Oh, what the hell Hochul

 

New York budget deal would expand pension benefits for hundreds of thousands of public workers

 

New York’s final state budget agreement is poised to significantly expand retirement benefits for public workers hired after 2012, a move supporters say will help recruitment and retention efforts but critics warn could drive up long-term costs for taxpayers and local governments.

Under the agreement, teachers in the state pension system’s Tier 6 would be allowed to retire at age 58 with 30 years of service instead of waiting until age 63, according to a source with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration cited by Newsday. Other public employees would see reduced pension contribution rates, while police and firefighters would be allowed to count more overtime pay toward pension calculations.

 

The proposed changes affect roughly 787,000 state and local government employees hired on or after April 1, 2012, including teachers, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, and correction officers.

Tier 6 was created more than a decade ago as lawmakers attempted to slow rapidly rising pension costs. Compared to earlier tiers, workers hired under the system generally contribute more toward retirement and must work longer before qualifying for full benefits.

The retirement enhancements are expected to cost about $557 million annually. Of that total, roughly $440 million would fall on local governments and school districts, while the state’s share would be approximately $118 million.

Supporters, particularly labor unions, called the agreement a major step toward improving public-sector recruitment at a time when many agencies and school districts are struggling to fill positions.

Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers, described the changes as part of a broader effort to create a “fairer future” for public workers.

But local government organizations and school administrators raised immediate concerns about the financial impact, particularly in regions already struggling with affordability pressures and rising operating costs.

Chris Koetzle, executive director of the New York Association of Towns, warned the changes could become a major burden for municipalities reliant on property taxes to fund services.

School officials also questioned whether expanded retirement benefits would meaningfully improve recruitment compared to increasing starting salaries or investing in workforce development.

Greg Berck of the New York State Council of School Superintendents argued the increased pension obligations could ultimately limit districts’ ability to raise wages or preserve staffing levels during future financial downturns.

The agreement also includes changes for police and fire retirement systems by increasing the amount of overtime earnings that can count toward pension calculations. The cap on pensionable overtime would rise from roughly $22,000 annually to $30,000 for some workers, including many correction officers and deputy sheriffs.

The overtime provisions would also apply to Tier 5 employees hired between 2010 and 2012.

The pension changes are part of New York’s roughly $268 billion state budget package, which lawmakers are still working to finalize weeks after the April 1 deadline.

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My Brenda

My Brenda

https://www.covertfuneralhome.com/obituaries/brenda-coop

1962 Brenda 2026

Brenda Banfield Cooper

December 14, 1962 — April 12, 2026

Brenda (Banfield) Cooper, 63, of  New York passed away on April 12, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.

Born to Lawrence Banfield Sr. and June (Banfield) Voorheis, Brenda lived a life defined by kindness, laughter, and a deep devotion to the people and animals she cared for. She was married to the love of her life Michael Cooper, and together they shared countless adventures - especially their many fishing trips, which brought Brenda so much joy.

Brenda was a proud mother to Krystle Bain, Austin May (Sarah), and Falisha Cooper Fuller (Josh). She adored her six grandchildren - Devin, Matthew, Kevin, Mikayla, Konnor, and John - and took every opportunity to spoil them. To her children's friends, she was simply "Mom," a testament to her open heart and welcoming spirit.

A lifelong animal lover, Brenda rescued and rehabilitated many wild animals over the years. Her compassion extended to everyone she met, and her light-hearted, fun-loving nature made her a joy to be around.

Brenda worked for many years at South Seneca Schools as a teachers aid and Challenge Industries as an employment advisor, where she touched countless lives with her patience, encouragement, and belief in others.

She is survived by her siblings Jacqueline Jacobs (Jake), Bridget Lorow (Tom), and Lawrence Banfield Jr. (Patti). She was predeceased by her mother, June Voorheis; her father Lawrence Banfield Sr; and her stepfather Douglas Voorheis. Brenda also shared a special lifelong bond with her best friends and family members, Mary and George Davis.

Per Brenda's wishes, there will be no calling hours or services.

