(Long Island, NY) Assemblymen Chad Lupinacci (R,C,WF,I-Huntington Station) and Andrew Raia (R,I,C-East Northport) today met with students from Elwood Middle School during their visit to the State Capitol. The students, who are members of the Elwood Middle School National Junior Honor Society, learned about the role of an assemblyman and the different divisions of state government.

Assemblymen Chad Lupinacci (right) and Andrew Raia (left) meet with students of Elwood Middle School.

“The students from Elwood presented some incredibly insightful questions about the legislative process, the role the Assembly plays in state government and how the decisions made here each day impact their lives,” said Lupinacci. “One of the most important issues we discussed during their visit was the importance school aid plays in providing them a quality education. Fortunately, thanks to the help of vocal local residents, this year we were able to ensure our students have the resources they need to receive a first-class education.”

Department of Financial Services Subpoenas Companies Preying on Retirees and Military Veterans

For more information: Matt Anderson,, 212.709.1690

(Long Island, NY) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he has directed the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to launch an investigation into ‘pension advances’ – which are financial products that allow companies to harvest a retiree’s pension payments in exchange for a lump-sum payment that amounts to just pennies on the dollar. At the Governor’s direction, DFS today sent subpoenas to ten companies engaging in pension advances.

“These companies are literally harvesting the-hard earned pensions of seniors, military veterans and other hard working New Yorkers,” said Governor Cuomo. “Using deceptive practices to cheat people out of their pensions by enrolling them in backdoor high-interest loans will not be tolerated in our state. Anyone seeking to prey on New Yorkers should know that we will use every tool at our disposal to aggressively pursue and put stop this fraud.”

Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, said, “These pension advances appear to be nothing more than payday loans in sheep’s clothing. Pension harvesting schemes that hit financially strapped retirees with sky-high interest rates and hidden fees are simply unacceptable. It’s especially disturbing that military veterans – who earned their pensions defending our country – are apparently being targeted through these abusive products.”

In a pension advance scheme, a retiree signs away a portion of their regular weekly or monthly pension payment to a company in exchange for an upfront, lump-sum payment. The effective annual interest rates for these pension advances can sometimes exceed 100 percent – eating away a substantial portion of the value of a retiree’s pension. Additionally, in a particularly troubling development, the companies offering these products appear to be targeting the pensions of our nation’s military veterans.

DFS today sent subpoenas to the following companies:

1. LumpSum Pension Advance
2. Pension Funding LLC
3. Pensions Annuities & Settlements LLC
4. Pension Income LLC
5. Cash Flow Investment Partners
6. DFR Pension Funding
7. Veterans Benefit Leverage
8. Voyager Financial Group LLC (Pension4Case/Cash Out My Pension/Buy Your Pension)
9. First American Finance Corporation
10. Investing Forward (Termbrokers LLC)

DFS’ wide-ranging investigation into pension advances is targeted at determining whether these companies have engaged in fraud or misconduct; violated state usury laws; engaged in false, misleading, or deceptive advertising about rates and fees; and violated laws prohibiting the harvesting of military pensions.

Under New York Financial Services Law, DFS has the power to conduct investigations into and provide oversight for new financial products that are not currently subject to regulation. Previously, these ‘gap products’ – such as pension advances – could have gotten stuck in regulatory blind spots while consumers were harmed.

DFS also urged anyone who suspects that they have been the victim of a pension advance scheme to contact DFS’ Consumer Help Line at 1-800-342-3736 for assistance.

June Event on-the-Green to Support Critical Housing

(Islip Terrace, NY) IN SUPPORT OF ONE OF LONG ISLAND’S BEST OPTIONS FOR THE HOMELESS AND MENTALLY ILL, a community bank and a local sports legend announced that they will join Mercy Haven, Inc. for its 14th Annual Golf Outing at Island Hills Golf Club in Sayville, NY on Thursday, June 6, 2013. The event is open to the public.

Former New York Mets Shortstop and Long Island Ducks co-owner Bud Harrelson will once again be in attendance lending his name, golf swing, and luxury seats to the cause in a “Closest to the Pin” challenge. If you beat him, you will win an exciting evening at a Ducks game, bells and quackers included! Hole-In-One prizes include a 2013 Ford Mustang (generously donated by Sayville Ford) and a trip the Pebble Beach. Dozens of raffle baskets and a silent auction will also be part of the event.

