The Rochester League of Women Voters has decided that its advocacy work will include protecting Lake Ontario and addressing issues affecting the lake. During a meeting last week, the group adopted a position drafted by the Lake Michigan League of Women Voters, an interstate organization of league chapters around Lake Michigan. The position spells out […]
Jeremy Moule
Covers county government and whatever else comes my way. Greyhound dad; vegetarian; attempted photographer with a love for film and fixer; sometimes cyclist.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Brooks proposes $1.2 billion budget for 2013
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks has proposed a $1.2 billion budget for 2013 that she says makes no significant changes to county programs or services. She presented her budget proposal tonight before a meeting of the County Legislature. The budget increases the cost of zoo admissions by about $1, and also raises the amount taxpayers […]
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Brooks presenting county budget tonight
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks will present her 2013 budget proposal to the County Legislature tonight.The presentation is at 6 p.m., which is when the Legislature meeting is scheduled to start. The county budget typically comes in at approximately $1 billion. And the tax rate will probably stay at $8.99 per $1,000 assessed value; every […]
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US on track to become top oil producer
During the presidential campaign, Republican Mitt Romney made some noise about how President Barack Obama was, more or less, standing in the way of increased domestic energy production. The campaign is over, Romney lost, and media outlets are finally picking up on reports that the United States is on pace to pass Saudi Arabia as […]
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City Council advances land bank legislation
When City Council meets next Tuesday, it’ll take up legislation to form a land bank corporation. Last night, a Council committee voted unanimously to advance the legislation. No members asked questions on the proposal. Land banks are new to New York State, but several are now up and running, including one in greater Buffalo. The […]
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America for sale
By one estimate, this year’s federal elections could cost as much as $6 billion. That’s a projection from the Center for Responsive Politics, the organization that runs the campaign finance tracking website Opensecrets.org. The number may be shocking, but it’s not spontaneous or arbitrary; it’s been decades in the making. And the Supreme Court’s 2010 […]
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League on the lake
SUNY Brockport professor Joe Makarewicz will discuss the Great Lakes ecosystem at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 8, at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue. | Makarewicz’s presentation is part of a Rochester League of Women Voters event examining a position on Great Lakes protection developed by the League of Women Voters of Michigan. He’ll […]
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Ignoring climate warnings comes at a cost
New York City had warnings that, given a strong enough storm, parts of the city faced serious flooding. Superstorm Sandy made those predictions come true. Now, city officials and the federal government are talking about what they can do to prevent that sort of flooding in the future. Climate researchers project that sea levels will […]
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O’Brien leads Hanna in Siena poll
This morning, the Siena Research Institute released poll results that show Democrat Ted O’Brien ahead of Republican Sean Hanna in the state Senate’s 55th District. The poll results show that, of the 476 likely voters interviewed, 50 percent said they’d vote for O’Brien, while 39 percent said they’d vote for Hanna. On the issue of […]
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Now’s a good time to talk about FEMA cuts
During last night’s debate between Maggie Brooks and Louise Slaughter, WROC anchor Maureen McGuire asked the candidates whether, in light of Hurricane Sandy, they’d supporting cutting funding for or eliminating FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Both candidates said they want to keep FEMA intact and preserve its funding. But Brooks’ response had another element; […]
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The high price of the presidency
This spending in this year’s presidential race will crush the record set in 2008. But how outrageous will the sums be? As of October 17, the numbers were staggering. First, some context. The 2008 presidential election cost $1.7 billion, twice as much as the 2004 presidential election. In 2012, spending will at least double that […]
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Fracking’s insurance issues
Environmental and economic issues have so far dominated New York’s discussion of high-volume hydraulic fracturing. But there are other issues to consider if state officials decide to green-light fracking, including the complex question of insurance. The State Assembly’s Insurance Committee has been studying the implications of fracking on homeowner, mortgage, and title insurance policies for […]
