FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com JUNE 20, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 Muni Meter money fi x BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA ctumola@queenscourier.com People who accidentally pay for metered parking when they do not have to will soon have one less thing to worry about. The City Council has passed legislation that fi xes fl aws in the street parking system, including unnecessary payments, in an effort to save drivers money. If Mayor Michael Bloomberg signs the law, Muni Meters would shut off when paid parking rules are not in effect and when a machine is out of paper for receipts. The meters would turn back on an hour before drivers are required to pay for parking again. “Whether you’re doing your laundry or parking your car, you should always get what you pay for,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn as she announced the bill last month. “This legislation ensures drivers will no longer pay for parking at a meter, only to fi nd out that this requirement ended 20 minutes earlier. Our legislation will reduce frustration and increase fairness in how we pay for parking.” Locals agreed the current payment system was unjust to drivers, especially in a time of recession. “If they’re on and people are paying, then it’s basically like stealing from people,” said Maayon Cohen. File photo Under new legislation passed by the City Council, drivers would no longer need to worry about mistakenly paying for parking when it’s free or when a meter is out of paper. “Any time you can save money, it’s fantastic,” agreed Patricia Johnson. “We’re taxed and fi ned over every little thing, so being able to save money would be a nice little perk.” The changes will fi rst go into effect at meters that already have the technology to turn off when parking is free or the meter is out of paper. That’s about half of all the meters in the city, mostly in the outer boroughs. Other meters must be reprogrammed within two years from when the bill is enacted. With additional reporting by Johann Hamilton Checking that earns like savings. BestRate Checking 1.00APY1 % On balances of $5,000 or more. Plus, get up to $ 1 5 0 when you open a new checking account.2 Additionally, a BestRate Checking account provides you with: Free online banking and bill pay, Free Mastercard® ATM/Debit card, Free direct deposit and more. For more information or to find a branch near you, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. The APY is effective March 1, 2013. The annual percentage yield (APY) for BestRate Checking is 1.00% and will remain in effect for 90 days after account opening. At the end of this 90-day period the rate will revert to 0.60% and rate may change at any time without notice. You must maintain a daily balance of $5,000 for the statement cycle to receive the disclosed yield and to avoid the monthly maintenance fee of $10. A daily balance below $5,000 will be assessed a lower Annual Percentage Yield. Fees may reduce earnings. 2 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new checking account is $100. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $75 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments OR Direct Deposit – You will receive $75 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal OR signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Online Bill-payments, Debit Card Purchases and Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $150. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about 75 days after the account is opened. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. All offers are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details and information about these offers. From Forbes.com March 18, 2013. © 2013 Forbes.com LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark NO DICE AGREEMENT LEAVES QUEENS OUT OF CASINO DEAL BY TERENCE M. CULLEN tcullen@queenscourier.com Governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislators have come to an agreement on a gaming deal that would effectively put four casinos upstate and leave Queens without one for now. There is a seven-year hold on increasing the number of New York casinos, according to Cuomo’s offi ce. After that, the entire state is up for grabs pending new legislation. This leaves Resorts World Casino New York City out of the running to become a Las Vegas-style casino with full table games, as some Queens offi cials had hoped. State Senator Joseph Addabbo, whose district includes the Racino and Aqueduct, said on Wednesday, June 19 that he was still reviewing the bill before it enters the Senate and Assembly for votes. His top concern, he said, was how it would affect his district. “I’m still going through it because I need to look at the whole bill in its entirety,” he said. “My fi rst priority is my district.” He added that constituents might not necessarily venture upstate for gaming, but could cross the border to Connecticut or New Jersey instead. “If they’re going to just have some entertainment, they’re basically going to stay local,” he said. Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder also opposed Cuomo’s original plan, which barred downstate casinos. He said he is still reviewing the bill and is hopeful Resorts World could become a full casino. “I’m still going through the bill to determine the rest of the merit, if it’s something I can vote for,” he said. “New York City is in the running in the seven years. They’re on an equal footing as everyone else in seven years.” Along with colleagues and business leaders, Addabbo and Goldfeder argued that if the referendum passes, Resorts World could be a fully operational casino as soon as January. They said an expanded wagering facility would have led to 1,000 jobs along with stimulating the economy in the area. Cuomo has pushed for upstate casinos, which are expected to boost tourism, since his State of the State address earlier this year. Throughout negotiations, his goal was to make sure full casinos come to upstate New York fi rst. “Today’s agreement with the Legislature would establish world-class destination gaming resorts to attract tourists to Upstate New York, generating economic activity for local businesses and creating thousands of good paying jobs where we need it most,” Cuomo said in a statement. Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) similar to those at Resorts World will also expand in the state. Nassau and Suffolk Counties are possible sites. According to the governor’s offi ce, the number of VLTs could increase if the November referendum cannot pass in order to make up for revenue expected from full casinos.
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