On the brief side...
NYC Sales Tax Ended

Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed into law legislation which eliminates the New York City portion of the sales tax on all clothing and footwear purchases made in the city, the bill's sponsor, state Senator Frank Padavan, announced.

Prior to the enactment of this measure, Padavan said, the New York City sales tax exemption on clothing and footwear applied only to articles costing $110 or less. Now the exemption applies to all clothing and footwear purchases, no matter what they cost.

However, the 4 percent state sales tax on clothing and footwear and the 3/8-percent Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District surcharge will remain intact, Padavan pointed out.

With the elimination of the New York City portion of the sales tax, the lawmaker said, taxpayers will save an estimated $110 million in 2008, increasing annually to an estimated $122 million in 2011. Identity Theft Victim Protection Expanded

Legislation sponsored by Deputy Speaker Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette, which passed both houses in Albany recently, provides further protections for victims of identity theft.

The bill is expected to be signed into law by Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Lafayette (D- Jackson Heights) said if his bill is signed into law, creditors will no longer be able to take further adverse actions against consumers solely because they were victims of identity theft. Lafayette explained that a credit card company can presently increase the interest rate on a credit card because the cardholder had their identity stolen.

"Or a bank can lower a consumer's credit score because they had their identity stolen, leading to higher monthly loan payments. This is not fair," Lafayette said. The practice will not be possible if his bill becomes law. Smith Urges Donate Old Cellphones

State Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith says that there are 46 million old cellphones in drawers and closets throughout the United States that can be put to better use.

Phones handed in to the Secure the Call Foundation, are cleaned and inspected and their batteries recharged. The cellphones are then converted into free 911 emergency phones.

"These phones are then distributed to individuals who are in need of cellphones for emergency purposes by police departments, sheriffs' offices, battered women's shelters, neighborhood watch groups, community service organizations and senior citizens centers," Smith said.

For more information on the program, call 1-888-88 DONATE. Rally For 100-Year-Old Elm Tree

A maximum effort to protect a historic Wych Elm Tree in Flushing was urged by City Councilmember John Liu on Monday.

Liu (D- Flushing) said the 100-year-old tree is located at Franklin Avenue between Colden Street and Kissena Boulevard in Flushing. It is on the site of a School Construction Authority (SCA) project, he said, and explained that another irreplaceable tree had been damaged recently on another SCA project site.

In the present case, the SCA project is construction of P.S. 244, which the community supports, but, Liu said, he and local residents insist that every effort must be made to protect the Wych Elm".

For more information, contact Liu at 648-879-3289.- Compiled by John Toscano