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What Sandy Galef Has AccomplishedGalef on the environment >
It was Galef's idea to form a commission on property tax relief. The Governor liked it so well, he formed a Blue Ribbon Commission, headed by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. Galef sponsored and successfully passed a law to require that sources of all New York State candidates' campaign contributions be posted on the internet at elections.state.ny.us Since arriving in Albany, Sandy Galef has pressed for on time budgets. In large measure, it is through Galef's polite but relentless pressure that budgets are no longer months late, causing school districts to borrow to stay afloat.
Galef succeeded in securing an average 11.5% increase in school aid for her district in 2008, up from the 9.4% she obtained in 2007 Galef secured $400,000 in state grants for road improvements throughout the 90th Assembly District Galef secured state grants for the Ossining Public Library, the Desmond Fish Library, the Paramount Center in Peekskill, the Cold Spring Railroad station and the Ossining Railroad Station waterfront. She is working on grants for the Putnam Valley Town Hall, the Kent Senior Center, Aaron Copeland House, Hudson Valley Hospital Center and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. In 2007, Galef secured a new state child tax credit of $330 per qualifying child. Galef wrote the law that gives volunteer firefighters a state income tax credit. Galef led the successful effort to select optical scanner voting machines that produce a paper trail to prevent voter fraud. Galef pushed legislation to improve nutritional standards in the schools. Galef is the author of the circuit breaker tax relief bill, designed to give tax relief to property owners, based on their household income and total tax bill. Galef on the EnvironmentSandy Galef has long been a strong, committed advocate for the environment.Galef co-authored the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Law to allow communities, through referendum, to protect open spaces. Sandy Galef secured a $100,000 capital grant from NYS to underwrite an innovative geothermal system for the Ossining Library's heating and cooling, eliminating the need for heating oil. Sandy Galef sponsors an annual Energy Fair that features vendors who provide energy-efficient materials. In November of 2007 Sandy Galef sponsored a major Forum on Global Warming in Cortlandt. Sandy Galef has voted for a number of environmental laws, including:
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Sandy Galef is well known as a force for change in the Assembly. Although
she opposes pork barrel "member earmarks", she has nevertheless managed to
secure much needed funding for her district.
Never a "yes woman", Galef was one of the leaders in the fight to make the budgeting
process more open. Now, instead of being prepared in a small room by three men,
the budget is prepared by joint committees of assembly and senate members.