Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Could Netanyahu's Indictment Help His Election Campaign?
This report was published on YouTube on March 11.
Black Lawmakers to Block Legalized Marijuana in N.Y. if Their Communities Don’t Benefit
Some of legalization’s most vocal supporters said the state must guarantee people of color a share of the potentially $3 billion industry.
Source: The New York Times
NYPD Update: 32nd Precinct Community Council Meeting
Click on the flier to increase its size.
Source: A. Smith, President/NYPD Civilian Volunteer, 32nd Precinct CC
Source: A. Smith, President/NYPD Civilian Volunteer, 32nd Precinct CC
From
The G-Man is urging community residents to attend this meeting and
others. It is the only way to find out what the precinct and department
are doing to address crime in the area.
Additionally, the meetings provide information on community events and allow residents to convey concerns or pose important questions to those charged with the task of protecting and serving.
Show up, stand up and be counted.
Additionally, the meetings provide information on community events and allow residents to convey concerns or pose important questions to those charged with the task of protecting and serving.
Show up, stand up and be counted.
NYS Office of Mental Health Launches New Electronic Tracking System
Agency Aims to Reduce Wait Time for Inpatient Care
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) today announced the launch of a
new bed tracking system that will improve the way information about
inpatient bed availability is collected and maintained statewide.
The Bed Availability System (BAS) will expect all hospitals in New
York State to report psychiatric inpatient bed availability twice daily.
OMH Field Offices, County Mental Health Directors and all general
hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and OMH State-operated hospitals will
have access to the search tool for immediate, up-to-date information.
“The Office of Mental Health is constantly examining our psychiatric
bed availability and working to improve accessibility and reduce wait
times for inpatient care,” said OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “The
Bed Availability System will improve data collection to highlight where
beds are available and where the need is the greatest. It’s a system
that has far-reaching benefits for the entire mental health system and
is expected to reduce the wait time for individuals who need the
intensive level of care that inpatient treatment provides.”
To help facilitate implementation of the new system, OMH was recently
awarded a $150,000 grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and National Association of
State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). OMH plans to use the
funding to provide in-person training and remote assistance to hospital
staff to complete and maintain the BAS. Individual assistance will be
available to each hospital statewide to assure sufficient staff are
trained and have access to the BAS application.
Previously, OMH has maintained a voluntary bed reporting system
called the “Available Beds Reporting System” (ABRS). ABRS has been used
by hospital emergency departments and OMH Field Office Staff, as well
as County Local Mental Hygiene Directors, to locate available inpatient
beds for patients in need of placement. However, reporting often proved
to be sporadic, leading to unreliable data.
The BAS launched March 1, 2019 after a successful 3-week pilot of the
system in September 2018. The system was patterned after the bed
availability tool implemented by the NYS Office of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) in 2015. The BAS will be located on the
Health Electronic Response Data System (HERDS), a component of the
Health Commerce System managed by the NYS Department of Health (DOH).
“Accurate data on psychiatric inpatient bed availability will enhance
providers’ ability to improve the timelines of admissions and help
decrease the length of stay in less optimal settings, such as emergency
departments,” said Bea Grause, R.N., J.D., President of the Healthcare
Association of New York State. “HANYS looks forward to working with OMH
on the BAS to assist our members and patients.”
“New York’s hospital community appreciates OMH’s effort to address
our concerns about locating scare psychiatric beds for individuals
requiring inpatient care,” said Greater New York Hospital Association
President Kenneth E. Raske. “The Bed Availability System will help our
member hospitals identify these vital services in a timely manner. We
thank OMH for their leadership on this important issue.”
Source: The New York State Office of Mental Health
File Your Tax Return Even if You Can’t Pay What You Owe Now
New York State Taxpayer Rights Advocate Margaret Neri today reminded taxpayers not to delay filing their personal income tax return if they owe money but can’t immediately pay. The Tax Department can help taxpayers avoid or reduce penalties and added interest.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for taxpayers to pay what they owe,” said Taxpayer Rights Advocate Margaret Neri. “We understand that not everyone can pay what they owe right away. That’s why the Tax Department offers opportunities to set up a payment plan or make a one-time payment online after filing.”
Steps to delay payment
Taxpayers who can’t pay what they owe all at once are encouraged to follow these steps: submit your completed tax return by the April 15 deadline to avoid penalties; pay what you can afford now to reduce interest; and request an Installment Payment Agreement (IPA).
An IPA is the Tax Department’s most convenient and popular payment option for outstanding tax debt. In the last five years, 381,000 taxpayers have taken advantage of this program to pay back $1.4 billion.
Individuals who can pay in full have another payment option—Quick Pay—that allows them to pay a bill or tax debt directly from their bank accounts. The online app can be accessed from home computers, a smartphone, or other mobile device. Since the Quick Pay app went live in 2018, nearly 134,000 taxpayers have made one-time payments totaling $105 million.
In addition, taxpayers can use Tax Department Online Services accounts to make payments from their bank account or by credit card. They can also respond to notices, update their information, and handle other tax-related tasks. Visit www.tax.ny.gov to set up an account or log in to an existing account.
New York State Taxpayer Rights Advocate
As a New York State taxpayer, you have rights protecting you from any unfairness in the administration and collection of taxes, as well as a variety of options to resolve tax issues.
The Office of the Taxpayer Rights Advocate (OTRA) will help you understand your rights, and find the best way for you to resolve your tax debt or problem.
OTRA, an independent office within the Tax Department, provides: free assistance to resolve difficult or ongoing tax problems; options to consider if a tax issue is causing undue economic harm; and recommendations for administrative or legislative reforms.
Click here for additional information and/or resources.
Source: New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
Monday, March 11, 2019
Artist Selected for Sojourner Truth Monument
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced a Yonkers sculptor has been commissioned to create a monument commemorating famed abolitionist and suffragette Sojourner Truth. The monument will be located at the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park along the Empire State Trail in Ulster County. Sculptor and artist Vinnie Bagwell's proposed design for a 7-foot bronze statue of Sojourner Truth will help more fully include and represent women and people of all races and creeds who have contributed to the history of New York State.
"Sojourner Truth's courage and determination helped blaze a trail for women and people of color across the country, and this monument will help future generations remember her legacy and inspire them to continue the fight toward a more just society," Governor Cuomo said. "I am thrilled that the State of New York is commissioning fellow New Yorker Vinnie Bagwell to create this monument and I can't wait to see her work depicting this historic figure along the Empire State Trail."
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Girls for Gender Equity: Get Trained to Be a 'PB' Poll Worker
The following announcement was submitted by Girls for Gender Equity (GGE).
GGE
is proud to partner with the New York City Council to support the
participation of young people in New York City’s Participatory Budgeting
(PB) process! PB is a process whereby New Yorkers ages 11 and up can
vote on how their city council members spend up to $1 million in public
funding in their districts.
PB is one way for the public - regardless of immigration status - to participate in the city budget. Thirty-one members of the New York City Council are participating in PB this year. Find out if your elected representative is participating here. Vote week is March 30 to April 7.
Get Involved: Poll Worker Trainings
Poll
worker trainings are two-hour trainings on how to best assist during
vote week at polling sites throughout the city. Poll workers can be as
young as 11-years-old and volunteer regardless of immigration status. No
sign up is needed but you must attend one of the trainings below in
order to volunteer to be a poll worker for this PB cycle.
Being a poll worker is a way to contribute to your community through support and assistance where you are needed and wanted.
Here are the training dates, times and locations, which now includes Staten Island.
Click on the graph to increase its size.
Source: GGE
This Week in Washington
Bloomberg Senate reporter Steven Dennis and CBS News White House reporter Kathryn Watson discuss the week ahead in Washington.
This video may not play on certain browsers. Click here if you experience problems.
‘Not Productive Anymore’: GOP Strategist on Partisan Divide
This report was published on YouTube on March 10.
Human Smuggling Industry Cashes in on U.S. Asylum-Seekers
This report was published on YouTube on March 10.
With North Korea, 'Leverage is on Our Side Right Now': John Bolton
This report was published on YouTube on March 10.
ABC News: On "This Week," Martha Raddatz interviews John Bolton, national security
adviser to President Donald Trump, on North Korea, Venezuela and the
fight to eradicate ISIS.
Why DRC’s Latest Ebola Outbreak is More Worrisome Than the Last
This report was published on YouTube on March 2.
US Jobs Growth Halts, Stoking Fears of Global Economic Slowdown
This report was published on YouTube on March 8.
157 People on Board Ethiopian Airlines Crash, Kenyan Minister Says
This report was published on YouTube on March 10.
Japanese Woman Named World's Oldest Person at 116 Years Old
This report was published on YouTube on March 9.
City Scoop: Citywide Women Hero Monuments, Rockaway Beach Restoration
This report was published on YouTube on March 8.
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