“I always carry my pocket constitution with me,” a confident Santorum said Tuesday.

It wasn’t a card; it was a poll. But it was a great Valentine’s Day present for Santorum – an “I love you” from Republican voters that sent him to the top of the GOP presidential race.

The CBS News/New York Times poll has Santorum with 30 percent, just ahead of Mitt Romney, who is at 27. Ron Paul comes next with 12, followed by Newt Gingrich with 10. Santorum is way among conservatives, 38 to Romney’s 24 percent.

Political observers say Santorum has a better shot at staying on top than other GOP wannabes who shot to the top and then flamed out.

“Santorum is absolutely not the flavor the month. He can actually do this. Why? It’s a battle inside the Republican party for its soul between the conservatives and the non-conservatives,” pundit Hank Sheinkopf told CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer on Tuesday.

Sheinkopf said the ongoing high-profile battle over contraception between President Barack Obama and the Catholic Church may also have helped Santorum, a deeply religious Catholic, and hurt Romney, a Mormon.

“This may the first time that anti-Mormonism really raises its head. Catholics are saying you know he’s really not like us. He makes more money than we do. Santorum is one of us and by the way people tend to vote for one their own,” Sheinkopf said.

The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue also thinks the contraception fight has helped Santorum, and if he gets the nomination it could help him in the general election against President Obama.

“Mitt Romney is good on the social issues now. He hadn’t been in the past, which is why a lot of people are somewhat skeptical of him,” Donohue said. “Rick Santorum has had the steadiest in supporting the traditional rights dealing with sexuality, marriage and the family of any candidate.”

Experts say the upcoming primaries — Michigan in two weeks and Ohio on Super Tuesday — could also help Santorum because there are large numbers of Catholic voters.

Local residents will have to wait to cast their ballots. The New York and Connecticut primaries are on April 24. New Jersey’s is on June 5.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below. …

But not even the most ardent activists believe gay marriage will happen soon, despite a marriage equality measure being up for votes in both houses of the Legislature this week.

Gov. Chris Christie has promised to veto the bill if it passes.

Activists say this step is necessary to win gay marriage in the future.

Steven Goldstein, who heads Garden State Equality, the state’s largest gay rights organization, takes the long view, saying that civil rights are won incrementally.

In the meantime, Democrats believe they can gain political leverage.

Political scientist Peter Woolley of Fairleigh Dickinson University says proponents can use gay marriage to force Christie into uncomfortable territory for a fiscal conservative.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The arguments were made Friday before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan.

Aafia Siddiqui was once a bright young student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University. She was branded a fugitive terror suspect after she left the U.S. in 2003 and married a nephew of the 9/11 master planner.

She was detained in Afghanistan in 2008. A day later, she was wounded during a confrontation with U.S. authorities who had gone to interrogate her. Six witnesses testified that she had grabbed a rifle and fired at the Americans.

Please leave a comment below…

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on Monday granted a temporary stay of the civil proceedings requested by federal prosecutors.

Jon Einhorn, the lawyer for ex-police chief Leonard Gallo, says his client is disappointed because he wants to be quickly vindicated.

FBI agents arrested four officers Jan. 24 on criminal charges alleging they violated Latinos’ rights through false arrests and unnecessary searches. The officers have pleaded not guilty.

Yale Law School’s Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic filed a lawsuit in October 2010 on behalf of nine plaintiffs who accused East Haven police of physical abuse.

You may leave your thoughts in our comments section below…

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Skelos says the Legislature is part of the government and the governor shouldn’t be able to simply divert funding after the top executive and lawmakers reach agreement on the state budget.

Cuomo is seeking the new power as part of his budget proposal. He says it’s needed for efficiency and to use state money in the wisest way.

Skelos, a Republican, says Tuesday the Democratic governor should simply come back to the Legislature when he wants to redirect allocated funds.

He says the Legislature must be part of that process.

The proposal was also criticized in a budget analysis by Democratic Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

DiNapoli praised Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal as a continued plan for fiscal restraint, but warned that the governor also wants to use the budget to grab power and reduce public oversight and accountability in the spending of billions of taxpayer dollars.       “It’s positive in that it builds on past progress,” DiNapoli said in an interview Tuesday.

“The greatest vulnerability at this point is what’s happening with the economy, the slow recovery and what could be happening in Europe, there are risks out there.”

The state’s top fiscal officer said his analysis of the proposal now being negotiated with the Legislature shows it would cut future deficits in half, to $7.4 billion through the 2015-16 fiscal year. That’s far smaller than recent deficits. A year ago, Cuomo and the Legislature closed a $10 billion gap, much of it caused by federal stimulus aid.

But DiNapoli also said Cuomo’s plan for 2012-13 would reduce transparency in how the public’s money is spent and consolidate more power under the governor. DiNapoli said his fellow Democrat wants to exempt agency contracts from the comptroller’s review, limiting a standard practice that provides better oversight and public disclosure.

Cuomo’s budget also would “dramatically increase” the governor’s power to move funds from one agency to another with less scrutiny and without regard for the original and publicly stated intent behind spending the money, DiNapoli said.

He said it’s always possible to strike the right balance between efficiency and accountability. He said state officials “should be very, very careful before we undercut some of that transparency.”

Cuomo’s budget director, Robert Megna, said in a statement that the budget requires state agencies to be more efficient. He said there is flexibility to “allow for a range of operational measures and, improve functions such as procurement, real estate, and information technology.”

There was no immediate comment from the Senate’s Republican majority or the Democratic Assembly majority.

DiNapoli said Cuomo also would put $12.9 billion of his proposed $15 billion New York Works infrastructure program “off budget.” Off budget means borrowing and spending wouldn’t be subject to as much public disclosure or input by the Legislature.

