January 2, 2012

Hanna supports SOPA

Update: It could be worse. I could have called Senator Schumer. Even the added explanation in the update at the bottom there doesn't make this any better. A few weeks ago I called Congressman Richard Hanna's office to register my...

Posted by simon at 12:06 PM

Inadequate geology in the dSGEIS

It took a month, but I've finally finished my comments on the Revised Draft SGEIS on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program (September 2011) - Well Permit Issuance for Horizontal Drilling and High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus...

Posted by simon at 12:01 AM

December 6, 2010

"I urge you to reject this appeal"

Dear members of the Town of Dryden Zoning Board of Appeals, I re-read Lucente Development's appeal to you for a reduced acreage requirement on a Planned Unit Development. If you knew nothing about the state of Dryden's zoning beyond what's...

Posted by simon at 12:15 PM

April 1, 2010

My zoning comments

Reviewing the draft zoning law and assembling comments took a lot longer than I'd planned (and yes, this is really only two pages in print). I'll expand on this further here in more postings, but I'd definitely be curious what...

Posted by simon at 12:43 PM

December 31, 2009

My comment on the gas drilling dSGEIS

It's the last minute, yes, but you can still submit comments today on the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement On The Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program, also known as the Hydrofracking dSGEIS. Here's what I sent. Reading...

Posted by simon at 4:07 PM

March 30, 2007

Do you know how your legislator voted today?

It's possible that I'm missing something, but I've looked and asked and not found any sign that roll calls for votes on bills are available online for either the New York State Assembly or the New York State Senate. It's...

Posted by simon at 12:28 PM

June 20, 2005

Lifton replies on NYSERDA

Back in April, I sent a letter to Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, a letter to Senator Jim Seward, and a letter to Governor George Pataki about the State Legislature's apparent grab for the NYSERDA piggybank. While the legislature enjoyed talking about...

Posted by simon at 9:13 PM

April 6, 2005

State legislators reach for NYSERDA piggybank?

I've been fond of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for a while now. I first heard about them when I had work done on my house and received a rebate, but they also audited that work...

Posted by simon at 4:24 PM

March 18, 2005

Ask a simple question, get a quick answer

I wrote Congressman Sherwood Boehlert about federal transportation spending in Tompkins County this past Saturday, as I'd seen stories about spending elsewhere but nothing about what was happening here. Boehlert writes: As you will note, the bill contains $4.5 million...

Posted by simon at 12:46 PM

March 13, 2005

Transportation spending

I've seen lots of news trumpeting Congressman Boehlert's transportation funding through upcoming legislation for other parts of his district, but can't seem to find anything about Tompkins County or Dryden. The main press release on Boehlert's site provides few details,...

Posted by simon at 12:04 PM

February 2, 2005

Boehlert backpedals on Social Security

Tracking Representative Sherwood Boehlert's positions is getting more interesting, but fortunately Josh Marshall is helping keep track. Last week he was talking about the importance of moderate Republicans while facing a new challenger, and a couple of weeks ago he...

Posted by simon at 1:38 PM

December 29, 2004

Lifton replies on empty-seat voting

Assemblywoman Lifton wrote back to my earlier letter on empty-seat voting. I find her reply much more promising than Senator Seward's reply - she doesn't try to defend the practice, and suggests that she's actually taking steps to reduce it:...

Posted by simon at 12:38 PM

December 1, 2004

Senator Seward replies on empty-seat voting

Senator Seward's office was certainly speedy in getting back to my letter about empty-seat voting, though I can't say his response gives me much sense that he's interested in changing the process at all. The senator writes: Most of the...

Posted by simon at 2:32 PM

November 24, 2004

"Empty seat voting"

Since I wrote Congressman Boehlert this morning, I figured it might be nice to continue my letter-writing to some of Dryden's other representatives on my lunch. I've written before about Assemblywoman Lifton's response to my letter and the preliminary report...

Posted by simon at 12:45 PM

Boehlert transportation funding stripped by angry Oklahoman

I'll have to do some research on what exactly was cut, but it looks like Representative Ernest Istook (R-OK) took revenge on Congressman Sherwood Boehlert and a number of his colleagues for writing him a letter in support of Amtrak...

Posted by simon at 9:35 AM