We will miss you, Brenda -your laughter, your kindness, your fierce love for family, and the way you made every life you touched a little brighter.

Love them while you have them.

 

 

A Clusterfuck, who could have predicted that.

New York’s Ammunition Background Check System: An Expensive Wreck?

 

The database requires detailed personal information about the purchaser: name, “up to five additional names/aliases,” residential address, date of birth, height, weight, race, ethnicity, “prior military status,” country and place of birth, citizenship, whether and what driver’s license or government-issued identification the person has, social security number, contact information, and (for ammunition buys) the manufacturer, the “Ammunition Identification Number,” the caliber and amount of ammunition being purchased. (The State Police guide for dealers has, out of a total of 21 pages, devoted eight to the initial personal information needed.)

Even worse, an improper denial means the person has to appeal to the State Police and wait out the appeal period of up to 30 days before being able to purchase ammunition. Tom King, the executive director of the New York Rifle & Pistol Association and the holder of a state pistol permit for over 40 years, was denied when he tried to buy shotgun shells, and has since appealed. “They’re denying everybody I’ve talked to,” he said.

Meteorologists, Scientists Explain Why There Is 'No Climate Emergency'

Meteorologists, Scientists Explain Why There Is 'No Climate Emergency'

 

 He said one example is a recent research paper that estimated that changes in the sun’s output could explain 70 to 80 percent of global warming. Research such as that doesn’t gain much traction because the IPCC is committed to the idea that human CO2 is the cause of global warming.

As further criticism, Mr. Alexander said John Christy, a climatologist and professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the director of the Earth System Science Center, has clearly demonstrated that climate models exaggerate short-term future warming by two to three times.

To find more accurate measurements, Mr. Christy and Roy Spencer, a climatologist, former NASA scientist, and now a principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, developed a global temperature data set from microwave satellite observations.

They started their project in 1989, analyzed data going back to 1979, and found that, in general, since 1979, the Earth’s temperature has increased steadily by 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit every 10 years, according to global satellite data, Mr. Spencer said on his website.

As for why climate models are so inaccurate, Mr. Alexander said: “Computer simulations are only as reliable as the assumptions that the computer model is built on, and there are many assumptions that go into climate models. Assumptions about processes we don’t fully understand require approximations.

Lot of Red Flags

‘Lot of Red Flags’: Florida Surgeon General Warns Against New Covid-19 "Vaccines"

 

 Florida’s Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, warned that there was “no evidence” of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccines being safe for human beings and suggested that people may be better off not getting these new jabs.

“We all know there’s a new vaccine that’s coming around the corner, [a] new mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. And there’s essentially no evidence ‘for it. There’s been no clinical trial done in human beings showing that it benefits people, there’s been no clinical trial showing that it is a safe product for people. And not only that, but then there are a lot of red flags,” Dr. Ladapo said on Thursday during a news conference with Governor Ron DeSantis.

I remember well, "The Patriot Act" was already written waiting for this.

Everyone came together in the days after the attacks, but in hindsight 9/11 looks like the moment when everything started to fall apart. 

 

Was 9/11 the beginning of the end for America? In the 22 years since the attacks, I’ve begun to worry that the answer to that question is “yes.”

It spawned the worst and most destructive foreign policy in the country’s history. The government response to 9/11 birthed the constitutional abomination that is the modern warrantless surveillance state. The Patriot Act enabled the government to weaponize its vast resources against its own people.

 From the Federalist.

Have It On Hand.

Ivermectin Is a Proven Cure for Covid. Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Different. - LewRockwell: During the years of the Covid-19 Deception, I reported that Covid was rare in those parts of Africa where Ivermectin was used weekly as a preventative of river blindness and HCQ was used as a preventative of malaria.  I also reported that large parts of India used Ivermectin as a preventative and cure and was little bothered by Covid.  The same in Brazil and Peru.  Wherever Ivermectin was used there were no excess deaths.  Eventually the Japanese recognized Ivermectin’s virtue and adopted it as the official cure as the much touted “vaccine” proved to provide no protection but posed a serious threat to life … Continue reading →