“The passage of an on-time budget through an open, observable process is important,” according to the report released Tuesday.

“But this progress should be accomplished without abandoning meaningful oversight, appropriate checks and balances, and adequate protection of public dollars.”

Cuomo missed deadlines in December under the 2007 budget reform act, saying he needed more time to gather updated fiscal data. The reforms were enacted to end the secretive process involving the governor, the Senate majority leader and the Assembly speaker controlling spending that amounts to about $135 billion a year, a tradition in Albany not found in most states.

Cuomo already plans to miss the deadline for his amendments to the budget proposal. Instead of the 21-day deadline after his budget submission to allow more public review and debate of the spending plan, Cuomo plans to release his amendments at the old 30-day mark.

DiNapoli also warned Cuomo’s budget is depending on billions of dollars over several years from the federal government that aren’t certain as Washington debates its own spending cuts. He said the governor’s New York Works infrastructure repair project is heavily dependent on federal funds that might not exist after federal budget cutting.

In all, DiNapoli says Cuomo’s budget assumes $1.7 billion in federal funds for his highways and bridge repair proposal. Another $5 billion for state and local governments over nine years also is uncertain.

DiNapoli also said the state’s bottom line has been helped by the income tax increase for millionaires enacted in December. He said that will bring in $385 million now, during the final quarter of the 2011-12 fiscal year, and $1.9 million in the fiscal year beginning April 1.

He says the current fiscal year still has a $2 billion gap that Cuomo and the Legislature must close by April 1, but notes that’s far smaller than in past years because of recent actions.

But hard times are apparent. Without the December tax increase, DiNapoli says tax collections would have been $702 million less than originally projected. That’s a result of the slowing economic recovery in the last half of 2011.

Will the Governor’s plan create more efficiency? Let us know in our comments section below…

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

As CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer reports, it could affect the presidential elections.

Catholic leaders are furious and determined to harness the voting power of the nation’s 70 million Catholic voters to stop a provision of President Barack Obama’s new heath car reform bill that will force Catholic schools, hospitals and charities to buy birth control pills, abortion-producing drugs and sterilization coverage for their employees.

“Never before, unprecedented in American history, for the federal government to line up against the Roman Catholic Church,” said Catholic League head Bill Donohue.

Already Archbishop Timothy Dolan has spoken out against the law and priests around the country have mobilized, reading letters  from the pulpit. Donohue said Catholic officials will stop at nothing to put a stop to it.

“This is going to be fought out with lawsuits, with court decisions, and, dare I say it, maybe even in the streets,” Donohue said.

But pro-choice groups said they will fight the church and fight for the right of employees of Catholic institutions to have birth control and other services paid for.

“The Catholic hierarchy seems to be playing a cynical game of chicken and they don’t seem to care that the health and well being of millions of American woman are what’s at stake here,” National Abortion Rights Action League President Andrea Miller said.

Catholic leaders hope they will have more sway with the White House than usual because it is a presidential election year, hoping that if even a small percentage of Catholics back Obama’s opponent it could cost him the election.

When asked if this issue would affect who he would vote for in November, Wilton, Conn., resident Peter Taylor said, “Potentially, yes. I think it is a very serious issue, very meaningful.”

But not everyone views the situation as dire.

“I would certainly vote for Obama anyway. The church has to get up to date,” Manhattan resident Sue Thomas said.

Sources told Kramer that American bishops are contemplating a massive march on Washington, using people and school kids bused in from all over to protest the law.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below …

In an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer before the championship game, Obama would only say he expects a “great game.”

“You’re not to get me (to pick), I’m going to look for a great game,” Obama said with  a smile.

LINKS: Super Bowl Central | New York Giants Tracker | Fan Photos Gallery

In a pre-Super Bowl interview just a few days into his presidency in 2009, Obama correctly predicted a Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Arizona Cardinals.

But, facing re-election, Obama said he wasn’t picking sides this time.

Earlier in the day, Obama said on Twitter that he was looking forward to game but wished his hometown team, the Chicago Bears, “weren’t watching it from home, too.”

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The legislative hearings will look at a few measures to raise taxes on loose tobacco and on cigars proposed by Cuomo.

Some legislators also seek propose more taxes as the state’s revenues continue to fall below projections.

But the biggest tax issue was taken care of in December. That’s when Cuomo and the Senate’s Republican majority reversed their campaign promises and approved the Assembly’s millionaire tax.

That adds $2 billion to Cuomo’s budget and uses some of it for a modest but rare tax break about $200 to $400 for most middle class families.

The budget hearing on taxes is Monday in Albany.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito and Councilman Jumaane Williams were in court Wednesday to resolve the disorderly conduct cases. The offer is a standard one for protesters facing similar charges after first-time arrests. Disorderly conduct is a violation, not a crime.

Mark-Viverito and Williams were among dozens of people who calmly sat down in roadway near the Brooklyn Bridge Nov. 17. They were part of broader demonstrations that day.

Mark-Viverito says she’s “more committed than ever” to drawing attention to the protesters’ message. Williams didn’t have any immediate comment Wednesday evening but has said the protests “have laid the foundation for real change.”

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Many of the suburbs north of the city are defined by their ability to field a local police force, and residents of Mount Kisco and Pleasantville told CBS2′s Lou Young that it is more than just a simple luxury.

“I would prefer to have those who work with us to be local,” said Carol Steiner of Mt. Kisco.

Patricia Hammel of Pleasantville echoed those sentiments.

“Let’s have a little individuality and have our own.  I think that’s better,” she said.

But both Pleasantville and Mount Kisco have decided to take a second look at the expense. Both communities are considering a merger with the larger Westchester County Police Department.

The chief of Mount Kisco’s thirty-five member department says that it shouldn’t be about turf or ego.

“I don’t think a person that’s affected by this decision should have anything to say. I think it should be made at the government’s level for the best interests of the community,” he said.

The town of Ossining did it last year, the former Chief, Mark Busche, is now a Captain with the county police, he says that the merger made sense.

“It’s a contract which guarantees a certain level of police service,” said Busche.

It’s called economy of scale, at the county police department one sergeant supervises ten police officers. It drives down costs and hopefully taxes.

The economic benefits seemed to brighten the picture for at least one resident.

“Well a tax reduction is a great thing, now I’m definitely interested,” said Debbie Freshman of Mount Kisco.

Both towns say that the budget numbers will weigh heavily on their ultimate decision. There are currently forty-two separate municipal police departments in Westchester County.

Do you prefer local law enforcement or a county force at a reduced price? Let us know in the comments section below…

Rich Rollison has a state-of-the-art security camera and nowhere to put it. Rollison told CBS 2′s Mark Morgan that he and his neighbors on Warren Street in Boerum Hill have seen an increase in vandalism, plus a mugging in broad daylight.

“There have been people shot all around the neighborhood. We like to think a lot of it has to do with the drug dealers who frequent the area,” he said.

Rollison said that he wants to mount two cameras on a light pole which is owned by the city, but that the Department of Transportation has nixed the idea.

DOT officials declined to be interviewed on camera but released a statement saying that,”the DOT does not allow private entities to attach this type of equipment to city property. Homeowners could consider mounting the equipment to their buildings.”

But Rollison countered that the cameras need to be installed on a light pole because most houses on the street are behind trees, creating blind spots that would deem the cameras ineffective.

Long time resident Saundra Wallace said that the cameras would go a long way toward making her feel more comfortable in the neighborhood.

“Sometimes if I’m out late, nine, ten o’clock. I would feel more secure if the cameras are there in case something happens,” she said.

Two years ago security cameras at the other end of the street helped solve a murder.

“Just the fact that people know that it’s there, it would deter people who plan to do something erroneous on the block,” said resident Duery Smith.

Smith told Morgan that he is confident that he and his neighbors will ultimately get the security cameras.

Councilman Stephen Levin weighed in on the issue Tuesday, adding that, “even the police have indicated that they think it’s a good idea, and for the city DOT to say ‘no, that’s our street pole and you can’t use it,’ I think is really misguided policy.”

Councilman Levin said he hopes to have residents meet with DOT officials soon

What do you think of the potentially crime stopping camera? Let us know in our comments section below…

Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Mark Pryor of Arkansas proposed that federal funding in a pending transportation funding bill be used for research and to train police. They said police have no equipment and few have training in identifying drugged drivers, who don’t show the same outward signs of intoxication as drunken drivers do, such as slurred speech.

“Cops need a Breathalyzer-like technology that works to identify drug-impaired drivers on-the-spot, before they cause irreparable harm,” Schumer said.

1010 WINS Reporter Glenn Schuck Was There…

“With the explosive growth of prescription drug abuse it’s vital that local law enforcement have the tools and training they need to identify those driving under the influence of narcotics to get them off the road.”

Schumer says drugged driving arrests rose 35 percent in New York since 2001, but he says that’s a fraction of the cases.

The Democrats cited a 2009 federal report in which 10.5 million Americans acknowledged that they had driven under the influence of drugs. Schumer said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in a 2007 roadside survey, more than 16 percent of weekend and night-time drivers tested positive for illegal prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs. Eleven percent of them were found to have taken illegal drugs.

The administration also found that a third of 12,055 drivers tested who died in car crashes in 2009 had used drugs.

Yet police have no approved equipment to help identify drugged drivers, though saliva tests are being researched.

Pryor wants to create federal grants so police can participate in programs that require up to 200 hours of instruction to detect drugged driving.

Schumer said the effort is prompted in part by two fatal December crashes in the New York City area in which two boys, one 5 years old and the other, 4 died. Prescription drug abuse is being investigated in both cases.

What do you think can be done to curb drunk and drugged driving in the New York area? You may comment below…

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Among those weapons were twenty-nine semiautomatic, and seven of the surrendered weapons were loaded.

The NYPD/Clergy Gun Buy-Back program has been in effect since 2008 and has resulted in more than 7,600 weapons being taken off of the street.

What else can authorities do to curb gun violence in the city?

“I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week,” she said.

Giffords served five years in the House of Representatives, and qualified for a congressional pension earlier this month.

She said she would return to public service.

“I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country,” she said in the two-minute video.

After Giffords submits a resignation letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner and Gov. Jan Brewer, the governor will set a date for special elections to choose who will finish out her term, which — like all House terms — runs through the end of the year.

Giffords, 41, served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2001-2003, and a term in the state Senate, 2003-2005.

Speaking with WCBS 880 anchors Wayne Cabot and Steve Scott, Christie said, “we’ll see what happens” when directly asked if he would reject a gay marriage bill.

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW

“Listen, I’m not in the hypothetical game. They’ve never been able to get it to a governor’s desk. They couldn’t get it to a governor’s desk when the governor [who] was there said he would sign it,” he said.

Christie said he wasn’t sure if the Legislature had enough votes to get such a bill to his desk while reiterating he was not a supporter of same-sex marriage. However, he remarked that any decision would need to be made in a “deliberate” and “thoughtful” way.

“The fact is this is a huge societal change that they’re talking about here and I think we need to do this in a very deliberate, thoughtful way and get the most input from the public we can before we overturn hundreds of years of societal, legal and religious tradition,” Christie said.

The governor also responded to questions about how to pay for his proposed 10 percent cut for all income tax brackets, noting they would be phased in over three years.

He added that the state should “not do the things that have been done in the past where you take a big hit to the budget right away.”

Christie also spoke about the delayed Xanadu complex development and spike in tolls on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike.

As far as Xanadu, Christie believes “it is going to happen,” while dismissing concerns about traffic. When addressing the tolls, the governor said he had no choice about the increases because “we promised our bond holders…that they were going to do it.”

What do you make of Christie’s comments?  Share your thoughts in the comments section…

Following the withdrawal of John Huntsman from the race, the remaining challengers did their best to strike blows to the frontrunner.

Newt Gingrich took a shot at Romney’s history as part of a private equity firm.

“There was a pattern in some companies, a handful of them, of leaving them with enormous debt and then in a year or two or three having them go broke,” he said.

Rick Santorum challenged the current leader over an attack ad from a campaign group supporting him.

“The ad that said that I gave felons the right to vote is inaccurate. It is inaccurate, go out and say stop it,” said Santorum.

And Rick Perry took a shot at Romney for not releasing his tax returns.

“My income tax is open. Mitt we need you to release yours. As Republicans we cannot fire our nominee,” he said. “We need it out there.”

Romney appeared to concede saying that he might release his income tax returns in April.

What did you think of tonight’s debate? Leave your thoughts in our comments section below…

“I offer my heartfelt thanks. Today our campaign for the presidency ends, but  our campaign to build a better and more trustworthy America continues,” he said.

CBS2′s Hazel Sanchez reported that Huntsman now supports Mitt Romney. He referred to Romney as the candidate “best equipped” to beat President Obama. But that’s a far cry from what he said about Romney last week.

“When you have a candidate who talks about enjoyment in firing people, who  talks about pink slips, who makes comments that seem to be so detached from the problems that Americans are facing today, that makes you pretty much  unelectable,” he said last Wednesday in Columbia.

Now Huntsman is urging the other Republican candidates to stop attacking each other.

Candidates and Political Action Committees have spent more than $11,000,000 on television ads in South Carolina alone, where polls show Romney to be well ahead of the pack. But Romney’s rivals aren’t ready to give up the fight.

“Money doesn’t win elections; ideas, character, integrity, vision that’s what wins elections,” said Romney competitor Rick Santorum.

Ron Paul, the candidate who came the closest to beating Romney in New Hampshire will join the other candidates in a Monday night debate.

Candidate Newt Gingrich offered a challenge of his own to Romney.

“I would be glad to debate him anywhere in the state on Friday for 90 minutes just the two of us and you can decide who is more electable,” he said.

A second debate is scheduled for Thursday night in Charleston, South Carolina. Voters will head to the polls on Saturday.

Who do you think will carry the flag for the GOP in 2012? Let us know in our comments section below…

Former addicts told CBS 2′s Jennifer McLogan on Wednesday that their lives used to revolve around chasing the high from the prescription painkiller.

“Like no experience I never felt before, I constantly tried to chase that, to recapture that high,” Raymond Broccoli said.

“My life revolved around trying to get high, and I would do anything at the time to do it,” added Brian Gillam, another former addict.

Both men are now drug abuse counselors at Phoenix House. They said they understand the desperation.

The latest statistics are staggering: New York’s pill-popping epidemic has reached crisis proportions. Narcotic painkiller prescriptions are up 36 percent, and Oxycodone prescriptions are up 82 percent.

“Prescription drugs are permeating our society. It’s also something we have the ability to control,” Schneiderman said.

There have also been concerns raised about “Doctor shopping” following David Laffer’s murder spree inside a Medford drug store last Father’s Day, and the recent shooting death of an ATF agent during a Seaford pharmacy robbery attempt.

Jeffery Reynolds of the Long Island Council on Drug Dependence said that the epidemic is getting out of control.

“It is among the worst public health crises that Long Island has ever faced, and the body count is increasing by the day,” Reynolds said.

Overdose-related hospitalizations are swiftly on the rise. Admissions in Nassau county rose 57 percent and 40 percent in Suffolk County.

Attorney General Schneiderman wants immediate online real-time tracking that would require physicians and pharmacists to report and review a patient’s history prior to prescribing and distributing a controlled substance.

“In that instant we could immediately know if there is any kind of doctor shopping going on or whether there is duplicate therapy,” said Joanne Hoffman of the Long Island Pharmacists Society.

One doctor said he won’t prescribe the drugs without checking a patient in the database.

“If you are prescribing these narcotics and you don’t have the time (to check) don’t prescribe them,” said Dr Thomas Jan.

Experts want to strengthen the narcotic database and go after the bad doctors. They also want to make treatment available for addicts before they become desperate and violent.

What do you think of the prescription drug abuse epidemic? And what can be done to stop it? Leave your comments below.

While stumping for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, this weekend, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie addressed a female heckler in the crowd.

Listen To Christie’s Comment Here

It’s not surprising that the loquacious governor responded to a heckler, but what he said is: “You know something may go down tonight, but it ain’t gonna be jobs sweetheart,” Christie can be heard saying to the woman.

Christie’s spokesman wouldn’t comment or clarify — only to urge you keep perspective over the nugget that dropped from Christie’s mouth, 1010 WINS’ Steve Sandberg reported.

Sandberg talked to women in New Jersey and asked what they thought about Christie’s comment. Rebecca from North Bergen called the statement condescending and demeaning to women. “Every time you talk to somebody like that … it just doesn’t make you feel like you’re being considered or you’re being taken as a person.”

Theresa from Paramus said the following: “First off if a governor called me sweetheart, I’d have a couple of choice words for him right back. I don’t know what he means by ‘Something’s going down but not jobs.’ What’s going down? I don’t think he’s funny.”

“Oh My God. I am shocked,” added “Dawn.” “That’s just a pretty rude statement altogether. My jaw dropped. That’s like crude, crude–I’m sorry. Oh he needs to backpeddle fast.”

“It was a sexual comment and he shouldn’t have done that. He should have addressed her with respect,” Karen from Kinnelon said.

Christie has been stumping for the GOP presidential hopeful for weeks. Romney is heading into Tuesday’s primary in first place. The latest Suffolk University tracking poll has Romney at 35, Ron Paul at 20, Jon Huntsman at 11, Newt Gingrich at 9, Rick Santorum at 8 and Rick Perry at 1 percent.

What do you think he meant by the comment? Should he issue an apology to the heckler? Sound Off below

This came in the wake of Long Island’s most recent and violent pharmacy robbery and shootout, reports CBS 2’s Jennifer McLogan.

While tributes flowed in for the off-duty ATF agent shot to death during last weekend’s Seaford pharmacy robbery, the hold up allegedly committed by a pill-popping career criminal, newly sworn-in legislators listened Tuesday afternoon as Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone addressed the highest profile issues facing them. Topping the list is painkiller prescription abuse.

“That is why I have directed the Police Department to appoint a special detective to work on the case in cooperation with the district attorney’s office. We have to have a focused approach to end this epidemic,” Bellone said.

A grand jury probe into “doctor shopping” is underway since it was revealed Medford pharmacy assassin David Laffer and his wife, Melinda Brady, filled prescriptions for almost 12,000 pain pills from dozens of doctors in the years preceding their violent Father’s Day crime spree.

“We need the doctors and pharmacists participating. They can’t look the other way when someone comes in with a prescription for a thousand pills,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said.

Schumer is now pushing for federal intervention. In Nassau County, letters of alert from Executive Ed Mangano have just been mailed to every community pharmacist.

“These thefts can become very violent and lead to death so we are moving ahead with our prescription crime task force,” Mangano said.

Pharmacists said they want safety and accountability.

“Doctors can look up online to see if patients have been doctor shopping and if they do their due diligence there and if pharmacists do their due diligence and call the doctors’ offices to verify the prescription, I think we can be a little bit safer,” said Allen Sankovich of Franwin Pharmacy.

Nationwide, pharmacy robberies are expected to double to more than 4,000 next year, leaving violence in their wake.

The funeral mass for ATF Agent John Capano will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in Seaford, not far from where he lost his life outside the pharmacy.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

Gingrich, stumping in Mason City, Iowa with less than a week before the caucuses, blamed his slippage in the polls on negative campaigning by his competitors. But that didn’t stop him from going negative against a non-candidate.

“We don’t come out of a background where we can buy a seat or buy, as Mayor Bloomberg did, buy the mayorship of New York. I mean if you look at how much he spent, he just wrote a check and bought it,” Gingrich said.

True, to win his third term, billionaire Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own money, according to the New York Times, which comes out to $174 per vote. He spent $85 million to win his second term.

Gingrich was trying to make a point that he doesn’t come from a privileged background, unlike some of the other Republican candidates.

“I think that’s very dangerous to the future of American democracy. My dad served in the Army for 27 years; I was a college teacher. I’m a middle class person,” Gingrich said.

Well, only if middle class people have net worth’s of almost $7 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Folks on the streets of New York on Wednesday weren’t buying it.

“He doesn’t have the best track record in being an upstanding citizen himself,” said Benn Mendoza of the Upper East Side.

“Surely no one would take anything Newt said seriously,” added Brenda Handlmyer of Houston, Texas.

“Isn’t Newt Gingrich writing checks right now to buy the election?” wondered Greg Wait of Raleigh, N.C.

Not everyone who spoke with CBS 2′s Derricke Dennis, however, criticized the former Speaker of the House, who ushered in the first Republican majority in the House in 40 years and passed the first balanced budget since 1969.

“Honestly, I think he, I think he has a point,” said Gracie Burwell of the Upper West Side.

“Unfortunately, you’re in a society where money does dictate how far you’re going to go in politics,” said Rob Hyman of Valley Stream.

Once upon a time, Gingrich was leading in the polls in Iowa. Now that edge has evaporated, but in New York City, Bloomberg still has plenty of supporters.

“He’s the best mayor we ever had. And if he bought the election, and he can afford it, so be it,” said Jack Wynn of Midtown.

The mayor’s office had no comment. Gingrich has vowed to not go negative against his Republican competitors, but that hasn’t stopped them from suggesting he’s a hypocrite, a Washington insider, or worse, to the voters he’s trying to attract, a closet liberal.

Do you think Gingrich was out of line or did he make a good point? Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

Earlier this month elected officials called for the Department of Education to shorten its cleanup timetable.

City officials had announced a 10-year plan in February to replace aging fluorescent lights in schools, but community groups and politicians think the plan is way too slow because the lighting fixtures can leak PCBs over time.

At the time Congressman Jerrold Nadler had accused the city of dragging its feet.

“Throw it under the rug,” he said. “Don’t tell the parents and maybe they won’t put the pressure on city hall to stop the threat to the lives and health of our kids, that’s what this is really about.”

Health officials also sounded a warning about the effect of the toxins on women.

“They cause abnormal menstrual cycle. They cause infertility,” said Dr. David Carpenter with the SUNY Albany Institute for Health and the Environment. “The majority of teachers in New York City public schools are women of reproductive age.”

1010 WINS reporter Stan Brooks was there for Mayor Bloomberg’s comments…

Mayor Bloomberg said that today’s legislation comes as part of a larger overall strategy which began with the February announcement.

“Earlier this year, our Administration announced a wholesale effort to improve energy efficiency and environmental quality in more than seven hundred schools, including the removal of all lighting fixtures that may contain PCBs throughout the entire school system,” he said.

“Upon its completion, the comprehensive plan: ‘Greener, Healthier Schools for the 21st Century’ will not only eliminate lighting fixtures using PCB ballasts from City schools, but will also result in energy savings of $95 million every year,” Mayor Bloomberg added.

Bloomberg said the information that will be provided as a result of the legislation will allow parents, teachers, and administrators to hold the Department of Education accountable for the removal of PCBs.

About 700 New York City Schools have been contaminated with PCBs. The PCB bill is one of eight bills that the Mayor signed into law today, including one that will require all newly installed carbon monoxide detectors to have an audible signal and requiring their replacement upon expiration.

Is the city doing enough to combat toxic substances in its schools? Leave your comments below…

1010 WINS Reporter Stan Brooks has more from Jimmy Vacca…

A 2010 report by CBS2 exposed serious flaws in the recording of bike related accidents. The report prompted the Department Of Transportation to begin recording bike related accidents as motor-vehicle accidents.

The city’s improved record keeping has paved the way for what Vacca says will be tough new policies for bike riders.

“We’ve got to make it clear that when you use a bicycle you have to go the right way on a one way street, you have to obey red lights, you have to stay off sidewalks. You have to consider motorists and pedestrians. You have to consider all users of public space in the city,” Vacca said.

As Vacca sees it, pedestrians are always right and bikers must make sure that pedestrians are always safe.

Bike rider, pedestrian, or automobile; who do you think has the right of way on the city’s streets? Let us know in our comments section below…

It appears that House Republicans have blinked in the payroll tax standoff, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Just after 5 p.m., House Speaker John Boehner held a conference call with his members to “make a brief announcement.”

Sources told Kramer he was going to tell them to pass the two-month extension previously approved by the Senate.

Boehner crumpled under the weight of pressure, pressure from the President Barack Obama, pressure from Senate Republicans and pressure from the American people.

The House apparently agreed to pass the extension and the Senate agreed to appoint members to a committee that will come up with a one-year extension.

“This is about people. This is about the American people,” President Obama said.

The deal came together after the president held a press conference in which he stood with a number of people who make $50,000 a year and will lose $1,000 — $40 a paycheck — if taxes go up on Jan. 1. One man uses it to heat his home.

“Having an extra $40 in his check buys enough heating oil to keep his family warm for three nights. In his words, I’m quoting, ‘if someone doesn’t think that 12 gallons of heating oil is important I invite them to spend three nights in an unheated home,’” the president said.

The additional presidential pressure came as House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged fellow Republicans in the House to give in on the standoff, and people around the country were contacting their lawmakers.

“This is exactly why people get so frustrated with Washington,” the president said.

For New Yorkers, the lack of a deal would have meant they would have had to pay an estimated $7.1 billion in additional taxes next year: According to the New York State Comptroller’s Office, that would mean:

* If you make $20,000, you’ll pay $400 more

* If you make $40,000, your tax bill goes up $800

* $60,000 in income will cost you $1,200 in additional taxes

* $100,000 in income? $2,000 in additional taxes

One thing that apparently moved Republicans was this warning from one of their own about the political price to pay for a standoff.

“Next November no incumbent is safe nor should they be,” Sen. John McCain said.

The agreement will also put new language in the bill to protect small businesses. The bill extends unemployment insurance and protects health care for seniors.

In addition, it will allow livery cabs to pick up street hails for the first time in the outer boroughs. Cuomo made the official announcement during a press conference in the Red Room of the State Capitol.

1010 WINS’ Al Jones Reports From The Bronx

“It’s very important to me that the bill is something I’m proud of and that all New Yorkers can be proud of. And I don’t believe New Yorkers want a taxi system that is not accessible, period,” Cuomo said Tuesday.

WCBS 880′s Rich Lamb On The Story

Under the plan, the city will sell 18,000 permits allowing livery cab drivers to pick up passengers north of 96th Street in Manhattan and in the outer four boroughs.

“It’s a huge victory for all New Yorkers who have ever sought to hail a cab outside of Manhattan and in northern Manhattan,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

A bill, which would legally permit livery street hails, was passed by the Legislature back in June before it ran into some road blocks, including access for handicapped riders. Livery cab advocates also argued that they should be allowed to buy into a medallion system instead of a permit, while yellow cabbies argued the plan would devalue the medallion.

Mayor Bloomberg, a strong proponent of the measure — which also calls for 2,000 additional taxi medallions — believes it would raise much-needed revenue for the city.  In fact, the measure could bring in $1 billion of revenue to help the city ease its budget shortfall.

“The city needs revenue. Why? Because the city needs revenue — it’s a function of the economic circumstances. The state is feeling it, the city is feeling it and the sale of medallions generates revenue for the city,” Gov. Cuomo said Tuesday.

Officials said it may still take a few months for livery permits to be issued and full handicapped accessibility to be implemented.  The city will also provide grants of up to $15,000 to fit cabs with equipment necessary to accommodate disabled passengers or buy accessible vehicles.

“The TLC will sit down, work with the disabled community and other groups to come up with a long -term, gradual phase-in of accessibility for the fleet,” Cuomo said.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

As the officer’s family released new images of Figoski with his four daughters, the mayor said more needs to be done to stop criminals from obtaining guns like the one that killed the dedicated officer and devoted father, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Bloomberg has often attacked President Obama and Congress for not doing enough to stop the flow of illegal guns, but the cold-blooded killing of Officer Figoski seems to have given him new intensity.

“Maybe if you, you meaning every one of the people in America, including me, calls our congressman and calls our senators and calls the president and says ‘we’re not going to take it any more. You damn well better do something,’ we are not going to have any more Peter Figoskis,” Bloomberg said.

1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks with more on the story

The mayor, whose staff was able to purchase illegal guns on Craigslist, including an illegal Ruger P95 9 millimeter, like the one that killed Officer Figoski, had a suggestion about how to get Congress to move.

“Maybe you show a picture of Peter Figoski with his daughters,” Bloomberg said.

The investigation targeted 125 gun dealers in 14 states. Seventy-seven of the sellers investigated agreed to sell guns to buyers who could not pass a background check. Private dealers are not required to conduct background checks prior to a sale, but it is illegal for them to sell firearms to anyone that they believe would not pass one.

The mayor didn’t stop there. He also excoriated the judges who at various times let out the five men allegedly involved in the Figoski killing, even though their criminal resumes are littered  with muggings, larcenies, drug possession and trespassing

Lamont Pride, the man who allegedly shot the cop, was wanted in North Carolina for another shooting.

“The reason he was not behind bars the last time was that a judge here in New York not only didn’t put him behind bars, he didn’t even think it was appropriate for bail and he had a long history of not showing up,” Bloomberg said.

Now, that judge, Evelyn LaPorte, who is widely respected among attorneys and known to be fair, has become part of the story.

CBS 2’s Derricke Dennis tried to get a comment from her on Wednesday night, but was unsuccessful. There was no answer at her Brooklyn apartment.

But a court transcript from her arraignment of Pride on a misdemeanor drug arrest in Coney Island last month shows how she refused to hold him by setting bail.

Prosecutor: “Lamont Pride has an outstanding warrant in North Carolina for a shooting.

Judge LaPorte: “What happened in North Carolina?”

Prosecutor: “Lamont Pride was involved in a shooting.”

Judge LaPorte: “People, are you asking for bail?”

Prosecutor: “Yes… for defendant Pride, $2,500. He has an active bench warrant from North Carolina. He also has a prior New York warrant with a North Carolina record.”

Judge LaPorte: “And anything recovered from Pride, Lamont?”

Prosecutor: “Nothing.”

Judge LaPorte: “I’m not going to set bail on any of these two people.”

Bloomberg said he thinks the judge made a huge mistake.

“If you’re talking about somebody who the rap sheet in front of you shows is a potentially dangerous person, has a gun, has a criminal history, common sense says don’t let him out.”

“We shouldn’t have to wait for the assassination of a president or the killing of a police officer to dismantle a conduit bringing illicit guns into this city,” NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly added.

But New York defense attorney Stuart Slotnick knows Judge LaPorte and said she had no way of predicting Pride’s future.

“The judge is fair, and she’s well regarded, and this is an awful situation and an awful tragedy,” Slotnick told CBS 2’s Dennis. “You know there are a lot of bad guys that go through the criminal justice system and it’s impossible to tell which bad guys are gonna do really bad things.”

The mayor asked New Yorkers to keep Officer Figoski in their prayers and he pointed out that people are killed by illegal guns in every state and every city.

Since Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King were killed in 1968, there have been more than 400,000 people killed with illegal guns — more than were killed in World War II.

Do you think the mayor is right? Leave your thoughts below…

Governor Chris Christie told a crowd of donors Monday night that Romney is the most qualified GOP candidate to lead the country as president. The private fundraiser at the Hilton in Parsippany was expected to net Romney $1.1 million for his campaign.

General admission tickets cost $500 and donors contributing $2,500 were allowed to attend VIP receptions.

“There are more Republicans here than in my whole state,” Romney told the crowd.

Romney, in need of some momentum, stayed to themes of patriotism and self governance, reports CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey.

“The right answer is to believe in America and believe in the principles that made us the hope of the Earth,” Romney said.

During his speech to New Jersey Republicans, he never once mentioned frontrunner Newt Gingrich, who has catapulted past Romney in several key states.

One political analyst said Romney’s problem is he’s always playing defense, waiting for others to make a mistake, and that without a change in game plan, he could be on the sidelines well before November.

“He has to find more ways to be aggressive and provide an affirmative rationale for his campaign,” said Baruch College analyst David Birdsell.

Birdsell said the GOP establishment has never been enthralled with the former Massachusetts governor and seems to have found hope, for now, in Gingrich.

“Gingrich has figured out how to speak the language of popular outrage, which is so important, particularly in the component of the tea party Republican base,” Birdsell said.

And Saturday night’s debate misstep didn’t help. With Gingrich soaring in key polls, Romney tried to take him down a notch, demanding that Gingrich return $1.6 million he got as a consultant to Freddie Mac, the home mortgage company, reports CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer.

“I would say that if Gov. Romney would like to give back all the money he earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain I would be glad to then listen to him. And I’ll bet you $10, not $10,000, that he wont take the offer,” Gingrich said.

The last dig was a reference to a controversial — and startling — wager Romney made at the weekend debate.

“Rick, I’ll tell you what, 10,000 bucks… $10,000 bet,” Romney said.

The wager was that Texas Gov. Rick Perry was wrong about claims Romney supported an individual health insurance mandate in his book, “No Apology,” but Democrats saw it as an opening to pile on Romney, creating one attack ad that used a sound bite with Romney saying “corporations are people my friend.”

The bet sparked charges that Romney may be out of touch with economic challenges facing Americans. That forced Christie to defend Romney, whom he has endorsed.

“The picking of the number $10,000, I’m sure was Gov. Romney saying ‘That’s how sure I am. I’m willing to bet that much money — that’s how sure I am Rick that you’re lying.’ I think that’s all it was,” Christie said.

Christie also said that he still believes Romney has the best chance to defeat President Barack Obama and that Republican voters will select him as the nominee.

“In the end no one has voted yet, and when people start to vote, I think what they’re going to decide is that Gov. Romney is the person who is best going to serve our party and who is the absolute best person to defeat President Obama next November,” Christie said.

