school zone cameras, betting at Nassau OTB, is a voluntary and pleasurable activity for many Nassau County residents. See also NY Const. Art 1, Sec. 3
Ned Newhouse
362 Barrow Ct, Woodbury, NY 11797
516-364-6882
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the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy,
if you give me a mailing address.
Claude
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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.
Dozens gathered in Mineola on Sunday, Nov. 16,
2014, to oppose Nassau County’s controversial school zone speed cameras,
many holding signs with messages like “Scameras are revenue raisers not
life savers” and “We are not your ATM.” (Credit: Newsday / Jessica
Rotkiewicz)
Dozens gathered Sunday in Mineola to oppose Nassau County's
controversial school zone speed cameras, many holding signs with
messages like "Scameras are revenue raisers not life savers" and "We are
not your ATM."
About 70 people gathered outside the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building."We want all the tickets dismissed, the ending of the program and money returned," said Ned Newhouse of Woodbury. "This is a money grab, pure and simple."
Newhouse is a member of a Facebook group against the program that has more than 2,800 members. Sunday's event was announced on the site.
Several people Sunday acknowledged motorists are breaking the law when they receive the tickets, but argued that there isn't clear signage in school zones and that the speed limits in these areas are inconsistent throughout the county.
"I wish they would just tell the way it is -- it's about money and safety," Bill Bennett, 56, of Baldwin, said.
Bennett said people being ticketed are breaking the law, "but when that cash flow stops coming in, what do they do next?"
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation in June allowing Nassau and Suffolk counties to place speed cameras in school zones.
After unanimously approving the program, Nassau lawmakers now want to end it, or, at least, add more conspicuous warning signs at the dozens of school zones with speed cameras.
Several people Sunday said clear signage should have come first. County officials said last week they will install new signs with flashing lights in the 56 school zones eligible for speed cameras, after officials set aside a nearly $7 million plan to place warnings outside all 434 public and private schools.
Franklin Square resident Connie Wiermann said she has received eight tickets. After her second ticket, she said she kept her eye on the speedometer and contends she was not speeding for the other tickets.
She said she believes the calibration of the cameras must be off. A grandmother of four, she said she's "very concerned about kids' safety, but I don't think that's what this is about."
Claudia Borecky, president of the North Merrick Civic Association, had mixed opinions of the cameras. She said there is a need for them, but not all day. The cameras run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on school days, county officials said.
"It should be on hours when children are going to and from school," she said.
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