Month: June 2018

  • Nassau County Fee Grab Adds to NY’s Affordability Crisis

    Nassau County generated a 44 percent increase in revenue from red-light camera violations in 2016, according to new report from Newsday. That’s thanks in part to the county raising the cost of its “Driver Responsibility” fee from $30 to $45. This fee is one of several that have raised the total cost of red-light camera […]

  • RECLAIM NEW YORK INITIATIVE RESPONDS TO BASELESS ATTACKS FROM ULSTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE MIKE HEIN

    Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Executive Director Brandon Muir: “Ulster County lawmakers have the opportunity to pass legislation that would level the playing field between citizens and entrenched politicians. Establishing term limits is an important reform supported by Reclaim New York Initiative and 80 percent of New Yorkers. But County Executive Mike Hein has distracted citizens from […]

  • RECLAIM NEW YORK INITIATIVE CALLS ON ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO PASS TERM LIMITS

    Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Hudson Valley Regional Coordinator Domenick Cocchiara on Ulster County’s push to impose term limits: “Too many career politicians are a recipe for corruption. Thankfully, local governments in the Hudson Valley are taking action with commonsense reforms. “Ulster County legislators are leading the way with a bill to impose term […]

  • Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes sponsored a bill to fight corruption. Now she doesn’t support it.

    Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Executive Director Brandon Muir on the Assembly’s failure to move on the Procurement Integrity Act: “Lawmakers claim they want to tackle Albany corruption. There’s overwhelming support in the State Assembly for a bill to fight the Empire State’s pay-to-play culture. Everything should be in place for New Yorkers to get […]

  • RECLAIM NEW YORK INITIATIVE JOINS ASSEMBLYMEMBERS TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR THE PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY ACT

    Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Executive Director Brandon Muir on the organization’s joint press conference with the Assembly Minority Conference: “Today Reclaim New York Initiative joined Assemblymembers to call for an immediate vote on a bill that would restore transparency across our state. “For too long, bad actors have bypassed oversight measures and abused […]

  • New York City’s Spending Spree: $89 Billion Budget Too Big Not To Fail

    The proposed $89 billion New York City budget is colossal, in that it risks collapsing under its own weight. Just how large is the New York City Budget? It’s larger than the budgets of 46 states, including Florida with twice the population It’s 9 times the size of Los Angeles’s budget It’s greater than the […]

  • WIN FOR WATERTOWN RESIDENTS AS CITY PASSES BUDGET UNDER THE TAX CAP

    Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Central and Northern Regional Director on the passage of the City of Watertown budget for 2018-2019: “Watertown residents should be giving themselves a pat on the back after the city council voted unanimously to pass a responsible budget under the tax cap without relying on smoke and mirrors to […]

  • Action Alert: Stop NYC’s $89B budget (that costs more than Starbucks – literally)

    Tell your New York City Councilmember: Vote NO on de Blasio’s budget Mayor de Blasio’s $89 billion proposed budget is the perfect example of “less is more”: fewer positive results and more wasteful spending. The mayor’s budget increases spending since last year at more than twice the rate of inflation. Spending ballooned over the previous […]