During an earlier stop Monday at a Manchester, N.H., diner Romney unexpectedly ran into a gay Vietnam veteran, who confronted him about gays in the military.

“You don’t support same-sex marriage?” asked resident Bob Garon.

“I believe that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman,” Romney replied.

“Believe that everyone is not entitled to their constitutional rights?” Garon shot back.

“No, I think the time the constitution was written it was pretty clear that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Romney said.

An aide tried to remove Romney from the situation, saying he had another interview to do. To which the vet replied “Oh, I guess the question was too hot.”

He then wished Romney good luck.

Right now, Romney has lost his position atop the GOP leader board to Gingrich, who is currently ahead in Iowa, South Carolina and Florida. Romney still leads in New Hampshire.

Despite the slide in the polls, New Jersey’s faithful didn’t sound too worried Monday night.

“I don’t think it bothers me. There’s still too much time to go,” supporter Lynne Oakes said.

But not too much time before voters in key states begin making their preferences known.

What do you make of Romney’s comments and Christie’s response?  Share your thoughts below…

The founder of the group “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” has refused to even offer an opinion on the future of Attorney General Eric Holder.

“If he resigns, it’s a decision he makes. I can’t make decisions for him,” Bloomberg told CBS 2’s Tony Aiello on Thursday.

“Guns lost in this operation will continue to show up at crime scenes,” Holder said recently.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed 2,000 guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug dealers. It tried to track them but failed. The weapons are now turning up at crime scenes on both sides of the border.

At New York’s leading anti-gun group, there’s criticism for “Fast and Furious.”

“The administration should take responsibility for making sure that this kind of an operation never happens again,” said Jackie Hilly of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

However, few gun-control proponents are blaming Holder or joining Republicans in calling for his resignation.

Holder has denied a cover-up and said critics are trying to score political points.

“We cannot afford to let the tragic mistakes of ‘Operation: Fast and Furious’ to become a political sideshow,” Holder said.

Bloomberg seems clearly willing to give Holder a pass.

“I’ve never been into looking at the past and trying to blame people for the past,” the mayor said.

Attorney General Holder, who was born in the Bronx and raised in Queens, also seems to be avoiding much in the way of criticism here at home, but the heat is still on, with three congressional committees investigating “Operation Fast and Furious.”

On Thursday one Republican said if the controversy isn’t resolved quickly, Holder could face impeachment.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

ALBANY (CBSNewYork) — State lawmakers have made a tax cut deal reality.

Albany lawmakers passed a bill that cuts taxes for the middle class but makes millionaires pay a whole lot more late Wednesday night.

Members of the State Assembly finally passed the measure 130-8 in a vote early Thursday. The bill puts more money in the pockets of 4.4 million middles class New Yorkers. It passed the Senate earlier Wednesday evening by a vote of 55-0, with seven Democrats excused.

“I think it’s fairness, it’s equity. People who make $40,000 to $50,000 a year should not be paying the same tax rate as people who make $5 million a year,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said.

Under the bill, everyone will get some sort of tax break because the old millionaires’ tax surcharge will soon expire, but in the new plan millionaires will face a much higher rate than the middle class.

For example, those who earn $200,000 will pay $400 less in state income taxes, paying $13,300 in taxes instead of $13,700.

If you earn $2.5 million, you’ll pay nearly $60,000 more in taxes — $225,000 in stead $171,250.

“The state gets a little more special revenue and people who need it the most get the biggest tax break,” Silver said.

The deal negotiated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo will bring in $1.9 billion in new revenue. Both the democratically controlled assembly and the republican controlled senate signed on, but the no-new taxes Republicans found it a more difficult pill to swallow.

“The upper classes will pay the majority of the tax. It’s unfortunate, but we have to cover the hole in our budget,” State Sen. Martin Golden said.

“We live in a state that taxes too much, that regulates too much. We’ve got to break that cycle,” added Sen. Andrew Lanza added.

But on the other side of the aisle …

“People are hurting — got to pitch in,” Assemblyman Keith Wright said.

“I think we need to tax people who earn more and put more money in the pockets of middle class,” Sen. Jeff Klein added.

The tax rates will go into effect Jan. 1.

Calls seeking an interview with Gov. Cuomo have not been returned. It is unclear when he will sign the bill into law.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

The accusations come after inspectors with the Weights and Measures Office checked whether 325 stations were selling fuel with octane levels as advertised.

Inspectors used portable octane testers in the field and any suspect samples were sent off to labs.

The gas stations cited are in Bergen, Camden, Gloucester and Middlesex counties.

Violators face fines and could be temporarily shut down if convicted.

State Consumer Affairs Director Thomas Calcagni says the state wants to be sure motorists are getting their money’s worth with some stations charging over $4 per gallon for premium grade gasoline.

Gas stations charged with violations of New Jersey’s Motor Fuels Act or violations of the State’s Weights and Measures Statute, include the following:

Bergen County
US Gas / Mmarmab LLC, 90 Hackensack Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601

Camden County
Citgo, 302 South Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, NJ
Jessie’s Gulf, 720 White Horse Pike, Oaklyn, NJ 08107
Runnemede Extra, 405 E., Clements Bridge Rd., Runnemede, NJ 08078
US Gulf, 1200 Route 73, Pennsauken, NJ 08110

Gloucester County
Glassboro Lukoil, 100 Delsea Dr., Glassboro, NJ 08028
Gurbittha Gas LLC Lukoil, 500 North Broad St., Woodbury, NJ 08096
Mantua Pike Lukoil, 897 Mantua Pike, Woodbury
US Gas / Bahadur Singh, Inc., 724 Delsea Dr., Malaga, NJ 08324

Middlesex County
Edison Fuel Stop, 690 Route 1 North, