New Yorkers planning to take a domestic flight are going to have to “get real" if they hope to board their plane.
Beginning on Oct. 1, 2020, a standard New York State driver’s license won’t be enough to get on even a domestic flight, and although that is more than two years away, the DMV is encouraging residents to get ahead of the game. There are now three different forms of driver’s license or New York State identification, a standard - which will not be enough to board a domestic flight alone come October next year - enhanced, or the REAL ID license, which is in coordination with a new law aimed to increase security to travelers. The REAL ID will feature a star in the corner of the license. The REAL ID will also become the standard for entering federal facilities. The requirements came following recommendations by the 9/11 Commission. The DMV has been encouraging New Yorkers to start transitioning to the REAL ID, including the issuance of a Youtube promotion (which can be seen above) and mailing information. There has also been tables set up with information at prominent New York airports in an effort to ensure residents have enough time to get the new ID. In order to obtain a REAL ID, one must go in person to the DMV with proof identity and proof of New York State residency. There is no additional fee. There is a $30 fee to get an enhanced license, which can be used in lieu of a passport to enter Canada, Mexico and some Carribean countries by land or sea. According to the Department of Homeland Security, they have been “working with states for years around REAL ID compliance and have provided technical assistance, grants and other support to them. (They) are also providing more than two years advance notice of implementation with respect to domestic air travel to allow ample time for all states to achieve compliance, or for potential air travelers to acquire an alternate form of ID if their state does not comply with REAL ID.” If a traveler cannot provide a REAL ID, they will not be permitted through the security checkpoint, TSA noted. “REAL ID is available at all DMV offices statewide and we encourage you to get your new license or non-driver ID today, especially if you are renewing or applying for the first time,” DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan said in a statement. “Getting a new REAL ID requires an office visit, and we expect lines to grow as the deadline approaches. Don’t delay – get your REAL ID today.” source: Daily Voice This weekend marks one of the holiest times of the year for the Jewish and Christian faiths alike.
![]() Book Art Competition! There is still time to register for our Book Art Competition! The last day to submit your completed project is April 26, 2019 by 5:00 pm. Need some last minute inspiration? Stop by the library and check out our displays. Winners will be announced on Saturday, May 4th at our Etsy Mother's Day Artisan Market at the library. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded. Click here for more information or for any questions, please email [email protected]. ![]() Friends of the Eastchester Library Book Sale It's that time of year again! The Friends of the Eastchester Library Book Sale will take place on Friday, April 26th - Monday, April 29th, during the following hours: Friday and Saturday 9:30 - 4:30, Sunday 1:30 - 4:30, and Monday 9:30 - 2:00 Book collection begins on Saturday, April 20th. No textbooks, encyclopedias or musty, basement books please! All proceeds benefit the library! ![]() Etsy Mother's Day Artisan Market Save the Date! On Saturday, May 4th from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm the Library will host an Etsy Mother's Day Artisan Market featuring vendors from the The Northeast Etsy Artists Collective. Shop the boutique for beautiful handmade items including handbags, gemstone jewelry, organic skincare and soaps, ceramics, glassware, fine art and much more! NY Life Insurance will be on hand to offer the Children's IDs Program. In only a few minutes, a Child ID card is printed for each parent or guardian free of charge. Child ID cards feature a child’s photo, fingerprints, contact information, and other pertinent data needed by the police in case of an emergency. In addition, our Book Art submissions will be displayed and judges will award prizes in various categories. Stop by for a day of family fun! ![]() The Library will close at 3:00 pm on April 19th in honor of Good Friday. We will also be closed on April 21st for Easter Sunday. Happy Spring!
We are trying to get more information and will update if we do: Recently 2 children in 2 separate instances were approached by a Stranger in Chester Heights (on Archer & Parkview). The Stranger is described as a man in his late 30s - early 40s, blue eyes, dark hair, tan skin, driving a small white SUV. He was seen driving slowly through the neighborhood and talking to these kids. One of the parents told us that "We were on Archer on Sunday and my two boys were on scooters ahead of me and I was pushing my one year old in his little car. He started a conversation with my four year old from in the car (white small SUV I think) about his scooter. When I came around the corner he stopped talking and looked at me and we walked home. The whole thing just felt very strange and gave me an uneasy feeling." Another incident occured on Mill Road today. The facebook report is that "A man tried to take a12 year old on foot." He was wearing a yellow plaid shrit. There is an active police investigation. ![]() Parents should discuss these Stranger Safety tips with their children.
