Yesterday, David Paterson signed a comprehensive anti-bullying bill called the Dignity for All Students Act.
This new bill, which goes into effect on July 1, 2012, prohibits harassment “with respect to certain non-exclusive protected classes, including, but not limited to, the student’s actual or perceived “race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex,”.
Schools will be required to “Revise their codes of conduct and adopt policies intended to create a school environment free from harassment and discrimination; Adopt guidelines to be used in school training programs to raise awareness and sensitivity of school employees to these issues and to enable them to respond appropriately; and Designate at least one staff member in each school to be trained in non-discriminatory instructional and counseling methods and handling human relations.
Paterson said “Every student has the right to a safe and civil educational environment, but far too often young people are ruthlessly targeted by bullies. Bullying and harassment have disrupted the education of too many young people, and we in government have a responsibility to do our part to create learning environments that help our children prosper. I am proud to sign this bill into law as it will help ensure that students are protected from harassment, discrimination and bullying at school grounds and at school functions.”
I really like our Governor, David Paterson. I feel that he is one of the few politicians who will make unpopular yet necessary decisions and says what he really means. His latest example of a no BS speech was yesterday in response to rumors that a upcomming NY Times article has some damaging dirt on him. Paterson said,
“The only way I’m not going to be governor next year is at the ballot box and the only way that I’ll be leaving office before is in a box,”
Apparently Governor Paterson’s plan to allow supermarkets to sell wine is back on the table. The deal would allow supermarkets to sell wine and liquor stores to sell snack foods. Not surprisingly, wine retailers are strongly against this.
Liquor store owners are worried that if we could buy wine at supermarkets, we would stop shopping in their stores. I think the liquor store owners need to rethink their current strategy of complaining and look at ways that this deal could benefit them. We currently have the ability to buy beer in the supermarket and occasionally, I do. However, we still have beer distributors and if I want to choose from a more varied selection of beers, I’ll go there for my shopping.
Liquor stores can thrive with a similar strategy of offering a much more varied selection of wines than a supermarket, which will likely stock top sellers. Also, wine retailers have the expertise that a supermarket will never be able to match. Can you imagine walking into Price Chopper and asking an employee who is stalking the wine shelves to suggest a wine that will compliment a particular cheese? Wine shops will also be able to sell gourmet cheeses that will open a whole new revenue stream.
As a wine drinker, I’ll be keeping a close eye on this debate and will keep you posted.
Yesterday the NY State Senate voted against a measure that would have granted marriage equality to all New Yorkers.
Stephen M. Saland
Every Republican senator voted against the measure including Stephen Saland (518-455-2411, saland@senate.state.ny.us), representative of NY district 41. The district I live in. Mr. Saland decided yesterday that I shouldn’t have the same basic rights as the mixed-sex couple that lives across the road from me.
In addition to the predictable Republicans, eight Democrats also voted against the measure. Here they are listed with their district or region in parenthesis:
Darrel Aubertine (Upstate) – aubertin@senate.state.ny.us
William Stachowski (Upstate) – stachows@senate.state.ny.us
Joseph Addabbo (Queens) – addabbo@senate.state.ny.us
George Onorato (Queens) – onorato@senate.state.ny.us
Ruben Diaz (Bronx) – diaz@senate.state.ny.us
Carl Kruger (Kings) – kruger@senate.state.ny.us
Shirley Huntley (Queens) – shuntley@senate.state.ny.us
Hiram Monserrate (Queens) – monserra@senate.state.ny.us
Of this list, you might be familiar with Hiram Monserrate. In March of 2009, Monserrate was indicted by a grand jury on three felony and three misdemeanor charges for the brutal attack of his girlfriend. Apparently, Monserrate savagely attacked his girlfriend and slashed her face. He claimed he was innocent and said he tripped and accidentally cut his girlfriend with a broken drinking glass, requiring more than 20 stitches over her left eye. Monserrate was found guilty of the lesser charge of third-degree assault for dragging a bleeding women down the hallway. That charge is only a misdemeanor, which is how Monserrate has continued to keep his job in the senate and yesterday had the power and ability to tell me that I can’t marry the person I love and have spent more than nine face-slashing-free years with.
Regardless of where you stand on the moral issue of marriage equality, how can you ignore common sense? NY is on the verge of bankruptcy with job and service cuts looming. How can any semi inteligent person say no to the added financial boon gay marriage can bring to the state? As most of my straight friends can attest to, getting married is expensive. Even if you get creative and do it on the cheap, you are still going to be spending money for basic items associated with the marriage. Even if all you do is have a civil ceremony performed by a justice of the peace, the state would have received the marriage license application fees.
So what to do next? Personally, I’m fortunate enough to live 5 minutes from the NY/MA border so I’ll take my disposable, childless, two-person income spending power over the border. I realize that this punishes local businesses but those local business owners probably voted for Stephen Saland so why should I care about their profit. If you are a local business owner in district 41, then email me at jeff@columbiacountycurrent.com, and I’ll add you to my “Ok to shop list”.
If you are wondering why we don’t make that short drive to MA to get married the reason is that I believe marriage means something. It shouldn’t be a matter of convenience vs. inconvenience and we shouldn’t have to cross a state border like someone buying fireworks or booze on Sunday to get married.
I don’t like to talk politics here but, as a New Yorker, I just can’t let Spitzer’s bombshell announcement yesterday go without mention. In case you haven’t heard what that announcement was, NY governor, Eliot Spitzer, admitted to being involved in a high-price prostitution ring. Personally, I’m not bothered by the fact that he was visiting a lady of the evening. I always thought he looked a bit sleazy and figured he was probably up to far worse than hookers. What shocks me is how stupid he must be to think that the governor of New York would be able to get away with flying a prostitute from NY to Washington DC for a $4000 “date”. I’m not implying that Spitzer or any other political figure should be expected to live their lives with greater morality than any other citizen – but, don’t choose a career of public service and public scrutiny if your private life is filled with secrets.
This new bill, which goes into effect on July 1, 2012, prohibits harassment “with respect to certain non-exclusive protected classes, including, but not limited to, the student’s actual or perceived “race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex,”.
Columbia County Current 