Blogs 12 Long Island

How To Save Money on Electronics

By Holli Haerr
On the lookout for bargains, we decided to check out refurbished electronics for today’s Long Island Survival Guide segment.

 

First, I called a couple of chain stores on Long Island. Workers at both of those said they do not sell refurbished items.

 

Then, on the advice of photographer Pete Cinnante, I called the SONY Outlet at Tanger in Riverhead. They do sell refurbished TVs, DVD Players, GPS units and more. Store manager Eric Guerrido showed us a refurbished TV that costs about $750.  That was about 100 dollars less than the outlet price – which is already lower than what you’ll find in many electronics stores.

 

I had thought that refurbished meant that something was wrong with the item, and it was fixed before being sold. But he said at SONY, refurbished means that the item has been opened and returned – then taken to their headquarters, where technicians check to see if it’s ok. After that, they sell it as refurbished. They include the same warranty and return policy they do with “regular” merchandise.

 

Nassau Community College Professor Jack Mandel says when it comes to refurbished products, buyers need to watch out. He says you have to make sure you know what company you’re dealing with, don't just buy something from a website you've never heard of before. He also said many refurbished items may be out of date and won't have the features you want.

 

Overall, I will consider buying refurbished from the SONY outlet in the future. But, I saw a lot of shady-looking websites out there that I definitely will not be trying.

 

Lighting The Light!

By Danielle Campbell

The Montauk Lighthouse Christmas lighting was spectacular!

I have been to Montauk during December and I have to say, without hesitation, it was one of the most beautiful winter evenings I have ever experienced out there!

First of all there was amazingly no wind--which is almost unheard of.

It was comfortable, just a little chill in the air.

The sunset was spectacular.

The kids who were anxiously awaiting the big moment--held warm cups of cider in their mitten hands while they munched on oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies.

When the kids were done with their snacks,they worked off their sugar high by rolling down the Lighthouses' gentle slopes------the orange--crimson--sunlight---sparkled in their eyes.

It was peaceful, stress free--fun!

It was truly a scene you would only see in Montauk... 

 

There really was a sense of how special this place is, the end of Long Island...

A place of ancient history and national heritage--a place where hard working men and women, have honored this site with their dedication, to preserve and continue the Lighthouse's legacy.

Just before the switch was thrown, their was a silent moment where all of us on the hill stood for just seconds gazing in awe at the Light, and then it happened.  For the first time in it's history, the Montuak Lighthouse was adorned in a white sparkle--done to celebrate the season of lights, the season of love, the season of hope, that we too will find our way through the darkness.

     

We will feature the story in our Christmas Show, which will air all day on Christmas Day!

It's Blowing In The Wind!

By Drew Scott

 A new wind of change is blowing around Islip Town hall today.

 Islip is the first Long Island township to vote approval for personal residential wind turbines or windmills! I covered the news conference this afternoon as they made the historic announcement.

Experts say it may be one of the first municipalities in the nation to allow individual homeowners to build windmills to generate environmentally friendly electricity in their own backyards.  

The rush for wind power began earlier this year when Oakdale college professor Susan Sherwood asked Islip Town Councilman Steven Flotteron if he could help her get permission to build a windmill on her acre of property and get zoning approval to hook it up to the LIPA power grid.

Susan is hoping to save more than $700 on her annual electric bill and may even share her windmill generating capacity with a neighbor. She says one Suffolk county company has given her an estimate for $23,000 to build the turbine on her sprawling property south of the Southern State Parkway.

Newly approved regulations require the windmill be no more than about 45 feet high and must be at least 45 feet away from the nearest neighbors yards to prevent damage or injury in case of a collapse.

New regulations will also allow commercial property owners to set up windmills on their buildings, allowing up to 100 feet in height.

Susan says she is optimistic about the success of the wind turbine saving her energy, and helping out the environment.

"After all", she says, "the wind is for free!"

Go Green

By Holli Haerr

It's hard to be green this time of year, especially when it comes to giving gifts. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or any other holiday - after the gifts are open, there's often a mountain of discarded wrapping paper. 

Here are some ways to cut down on the waste:

1 - Recycle wrapping paper. If you open the present neatly enough, you may be able to reuse it. I say 'may', because this can be a pain; and the paper often gets too wrinkly to use again.

2- Re-use gift bags. Many people I know already do this. The bags last and usually don't look any worse for wear, even if they're used several times.

3- Use wrapping paper and gift bags that are made from recycled paper. Nina Frey from Whole Foods in Jericho showed me gift wrap that not only was made from recycled paper, but the manufacturer used environmentally-friendly ink made out of soy for the designs. (That's the paper you see to the left.)

4- Buy holiday cards that are made from recycled paper and soy ink.

5- Use the Sunday funnies as wrapping paper. (Maybe not for the holidays, but it's a colorful way to wrap during other parts of the year.)

6- Wrap a cloth towel, or cloth napkin around the gift. The towel or napkin can also become part of the gift.

7- Cut up old Christmas or Hanukkah cards, and make them into gift tags or new cards.

Also, Frey showed us, you can have environmentally-friendly candles for the holidays. Whether they're for the menorah or for the center of the table for your Christmas meal, you can buy candles made with beeswax or soy. She says they burn more cleanly than "regular" candles, which often are made from petroleum.

Whatever you celebrate, I hope you have a happy, safe and green holiday season!
 

Black Friday Tragedy

by Scott Feldman

It was not the kind of day after Thanksgiving that I expected. Retailers count on Black Friday to put them into the black for the year. So all the stores have big sales. That attracts big crowds. But the crowd at the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream got totally out of hand. Some 2,000 shoppers lined up in the early morning hours there to take advantage of huge bargains. But the doors didn't just open. They were broken down in the mad rush to hit the aisles. And a temporary employee was trampled to death in the stampede. Since then, there's been a lot of finger pointing. Fingers pointed at Wal-Mart for not having sufficient security on hand to deal with the crush. Fingers pointed at Nassau police for not sticking around to make sure everybody stayed safe. The police commissioner says he met with security officials from Green Acres Mall. And as Lawrence Mulvey told reporters at a news conference, "The message was clearly portrayed to all those parties that these kinds of events fall within the purview of their security ...and they need to plan, organize and police them properly. We clearly put it on their plate." Wal-Mart is defending its security measures. They say they put up barriers and hired additional security workers. But, to no one's surprise, lawsuits are already being filed. Against Wal-Mart. Against Nassau County. In the meantime, we've got an investigation by police. It really was a Black Friday on Long Island. One that never should have happened. Let's pray it never is repeated.   

Young Talent

By Elisa DiStefano

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoyed a special day with family and friends. I love Thanksgiving! I love the smell of my grandparents kitchen. They out-do themselves every year. My mom makes the best pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie--I look forward to it all year long! I also love watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade--a tradition in my house growing up. I was working this year, but I did get a chance to see a bit of it! My sister called me to make sure I didn't miss the original cast of Sesame Street. Oh how we used to love Bob, Gordon & Maria!

I was so proud to see the Copiague Marching Band perform, as well as Long Island's own Push Play, and Syosset's own Idina Menzel--all back to back before the commercial break. Glen Cove's Ashanti also performed. (You can see Ashanti and Push Play perform live, free, at the Reckson Plaza Tree Lighting on Saturday night!)  It was so great to see Long Island represented. I know I always write about this, but we really do have so much talent here--and so much young talent.
Speaking of young talent...this week Britney Spears turned 27 and made her big comeback. A comeback at 27? It's really sad to me. She was on top of the world... what happened? Did you see her documentary on MTV? How about her performance on GMA? What did you think? When I watched the documentary my mother's words echoed in my head--money and fame do not buy love or happiness. I thought Brit looked fantastic on GMA--those abs are amazing! But, there was something a little spaced out about her performance. Perhaps I just had high expectations. I wanted to see her really dance. I wanted to see that fire back in her. Again, she looked amazing. I am happy she is getting back on track. I think that her performance was a major improvement from what we've seen from her lately.... but there was just something missing. So what went wrong in Britney's life?  How did she get to this point? Why do so many young people in Hollywood end up like her?  

  A good decade before Britney, there was Long Island's original pop princess, Merrick native Deborah "Debbie" Gibson. She is the youngest person to ever write, perform, and produce a number one single ("Foolish Beat"). She was and still is managed by her mom Diane. These days, they call that a "mom-ager"! Deb wants to mentor and foster young performers and songwriters. She started Camp Electric Youth in Los Angeles. From Friday December 26th to Wednesday December 30th she is bringing her camp to NYC. Her mama is also having a special class for parents called "Momager 101". Deb is really terrific. Diane has given me great advice over the years.  If you or your kid is going to be the next big star-- you should click here and check it out!

Will You Head to the Polls Next Tuesday?

By Christine Insinga

...do you even know why you should?  It's Election Day!!  No, I'm not crazy I know we already have a new President, Congressmen/women, Senators...but the ballots are still out on Fire Commissioners across the Island and your time to vote for them is December 9th.

  Fire districts are one of a handful of so-called 'Special Districts' we have here on Long Island.  There are also Water districts, Sanitation, Library and Park districts--more than 340 of them in total, the majority in Nassau County. 

   I blogged on this topic a few weeks back but thought it bared repeating since a number of the elections are so close (which, by the way, is why we did that 2 part series this week...maybe you caught it?).

  These special districts get millions of our tax dollars every year.  Nassau Comptroller Howard Weitzman says if you live in an unincorporated area you're probably forking over between $1,000 and $1,500 in special district taxes every year.  Just yesterday I get an email from a woman in Gordon Heights who tells me she pays her fire district $2,400 a year!!  There's a whole other story there.

   A number of stories have been done over the years, focusing on fraud, waste and abuse of your tax dollars in these districts,and the question always is: Who's to blame?  It's a good question and I suppose it depends how you look at it.

   The vast majority of the districts are run by elected commissioners.  If there's waste and/or fraud in your district, it's easy to blame the guys in charge...sure.  They're the ones responsible for managing your money, after all, but remember they're ELECTED--the majority of residents wanted them there, right?  Not necessarily.  According to the Board of Elections, only 2% of eligible voters actually VOTE in their special district elections.  Why?  Some tell me, it's just not something they're interested in.  Must be nice to toss a grand or 2 out the window every year and not care where it's going.  Most, however, say they just have no idea when or where their special district elections are held.  Critics say that is a huge part of the problem.  Most of these elections are scattered all over the calendar...and just try to find out anything about the people running! Difficult does not begin to describe that task!  What ends up happening, according to critics, is that many district heads keep getting re-elected because the only ones who know about the election are their family friends and neighbors.

   I have to say, however, fire districts seem to be the only group of districts that don't have this particular problem.  They are state mandated to hold their elections on the second Tuesday of December--which, like I said, is next Tuesday:)    Want info on the rest of your special district elections??  You can now find all of that on our website: www.news12.com.  Do you have a right to complain if you're not happy with the way things are being run in your special district?  Yes, IF you made a point to vote and now you have no excuse not to!

Thanks for checking in!

  

Down And Out?

By Jamie Stuart

    Is Plaxico Burress a bad guy, or just a young player who made a stupid decision?  Good question, but unfortunately, I don't think the answer matters. 

   By now you've heard the news that Burress, who just signed a 25 million dollar contract back in March, was charged with two counts of illegal weapons possession after shooting himself in the leg while at a Manhattan nightclub.  

                          The Giants acted swiftly, suspending Burress for the rest of the regular season.  The team also placed Burress on the reserve-non football injury list, meaning he won't be back for the playoffs, either.   

                   But what about next season?  Burress faces illegal weapons possession charges from the shooting, which carries a penalty of 3½ to 15 years in prison if he's convicted. Burress is due back in court again March 31, unless he reaches a plea agreement.

                   Barring a miracle, Burress' career in NY is over.   So my question is, if you were an NFL General Manager, would you sign Burress?  There's no questioning his talent.  Since joining the Giants in 2005,  he's caught 244 passes for 3,681 yards and 33 touchdowns.  
                  

                   But is he worth the risk?  He's been suspended, fined numerous times, and may or may not serve jail time.  Does he deserve a second chance?  Probably.  Would you be the GM that gives him that chance?   Another good question.

 

MTA Fare Hikes

By Doug Geed

   I often wonder how a recession ends. There's such a domino effect. The cost of things go, so people spend less. People spend less, so businesses make less and they stop ordering new items and start laying people off. Government takes in less money, so it either TAKES more money from us to pay for services, or give us fewer services.

   But the bottom line--it's always us that somehow has to pay more and do with less while doing it. And that could not be more true than if you commute to the city.

  Right now, the MTA's proposed budget for next year calls for a 23-percent fare hike. Ouch.  But a commission headed by former MTA Chief Richard Ravitch is expected to release its findings on Friday. Its mission is to recommend ways for the MTA to close a huge budget gap.

  The good news -- word circulating now is that only an 8-percent increase in train fares will be proposed (even though 8-percent is painful enough). The bad news -- they may also propose tolls on East River crossings that are now free. There's also talk of a payroll tax on businesses -- an idea many think is horrendous given what businesses are already up against.

   All of this falls into the hands of the State Legislature. The Ravitch Commission findings will go to Albany lawmakers who will then have to decide how much state aid to give to mass transit -- ultimately translating into how much fares will go up. Long Island's delegation in the State Legislature has vowed to fight bridge tolls -- arguing that they unfairly target Long Islanders who, after all, live on an Island and have no choice but to pay them.

    But the state itself is facing a huge budget gap and how much can it afford to give in mass transit aid? And even if it decides that should be a top priority, who pays for the state aid? You got it -- us.

    These are bad times, no doubt about it. Again, I wonder how it ends.

Holiday Office Party Do's and Don'ts!

By Jackie Lukas

'Tis the season... for holiday office parties! And here at News 12 Long Island - they always cater one fantastic party! It's always a good time when we all get together. Not only does News 12 host our party at a wonderful catering hall with all the food and drinks you could imagine... but we also are spoiled with a photographer who takes group pictures of all of us and a DJ! So much fun...I can't wait!

Here are some pictures from LAST years bash!          

     

Now although office parties can be a lot of fun -- there are some things you should keep in mind. So in this blog - I thought I would prepare you for your upcoming event - so you don't wind up embarrassing yourself and become the talk of your company for the next year!

So let's talk about some Holiday Office Party Do's and Don'ts!

DON'TS!!!

DON'T... DRINK TOO MUCH!!!   You don't want to be remembered as the drunk co-worker. Boozing it up at an office party could equal big trouble for many reasons!

(A) You could say something you really don't mean    i.e. How annoying your boss is

(B) You could embarrass yourself    i.e. Dancing on the table while singing your favorite song

(C) You don't make it through the night    i.e.  Passing out - after throwing up in the bathroom

DON'T... DRESS PROVOCATIVELY!!!  You don't want your co-workers to question what you are wearing that night. So keep the clubbing clothes at home in the closet. The last thing you would want is a "wardrobe malfunction" at the holiday party!

DON'T... GOSSIP!!! Just because it's a social setting - doesn't mean that all conversations are fair game. Watch what you say! 

DON'T... TEST YOUR DIRTY DANCING MOVES!!! As much as you'd like to - please refrain! Your co-workers do NOT need to see you bumpin' and grinding on the dance floor...no matter how much rhythm you think you may have!

Now... for the DO'S!!!

DO... ATTEND!!! Making an appearance at your holiday party shows that you are serious about your job and respect your co-workers!

DO... MINGLE!!! Use this time to bond with your co-workers. Make sure you say hi to everyone. And try to start conversations with people you may not see or talk to on a day to day basis. It could help your working environment!

DO... WEAR SOMETHING APPEALING, BUT APPROPRIATE!!! You don't want to look like a slob - but you also don't want to look like a you know what... so find something professional - with a little holiday pizazz!  

DO... HAVE FUN!!! It is a holiday party - so enjoy yourself! Eat, drink (responsibly) and be merry! And just pray that even during these tough economic times - you get that holiday bonus you deserve! :)

HAVE A HAPPY, SAFE AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

 

 

Home Sweet Home

By Scott Feldman

Did you go away for Thanksgiving? How about somewhere warm this Winter? Our latest News 12 Long Island/Hofstra poll reveals a lot of Long Islanders are staying close to home. Not hard to figure out why. Now that a recession has officially been declared, 41% of you told us you have no plans to go on a vacation in the near future. 24% will take a vacation, but 17% say they will spend less. And 15% won't be taking a vacation anytime soon. I was talking to Ellie Dayton, the owner of Total Travel Management in Uniondale, about all of this. She puts it very succinctly: "Travel is based on discretionary money and right now there isn't any." At a sandwich shop near News 12, I ran into Uri Rud. He told me he spent Thanksgiving with his sister in Toronto. But he didn't fly--he took the train. It was a lot longer, of course, but a lot less expensive. At a table nearby, Joe Squatrigo from Brentwood says trips to Las Vegas are just a memory. As he put it, "I'm a senior citizen, so I don't go nowhere right now, I can't afford it." And Ellen Forman from Jericho says the only reason she is flying to Aruba tomorrow is because she owns a time share there. Otherwise, she tells me, "If we didn't have the time share, we wouldn't be going away." Total Travel's Dayton says many Long Island travel agencies are either closing their doors or moving out of commercial space and doing business from home. She's managing to stay afloat with corporate business. So, when does she think things will turn around? All I got was a shrug of the shoulders and a look that said your guess is as good as mine. "Right now, Ellie says, the future is very precarious."

Do The Most Good

By Virginia Huie

This weekend I went Christmas shopping with my 7-year-old niece Jenna.(That's her on the right with a cake I made for her birthday.)

She noticed a sign above a Salvation Army kettle which said "Do The Most Good." She asked me what that meant. It was the perfect opportunity for me to tell her about the true meaning of the holidays. I explained to her there are many children who aren't has fortunate as she is. They don't have a nice house, food on the table and all the toys they wish for. I told her it's better to give than receive.

A homemade gift or time spent with someone is far more valuable than anything money can buy. In these economic hardtimes every one of us can "Do The Most Good" by giving a little of ourselves. Donate food and clothing. Volunteer to help those in need. Showing a little bit of heart can make a big difference. I think my niece is beginning to understand. When we returned home she created a homemade card to thank me for all the things I did for her this past weekend.

A heartfelt thank you from her. Something I will treasure always.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

By: Carol Silva

Well, we've done it again. Over Thanksgiving weekend, my husband and kids and I had our annual debate over the car radio (and now the ipod remote) on our way out to Lewin's Tree Farm on Fresh Pond Avenue in Baiting Hollow. We cut down our Christmas tree.

But music wasn't the only debate of the day.

One of the things I love about Lewins is the "hay wagon" ride out into their hundreds of acres of tree farm. It's actually a tractor pulled wagon that takes about 25 or 30 people out to the land "the way it used to be." You can get off the wagon at any point along the way. Then you and yours hike into the "woods," among thousands of firs, in search of the perfect tree. Not too tall, not too bald (except for the spot that you can hide against the wall) and not too fat to fit into the tree stand.

(Some equal time here - over the years, our family has gone to Darts in Southold, North Fork Preserve Christmas Tree Farm on Sound Avenue in Riverhead and Mike's Christmas Tree Farm on Weeks Avenue in Manorville.)

But back to Friday at Lewins. So we piled on the wagon with about 10 other families for the great Christmas tree hunt. No Charlie Brown tree for us! You can bring your own saw as we did, or Lewins will loan you one of their "not so gently used" saws. Then - we "saw" it - 2 families had actually brought chain saws!

The outrage. I mean that just doesn't fit into the whole, "fighting over which tree is the perfect tree, trying not to lose the one you SWEAR was the one you'd all semi-agreed on earlier, and hot chocolate" theme. How COULD they?

So we got off with one of those irreverent tree hunting families. They went their way, we went ours. I felt like a man this year - not like I was going to lay down in the dirt among the pine needles until I "felled" that tree. But I picked our tree out within 3 minutes, we marked it with my son's red scarf, we looked at other potentials, but came back to the original.

Then my 14-year old son - who now towers over me at 5'8" - was handed the family saw. "Son, this year you are a man." He is. And an athlete. In fact a rower. Very strong arms. But he couldn't get very far with our first family saw (why do we bring those 2 "house" saws every year? They never work!) Then we gave him the second family saw, then the Lewins saw. Then the veteran got down there. My husband. Again, not much movement. It turns out our tree had a "double trunk." Two trunks in one - so it was more like chopping down a great Redwood Tree in Northern California with a steak knife.  

So then it happened. I caved. The sun was setting. It was getting colder. I thought we could be stranded out in those cold, dark woods for days, with nothing to eat except for the gum that was then frozen in my coat pocket.

I told my family I was going in search of help. And I ran off and found it. In the guy with the chain saw! No kidding. He wasn't hard to find. I heard him out there. I implored him to help us have a Christmas this year. In less than 3 minutes we were done. Our tree was ready for the thousand lights it would get at home!

And what was the name of the guy with the chain saw? JASON! No kidding! And when he looked at me a second time he realized I work at News 12. He flipped the collar of his jacket up - it was a Cablevision Lightpath jacket. You see, we work for the same company. So I guess we used a "family" saw after all.

Merry Christmas!

Meteorology Is My Life

Norm Dvoskin

The public seems to be fascinated by weather. Someone will often come up to me and say, "When I was growing up, I always wanted to become a meteorologist. I wish I had your job." The people who say this to me are often doctors, dentists, lawyers and the like who make at least ten times what I earn and would never trade places with me. They think being a meteorologist is a glamorous profession: the wild parties, being surrounded by beautiful women, trips to exotic places. When is this all going to happen? This impression is probably the result of blockbuster weather movies like "Twister," "The Perfect Storm" and "Gone With the Wind." (just kidding about the last one.) Most professional meteorologists are not on television. They're dedicated scientists who usually sit at a desk in a cubicle and work for the government, a university or some scientific industry. It can be very tedious.

I was born to be a meteorologist and weather forecasting is in my blood. My great, great grandfather Dewey Dvoskin predicted that Custer would beat the Indians and my father Sunny predicted that "Poland would win World War II." As an infant, the first words out of my mouth were "possibly, probably and unusual." At News 12 Long Island, I've kept the family tradition alive. My forecasts are never wrong. It's the weather that's wrong.

Being a meteorologist is a rewarding profession and the best place to start is by going to school. It's a science and it involves mathematics, physics, statistics and physiography. If you're interested in broadcasting, it's very important to learn how to speak with your fingers crossed. I tell kids to stay in school and get a degree. When they grow up they can be just like those meteorologists they see on TV who stand outside on the barrier beaches during a category 4 hurricane.

Hello Winter

By Meteorologist Rich Hoffman

The start of December marks Meteorological Winter (December, January and February), and also the end of the Tropical Season (June 1st to November 30th).

Let's take a look back at Meteorological Fall, September through November at KISP Islip Mac Arthur Airport.

September

• 1.9 degrees above normal for temperatures
• 7.46 inches of precipitation which was  4.07 " above normal
• High for month 84 on the 2nd and 15th, low 48 on the 21st

October

• 0.8 degrees below normal for temperatures
• 3.00 inches of precipitation which was 0.63" below normal
• High for the month 74 on the 16th, low 29 on the 31st

November

• 1.2 degrees below normal for temperatures
• 3.17 inches of precipitation which was 0.69" below normal
• High for the month 65 on the 1st and 5th, low 19 on the 23rd

Temperatures for the fall season where below normal and precipitation was above normal. You can find more climate and past weather information here.
http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=okx

Here also is a list of many events of the fall season.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/okx/stormtotals.html

A recap of the 2008 Tropical Season - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2008atlan.shtml

We where hit by Tropical Storm Hanna September 5th to 7th,
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/okx/readtext.php?file=pns/09072008.txt

Astronomical Winter starts December 21st at 7:04am. It's the shortest day of the year and we only get about 9 hours of daylight. The Sun's direct rays hitting the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23 1/2 degrees south, is why we have little daylight and cold temperatures. We only get a piece of the sun's incoming solar radiation, unlike in the summer when we get most of the sun's direct rays.

Burress is Blowing It

By Michael Coleman

Plaxico Burress felt the need to pack some heat (carry a gun) into a club that he apparently likes going to.  Burress who just signed a 35 million dollar contract extension back in September certainly proves that you don't have to be the brightest guy on the team.  Apparently he isn't.  If he feels the need to carry a gun, why not do it legally?  Reports are that he had a permit in Florida but it expired.  It would have done him no good in NY even if it hadn't expired.

 As far as professional athletes are concerned, it is in their utmost best interest to follow the letter of the law.  What good is it to have all of that money for being able to play a little boy's game, only  to land in the wrong part of the headlines.

  While this shouldn't come down as a Pacman Jones comparison, what if that gun had killed Burress or another person accidentally?   We all would have felt for the victim and Burress had that been the case.  But sometimes it's hard to feel for a person who decides he has his own set of rules to abide by. Hopefully he doesn't have to learn the hard way. 

Car Dealer Woes

By Doug Geed

   The good news -- there are plenty of deals, incentives and rebates if you're looking for a new car. The bad news -- many people are finding it near impossible to get a loan. And let's face it, very few of us have 20 or 30-thousand dollars lying around to pay cash for a new car.
   So the result is what most anyone in the car sales industry will tell you is the worst period they've ever experienced.
   Hustedt Chevrolet (you've known doubt seen their ads in the newspaper and heard them on the radio) is now out of business, Others, I'm told, will be closing their doors shortly.
   One dealership -- Bical Chevrolet in Valley Stream -- is considered a mid-size dealership, meaning, among other things, that they sell about 120 cars a month on average. This year, they've been averaging 60.
   Other dealers will tell you privately they are selling about a third of what they'd normally sell.
   That's bad news on so many fronts. Even if you're not in the market for a new car, every time one is sold, it helps our tax base. Nassau and Suffolk County governments rely very heavily on sales tax revenues. With big ticket items such as cars being sold less and less, that's less money the government takes is -- which ultimately will translate into either more money being taken from US the taxpayer, or fewer services given TO us, the taxpayer.
    So while car salesmen -- like reporters, politicians, lawyers and others -- are often the punchline of some not so flattering jokes, go easy on them. Just like for many of us, these bad economic times are hitting them hard.
    You might find this interesting -- a  website that shows just how vital the auto industry is to our economy.

http://www.nysada.com/