a computer outage affects all.
notice was given to all of the filing period and religion is not a basis for extending the time period.
in vontrast note that andrew cuomo cannot pick and choose one easter dunday over the other. we live in a Christian country whatever thst might mean . note that chridtmas is the only federal religious holiday even though december 25 slights coptic christians. there are no tracks running on christmas nor can you force catholics to work on their holiday.
Laura Curran again extends deadline for property tax protests
Claude Solnik
Long Island Business News
2150 Smithtown Ave.
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-7348
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.
The Nassau County executive set the deadline for the close of business Tuesday to accommodate concerns of Orthodox Jews.
Nassau County has further extended the deadline for filing property assessment protests until the close of business Tuesday to accommodate concerns from the Orthodox Jewish community.
County Executive Laura Curran already had moved the deadline, originally March 1, twice.
The Assessment Review Commission, which oversees tax challenges, first extended it until April 30. Curran and the county legislature said property owners needed more time to react to new values issued Jan. 1 as part of a countywide reassessment.
Then on Tuesday, Curran announced an extension until Friday night after the county website for filing challenges crashed repeatedly under a record number of protests.
Hempstead Tax Receiver Don Clavin, a Republican running for town supervisor this fall, and Nassau County Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) separately wrote Curran Tuesday asking for an extension to May 7.
Kopel noted in his letter that the Friday deadline did not “go far enough in addressing the unique needs of the many Orthodox Jewish residents” of his district and the county. He noted “Orthodox Jewish practice requires a cessation of all business activities beginning at sundown on Friday evening” in observance of the Sabbath. He also said many property owners may have waited to file until after the Passover holiday but were frustrated by the website outages.
In a response to Kopel Wednesday, Curran said ARC had extended the deadline until the close of business on May 7, “out of an abundance of caution for our Orthodox community and as a courtesy to you.” However, Curran said the website had been up and running consistently since Tuesday afternoon.
Kopel said he was pleased Curran extended the deadline “to accommodate the
Orthodox Jewish community and others.”
Orthodox Jewish community and others.”
OPEN ON 1ST PALM SUNDAY, OTB RAKES IN $2M
New York City Off-Track Betting made history yesterday, taking bets on Palm Sunday. Since 1973, when Sunday racing was made legal in New York State, race tracks have been allowed to operate every Sunday except for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. While Aqueduct kept its doors shut, NYCOTB had its betting parlors open despite a letter from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board stating that it couldn't do so. "We're not a race track," NYCOTB president Ray Casey said. "OTB's business is a simulcasting business.
" Bettors responded by wagering an estimated $2 million yesterday on tracks from around the country, including Keeneland in Kentucky and Gulfstream Park in Florida. While in the past NYCOTB has respected the law and shut down on Palm Sunday, it took a chance this time because its business is down. "With the weather being the way it's been our handle has been off significantly," Casey said. "Our lawyers felt from their point of view that we could open (yesterday).
" The law says race tracks can't open. It doesn't mention OTBs. "I respect the Racing and Wagering Board and I have the utmost respect for chairman Michael Hoblock but I felt we're right on this one," Casey said. The NYSRWB didn't return phone calls yesterday but said on Saturday it would meet this week to discuss fines and penalties it can impose on NYCOTB. "This isn't personal," Casey said. "I just didn't agree with the board's interpretation.
" Casey also said NYCOTB may open on Easter Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment