WAMC Northeast Report on WAMC

Education has been a hot-button topic in New York politics - Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is turning up the heat by calling for reversing Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to withhold school aid from New York City. This development breaks as advocates warn a "Child care crisis" is set to impact the state economy.

A group of concerned citizens is organizing an event this week to address the subject of reducing violent crime in Berkshire County.

The group called Berkshire Citizens for Peace and Justice this week is organizing a meeting involving area residents, professionals, and public safety officials to discuss a wide variety of topics related to school and community violence.

A ten member special committee has been formed in Springfield Massachusetts to investigate  school safety.  The committee has a broad and open- ended assignment.

Springfield City Council President James Ferrera, who named the members of the Special Committee on School Safety on Monday, said he expects the panel will delve deeply into the subject and issue periodic reports and recommendations.

The nation faces its latest budget crisis resulting from gridlock in Washington.  On March 1, budgetary “sequestration” kicks in.  Barring an unlikely last-minute deal, about $85 billion is set to be cut from military, domestic and certain health care programs beginning this Friday.

Entergy has announced that the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant will be refueled this spring, despite the company facing negative financial analyses.

Entergy will not release the cost of refueling the Vernon reactor, but Vermont Business Magazine is reporting that the last process, done in October 2011, cost nearly 100-million dollars.  Vermont Yankee Spokesman Rob Williams explains that the plant is on an 18-month refueling cycle and they continue to operate based on federal licensing and favorable court decisions.

The recently appointed Massachusetts Secretary of Education visited with school superintendents and local officials in the Berkshires today to hear suggestions for improving the state education system.

County legislatures around New York state have been mulling over the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act - or SAFE act - some taking up resolutions against it.

Many listeners of this radio station awakened recently to the news that the teachers union has gone to court seeking to have New York State’s property tax cap declared unconstitutional.

The property tax cap is, understandably, very popular.  And, as president of New York State United Teachers, I suspect our decision to challenge it will be unpopular.