program.
Veterans’ Day is a time we honor our veterans and thank them for their service. We pause to reflect on their lives and appreciate how their sacrifices keep us safe and protect our country and our freedoms. I’ve always believed that New York State should do more for our veterans. We can’t rely solely on the federal government’s benefit structure to honor our state veterans’ service.
October, also known to many as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, lasts just 31 days. However, the efforts to diagnose, prevent and treat the disease occur year round. While great strides have been made there’s still a long way to go: more than 40,000 women and 400 men die annually of breast cancer.
According to the State Health Department, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in New York State. Each year in New York, more than 14,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 2,700 women die from the disease. It is estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during her life.
When voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, they will be asked whether to support a number of amendments to the State Constitution. Recently, I talked about the casino referendum and the implications its passage will have on New York. This week, I want to let readers know about five other referendums that will appear on the ballot.
On November 5, people across the country will held to the polls to exercise this right. Here in New York State, people won’t just be casting their votes for candidates on Election Day, they will also be making decisions on amendments to the New York State Constitution.
Recently, the Tax Foundation released a map showing the combined local, state, and federal cell phone rates. The map showed, not surprisingly, that New York residents pay the third highest cell phone tax rate in the country. Our state and local cell phone tax is 17.85%. When those taxes are combined with the federal tax rate, New Yorker’s cell tax rate is 23.67%.
Since its creation in 1861, more than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded to some of our nation’s bravest Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Next week, William Swenson, a former Army captain and Fort Drum soldier, will join the ranks of these brave men and women.
Often issues arise in the State legislature where there are meritorious arguments on either side of the legislation. This holds true for the state-wide referendum championed by Governor Cuomo that, if passed, would change our State Constitution to allow, among other things, the siting of four commercial casinos in Upstate New York.
To many people, fall is more than just a change in the weather. It’s everything from apple picking and fresh cider to homemade pumpkin pie and taking a drive to see the change in colors. Here in Upstate New York, we’re lucky to have an abundance of fall flavors and activities right in our backyard.
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