The following is from her July 11, 2008 e-mail:
New Maps will Outline Flood-Prone Areas in Nassau County
Beginning the week of July 21, 2008, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin holding a series of “open houses” to explain new assessments of Nassau County’s flood risks. New maps developed by FEMA will set standards as to who needs to purchase flood insurance and additional construction and structural requirements for homes built in high flood risk areas.
Over the past several months we have seen horrific reports of destructive flooding throughout the country, particularly in the Midwest. But here on Long Island, we are also susceptible to damaging floods that could devastate our region. It is crucial that we are prepared in the event of a flooding disaster, but Long Islanders need to have the proper insurance to cover the costs of the damages that could results from serious flooding. We must accurately know our risks and be prepared in the event of a flood.
As a result of the new mapping system, some homeowners that were not previously considered to be in flood-prone areas might now need to reconsider purchasing flood insurance, or increasing the amount of insurance that they are already carrying. The FEMA maps utilize new technologies that have updated the floodplains and in some cases reclassified areas that were previously considered to be lower-risk for serious flood damage as higher-risk. These changes can dramatically impact the cost and amount of insurance that people should have on their homes.
In order for the flood risk to Long Islanders to be fairly and accurately assessed, it is important that residents take advantage of the open houses being held by the NYS DEC and FEMA. Nassau County resident can also check their status by contacting local municipal offices or online at http://rmc.mapmodteam.com/RMC2/Counties_Nassau.htm
The following is a list of dates and location of upcoming open houses:
July 22, 2008 - Open House for General Public - 4PM – 9PM
Cantiague Elementary School
678 Cantiague Rock Road
Jericho, NY
July 23, 2008 - Open House for General Public - 4PM – 9PM
Theodore Roosevelt Executive Legislative Building
First Floor Legislative Chamber
1550 Franklin Ave., Mineola, NY
July 24, 2008 – Open House for General Public - 4PM – 9PM
Nassau Community College - Multipurpose Room
One Education Drive, Garden City, NY
For more information and additional open houses, please feel free to contact my office at (516) 739-3008 or (202) 225-5516 or email via my website.
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
The following is from her June 27, 2008 e-mail:
Historic Supreme Court Ruling Lays Groundwork and Common Sense Gun Laws
As you may know, yesterday, the US Supreme Court announced a landmark ruling on the Second Amendment and the roll of government in the creation of gun laws by striking down Washington D.C.’s decades old handgun ban.
Although I am disappointed in the Court’s decision to strike down the Washington D.C. gun ban, I am heartened by the Justice's acknowledgement of the right of legislative bodies to create sensible gun laws. This ruling now paves the way for Congress to move forward on passing the kind of laws that will protect our communities.
Yesterday's Supreme Court decision is the first major ruling on gun ownership by the Supreme Court since 1939. The Court has set an important precedent with its ruling that will no doubt allow for the creation of future laws intended to stem gun violence. I signed a brief in support of the law and I know how much communities throughout the country are struggling to reduce gun violence.
In the District of Columbia v. Heller, the court examined whether Washington D.C.’s 1976 ban on handgun possession at home, and requirement that all guns—including rifles and shotguns—be kept disassembled, was constitutional.
It should be noted that the Washington D.C. gun ban was among the toughest in the nation. But, I strongly believe that lawmakers need to have the freedom to create legislation that protects communities, without violating people’s individual rights.
In their decision, the Justices said that the 2nd amendment gives individuals the right to own guns, but that communities have the right to make laws that create reasonable gun laws.
Specifically, the court ruled that the Second Amendment right is “Not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”
Also, signaling that this ruling is not a move in the direction of disavowing all limitations on gun ownership, the Court also said that the Second Amendment right is “not unlimited.”
Of note, the Court maintained that this ruling is not intended to overturn any significant precedents set by previous decisions when it said, “[the Court’s] opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.”