Empire National Bank Vice President and Branch Manager Dorothy Overton, who serves as board chair for Mercy Haven, emphasized Empire’s commitment to community issues and local residents through its support for a cause that focuses on fair and equitable housing for all Long Islanders. Empire National Bank has sponsored Mercy Haven’s annual golf outing since 2008.

“Everyone deserves safe and dignified housing,” says Overton. “Mercy Haven has been making it happen for some of Long Island’s most at-risk residents for more than 28 years.” She added, “The golf outing is a wonderful way to meet neighbors, network, and show support for one of the causes that makes Long Island a great place to live.”

The all-day schedule for Thursday, June 6 includes 9:30 am registration, a breakfast buffet, 11 am shotgun start, and – for both golfers and non-golfers – 4-7:30 pm Cocktails and Dinner. Participants are invited to support Mercy Haven with a $300 golf fee, or an $80 contribution for dinner and cocktails only. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for other businesses interested in aligning themselves with Mercy Haven’s mission. All of the information can be found at https://mercyhavengolf2013.karma411.com.

Register now as a participant or a sponsor! Please contact Christine Cusack at 631-277-8300, or email Christine at ccusack@mercyhaven.com.

About Mercy Haven
Established in 1985, Mercy Haven, Inc. is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) corporation. Mercy Haven’s mission is to acknowledge the dignity and potential of people who are homeless, living with mental illness, or living in poverty by providing housing, advocacy, education, and life skills development.

We welcome inquiries from the press and will gladly provide photos, photo opportunities, and interview opportunities. Please help us spread the word about Mercy Haven and its mission.

For more information, please visit our website at mercyhaven.org.

CONTACT
Christine Cusack, Development Director, Mercy Haven
631.277.8300 / ccusack@mercyhaven.com

(West Islip, NY) – What should be the happiest time in a new mother’s life may instead lead to depression or anxiety. May is Perinatal Mood Disorders Awareness Month recognizing the leading medical complication related to childbearing, affecting one of every eight mothers during pregnancy and one of every six after delivery. Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center offers a support group “The Mother’s Circle of Hope” free of charge for women experiencing pregnancy-related or postpartum depression and anxiety.

These feelings may make women ashamed and cause them to hide their suffering from family and friends. However, it is important to talk to someone, whether it is a health care provider, family member or friend, and seek help. Getting treatment early is the best thing a mom can do for herself, her baby and family.

“Following the difficult birth of my daughter, I began having health issues, causing extreme anxiety. I knew I needed help to get me through that time and found the amazing support group at Good Samaritan. I hope more woman take advantage of this service,” said new mom Mary Cronin.

The Mother’s Circle of Hope meets once a week for 11 weeks to provide emotional support and information to women in the community. Participants learn about available treatment options, as well as the steps back to wellness in a supportive, caring environment. Attendees discover they are not alone and gain strategies to help cope with this experience and begin the road to recovery.  Good Samaritan Hospital’s Perinatal Education Center provides educational and moral support to expectant couples, new parents and their families. The next series will be in July.

For more information about Good Samaritan’s Mother’s Circle of Hope support group, please call (631) 376-HOPE or circleofhope@chsli.org

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537-bed (including 100 nursing home beds), voluntary, not-for-profit hospital located in West Islip.  The medical center, which has more than 3,775 employees and 900 physicians on staff, had nearly 28,000 patient admissions and nearly 100,000 emergency department visits in 2012.  Good Samaritan is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Visit the website at www.good-samaritan-hospital.org

The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health.  This includes community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other community programs and services.

(West Islip, NY) “Operation Football” collected more than 80 footballs donated by staff at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center to send to soldiers in the 1st and 2nd brigades of the 10th Mountain Division of the US Army in Kandaher, Afghanistan. Past President NYS AMVETS Post 18 Frank DeMarco took care of shipping footballs to the troops.

Pictured (L-R): Hospital transporter Theresa Fackner, lead custodian Frank Albarella, telecommunications operator Francine Rico, concierge attendant Kathryn Birch, Operations Manager Anthony Anitra, Dawn Esposito, RN, program coordinator and special events coordinator Lorraine Marinaro.

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537-bed (including 100 nursing home beds), voluntary, not-for-profit hospital located in West Islip. The medical center, which has more than 3,775 employees and 900 physicians on staff, had nearly 28,000 patient admissions and nearly 100,000 emergency department visits in 2012. Good Samaritan is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Visit the website at www.good-samaritan-hospital.org

The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health. This includes community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other community programs and services.

(Long Island, NY) David Siddhartha Patel is a professor of government at Cornell University whose research focuses on politics in the Middle Eastern politics, as well as Islamic institutions and the political culture of the region. Patel has conducted research in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and Lebanon. He comments on the increasing controversy surrounding international intervention in the escalating civil war in Syria.

Patel says:

“As President Obama decides how to respond to the Syrian regime’s alleged crossing of his ‘red line’ on the use of chemical weapons, it is important to remember that international intervention in the Syrian civil war has been occurring for more than a year.

“Iran has been providing the Asad regime with money, military supplies and probably military operatives, and Hezbollah now acknowledges it has forces in Syria and is reportedly training a Shiite-Alawi militia. On the rebel side, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are supporting various factions, occasionally in a coordinated manner but more often separately.

“This is a bad situation that will only get worse in the coming months, regardless of how Israel, the U.S. and European powers choose to involve themselves.”

Bellone: Legislation Will Provide Better Intelligence

(Hauppauge, NY) Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker today announced a major step forward to improve police response time to emergencies in our schools. At the direction of a resolution authored by Legislator Anker, the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) was tasked with completing a comprehensive study to determine the efficiency and cost of implementing an emergency notification system. The Department’s solution is the SAVE (School Active Violence Emergency) hotline.

The SAVE hotline will be a direct phone line that can be placed in one or several locations throughout a school building and would be programmed to automatically dial the Suffolk County Police 911 center supervisor. The supervisor would have an instant display of the incident location and provide immediate verbal communication. This allows instant confirmation for both the police department and the school that there is an incident and police are responding.

“We must do everything in our power to protect our children and with Suffolk County’s SAVE hotline we will provide schools with an additional cost effective option for school safety,” Legislator Anker said. “Time will be saved by providing a dedicated line for school emergencies, which will reduce response time. I commend the Police Department for completing this study so quickly and I look forward to working together to implement these recommendations.”

“The SAVE hotline will provide law enforcement with the real time information they need to effectively respond to an emergency,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. “I applaud Legislator Anker for her leadership to make sure we do everything possible to protect our children.”

The police department has determined that the SAVE hotline would be a rapid, reliable, inexpensive system that is simple to utilize, and will expedite police response time in active violence situations in our schools. This hotline would allow the call to bypass the usual intermediate interview with an emergency complaint operator thereby resulting in an immediate dispatch of the closest available resources by the supervisor. The plan has the unanimous support of the Executive Board of the Suffolk County School Supervisor’s Association. At the direction of County Executive Bellone, SCPD will be working over the next few weeks to implement the system.

“When police officers respond to incidents, the more information they have going in, the better, said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Edward Webber. “This system will allow officers to get details on an emergency which will ultimately better protect our school children and first responders.”

In its review, SCPD also considered implementing panic alarms. However, this option was not recommended, because unlike a dedicated phone system, a panic alarm would only result in a notification to police that an incident is occurring, but would not provide the specific details that the police department needs to effectively respond. For instance, in a large high school, the panic alarm would not provide police with a sense of where the incident was occurring or the nature of the emergency, which in a non-life threatening event could result in a disproportionate response.

(Long Island, NY) Saturday night, Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R,C,WF,I-Huntington Station) joined members of the Halesite Fire Department and local officials to celebrate the department’s annual installation dinner. Halesite Fire Department is an all volunteer department that covers the Halesite and Huntington Bay communities.

Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (far left) joins Halesite Fire Department Chief Dan McConnell, 50-year member Walter Sammis, outgoing Chief Andy Magerle and Huntington Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia.

“Halesite Fire Department is made up of dedicated men and women who serve and sacrifice on behalf of the public each and every day,” said Lupinacci. “Through the efforts of these fine firemen and EMS providers, we receive top-notch care from residents’ right here in the community. I want to congratulate outgoing Chief Magerle for his service and wish Chief McConnell and all the members of Halesite Fire safety in the year to come.”

Jonathan Elsalam, 27, Bellport High School teacher and assistant football coach, pleads Not Guilty

(Long Island, NY) A history teacher and assistant football coach at Bellport high school stands accused of rape and criminal sex acts after allegedly having a sexual affair with a 16-year-old former student.

Jonathan Elsalam, 27

Jonathan Elsalam, 27, who was suspended from his job last year, entered a plea of Not Guilty to rape and various other charges at his arraignment on Monday.

The unidentified girl’s attorney, Jeffrey Brown, stated to reporters that the affair had gone on for approximately nine months.

“The sexual activity would take place in a car, in motel rooms and even his house. In December of 2011 is when I believe the sexual activity actually took place,” he said. “It ended in or about August of 2012.”

The victim has filed a federal lawsuit against Elsalam and the South CountrySchool District, reportedly in the amount of $10 million. The lawsuit states that both Elsalam and the school district violated the victim’s civil rights, and that she now requires psychological counseling and is unable to attend school.

Elsalam was arraigned on Monday at Suffolk County Court on charges of raping a girl younger than 17 while he was older than 21, criminal sexual acts, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Bail for Elsalam was set at $25,000 bond or $5,000 cash. He is due back in court on May 29.

Legislation Would Allow Machine Voting for NYC Elections; Also in Villages, School Districts and Special Districts

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed two bills that would allow for the use of lever-style voting machines in non-federal elections in New
York City, and in elections held by villages, school districts and special districts.

Legislation (S4088B), sponsored by Senator Martin Golden (R-C, Brooklyn), would allow New York City to use lever voting machines for all non-federal elections, including the upcoming primary, run-off and general elections this fall. In addition, the bill would to move the date for a potential run-off election in New York City from September 24th to October 1st to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday Sukkot.

“The lever voting machines had been successfully used in New York for over 100 years. They have proven to be reliable and easy for voters to use,” Senator Golden said. “In addition, using lever voting machines will expedite the canvass of votes cast in the primary election and reduce the number of paper ballots that would need to be hand-counted.”

“The new voting machines are confusing to people and very hard to read, especially for seniors,” Senator Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), a co-sponsor of the bill, said. “The old saying is that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ To ensure an orderly election we should allow the simple, lever-style machines to be used.”

This year, the City of New York faces the prospect of three elections over a two-month period — the primary, a run-off primary, and the general election. The offices up for election this year include Mayor, City Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough President, and all of the City Council seats.

“This legislation would actually increase voter access to dependable voting processes,” Senator Andrew Lanza (R-I-C, Staten Island), a co-sponsor of the bill, said.

The City cannot risk the possibility that the new voting systems will fail to provide a full and fair election. This bill gives the City the necessary authority to use a voting process that has proven to work in the past and alleviate what could be an unnecessarily chaotic election.

To accommodate the disabled voters, the legislation requires that if lever voting machines are used, each polling place must have a voting machine designed to allow voting by disabled voters. These voting systems are already owned and used by the Board of Elections.

In addition, the Senate also passed legislation (S3705), sponsored by Senator Jack Martins (R-C-I, Mineola), that would allow school districts, special districts and villages to permanently continue using lever voting machines in their respective local elections. This legislation would remove the 2014 sunset of provisions and permanently allow the use lever voting machines.

“The new scanner machines were intended to move us forward, but unfortunately were a huge step back for many,” said Senator Martins. “There are school districts, villages, and special districts that simply do not have the access to the scanners. As the law stands, their only alternative would be a paper ballot and in this day and age, it is not acceptable that we regress to a paper voting system. The prospect of our school districts and villages having to count thousands of paper ballots is absurd. Rather, the only way to ensure the integrity of every person’s vote is to allow for lever machines when scanners are not available. This bill does that.”

School districts and villages have expressed a preference to continue using the lever-style voting machines. This legislation would provide significant relief to local school districts, villages and special districts from the Help America Vote Act mandate. HAVA was intended to apply only to federal elections that have higher voter turnout.

The bills have been sent to the Assembly.