Since its inception in 2003, the state brownfields cleanup program has fallen woefully short of its intended purpose.
The program was designed to give tax breaks to developers willing to invest in the thousands of contaminated sites in need of cleanup. Yet the program has been heavy on incentives and lax on cleanup.
A new proposed bill would cap tax credits at $15 million, withhold credits for projects that don't need them and reward a high level of cleanup with greater incentives. The cap is a major step in the right direction.
But even the new and improved plan has room for abuse. DEC commissioner Pete Grannis said current projects would be grandfathered in. That's troublesome. The Legislature, along with support from Grannis, should look at ways of scaling back on those projects that don't meet the criteria outlined in the new bill.
- Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester
The House of Representatives folded up and adjourned Feb. 15 without discussing the desperately critical terrorist-surveillance bill.
National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell restates the obvious: Failing to modernize the outdated Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - “and ensure that the intelligence community can effectively collect the information needed to protect our country.”
Chiefly at issue, still, are the telecommunications companies. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel, complying with a federal request, turned over phone records for intelligence agencies to data-mine.
The White House wants these companies to enjoy retroactive immunity from litigation - else, McConnell notes, they'll be less willing to cooperate with future federal requests. And he's right.
The House, so far, will not agree to immunize the telecom firms.
- Daily News,
New York
A new proposed bill would cap tax credits at $15 million, withhold credits for projects that don't need them and reward a high level of cleanup with greater incentives. The cap is a major step in the right direction.
But even the new and improved plan has room for abuse. DEC commissioner Pete Grannis said current projects would be grandfathered in. That's troublesome. The Legislature, along with support from Grannis, should look at ways of scaling back on those projects that don't meet the criteria outlined in the new bill.
- Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester
The House of Representatives folded up and adjourned Feb. 15 without discussing the desperately critical terrorist-surveillance bill.
National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell restates the obvious: Failing to modernize the outdated Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - “and ensure that the intelligence community can effectively collect the information needed to protect our country.”
Chiefly at issue, still, are the telecommunications companies. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel, complying with a federal request, turned over phone records for intelligence agencies to data-mine.
The White House wants these companies to enjoy retroactive immunity from litigation - else, McConnell notes, they'll be less willing to cooperate with future federal requests. And he's right.
The House, so far, will not agree to immunize the telecom firms.
- Daily News,
New York
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Post your comment - click hereThere are 2 comment(s)
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:49 PM:
If you are scared by our own government's activities at least as much as those of terrorists, you aren't awake. "
AJ wrote on Feb 23, 2008 11:08 AM:
Keep in mind that they want immunity for when they were illegally spying before 9/11 on the administration's request.
This piece is pure unadulterated crap and has no business being re-printed. What's the matter with you Citizen? "