That is why I have been working so hard to keep guns out of the hands of those people who could potentially do the most harm, such as when Congress passed my bill the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. That law makes it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to gain access to guns.
The NICS Improvement Amendment Act of 2007 needs to be fully funded in order to keep our communities safe. We also need to put more cops on the streets and increase funding for the Community Oriented Policing Programs Services (COPS) program.
While I have consistently supported the right of gun ownership, it is crucial that government has the ability to create common sense gun laws. We have an obligation to keep our communities safer from gun violence.
Since the Court’s decision leans toward an individual right to gun ownership and does not suggest that the Second Amendment is strictly intended for the establishment of militia, as lawmakers, this interpretation allows us to create common sense gun laws that do not hinder the right to gun ownership, but keep guns out of the wrong hands and keep communities and individuals safe from gun violence.
As the Justices said, “the Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem; including some measures regulating handguns.”
With that in mind I will continue to work toward pushing laws that stem gun violence and keep guns from those individuals who are likely to cause harm, as I have for the past 15 years.
We can never stop all gun violence, but there is a lot that we can do to keep our communities safer. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on passing sensible gun laws that protect Americans, but not threaten the ability of law-abiding citizens to own guns.
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
The following is from her May 30, 2008 e-mail:
With the summer driving months just around the corner, there is no question that the skyrocketing gas prices are on all of our minds. Gas prices are increasingly becoming a hefty and unanticipated burden to the family budgets of many Long Islanders, especially since our region has been among the hardest hit in the nation. Along with all of you, I have been alarmed as I have seen gas prices climb beyond the $4.00 per gallon price with no end in sight.
As you may have heard, I recently voted for and the House passed H.R. 6022 the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act. This bill calls on the Department of Energy to temporarily stop filling the SPR until December 2008 or if oil prices drop below $75 per barrel. As a result of this temporary suspension, gas prices could be reduced by anywhere from 5 to 24 cents per gallon.
Every day, the US purchases 70,000 barrels of oil off the market to fill the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), a stock of oil that would be tapped into in the event of a national crisis where access to oil would be impeded or prohibitively expensive. Currently the SPR is about 97% full – the highest level ever – with enough oil to meet our national security needs.
The passage of this bill resulted in an almost immediate response from the Department of Energy, announcing that it would cease purchasing oil for the SPR. The President also signed the bill into law on May 19, 2008.
Additionally, I recently served on the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Committee, where I was part of a small group of lawmakers that helped to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill. One component of the Farm Bill that I was particularly proud to have voted for was the closure of the so called “Enron Loophole.” The Enron Loophole has allowed oil speculators to trade oil with out the same regulation of other commodities, driving up energy prices and adding to market instability. Congress successfully overrode President Bush’s veto and the farm bill became law on May 22nd.
Congress has also called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate price gouging, dedicated funding to the development of alternative energy and biofuels and repealed subsidies for profit-rich big oil companies.
Finally, last week I enthusiastically voted for the passage of two important bills that will help to reduce the burden of high energy costs. One of those bill, H.R. 6049—the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, will help expand the production and use of renewable energy, create jobs across the country and provide tax relief to middle class families. The other bill, H.R. 6074—the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act of 2008, will give American authorities the ability to prosecute anticompetitive conduct by international cartels like OPEC that restrict the supply of oil and conspire to drive up oil prices.
There is no question that we can and must do more to make gas less expensive to American families, but we also need to work to find ways in which we can consume less fuel and become less dependant on foreign oil. Realistically, on Long Island we need our cars. We drive everywhere and we have few real alternatives right now. That’s why I have worked so hard to pass legislation that will help our bottom line today, while looking toward long-lasting solutions for the future.
Please know that I share your concerns about our nation’s economy and I am committed to doing everything that I can to help Long Island families deal with high gas prices.
It’s an honor and privilege to serve as your representative in Washington. I encourage you to utilize my office as a resource and stay in contact as it enables me to better represent the beliefs and values of our district.
