This blog is not affiliated or endorsed, by Nassau OTB, a public benefit corporation, subject to the New York Freedom
of Information Law, NY Pub Off Law Sec 84 et seq.
Kevin McCaffrey, Peter King, and Charles Schumer endorse Obama for failing to rid us of "carried interest."
The employees of Nassau OTB, work too much and pay too much in taxes, and "carried interest" must go.
Is it any wonder that public employees paying union dues to Teamsters Local 707 whose treasury is bare and whose pension plan will be taken over by the PBGC wonder what union dues buy?
Carried interest can be gotten rid of by Executive Order
Obama talks and we pay too much others too little based on a legal fiction.
Obama
didn't mention some of his most popular ideas for closing loopholes
that benefit the ... get a special kind of income tax break for what's
known as “carried interest.
Jun 2, 2014 - The Obama administration could disable one of the most powerful sources ... until later, so “carried interest” turns the income into a capital gain.
Oct 11, 2012 - I sometimes think that I am the only person who writes about taxes in a non-technical publication, really understands what “carried interest” is ...
to have laws affecting OTB payment structure changed.
See below case for background. NICHOLAS P. EPISCOPIA should see how Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey "represents"/collects dues from Nassau OTB employees.
law.justia.com › ... › New York Court of Appeals Decisions › 2008
Justia
Matter of Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. v New York State Racing ... Kaye, Ch.J. Court of Appeals Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau ...
Matter of Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. v New York State Racing & Wagering Bd. ... Supreme Court dismissed the petitions, prompting this appeal.
Rally against a video slot casino in the vacant Fortunoff's building
NICHOLAS P. EPISCOPIA,
DEPUTY MAYOR
CHAIRMAN PUBLIC INFORMATION COMMITTEE,
VILLAGE OF GARDEN CITY
Sometime in December 2014 local officials became aware that Nassau
County Off-Track Betting "OTB" and a developer were negotiating to
purchase the vacant Fortunoff's building in Westbury for the purpose of using part of it for a video slot casino.
OTB officials stated they were working under a "Confidentiality
Agreement" and could not reveal details of the plan. This facility,
located on the south side of Old Country Road, is approximately 250 feet from a singlefamily housing area containing hundreds of homes and two schools.
Where's the story?7 Points Mentioned
This plan, and its lack of published information by OTB, enraged residents of Westbury
and Carle Place, who cited specific statistics about the precipitous
rise in crime rates in areas where casinos are located. They also cited
the increased traffic and congestion that this facility would create. To
compound the problem, OTB has stated the casino would be open from 10
a.m. to 6 a.m., practically a 24-hour operation.
Project supporters cite the economic benefits the casino would bring,
including job creation. Well, OTB officials stated that only 200 new
jobs would be created by this operation. Nassau County
is not Buffalo or some truly depressed area and this facility will
bring no benefits to the surrounding residents. If OTB does not withdraw
its plan and signs a contract, all objections will have to go to the
New York State Gaming Commission, located in Schenectady, NY.
Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro, also president of the Nassau County
Village Officials Association (NCVOA), is leading the fight against the
proposed casino. I know the mayor quite well from my years of attending
NCVOA general meetings and also as a member of the NCVOA executive
board.
Peter was kind enough to invite Mayor John Watras, Village Clerk
Brian Ridgway and myself to a meeting on Jan 9. This meeting was
attended not only by elected officials and civic association leaders
from Carle Place and Westbury but also by Senator Jack Martins, Assemblyman Edward Ra, Nassau County Legislator Laura Schaefer, representatives of Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead as well as Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth.
Speakers reiterated the adverse impacts such a project would have on
their quality of life, especially the increased crime rates. No one at
this meeting was in favor of this project and all promised to continue
the fight.
On Jan. 15 Mayor Cavallaro was kind enough to invite me to be a speaker at a public rally in Westbury.
Also attending were Chris Mullaney, Eastern Property Owners'
Association (EPOA) president, and Joe Moody, EPOA vice president. Garden City residents as well as Village Trustee Bob Bolenbruch were also in attendance.
Virtually all our elected officials, including Senator Martins and
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, attended. More than 1,000
people, including Garden City's
retired police commissioner, Ernie Cipullo, attended. Once again every
official and civic association leader spoke out against the project.
OTB had a representative there who answered some questions, but
mainly hid behind the "Confidentiality Agreement" and avoided relevant
topics such as whether or not the gaming would be permanently limited to
15 percent of the 200,000 square foot building.
When my turn came to speak I stated that I, and the EPOA officers in
attendance, were against the project for all the previously stated
reasons. I also stated that even though residents of Garden City would not be as affected as those in Westbury
and Carle Place, we needed to support our neighbors. We do not live in a
vacuum and my years of experience in the NCVOA have taught me that
support for our neighbors creates respect for our residents and enhances
the reputation of our Village.
The OTB representatives and their consultants promised traffic and
environmental studies and are now circulating literature promoting this
project. No study will move the nearby homes and schools. OTB is trying
to create a "silk purse from a sow's ear" and that never works. Please
use the following link to voice your objections to this project: https://www.facebook.com/stopthecasinoatfortunoff.
law.justia.com › ... › New York Court of Appeals Decisions › 2008
Justia
Matter of Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. v New York State Racing ... Kaye, Ch.J. Court of Appeals Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau ...
