Sound Shore

Good Wednesday morning. Here’s a glance at today’s editorial:

New Square assault: Editorial
We comment on the case of Aron Rottenberg, the New Square plumber who was severely burned during an attack by 18-year-old Shaul Spitzer on Sunday morning. We call for a federal probe of the incident. We write:

”… Federal authorities, better positioned to inquire where local officials will not, should vigorously investigate the attack, and the systematic harassment that preceded it, as a civil rights violation and hate crime.

(more…)

Good Monday morning. Here’s a look at opinion content published over the weekend in The Journal News:

Saturday, May 21
Kendra’s Law: Commentary
Vanessa Bellucci, whose brother, Eric, is charged in their parents’ murder, argues that loopholes in Kendra’s Law would be closed by a bill currently making its way through the legislature.

American Cancer Society: Commentary
Lillian Jones, the American Cancer Society’s regional vice president for the Hudson Valley, replies to a May 14 Community View that was critical of ACS programming changes.

Sunday, May 22
Property-tax cap: Editorial
We encourage Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature to continue to pursue a so-called hard 2-percent property tax cap. Some have proposed exemptions that we conclude mask “the true cost pressures vexing budgets and taxpayers and creates a mere fiction of frugality.” We write:

… The Republican-controlled Senate has already approved the no-exceptions tax cap proposed by the governor, who has been on a statewide tour to promote it and other legislative priorities.

That resolve showed signs of cracking last week, in the face of continued opposition in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, where the tax cap has stalled.

(more…)

Good Monday morning. Here’s a digest of opinion content published in the weekend editions of The Journal News:

Saturday, May 7
Working moms: Commentary
Elizabeth Gorman, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, and Sarah Mosseri, a sociology doctoral candidate there, offer a commentary on the state of the American working mother.

Sunday, May 8
Mandate relief: Editorial
We comment on assertions made in an Editorial Spotlight interview last week by county executives Astorino, Eldridge and Vanderhoef. The trio argues that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed two-percent cap on property taxes won’t succeed without mandate relief. We write:

E.J. McMahon, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute in Albany, joined the Editorial Board on Thursday for an Editorial Spotlight that focused on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed two-percent property tax cap and its potential impact on state, municipal and school finances.

Here’s a clip from our conversation:

To watch the session in its entirety, go to lohud.com/editorialspotlight, click the video button on the player and select the interview from the menu.

The Editorial Board hosted Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and Putnam County Executive Paul Eldridge for an Editorial Spotlight conversation on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed two-percent cap on property taxes and the need for mandate relief.

Eldridge participated remotely via CoverItLive.

Reporter Gerald McKinstry filed this related story.

Here’s a clip from our interview:

To watch the session in its entirety, go to lohud.com/editorialspotlight, press the video button and and select the video from the menu.

Good afternoon. Here’s a digest of opinion content published since Friday in The Journal News:

Friday, April 29
School budgets: Editorial
We commented on news that most school districts in the Lower Hudson Valley are acting as if Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed property tax cap is reality — districts largely increased spending and tax levies on averages of two percent.

Good morning. Here’s a glance at the opinion content published in The Journal News today, Wednesday, March 2:

Superintendents’ salary cap: Editorial
We comment on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to cap the salaries of school superintendents at $175,000 for those leading large districts and $125,000 for those leading smaller districts. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie enacted a similar cap in his state. We write:

… It is anyone’s guess, however, what the Cuomo cap would do to the talent pool in the region, which in the past has attracted stellar school leaders from across the nation, and in many cases generated the results to match. The average superintendent’s salary in the Lower Hudson Valley is $241,255 — 37.9 percent higher than Cuomo’s proposed maximum. …

… Local communities would have the ability to vote to override the applicable cap, but that seems a nettlesome process sure to discourage talent leery of putting their careers on the line in a popular vote; we think that taxpayer-elected school boards, which in recent years have responded to the public’s call for fiscal restraint, are well-suited to determine what the market will bear to attract and hire quality superintendents, just as they now determine what to pay other administrators.

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Cuomo’s plan won’t make our students any smarter, or help deliver a better education product. It is likely, however, to antagonize a lot of superintendents, confound the market for top school talent in New York and forestall necessary discussions about overall student performance and school-district consolidation, two imperatives waiting for serious attention. … (more…)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation Monday that would cap annual increases in local property taxes at no more than 2 percent annually, unless local residents vote to override the cap. Budget experts say that a tax cap will surely force big cuts by schools, because so much spending is mandated by — but not necessarily funded by — the state and federal governments. What is your take on the issue?