With decorations up and festive music dominating the airwaves, it’s no secret, the holiday season is in full swing. The same goes for the gift-giving season. According to the National Retail Federation, the average American shopper will spend $737 this Christmas. That translates to a total of $602 billion spent nationwide during the 2013 holiday shopping season.
How does hundreds of extra dollars in your pocket each year sound? If you’re a homeowner, that’s what you could be receiving through the state’s STAR program, which provides 2.6 million homeowners in New York State, including nearly 85,000 in our region, with savings on their school property tax bills each year.
This year, New York State enacted a law that requires birthing facilities across the state to test newborns for congenital heart defects through the use of pulse oximetry. Pulse oximetry is an inexpensive and non-invasive test that measures a baby’s blood oxygenation levels. This law will help ensure that infants are screened before they leave the hospital. I was pleased be a sponsor of this bill in the Assembly.
From 1941 to 1945, more than one million New Yorkers served in the military and each and every one of them has a story to tell. That’s what I discovered through my “Veterans Voices” program, an initiative designed to preserve veteran experiences for future generations and create a permanent record of service.
October was national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While I realize we are now in November, because I missed writing about this topic last month and because I strongly believe we need to continue to raise awareness about domestic violence, I am writing about this issue this month.
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.
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