New York State Racing and Wagering Board et al., Respondents. (And Four Other ... Supreme Court dismissed the petitions, prompting this appeal. Initially, we ...
Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury)
speaks to the crowd at a meeting of the Carle Place Civic Association
regarding the proposed building of an OTB Casino at the vacant
Fortunoffs site in westbury on the evening of Jan. 21, 2015.
Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz
Minority
Democrats on the Nassau County Legislature filed an emergency
resolution yesterday calling on majority Republicans to remove the
three-member board of the Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. and
replace them with opponents of a proposed gambling parlor at the vacant
Fortunoff property in Westbury.
Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) was
noncommital about the Democrats' bill, saying she would "discuss the
legislation with my delegation at which point a determination will be
made." When Democrats broached the topic of replacing the board two
weeks ago, Gonsalves took a similar position, saying "we should get the
facts before we take such measures."
The emergency resolution requires the approval of 13 of 17
legislators; there are 10 Republicans and 7 Democrats, and two seats
are vacant. More coverageLatest Long Island gaming news Legis.
Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury), speaking to a crowd of about 850 casino
opponents on Wednesday at Carle Place High School, said the OTB board
members had "forfeited the trust and confidence" of the legislature by
selecting the Fortunoff site.
Bynoe said Democrats would support three new appointments
to the board from any party, as long as they are opposed to the Westbury
casino.
The OTB board members -- Republicans Joseph Bentivegna of
Levittown and Frank DeStefano of Farmingdale, and Independence Party
member Eric Harkin of Wantagh -- were appointed in 2009 by the GOP
majority on the legislature.
OTB declined to comment on the Democrats' resolution.
Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury) told the Carle Place
protesters that she supports the Democrats' proposal, but doubts it will
get a vote because some lawmakers are concerned that a new OTB board
would put the video lottery terminals in one of their communities.
"I don't think that it's going to happen," Schaefer said
of the resolution. "It's because the presiding officer . . . has not
agreed to call it and put it on the agenda."
Audience members were not satisfied, jeering and chanting "just lost my vote" and "we can vote you out."
Last month, OTB announced it was negotiating with
Fortunoff bondholders and lenders, who took ownership of The Source mall
in 2012. Earlier in December, OTB officials authorized up to $100
million in tax-exempt bonds to buy and develop a VLT site, but officials
have said the project, which is expected to open this year, could cost
significantly less.
OTB projects that the gaming parlor would create 200 jobs
and generate $150 million in annual revenue, including $68 million for
state education and $20 million for Nassau.
In 2013, all but one member of Long Island's Senate
delegation -- Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) -- and all local members
of the state Assembly voted for legislation allowing Nassau and Suffolk
OTB to erect casino-style gaming parlors with 1,000 video slot machines.
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.
Kevyn Orr, right, at a news conference with Gov. Rick Snyder in December 2014.
Photo:
Bloomberg News
Gov.
Chris Christie
is bringing in an emergency manager to take over the day-to-day
operations and troubled finances of Atlantic City, an unprecedented
extension of state control over a New Jersey municipality.
The Republican governor is expected to announce Thursday that he is hiring
Kevin Lavin,
a corporate-finance and business-restructuring lawyer who most recently worked for
FTI Consulting
Inc.
in New York, according to a senior Christie administration official familiar with the matter.
Mr.
Christie is also tapping
Kevyn Orr
—who guided Detroit through its bankruptcy proceedings as its
emergency manager—as a part-time consultant in the effort in Atlantic
City.
The two men will begin work immediately, the person said,
effectively assuming powers now wielded by the city’s elected mayor and
City Council.
Advertisement
There
are no discussions currently about a bankruptcy filing for Atlantic
City, but the official said all options will be considered—including
renegotiating labor contracts.
“We aren’t putting any strings attached to their work,” the official said. “Everything is on the table.”
The
installation of an emergency manager over the city of 40,000 was a
dramatic move by Mr. Christie, a potential 2016 presidential candidate
who has pledged to help revive the coastal resort.
A spokesman
for Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, a Republican, said the mayor would
oppose any sort of outside control, including an emergency manager,
because he had already cut the city’s budget and more than 140
employees, working closely with state officials.
“I don’t think
the residents will be very happy,” said
Chris Filiciello,
the spokesman. “They elected the mayor to represent them. He has
been fulfilling his duties to the best of his ability and we’d like to
know what an emergency manager would do that the mayor hasn’t done
already.”
Mr. Orr didn’t return a call for comment Wednesday through a spokesman. Mr. Lavin didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Mr.
Christie has said he respected Mr. Guardian and his efforts, but he
remained committed to having the state take a leading role. “The fact is
we are going to do the things we need to do to try and make sure
Atlantic City gets it act together,” Mr. Christie said last week on his
monthly radio program.
Mr. Guardian enjoys a lot of support in
the city, but cleaning up years of mismanagement would be challenging
for any mayor, said
Israel Posner,
executive director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming,
Hospitality and Tourism at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
An
emergency manager would likely help Atlantic City make important
changes immediately, though it couldn’t make up for the closures in
casinos that have driven the city’s difficulties, said
Eric Scorsone,
an economist at Michigan State University who teaches about
distressed cities.
“I do think an emergency manager would be
interesting and potentially helpful,” said Mr. Scorsone, who provided
advice last year to New Jersey officials about how to handle
economically troubled cities. “It might be necessary but I’m not sure if
it’s sufficient.”
New Jersey doesn’t have a specific law that
allows the state to take over a municipality through an emergency
manager. Mr. Christie is expected to make the appointments through local
finance laws that allow the state to impose fiscal monitors—as it is
doing, in limited fashion, in places such as Newark.
Bill Dressel,
director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said he was
concerned about the state exerting this degree of control over a city,
and questioned what laws the administration was using to justify its
involvement. “Obviously I’ve got some concerns,” he said.
Atlantic
City has seen its fortunes fall in the last several years as casinos in
neighboring states have chipped away at its former monopoly on
gambling. Four of Atlantic City’s 12 casinos announced they would close
last year, leading to the loss of about 8,000 jobs.
ENLARGE
With the casino closures, the city’s assessed property
value has plunged from $18 billion in 2012 to an expected $9 billion at
the end of this year, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
In
November, a panel convened by Mr. Christie suggested the state impose
an emergency manager for Atlantic City, along with restructuring the
city’s school, tax and pension systems.
A summit in Atlantic
City on Thursday to be attended by Mr. Christie and members of his panel
is expected to only address the emergency-management team for now, but
the rest of those proposals are still under consideration with more
steps to be announced, the senior administration official said.
In
July 2013, Mr. Orr was appointed as Detroit’s emergency manager to
steer it through the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy. He hired a
new police chief and pushed to privatize the city’s garbage collection
and outsource its electric utility. He stepped down in December.
His efforts sparked controversy—as did his $275,000 a year salary—but his work was largely praised.
James Hughes,
dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public
Policy at Rutgers University, said an emergency manager in Atlantic City
could make tough financial decisions without facing political pressure.
“It
signals there are some very, very severe fiscal problems that the
current administration of that area can’t handle,” Mr. Hughes said.
Tilman Fertitta,
owner of Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City, acknowledged the
state’s efforts but was skeptical. “No one has a magic wand for Atlantic
City,” he said. Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com
WHAT: Meeting of the New York State Gaming Commission
WHEN: Monday, January 26, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.
WHERE:
NYS Department of Labor
4th Floor Commissioner’s Suite
9 Bond Street
Brooklyn, NY
***OPEN PRESS***
·The meeting will be streamed live on the Gaming Commission’s Web site (www.gaming.ny.gov)
·As
a matter of convenience to ease entry to the meeting location and
ensure space is adequate, members of the public or media wishing to
attend the meeting in person at the Brooklyn
location are encouraged to contact the New York State Gaming
Commission’s press office at 518-388-3415 or
info@gaming.ny.gov by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 23. All attendees must have valid photo ID to be admitted to
the meeting location.
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.
Laura Schaefer was elected to the Nassau County Legislature in 2013
representing Legislative District 14 which includes Garden City, Carle
Place and portions of Westbury, Hicksville, Bethpage, Plainview, West
Hempstead and Hempstead. Laura grew up in Westbury and graduated from
Our Lady of Mercy Academy high school in Syosset before completing her
B.A. in Communications at Adelphi University. She was later admitted to
practice law in New York State in 2009, receiving her Juris Doctor from
Hofstra University School of Law.
Prior to entering the legal field, Laura worked for the Marriott Marquis
Hotel in Manhattan, where she excelled in hospitality management
overseeing large departments that were crucial to expediting guest
services in order to provide customers with an exceptional stay.
As an elected Legislator in the County of Nassau, Laura’s advocacy is
not only limited to her representation of clients as she also represents
over 71,000 constituents. She has assumed several committee leadership
roles in the areas of capital planning and budgeting, intergovernmental
relations, governmental operations, public health, social services and
minority affairs. As a result, Laura has gained extensive experience in
funding for community revitalization projects and approved the
appointment of qualified and experienced individuals to serve on various
management and oversight boards in Nassau County.
Laura currently practices at Walsh Markus McDougal & DeBellis, LLP,
in Garden City, in the firm’s Real Estate, Land Use and Litigation
practice groups.
She resides in Westbury, New York.
HI-
Thanks for
the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy,
if you give me a mailing address.
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.
Kevin McCaffrey, a member of the Suffolk County Legislature, has not effectively and cannot effectively represent the interests of Nasssau OTB employees
Suffolk County and Nassau County are like the sides of the Mason Dixon Line?
The discussion of jobs and Nassau OTB's proposed Westbury site for slot machines deserves scrutiny of the acts and omissions of the Suffolk County Carpetbagger
Print
Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury)
speaks to the crowd at a meeting of the Carle Place Civic Association
regarding the proposed building of an OTB Casino at the vacant
Fortunoffs site in westbury on the evening of Jan. 21, 2015.
Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz
