Subject: December 2010 Community Update
From: "Assemblyman Jonathan Bing" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:17:09 -0500 (EST)

In this Issue:
• Bing Advances Economic Development Initiatives
•
Assemblyman Bing Advocates for Election Reform
• Upper East Side School
Rezoning Continues
• Assemblyman Bing Reintroduces Legislation to Assist
Struggling Business on Second Avenue
• Join Your Local Community Board
•
Bing Hosts NCSL "Legislator in the Lab" program at NYU
• SUNY Levin
Institute Forms Nation's First Confucius Institute for Business

Bing
Advances Economic Development Initiatives
Assemblyman Bing has endeavored
during his eight years in office to find ways to allow New York businesses
to survive and prosper. In 2010, he authored the law commonly known as
UPMIFA that expanded the options available to non-profits, cultural
institutions and universities with regard to usage of their endowments.
This new law will allow these organizations to preserve jobs and programs
during these difficult economic times. Assemblyman Bing also engaged in
successful efforts this year to update antiquated laws affecting the real
estate brokerage and insurance industries that will now allow businesses
to spend less on administrative costs and return these benefits to
consumers.

Assemblyman Bing will be reintroducing legislation in 2011
that will continue these efforts. In November, Governor David Paterson
announced that BlackRock, Inc., the world's largest asset management firm,
had committed to locating several hundred additional jobs in Assemblyman
Bing's district over the next few years. The incentive for this commitment
mirrored legislation introduced by Assemblyman Bing (A. 7086) to update
22-year old tax laws governing asset management firms. He will also be
reintroducing a bill (A. 7908) to expand the original 1998 definition of
"investment advisory activity" for the purposes of the investment tax
credit to restore some of the jobs lost in the financial service industry
over the past few years.

Assemblyman Bing will also be reintroducing
bills that support good environmental behavior while also saving money for
businesses and consumers. A. 7013 encourages the investment in and
continuing use of alternative energy systems and generating equipment
through tax credits which will assist in offsetting the initial costs of
constructing and installing solar and wind energy systems and fuel cell
electric generating equipment. A. 9451 would provide incentives for
conservation by utilities to use voltage regulation devices that reduce
wasted power.

The following additional bills will be re-introduced by
Assemblyman Bing in support of economic development throughout New York
State:

    * A. 783 – establishes an "emergency preparedness month" for
September 2011 and exempts pre-fabricated "go-bags" and individual
emergency preparedness items from sales tax for the month.
    * A. 954 –
establishes an arts fund to receive contributions for the support of the
New York State Council on the Arts through a personal income tax return
check-off.
    * A. 995 – increases the sales price threshold of the
"mansion tax", a one percent tax from buyers who purchase homes, co-ops or
condos, from $1 million to $1.75 million.
    * A. 1639 – establishes the
microenterprise development act to assist very small businesses and
low-income business people by implementing a grant program for
microenterprise technical assistance.
    * A. 6380 – provides a tax
credit for expenses associated with the development of open source and
free software licensing programs.

Assemblyman Bing Advocates for
Election Reform
On December 6, Assemblyman Bing joined Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, elected officials, and advocates to announce a proposal for
making elections more accessible for all New Yorkers. In the wake of a
recent report that found New York significantly lags behind states in
voting, these proposals would ease the burdens associated with political
participation. The proposal calls for four changes to New York State
election law, including: creating an early voting period; allowing New
Yorkers to fill out their ballots at home and bring to a polling site;
modernizing registration process and extending registration deadline from
25 days to 10 days before Election Day; and simplifying the ballot design
with plain language instructions.

Assemblyman Bing has introduced a
number of bills to improve voter participation, including legislation to
allow for electronic submission of voter registration forms and absentee
ballot applications, to increase youth voter registration, and to make it
easier for people to vote in their new jurisdiction when they move within
the State.
Upper East Side School Rezoning Continues
On November 30, the
Department of Education introduced its official proposal for the rezoning
of Upper East Side schools. The zones for PS 6, PS 59, PS 151, PS 158, PS
183, PS 198 and PS 290 are being modified as a result of 1,000 new school
seats that are being created as a result of the expansion of PS 59 and the
creation of PS 267.

The Community Education Council for District 2 has
been holding hearings to address concerns and evaluate proposals. It is
important for parents to be informed about how the proposals could affect
their children and to get involved in the process. If you have opinions or
comments, please e-mail the CEC at [email-masked].

The next meeting
of the Community Education Council is Tuesday, December 14 from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. at Wagner Middle School, 220 E. 76th Street. If you would like
to receive additional information on the rezoning process, please contact
Assemblyman Bing's office at (212) 605-0937 or [email-masked].
Assemblyman Bing Reintroduces Legislation to Assist Struggling Business
on Second Avenue
On December 8, Assemblyman Bing continued his efforts to
draw attention to the plight of small businesses affected by the
construction of the Second Avenue Subway by serving pizza to neighborhood
residents at Delizia on East 92nd Street and Second Avenue. Since the
construction began, Assemblyman Bing has worked to support these small
businesses and keep them afloat during the construction period. To read
City Hall News coverage of Assemblyman Bing's Delizia visit, click here.
Assemblyman Bing recently announced that he will be reintroducing two
bills in the 2011 session that are aimed at assisting qualifying
businesses that have been affected by the construction of the Second
Avenue Subway:

    * Economic Grant Program: This bill would create a
Second Avenue Subway construction economic development grant program for
the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to small and
micro-businesses located within the area where construction is taking
place. Assistance would be provided for projects such capital
improvements, marketing and advertising, as well as emergency funds for
endangered businesses. This bill has passed the Assembly for the past
three years.

    * Sales Tax Free Zone: The legislation provides that
there will be no sales tax on goods sold for less than $110 for a period
of six months in the construction zone. This will assist the "Shop Second
Avenue" campaign currently underway in bringing people in the doors of
these beleaguered businesses who are likely to continue shopping there
after the sales tax is reinstated. The re-introduction of this legislation
coincides with calls from business owners to create a sales tax free zone
along the construction area. To read Our Town's coverage of the
reintroduction of this bill, click here.

Join Your Local Community
Board
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's Office is currently
accepting applications for Community Board membership. Community Boards
are quasi-governmental agencies charged with representing community
interests on crucial issues of development, land use, zoning, and city
services. Serving on a Board provides an opportunity to shape
neighborhoods, improve service delivery, and implement community-based
planning. Applications are due by January 14, 2011.

The final
information session for those who wish to apply for community boards will
occur on Thursday, January 6, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Manhattan
Borough President's office, 1 Centre Street, 19th Floor. To RSVP, please
call (212) 669-4465 or e-mail [email-masked]. To learn more
about community boards, click here.
Bing Hosts NCSL "Legislator in the
Lab" program at NYU
Assemblyman Bing served as the legislative host of
the National Conference of State Legislatures' "Legislator in the Lab"
program held in November at New York University Langone Medical Center.
This NCSL event invites state legislators from around the country who
specialize in health care issues to academic medical centers that are
making important advancements in cardiovascular disease prevention and
treatment. The legislators in attendance from North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode
Island and other states heard presentations from more than twenty members
of the NYU faculty and administration regarding their groundbreaking work
on coronary artery, vascular and valve diseases, regenerative medicine,
training of cardiologists, and public health initiatives.

Assemblyman
Bing is a member of the Assembly Health Committee and attended the 2009
Legislator in the Lab program at the University of Mississippi Medical
Center in Jackson. During his time in office, he has sponsored annual
health fairs and wellness programs for seniors, mammograms for women, and
dental screenings for children.

SUNY Levin Institute Forms Nation's
First Confucius Institute for Business
On December 10, Assemblyman Bing
participated in the signing ceremony for the establishment of the
Confucius Institute for Business to be hosted by the State University of
New York's Levin Institute located in his District. The Institute is the
nation's first exclusively for business and working professionals. The
goal of the Confucius Institute for Business will be to equip business
professionals with language skills and also the knowledge of business
culture, philosophy, and practice to support successful business
development in and with China. The Levin Institute, in partnership the
Chinese Ministry of Education and Nanjing University of Finance and
Economics, will be at the forefront of strengthening economic and cultural
relations between the United States and China.

To read the press
release announcing this new partnership, click here.

Assemblyman
Jonathan Bing
360 East 57th Street, Mezzanine
New York, NY 10022
(212)
605-0937
(212) 605-9948 (fax)
[email-masked]
www.assembly.state.ny.us
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