With growing concern following the measles outbreak in New York State, including Rockland County, New York City and northern Westchester, the Westmed team would like to communicate the following recommendations to our pediatric parents and adult patient communities, in accordance with the guidelines set out by the Department of Health:
As of today, Friday April 12th, there have been no changes to the CDC standard guidelines for MMR/measles vaccination in children or adults. Parents of Pediatric Patients: If your child is up to date on the MMR vaccine, and you do not have plans to travel internationally or live in close proximity to an affected community, additional vaccination or boost is NOT required at this time. Vaccinated children, over age 12 months, whose vaccines are up to date, do NOT need a vaccine.
“Measles has been confirmed in eight Westchester County children, six are siblings, and all are from Northern Westchester. None of the children attend public schools or childcare programs. The children range in age from six months to 14 years old.” The MMR vaccine protects against three diseases: measles, mumps and rubella. For Unvaccinated Adults, Westmed Medical Group follows the standard CDC Vaccination Guidelines, and recommends that all adult patients should receive at least one dose of the MMR vaccine, unless you are pregnant, or have any of the other concerns found on the CDC vaccination information site, here. There are free Westchester Measles Vaccine Clinics scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow, available for all adult Westchester County Residents and children over the age of 12 months. Click here for more information.
Early Registration Discount by 4/30
![]() Mary C. Marvin, Mayor, Village of Bronxville source: Myhometown Apr. 3, 2019: New Yorkers are leaving the state in record numbers, which should be a cause of concern to us all. Overall, New York is grappling with a population that is growing more slowly than almost every other state as well as an out-migration of over one million people in the past decade, more than any other state. It is also the wealthiest who are leaving who pay the most taxes, resulting in a profound effect on the state’s finances and added burden on those who remain residents. The situation is mirrored in other high-taxed states, such as New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Last year, more residents left New Jersey than any other state. What all these states have in common is a steeply progressive tax code. In New York, the top 1% pay 46% of the taxes. Governor Cuomo recently said, “God forbid if the rich leave.” Yet in the new budget just reached on April 1, a so-called “mansion tax” was added on pricey luxury homes. The current combined New York City and state taxes pre the new mansion tax are now 12.7 percent, while Florida has no income or estate tax. According to a recent National Movers Study conducted by United Van Lines tracking the state-to-state migration patterns in 2018, 61.5 percent of New Yorkers moving left the state and 41 percent of those had incomes above $150,000. Last year, a study by Wallet Hub looked at states ranked by their total tax burden, and New York came out on top. In contrast, the five lowest taxed states – Florida, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington – gained the most new residents. In short, high taxes drive people away and low taxes attract them. The recent changes in the deductibility of federal taxes certainly haven’t helped New York, and those with the most income have the most choice and mobility. The Wall Street Journal recently did a story of the growing number of wealthy tax refugees from New York, New Jersey, and Illinois showing up in Miami to buy condos. Instead of looking at ways to lower taxes, New York has chosen to beef up the auditing capabilities of the State Department of Taxation and Finance. New York conducted 3,000 “non-residency” audits a year between 2010 and 2017, collecting approximately $1 billion dollars. The ante has been upped between tax collectors and wealthy New Yorkers who are moving to Florida reaching new levels of investigation and going high-tech. Conventional wisdom holds that if you’re out of New York State for 183 days, you don’t have to pay state taxes. But tax advisors say that while the number of days matter, the real test for auditors is “domicile” – being able to prove that a taxpayer’s permanent, primary home is in Florida rather than New York.
Because defining “domicile” is subjective, New York State ends up winning more than half of its tax residency audits, but even at that, for many of the wealthy, they move from New York to ultimately escape the estate tax, which is 16 percent on estates above $5.5 million vs zero in Florida. Auditors now check that your home in New York is smaller and less expensive than the Florida home, even going in the refrigerator to see the amount of food and expiration dates. They also check for the location of prized artwork, wedding albums, and family photographs, as people keep closest to them what they hold most dear. In that same vein, the location of the family dog can be determinative. As one famous plaintiff’s attorney said, “If you want to lose a case very quickly, kennel your dog in New York when you travel.” The state also now has the capability to track the location of all calls made and received. It is a shame that more time, brainpower, and expertise is not put into ways to make New York an affordable home for everyone rather than spend inordinate efforts to get one last check out of people before they leave. New York is in a crisis, and this new state budget seems to ignore the true urgency of easing the tax burdens that make living here unsustainable, sadly for an increasing number of New Yorkers. Cuomo Gets Big Pay Raise In Special Midnight Resolution By State Legislature New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and members of his administration are set to get a pay bump as part of an overnight vote made by state lawmakers early on Monday morning, April 1. Cuomo’s salary will be raised to $200,000 this year under a midnight resolution approved by the