ok and what of justice for New York Bettors and the Greeks of NY?

Dear Fellow New Yorker, Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including advocates and family members of those with special needs, have voiced their support for the Governor’s Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. They came to Albany, they attended events across the state, and they spread the word online – emailing friends and family and sharing www.Justice4SpecialNeeds.com on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks to the support of the people of New York, and the willingness of our Legislature to work together, an agreement was reached Sunday by the Governor and legislative leaders. The bill, which will be voted on this week, puts into place the strongest standards and practices in the nation to protect those with special needs or disabilities. This crucial legislation will transform the lives of countless people with special needs by tracking and preventing cases, as well as investigating and prosecuting reports of abuse and neglect. Click here to read more about the agreement. The Governor's Justice Center includes:     •    An Executive Director, Special Prosecutor and Inspector General, and a staff that includes trained investigators, lawyers and administrators to investigate reports of abuse and neglect and prosecute allegations of criminal offenses.     •    Creation of a statewide 24/7 hotline staffed by trained professionals to ensure that allegations of abuse are promptly reported to law enforcement and fully and effectively investigated.     •    Comprehensive Statewide Database to track and monitor abuse complaints in order to spot trends.     •    Development of a register of workers who have committed serious or repeated acts of abuse who will be prohibited from ever being hired again in any position where they would work with people with disabilities or special needs.     •    Consolidation of Background Checks on individuals applying for a job or other position dealing with people with special needs and disabilities across certain state agencies.     •    Development of common standards for investigations and requirements to be used to train investigators.     •    Strengthened Anti-Abuse Laws, including enhanced criminal penalties for endangering the welfare of people with disabilities and special needs, and a stronger ability for prosecutors to prove cases of sexual abuse. Click here to read the full text of the legislation. More than one million New Yorkers with special needs will now get the protection and justice they deserve. By working together, we are making government work for the people. Thank you for getting involved, The Office of the Governor

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Thanks for the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy, if you give me a mailing address.

Claude Solnik

(631) 913-4244

Long Island Business News

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Home > LI Confidential > Stop scratching on holidays

Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012

Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.