WAMC Northeast Report on WAMC

The White House today released a report on the impact of mandated budget cuts scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2013.  The cuts are mandated under the Budget Control Act of 2011, which arose for the debate over the debt ceiling last year. 

The Budget Control Act required an automatic $1.2 trillion in cuts if the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the “Super Committee”) failed to agree on budget cuts on its own – which it failed to do.

Preliminary results in the Republican Assembly primary in the new 115th district in northern New York was won by the incumbent.  But one of the challengers will remain on the November ballot.

Three-term Assemblyperson Janet Duprey was challenged by David Kimmel and Karen Bisso in the northern New York primary. The unofficial tally shows Duprey winning.  Clinton County Republican Commissioner of Elections Greg Campbell says turn-out in the rural district was slight.

Volunteers in North Adams, Massachusetts, have begun a new program to offer help for the family members of service members suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

Rebecca Litchfield is a volunteer at North Adams’ veterans service office, and through her work, she says she’s  noticed a lack of support for the families of returning veterans.

A day-long barn-raising Saturday along the Rondout Creek puts the finishing touch on a winter homeport for the sloop Clearwater - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports


In January, the state announced $400,000 would be given to the Hudson River Maritime Museum to help pay for the construction of a permanent homeport for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. The grant was to be matched by the Clearwater organization and the museum. An additional $125,000 grant was secured --- Clearwater Board President Allan Shope donated timber and architectural services

A report prepared for the Lake Champlain Basin Program has found encouraging drops in mercury and PCB contamination in the lake.

A coalition of elected officials, business owners, and associations in Massachusetts is pushing for online retailers to begin paying the state’s sales tax before the fourth fiscal quarter of 2012 begins. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

Metro-North commuters are being warned they may have to dig deeper into their pockets - a watchdog group is telling them to prepare for a fare hike of around 32 per cent - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's"Payroll Mobility Tax" or PMT - was approved by former Governor David Paterson in 2009 to avert service cuts as the MTA battled a record deficit. Last month, a judge ruled the PMT unconstitutional.

In my last commentary I reviewed the major elements of the Republican education platform. Since then, the Democratic Platform has been passed, a platform which addresses a number of policy areas dealing with both K-12 and higher education, and not surprisingly, reflects a number of programs begun during President Obama’s first term in office.   

WAMC’s Alan Chartock speaks with Richard Stanley, organizer of the second annual Great Barrington fly-in, which is scheduled for this Saturday.

Two Entergy subsidiaries have filed suit against the state of Vermont over a new law that hikes taxes on the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant from 5-million to nearly 13-million dollars annually.

Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee and Entergy Nuclear Operations filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont seeking to overturn the legislation signed by Governor Shumlin that substantially increases the plant's annual tax bill.  Entergy Vermont Yankee Communications Manager Jim Sinclair.