Legislature, an increase from the $179,000 salary governor’s in New York have received for two decades. The new measures will call for the governor’s salary to increase to $225,000 in 2020 and then to $250,000 in 2021, which would make Cuomo the highest paid governor in the country. The new pay rates were approved at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Monday, April 1 by the Senate, with the Assembly reportedly approving the measure at approximately 7 a.m. as they finished discussions on the state’s $175 billion budget. According to reports, fellow lawmakers throughout the state were not pleased to pass the resolution giving Cuomo and Hochul a pay raise as part of the budget. Hochul’s salary is set to rise from $151,000 to $220,000 by Jan. 1, 2021. “Source says lawmakers are also unhappy because they have been asked to pass a resolution tonight giving (Cuomo) a pay raise as part of a budget,” Charter Communications’ Zack Fink first posted on Twitter. The pay hikes reportedly will only take effect in 2020 and 2021 if the Legislature passes what is deemed a “timely” state budget, which is in question due to the hour that the measures were passed. This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates. Plastic Bag Ban, Congestion Pricing, Mansion TaxCongestion pricing for motorists in Manhattan, a plastic bag ban and a new “mansion tax” are coming to New York. New York lawmakers worked late into Sunday night, March 31 before finally approving Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $175.5 billion state spending plan early on Monday morning, April 1. The budget calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags, will charge motorists driving below 60th Street in Manhattan a fee and ad the “mansion tax,” which is a one-time fee for some of the state’s wealthiest residents and is expected to bring in approximately $365 million. Much of the additional revenue being generated is expected to help decrease traffic in Manhattan and to spark improvements on the aging subway and bus system in New York. The Empire State becomes the first in the country to introduce congestion pricing, which has proven effective in cities internationally. The budget maintains spending at a 2 percent cap and continues a middle-class tax cut. It also features an increase in school aid by nearly 4 percent, up to nearly $30 billion, the most of any state in the country. Spending on Medicaid is expected to grow to nearly $20 billion. New York Sen. David Carlucci said that the Legislature “delivered a fiscally responsible and on-time budget, which will help hardworking New Yorkers.” “We kept our promise to hold the line on property taxes, making the 2 percent property tax cap permanent. Now overburdened homeowners will save billions for years to come,” he said. “Our budget included: a $1 billion increase in education funding with better equity, a plan for publicly-financed political campaigns, almost $25 million to fund Early Voting and e-poll books, and restored hundreds of millions in cuts to hospitals and nursing homes. No budget is ever perfect, and we look forward to our work ahead to deliver a full phase-in of Foundation Aid and a congestion pricing plan that benefits Hudson Valley residents." Despite a last-minute push, and Cuomo’s support, legalized marijuana was ultimately rejected by lawmakers, many of whom argued that any bill supporting legalization did not guarantee any positive returns in their communities. According to Cuomo, New Yorkers use billions of plastic bags annually, which do not biodegrade, creating massive amounts of litter in neighborhoods and waterways and posing a threat to the health of area residents and the environment. The ban is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal. “We see plastic bags as litter every day – hanging from trees along highways, blowing down the street, and in our waterways where they do incredible harm to whales, sea turtles, sea birds and other wildlife,” officials from the Wildlife Conservation Society stated. “Plastic pollution is ubiquitous. With this ban, New York’s waters will be cleaner and safer for marine wildlife. We look to other states and countries to follow New York’s lead. WCS’s Zoos and Aquarium have already joined other zoos to ban many single-use plastics at our facilities.” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos added, "promoting recycling, reducing waste, and helping end the blight of plastic bags littering our environment are top priorities. Thanks to Gov. Cuomo's leadership, proposals to ban plastic bags and expand the bottle bill will bolster New York's ongoing efforts to improve recycling markets and reduce contamination in the waste stream. These actions will also help municipalities and retailers respond to global changes in the recycling industry. We will continue to explore additional ways to protect our environment." source: Daily Voice
![]() On Monday, March 4, the first budget planning session took place at a Board of Education workshop. The Tuckahoe PTA encourages all parents to be informed and active participants in the upcoming school budget process. Please be involved as the BOE makes important decisions and let your voice be heard. 1. View a Draft of Superintendent's Proposed Budget for 2019 - 2020 • District-wide and school-specific highlights are detailed such as hiring a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO). Additional requests for the BOE's consideration are included (e.g. restore of a one-loop bus system). • The presentation can be found HERE • The meeting can be watched HERE which includes BOE discussion 2. The following meetings are open to the public; all meetings are held at 7:30pm in the TMS/HS Library • Mon 4/8: Budget Review (workshop) • Tue 4/23: Budget Adoption Vote (Regular Monthly Meeting) • Mon 5/13: Public Hearing on Adopted Budget • Tue 5/21: Annual Budget Vote & Trustee Election 3. Unable to make a meeting? • All meetings can be watched LIVE on TV (Cablevision channel 77; FiOS channel 27) • All meetings are replayed; see cable guide HERE • All meetings are streamed live HERE source: Tuckahoe PTA
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