Government

Reform groups are focusing attention on Governor Cuomo’s anti corruption commission’s recommendations to beef up the anemic State Board of Elections but say they have not given up hope of public campaign financing for state wide races.

The reform groups say the State Board of Elections in its present form is “useless” and “incompetent” when it comes to enforcing campaign violations, and needs to be replaced.

Blair Horner is with the New York Public Interest Research Group.

This is a special day for Webster Mayor John Cahill and two trustees. Village residents elected the three on a promise to switch the village water supply to the Monroe County Water Authority. Monday, it happened.

"It was difficult holding back the emotions. Let's just put it that way,” said Mayor Cahill.

NEW YORK (AP) — After a New York commuter train derailment killed four people, two federal lawmakers want trains to be outfitted with cameras pointed at engineers and at the tracks.

Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut held a news conference Sunday at Grand Central Terminal, one week after the derailment in the Bronx. The Democratic lawmakers are urging the Federal Railroad Administration to implement the cameras.

The National Transportation Safety Board has suggested it.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York comptroller's office announced Friday that it will audit hate crime reporting statewide after a legislator earlier this year cited an apparent spike in such crimes.

Auditors will examine the state Division of Criminal Justice Services' handling of annual reports culled from police data. The DCJS report last month showed 720 hate crimes statewide in 2012, up almost 30 percent from a year earlier. Most of the increase was in New York City and Suffolk County, which had made changes in its reporting process.

ATTICA, N.Y. (AP)  Authorities say they're investigating the deaths of two inmates at New York's maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility.

The state corrections department and state police say the inmates died on Thursday and a third inmate was hospitalized.

The deaths are being described as unattended. But officials aren't releasing any details Friday, citing the ongoing investigation.

The western New York prison was the site of the nation's deadliest prison riot in 1971.

Governor Cuomo’s commission to study tax cuts will miss a Friday deadline (missed the deadline) to report it’s findings by December 6th, after controversy over former Governor George Pataki’s desire to cut income taxes for all wage earners, including the wealthy.  

Although the tax commission has now bogged down over co chair and former Governor George Pataki’s push to lower income tax rates, it’s original charge was to look at ways to lower New York’s highest in the nation  property taxes, as well as finding ways to reduce business taxes.

 The airshow at the Rochester Airport is coming back next year, and it will feature the Air Force Thunderbirds.  That was supposed to happen last year, but the airshow had to be canceled because federal budget cuts prevented the Thunderbirds from appearing.

Next year's show will be on August 16th and 17th. The Thunderbirds were also the featured act at the local airshow in 2005 and 2008.

That will be a busy week, since the Wegmans LPGA Championship is also going on that week.

Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn defended his request for a $37,000 pay raise at a meeting of the  County Legislature’s Ways and Means committee Thursday night.

The raise is part of County Executive Maggie Brooks’ proposed 2014 budget, unveiled in November.

O’Flynn says traditionally the Sheriff’s wage has been ‘aligned’ with that of the county District Attorney (DA). Since the DA’s wage rose to $174,000 per year in 2013, he says, it’s only fair his goes up too.

The state tax department is making a push this week to make sure homeowners know they have until the end of the year to renew their eligibility for the 'STAR' property tax program.

The state decided to require people getting the "basic" STAR exemption to re-register for the program to help get rid of some problems with fraud. The re-registration is NOT required for senior citizens, just the other homeowners who are eligible for the tax break.