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
The following is from her January 30, 2008 e-mail:
Dear Friend,
Yesterday, I joined my colleagues in passing an economic stimulus package that will give a much-needed boost to our struggling economy and provide real assistance to lower- and middle-income families.
The stimulus package will provide a tax cut for 117 million families: up to $600 per individual, $1,200 per married couple, plus $300 per child. These rebate checks could be sent as early as May, giving families much-needed assistance as we enter the summer months.
While the rebate checks will provide families with temporary financial assistance, the stimulus package includes other aspects that will further boost the economy and provide new jobs for Americans. The stimulus will encourage business investment by doubling the amount small businesses can write off their taxes for new investments made in 2008 and by increasing the number of small business that are eligible for this tax relief.
On Long Island, foreclosures have forced far too many families into financial hardship. The stimulus package expands affordable mortgage loan opportunities through reform of the Federal Housing Administration. It also provides a one-year increase in Government Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) housing loans for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from $417,000 to $729,750.
Although I fully support the House stimulus package, I am hopeful the Senate will include language to release the remaining LIHEAP funds. These funds will help our nation’s most at-risk families with their home heating costs and will free up more resources for other day-to-day living expenses.
While this stimulus package will assist hard-working families and small businesses, it is only a short term fix for a long term problem. I will continue to work with my colleagues to reverse our current economic slowdown and to create more jobs and opportunities for Long Island’s families.
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
The following is from her January 16, 2008 e-mail:
Dear Friend,
On January 15, will celebrated the life of one of my personal heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although Dr. King’s crusade for civil rights was cut short nearly 40 years ago, his message of love and tolerance rings just as strong today as ever.
While great progress was made since his assassination, we must exercise more tolerance to those not just of different races and ethnicities, but to those holding different religious, cultural, and even political beliefs.
Dr. King once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
In today’s world, we must stand for what we know is right and just, regardless of popularity. By living the example of Dr. King, we can make great strides towards bringing peace and understanding in a sometimes violent and oppressive world.
This January, let’s remember Dr. King with not only our words and thoughts, but with action. Take the time to learn about a different culture or point of view, help someone less fortunate, volunteer at one of Long Island’s many great community organizations, or make a young person aware of lessons Dr. King taught all of us.
I hope you will join me in remembering the legacy of Dr. King and in turn, make our community a better place.
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
The following is from her December 4, 2007 e-mail:
Dear Friend,
In addition to the very long list of tasks that are part of the holiday season, parents and grandparents, like myself, now have the additional responsibility of trying to keep track of countless toy and product recalls so we can keep our families safe. It seems that almost everyday brings a new recall or warning. In fact, 21 million imported toys have been recalled this year!
Imports of consumer goods to our country have increased by 338% since 1974, the year the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was created. Yet the budget for that agency today is less than half what it was in that year. Our children deserve better. We should be doing all we can to ensure that safe toys, safe food, and safe medicine are available to our children.
That is why I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 3691, the Safety Assurance for Every (SAFE) Consumer Product Act. This bill includes five important new regulations; it will: ban lead from children’s products and paint; require that the testing of children’s products is done in independent, third-party labs; enhance the recall authority of the CPSC to ensure all consumers learn about recalls quickly; provide the CPSC with the resources they need to ensure the effective testing of toys (incredibly, there is currently only one toy tester employed by the CPSC); and expand civil and criminal penalties for companies that break the law.
In addition, I hope you will keep these precautions in mind to ensure a safe and fun holiday season for your family:
Stay aware of new recalls by checking the internet or subscribing to an email notification list, such as those offered at www.recall.gov or www.cpsc.org;
Submit any existing toys you are concerned about and would like tested to the New York State Consumer Protection Board hotline at 1-800-697-1220
My best wishes for a safe and peaceful holiday season!
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
This page was last updated on
07/18/08
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