The news that "net neutrality" passed the FCC -- that there would be no fast lane on the internet for corportations who have more resources then the average consumer -- was surprising, in that corporate interests didn't get their way. So on April 15, when the FCC actually published the rules in the Federal Register, all heck broke loose. In Congress, Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican, sponsored a resolution of disapproval, an expedited legislative process that cannot be amended or filibustered. President Barack Obama would likely veto the resolution if it passes, so this is another one of those side shows for the folks back home that, historically, will be considered normal for this legislative era. In 2010 Congress passed net neutrality legislation, Republicans sponsored a resolution of disapproval that went nowhere, and the courts eventually struck down the law. So that is where things stand now too, as everyone waits for the court rulings. Todd R. Weiss in eWeek reports there are now at least six or seven lawsuits against the FCC from AT&T, the CTIA mobile trade association, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), the American Cable Association, USTelecom, and Alamo Broadband. And, The Washington Post reports, a small, Texas-based Internet provider has appealed in New Orleans, which means a venue lottery will be held. Trade associations believed the D.C. Circuit was home turf, the court that has twiced ruled against different versions of net neutrality, where they wanted this case to take place. Now a lottery will decide the fate of consumer access and cost of internet services. Free Press has launched a campaign against the Congressional action, but there's not much else to do but what for the lottery, and then court decision.

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail Michael Flynn announced Wed., Apr. 15, he will retire as Greene County Clerk, effective Dec. 31. When announcing his decision Flynn said he had decided to move on to the next chapter of his life and take time to travel and explore with his wife, Fay. Flynn spent more than four decades in public service, including two, four-year terms as county clerk. He also served 25 years as a trooper and investigator with the New York State Police, as well as inspector general for the New York State Thruway Authority and town justice for the town of Cairo. Flynn's departure will leave the clerk's seat vacant come election time in November. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting in the Columbia Paper students throughout Columbia County are opting out of the state exams. In the Ichabod Crane district Superintendent George Zini said 68 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 are not taking the tests this week. Parents of students opting out were required to send a letter notifying the district of their decision. In the Chatham school district 32 percent, or 155 students, refused to sit for the exams. In Hudson, 85 students opted out. Dr. Neil Howard, superintendent of the Taconic Hills Central School District, said Wed., Apr. 15, 120 out of 644 students in grades 3 through 8 refused to take the test based on instructions from their parents. The English Language Arts, or ELA, exams are being administered over three days this week. The math test will be given next week. Opponents of the tests are seeking to end what they view as excessive testing. Others hope to undercut the validity of the exams, making the results too unreliable to be used as part of the new teacher evaluation system. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Laura Nahmias is reporting at Capital New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has now taken up the cause to raise the minimum wage in New York. A similar effort by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo failed earlier this year during the state budget negotiations. On Wed., Apr. 15, Schneiderman urged an increase in the wage to $15 per hour as part of a week-long series of investigation and enforcement actions on behalf of the state's low-wage workers. On Monday, his office revealed it is looking into scheduling practices at 13 retail establishments, including Gap and Target, for scheduling workers with very little notice. On Tuesday, he announced a settlement with five Domino's pizza franchises after an investigation found they had underpaid their workers. Read the full story at Capital New York.

The Mid-Hudson News Network reports that the Harlem Valley Rail Trail was extended by 1.2 miles in the Town of Copake this week. The paved addition extends the trail from the entrance of Taconic State Park in Copake Falls north to Orphan Farm Road. The trail opened in 2005, and stretches 46 miles from Dutchess County and five miles into Columbia County. The state paid $164,900 for the trail extension. Read the full story in Mid-Hudson News.

It may just barely be spring, and it was April first, but Jeanette Wolfberg in The Columbia Paper reports that at the Hudson Common Council’s Youth and Aging Committee meeting, talk turned to summer swimming, including an exchange that started when Alderperson Tiffany Garriga (D-Second Ward) said that some people, “have issues with Oakdale Lake,” the Hudson swimming hole. Alderperson Bart Delaney (R-Fifth Ward) responded, “We get fed up with hearing that Oakdale Lake is dirty. It’s spring fed.” And then George Wood, former commissioner of youth, chimed in, “It’s cleaner than our drinking water.” Wolfberg then reports that "the men said that the lake was recently 'treated' fto control weeds and would be treated for them again." Garriga asked about the Hudson High School pool, and if it was available for local residents to exercise and cool off this summer. She was told it was not. Instead, a discussion took place about sending Hudson kids across the river to swim in an Athens pool. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 68F; low 46F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 66F; low 47F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County:

Today: Sunny. High near 66. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Thursday night, showers likely, mainly after 4 a.m. Increasing clouds. Low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Friday: Showers likely, mainly before 10 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 68. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 42.
Saturday: Partly sunny. High near 68. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 35.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 63. Sunday night, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 43.

Sunset today: 7:38 p.m.
Length of the day: 13:26 hrs.

Public meeting
Today is the third Thursday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
(All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.)

ANCRAM Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. in Town Hall at 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
CHATHAM Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 488 State Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Land Use Review Committee meeting, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE-ATHENS Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at middle/high school, 24 Sunset Blvd., Coxsackie (731-1800).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. in Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-6122).
GHENT Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Ghent Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Common Council Economic Development Committee, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
WINDHAM Town Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: The Michael Slate Show: Edward Baptist Conversation with Edward Baptist about his latest book, "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism." Baptist tells the story through intimate slave narratives, plantation records, newspapers, and the words of politicians, entrepreneurs, and formerly enslaved people, From KPFK Los Angeles via Pacifica.
11 a.m.: One Size Fits All: 20150416 An hour-long investigation into the idea of amplified sound, beginning with The Smiths and concluding with Ornette Coleman & Pat Metheny. Produced by Your Host. Full playlist at Facebook.com/OneSizeWGXC
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Holes Around... An anthology series of dramas and comedies for radio. Produced at KSVR Studios at the radio station KSVR-FM in Mount Vernon, Washington. The actors are from the Skagit Radio Repertory Company. The producer is Joseph C McGuire. In the far future when star travel was discovered human curiosity meant sending out exploration teams. But the mysteries of space wouldn't be the only problems facing the explorers. Working with others would be the biggest problem of all. Produced by Joseph C McGuire. Edited by Jay Charles Performers: The Skagit Radio Repertory Company. Made with a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting. From Pacifica Radio.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

Wayne Heilman in the Colorado Springs Gazette reports that a business there has leased time on KHIG (1580-AM), flipping the format from all sports talk programming from Fox Sports and ESPN, to a pro-marijuana format, said to be the first in the nation. Southern Colorado Radio is leasing airtime from Vero Beach, Fla.-based Pilgrim Communications and began the new format on air April 13. "We didn't want to lease the station and continue to lose money, so we said, 'Let's do something different and give voice to the marijuana industry.' Marijuana is socially acceptable, especially in Colorado, and is a big and growing business sector in this state. It made too much sense to pass up," General manager and owner Michael Knar told the paper. KHIG-AM is starting with three local shows: "Wake and Bake" from 7 to 9 a.m., "High Noon" from noon to 1 p.m., and "High Drive" from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays. The station also broadcasts three one-hour newscasts from the Los Angeles-based National Marijuana News service and includes other transmissions from the Chicago-based RadioMD network, according Len Williams, program director for both KHIG and another local sports radio station. Michael Roberts in Westword reports that in 2012, a Denver radio station at 107.1 FM temporarily changed from an EDM format into Pot 107.1, all marijuana. That was just a publicity stunt. KHIG appears, with marijuana legal in the state and a healthy tourist trade in Colorado Springs, to have a business plan beyond short term publicity. There are other similar radio projects, as Pacifica also carries other pot-themed radio shows or segments, including "4:20 Drug War News," from Dean Becker of KPFT in Houston and "Cannabis Radio News" from KVMR in Nevada City, CA.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="250"] Assembly member Pete Lopez.
(Source: assembly.state.ny.us)[/caption]

Siobhan (SHIV-on) Barton is reporting in The Daily Mail state Assembly member Pete Lopez announced Tue., Apr. 14, he will seek the 19th congressional district seat currently held by Chris Gibson. This will be the first congressional bid for the Schoharie Republican. Gibson announced in January he would not seek re-election in 2016. In response to the news of Lopez's announcement, Gibson said, “I know that our next Member of Congress must have the same commitment to doing what’s best for Upstate New York. Pete Lopez, and other local leaders, would be worthy successors.” Lopez was first elected to the Assembly in November 2006, and is currently serving his fifth term. Priorities for Lopez include tax relief for working families, support for quality, affordable public education and ending unfunded mandates. Before he was elected to the Assembly, Lopez served as Schoharie County clerk, village trustee, town councilman, and a member of the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting in the Daily Freeman the American Legion in Tivoli is being investigated for the role it might have played in the early 2014 crash that left two Bard College students dead and another injured, a sheriff’s captain said Tue., Apr. 14. According to a spokesman, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is working with the county District Attorney’s Office and the state Liquor Authority in an investigation into the circumstances prior to the fatal incident. That investigation is now focused on the Harris Smith American Legion Post in Tivoli. Carol Boeck, the driver in the incident, said she was drinking at the Legion in the hours before the crash. According to the state Liquor Authority, the American Legion does not have a license to sell alcohol. Authorities said Boeck had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the state threshold for driving while intoxicated. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Siobhan (SHIV-von) Barton writes in the Register Star Columbia County Treasurer Paul “P.J.” Keeler has announced plans to seek re-election in November. He will ask for the endorsement of the Republican, Conservative and Independence committees. His campaign will highlight his experience in private-sector business, municipal budgeting and financial management, Keeler said. If re-elected, he will continue to work on consolidating departmental business offices around the county into a centralized business office. Keeler is a Columbia Co. native -- he was born and raised on a dairy farm in Greenport. He is the owner and operator of Hallmark stores in Greenport, Catskill, Albany and Kingston. Program note: Keeler will be the guest on WGXC's "The Right Opinion," 10 a.m., Wed., Apr. 22 with guest host Columbia County Clerk Holly Tanner.

Jessica Bakeman is reporting at Capital New York High Achievement New York will launch a six-figure radio and digital advertising campaign Wed., Apr. 15, encouraging parents to “opt in” their children to state exams. Achievement New York is a pro-Common Core coalition that includes business groups. The campaign aims to combat the growing movement of children refusing state tests. Tens of thousands of parents are believed to have boycotted the tests that began Tuesday. Achievement New York's radio spots in English and Spanish will run in New York City and its suburbs. The digital advertisements will run statewide. Read the full story at Capital New York.

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Red Flag Warning east central New York, including Greene, Columbia, Rensselaer, Albany, Dutchess and Ulster counties, from late Wednesday morning through early evening. The forecast calls for moderate winds, very low relative humidity and temperatures from the mid-50s to the upper 60s. A Red Flag Warning means that fire weather conditions are expected due to that combination of conditions. Any fires that develop may quickly get out of control and become difficult to contain.

Most third-, fourth- and fifth-graders began taking tests today, in an attempt to measure progress in the Common Core curriculum. Some parents are having their children opt out of the tests, either as a protest against the new education mandate. Rob Astorino, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate, who last year lost to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is not letting his kids take the test, according to Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential. “Our kids deserve better than Common Core, an experiment conceived in secrecy with no public hearings or testing. There are no consequences for opting out,” he said in a statement. “The scores will not affect student records. We support higher standards for our kids, but that’s not Common Core, despite what we’ve often been told.” The tests continue at local schools through Thursday. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential.

Julia Reischel in the Watershed Post reports that hunters in New York's Southern Zone killed a record 1,110 bears in 2014, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The area, which includes the Catskill Mountains, saw 12 percent more bears taken than in the previous record year, 2011. An extra early bear hunting season was opened from Sept. 6 to Sept. 21 in portions of the Catskills and the western Hudson Valley last year, contributing to the high numbers. "Catskills hunters in in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties killed 893 bears in 2014," according to an analysis of the DEC's hunt data by the Watershed Post. In the Catskills, hunters killed 294 bears during the new early season and 599 during the bow hunting, muzzleloading and regular seasons, which occur later in the fall. A 613-pound male bear killed in the Greene County town of Jewett was the second largest bear taken in the state in 2014. Read the full story in the Watershed Post.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 65F; low 34F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 64F; low 36F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County:

Today: Sunny. High near 66.North wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Wednesday night, clear. Low around 31.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: Sunny. High near 65. Thursday night, scattered showers, mainly after 5 a.m. Increasing clouds. Low around 38.
Friday: Scattered showers. Cloudy. High near 65. Friday night, a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 40.
Saturday: Partly sunny. High near 68. Saturday night, partly cloudy. Low around 44.

Sunset today: 7:37 p.m.
Length of the day: 13:23 hrs.

Public meeting
Today is the third Wednesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
(All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.)

CATSKILL Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
GERMANTOWN Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. in the Elementary Music Room, Germantown School, 123 Main St., Germantown (537-6281).
GHENT Planning Board, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature meeting, 6:30 p.m. All at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
STUYVESANT Zoning Revision Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr., Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TACONIC town meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 909 Rte. 82, Taghkanic (851-7638).
TACONIC HILLS Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Central Office boardroom, 73 Co. Rte. 11A, Craryville (325-2800).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Asmus Tietchens Episode 977 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click on title for playlist 977.

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show WGXC's radio magazine show featuring local news, interviews with community leaders and personalities, a rundown of public meetings, local and regional events, with weather updates, and more about and for the community. Broadcast live from the WGXC Acra Studio at the Wave Farm Study Center in Greene County. Hosted by Tom Roe.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: @Issue: Julie Harris Julie Harris, Acting Executive Director of the Alliance for Positive Health, will discuss the Dining Out For Life annual event, as well as the services and mission of the agency. Until recently the Alliance was know as the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. Plus a conversation about the April 13 special and informal meetings of the Hudson Common Council. Hosted by Victor Mendolia, Debora Gilbert and Debby Mayer.
2 p.m.: Catskill Cabin Conversations: Sean Doolan Sean Doolan, husband, father, attorney and Windham resident, is the guest for the hour. Doolan was born in the Bronx, where he lived before moving to Rockland County. He has been a practicing trial lawyer since 1994. Doolan is currently an advocate for the elderly that reside in long term facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living. His hobbies include magic, mountain biking, hiking, skiing and independent films. Tune in to learn what Doolan would take on his Catskill cabin getaway. Produced by Mike Porter and Andy Reid.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News: Community Power Local news, weather updates, public meeting listings, and national headlines from Public News Service. The local interview of the day is the first installment of "Community Power," a year-long, monthly series of interviews about Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's New York Energy Highway Blueprint, the local response to that initiative, and the Cultural Resources Survey of Livingston. In this interview Will Yandik, Livingston deputy supervisor, farmer and a founder of Farmers and Families for Livingston and the Hudson Valley Smart Energy Coalition, provides an overview of the history of the project, and the current status of the Energy Highway and the Cultural Resources Survey. Yanik was interviewed by Thomas Masterson at the WGXC Hudson Studio, Mar. 18, 2015.

Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler signaled with a blog post April 13 that he's ready to move forward on the AM radio "revitalization" plan, with a Report and Order that, "will buttress AM broadcast service and ease regulatory burdens on AM broadcasters." Inside Radio reported that Wheeler's post, "landed with a thud at the [National Association of Broadcasters] NAB Show in Las Vegas." Many commercial broadcasters hoped for an AM-only filing window for FM translators, but Wheeler wrote that he has “concerns” about that idea. "I have two concerns about the record and whether opening such a window is necessary, given the current state of the marketplace. The first is whether there is an insufficient number of FM translator licenses available for AM stations.... The second unanswered concern is why, if it is necessary to open the translator window, it should only be opened for one group.... But if we are to assure that spectrum availability is an open opportunity, then the government shouldn’t favor one class of licensees with an exclusive spectrum opportunity unavailable to others just because the company owns a license in the AM band." Instead of AM broadcasters getting first dibs on some FM frequencies, Wheeler's Report and Order will tweak regulations, making a few burdens less on broadcasters. Giving, "stations more flexibility in choosing site locations, complying with local zoning requirements, obtaining power increases, and incorporating energy-efficient technologies," is what Wheeler's proposal will do. It will get support from AM radio owners, but it won't be any special cause for the broadcast industry or activist groups, and it won't do anything to reverse the cultural change away from analogue to digital radio. NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton issued a statement after Wheeler's post went public saying the "NAB is grateful Chairman Wheeler has announced plans to circulate an item to his FCC colleagues designed to revitalize AM radio. AM broadcasters have uniquely served local communities for nearly 100 years. The time is ripe for the FCC to follow through on the tremendous efforts of Commissioners Clyburn and Pai so that AM broadcasters can continue to play a vital role in the fabric of our nation. We look forward to working with the Chairman and the Commissioners to help ensure the item ultimately adopted serves the American public in the best manner possible."

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="655"] A Ferguson Enterprises Distribution Center.
(Source: ferguson.com)[/caption]

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail the construction of the Ferguson Enterprises $60 million warehouse in the Fountain Flats Business Park in Coxsackie is on its way to completion. Construction is expected to completed by the end of June. Ferguson is the nation’s largest wholesale distributor of plumbing supplies. The Virginia-based company reported more than $11 million in sales last year and employs 20,000 people in 1,400 locations. The 465,000-square-foot warehouse in Coxsackie will serve as a distribution center. The company has promised to create 75 new jobs within the first two years of operation, with another 20 positions expected to be added by the fifth year. Once the warehouse is fully operational an increase in traffic expected, including an estimated 75 trucks a day, plus employee vehicles. The truck traffic will be confined to the commercial Route 9W corridor, and will not impact smaller local roadways, according to Greene County IDA Executive Director Rene Van Schaack. The IDA spearheaded the deal to bring the company to Coxsackie. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jeanette Wolfberg is reporting in the Columbia Paper some of the events planned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination face cancellation unless funding is identified to cover the costs. The alarm was raised by Gene Shetsky, Hudson mayor’s aide, during a recent meeting on the project. The estimated cost for the Hudson and Stuyvesant events together, scheduled to take place April 19 through 25, has run to $8,400. Planners hope to fund the events by donations, t-shirt sales and grants. The event has received major donations from the Hudson Common Council Arts, Entertainment and Tourism Committee, Columbia County Tourism and other unidentified sources. Details on the events can be found at facebook.com/LincolnFuneralTrain2015. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Mon., Apr. 13, tickets for texting while driving were up 35 percent statewide from 2013 to 2014. Police issued more than 75,000 tickets in 2014, compared to nearly 56,000 in 2013. Cuomo's office did not make it clear if the additional tickets were due to stepped up police enforcement, a rise in cellphone use or a combination of the two. A March Siena poll showed that 90 percent of New Yorkers have cell phones. The poll also showed 81 percent use their phones to text. And while Siena didn’t ask if cellphone users texted while driving, the poll showed 39 percent of New Yorkers use some sort of wireless connection technology in the car. The texting while driving penalty is $450, plus five points. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.