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Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued the following news release today on what he says is the state Assembly Majority's use of "tax-and-borrowing gimmicks" to complete the new budget.

“After months of delay and behind-closed-door negotiations, the Assembly Majority finally finished their portion of the 2010-2011 State Budget tonight. Sadly, rather than pass a state budget that would properly close the $9.2 million budget deficit, limit state spending, and ease the burden on taxpayers, this budget instead increases taxes, fees, and
borrowing, while doing little to prevent future budget deficits from occurring.”

“The final assembly budget came to a total of $135.7 billion -- $1.7 billion more than the 2009-2010 budget -- and included $1.45 billion in new taxes and fees, while using vague ‘savings’ plans instead of real cuts. The most notable of which is the $330 million tax hike on clothing sales.

"However, what’s worse is the fact that the completion of this budget essentially came down to fuzzy math and unconventional borrowing that deferred job-creating tax credits and raided contributions to the state pension fund and other state funds.

“Specifically, the Western New York Energy LLC is one of the companies affected the most by this legislation. Under the budget legislation, this business will lose $2 million of their job-creating tax credits from the state.

"Add that to the proposal to collect $100 million in 2010, $970 million in 2011, and $870 million in 2012 on other businesses through the deferral of their job-creating tax credits, and it is clear that (Thursday's) budget legislation will send the wrong message to businesses who are located here and are considering to locate here.

“The Assembly Majority should be investing in businesses to promote job creation and to boost our economy. Instead, they continue to look for quick money grabs regardless of the long-term consequences.

"I voted against this budget legislation July 1 and encourage my colleagues in the Senate to return to Albany and make the difficult decisions by cutting back and doing the right thing for the ridiculously overburdened taxpayers of this state!

"By downsizing government and rewarding hard work ethic we can return our state to the ‘Empire State’ status sooner, rather than later or never.”

Kevin J. Keenan, program coordinator Smoke Free Now in Genesee County, sent along this news release today.

On Thursday, State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., urged New Yorkers to quit smoking rather than pay the additional $1.60 per pack state cigarette tax increase that takes effect today.

With the increase in effect, the tax on a pack of cigarettes will rise to $4.35 per pack and $5.85 a pack in New York City – the highest cigarette taxes in the nation.

This tax continues New York's national leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States. A pack of cigarettes will now cost more than $10 in New York City and more than $8 across the rest of the State.

"This tax increase should be the motivation smokers need to give up this deadly addiction for good," Commissioner Daines said. "The health benefits of quitting smoking are undeniable.

"Smokers who quit are at a lower risk of developing smoking-related heart disease and suffering from strokes, cancer and emphysema. If you smoke, now is the time to talk to your doctor or call the New York State Smokers' Quitline."

The Quitline offers free services to help people stop smoking, including nicotine patches, coaching, quit plans, information and free online help. To access the Quitline, call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visit www.nysmokefree.com.

Taxes will also increase for other tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco products and cigars, from 46 percent to 75 percent of the wholesale price.

Increases in tobacco taxes are expected to prevent 170,500 New York kids from becoming smokers, motivate 86,100 adult smokers to quit and save 77,000 New Yorkers from premature, smoking-related deaths.

The increased tax will also save $4.8 billion in future health care costs and raise $290 million in 2010-11 in state revenues.

"This is a win-win for the health of New York State," Daines said. "Fewer adults and children will use deadly tobacco products and the state will generate revenues to help sustain important programs and services."

"Smoking is not a habit," said Jeffrey Willett, director of the state's Tobacco Control Program. "It's an addiction, and it's hard to quit. The State Health Department's Smokers' Quitline provides free services that increase the likelihood that a smoker will quit for good."

Smoking Facts

• On average, smokers die 14 years younger than non-smokers.
• Smoking increases a person's risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other cancers.
• Secondhand smoke also causes heart disease and cancer, and contributes to asthma and other respiratory illness.
• Infants with a parent who smokes are more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Babies and children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have asthma, bronchitis, ear infections and pneumonia.
• Smokers who quit rapidly lower their risk of heart disease and stroke, and steadily reduce their risk of lung cancer.

Tips on Quitting

• Set a quit date and mark it on your calendar. Get rid of ashtrays, lighters and cigarettes.
• Visit your doctor for support and advice with your quit plan.
• Make a list of reasons why you want to quit.
• Make a list of family and friends who will support you.
• Avoid triggers, including alcohol, caffeine and other smokers.
• Exercise to relieve stress, and to improve your mood and health.
• Consider using a safe nicotine alternative such as replacement patches, gum or lozenges.

For help quitting smoking call the New York State Smokers' Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visit <www.nysmokefree.com>.

A motor vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported in Pavilion at routes 63 and 246. Pavilion Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

UPDATE (11:45 a.m.): A firefighter on scene reports there are no injuries. A medic is still responding but in nonemergency mode.

A two-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported at West Main and Lyons streets. One of the vehicles reportedly rolled over.

The overturned vehicle needs to be uprighted ASAP to stop fuel leakage, says a firefighter on scene.

City Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

Top photo submitted by Tim Walton. Bottom photo submitted by Chris Charvella.

Sarah Scott's creation for the "Stuck-at-Prom Scholarship Contest" (stuckatprom.com) is now on display at GO ART!, Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., in Downtown Batavia.

Stop in to take a close-up look at the incredible detail involved in the over 100 handmade roses, 65 feet of vines, 89 hand-cut/shaped leaves and over 200 feet of duct tape-turned ruffles.

First round of elimination for the national contest is Wednesday, June 30, so vote for this Pavilion High School senior's entry (#5217) at www.stuckatprom.com.

She intends to go to Michigan State University in the fall, majoring in zoology and minoring in art.

For more information contact GO ART! at 585-343-9313, <info@goart.org, www.goart.org>.

Sarah Scott and her prom date, James Kutter, are among the Top 10 finalists and are hoping to win to earn college scholarship money.

A car has struck a pole at 5465 Ellicott St. Road, near Paul Road, in Bethany. Electrical wires are down. Bethany Fire Department is responding.

Southbound Route 63 is being shut down to one lane because of debris in the roadway. National Grid is responding to the scene in about 30 minutes.

UPDATE (2:03 p.m.): Pavilion Fire Department is asked to reroute all northbound tractor-trailers at routes 63 and 20. The Town of Batavia is sending fire police to reroute all southbound tractor-trailers.

UPDATE 5:06 p.m. (by Howard): Traffic is now being allowed unimpeded at the intersections of Route 63 and Batavia-Stafford Townline Road and at Texaco Town. However, work continues to replace the electric pole, so the southbound lane remains closed and fire police are directing traffic through the one open lane in the area of Paul Road.

A fire alarm has sounded in Area 1 of the Corfu Meadows Apartments, located at 53 West Main. St., in Corfu. Corfu fire department is responding with an engine and a rescue unit. Darien fire is on standby.

UPDATE (3:12 p.m.): Darien Fire Department is standing down.

UPDATE (3:15 p.m.): Corfu Fire Department is back in service.

An RV fire with heavy smoke is reported in a yard at 6854 Clinton St. Road in the area of Warner Road. It is near a barn and it is unknown if it is occupied. Byron, South Byron, Stafford and Le Roy fire and Mercy EMS is called to respond.

UPDATE (12:55 p.m.): The fire is contained to the RV and is under control.

UPDATE (by Howard): Fire crews cleared the scene at 1:41 p.m.  The possible cause was a fan left on to air out the trailer. The motor may have overheated.

On Tuesday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her reform agenda to clean up Washington, and make Congress more accountable and responsible.

Here is her news release:

The centerpiece of Senator Gillibrand’s agenda includes new, bipartisan legislation that would require complete transparency for all federal earmark requests. Senator Gillibrand’s plan will also end automatic pay raises for members of Congress, rein in corporate special interest influence on elections, and once and for all ban all senators from placing obstructive, anonymous holds on important Presidential nominations or legislation in the Senate.

“I haven’t been in Washington long, but it doesn’t take long to know exactly what’s wrong with it,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Everyday people are not being heard because too much business is happening behind closed doors. Too often the system only benefits the special interests that have way too much power. My agenda puts the interests of families before all else by making government more transparent and accountable.

My reform agenda ends automatic pay raises for members of Congress, reins in special interest influence on our elections, forbids Senators from anonymously obstructing legislation, and makes the federal funding request process fully transparent so citizens can judge for themselves how politicians are spending their money.”

• Make federal earmark requests fully transparent

Senator Gillibrand has led by example, becoming the first Member of Congress to post all of her federal funding requests, official daily schedule and personal financial disclosure on her own website. Senate and House rules now require members to post federal funding requests. Senator Gillibrand’s federal funding requests, daily public schedule and personal financial disclosure are all available here <http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/schedule/>.

Now, she has joined Republican senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ) to author bipartisan legislation that makes the federal earmark process fully transparent and easy for citizens to access. The Earmark Transparency Act creates an easily searchable database of all federal earmarks, both authorizing and appropriating.

The database will include the following information about each federal funding request: amount of initial request made by requestor; amount approved by the committee of jurisdiction; amount approved in final legislation (if approved); type of organization receiving the request (public, private non-profit, or private for-profit entity); project name, description and estimated completion date; justification explaining how congressionally directed spending item would benefit taxpayers; description, if applicable, of all non-federal sources of funding for the congressionally directed spending item; requests and supplemental documents submitted to a committee of Congress.

The database will include information on all bills that pass either chamber beginning the day the bill is signed into law. Gillibrand’s legislation is co-sponsored by 24 members of the Senate and 28 reform organizations, including The Sunlight Foundation, Center for Responsive Politics, the Liberty Coalition and the Project on Government Oversight.

Gillibrand is also introducing new legislation in the Senate that bans private or for-profit companies from receiving federal funding.

• Reduce corporate special interest influence on elections

With the corporate victory in the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court case that allows corporations to spend limitless amounts of money on elections, the voice of corporate special interests will only grow and topple that of the average voter.

To help keep elections fair and honest, Senator Gillibrand is pushing the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act, legislation to reverse the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that allows special interests—including even foreign-controlled corporations—to spend limitless amounts of money to influence elections. This legislation ensures that corporations stand by their political actions by disclosing the primary funders of political advertising.

• Require new disclaimers on all television advertisements funded by special interests.

If a corporation is running the ad, the CEO will have to appear to at the end to say that he or she approved the message, just like a candidate must do today. If an advocacy organization is running the ad, both the head of the organization running the ad, and the top outside funder of the ad, will have to appear on camera.

Additionally, a list of the top five funders to that organization will be displayed on the screen in an effort stop the funneling of big money through shadow groups to fund virtually anonymous political advertising – following money to its origin, and making its sourcing public for the first time ever.

• Mandate an unprecedented level of disclosure not only of an organization’s spending, but also its donors.

Organizations will have a choice in disclosing their donors: They can either disclose all of their donors that have given in excess $1,000, or they can disclose only those donors who contribute to the group’s Campaign-Related Activity Account, if they solely use that account for their spending.

All spending intended to influence an election—whether on television, radio, print, online, direct mail, telephone, and billboards—would flow through this account. Every donor who contributes more than $1,000 would have to be disclosed.

Organizations must disclose these donors to the FEC, the public on their websites, and to their shareholders and members through their annual and quarterly reports.

The legislation also: prevents foreign-controlled entities from spending unlimited sums in our elections through their U.S.-based subsidiaries; bans companies with government contracts in excess of $50,000 from making unlimited expenditures; ends expenditures by companies that receive government assistance, such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP); strengthens current law to grant lowest unit rate to candidates by giving those same rights to the parties – on a limited geographic basis.

• End automatic congressional pay raises

From 1991 to 2007, Congress voted to raise its own pay 11 times, for a total increase of $63,600 in their annual salary, according to CRS. A one-year elimination was ultimately included in the final appropriations bill and members did not receive a pay raise in 2011. Gillibrand voted twice in the House of Representatives to end the automatic pay raise.
 
Senator Gillibrand has opposed congressional pay raises, and is a proud cosponsor of legislation to permanently end the automatic pay raise for members of Congress.
 
The automatic annual adjustment for members of Congress is determined by a formula using a component of the Employment Cost Index, which measures rate of change in private sector pay.

The adjustment automatically takes effect unless (1) Congress statutorily prohibits the adjustment; (2) Congress statutorily revises the adjustment; or (3) the annual base pay adjustment of General Schedule (GS) federal employees is established at a rate less than the scheduled increase for members, in which case members are paid the lower rate. Members may not receive an annual pay adjustment greater than 5 percent. This adjustment formula was established by the Ethics Reform Act of 1989.
 
Now Senator Gillibrand is joining with a bipartisan group of 20 of her colleagues to send a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to take up and pass S. 620, legislation that passed in the Senate last year to permanently end automatic pay raises. Passing this bill would save roughly $80 million over 10 years, and help demonstrate that Congress is willing to tighten its own belt as we work to reduce record deficits.

• Ban anonymous holds on legislation

Currently, there are 132 anonymous holds on President Obama’s federal court nominations, and countless more on other legislation before the Senate. These holds bring the legislative process to a halt with no way to hold the obstructionist accountable. Together with 67 of her colleagues, Senator Gillibrand has written to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), calling on the leaders to once and for all end the practice of senators putting anonymous holds on legislation.

A car has crashed into a tree just south of the intersection of West Bergen and Selden roads in Le Roy and the fire department is responding.

A fight in progress, with injuries, at the Village Park in Bergen has been reported. Sheriff's deputies are responding and an ambulance was called to the fire department to standby.

The dispatcher says the caller claims a woman was lured to the park by two females and then assaulted. She needs an ambulance and has a head laceration.

The two assailants are still on location. One is in custody. The scene is secured.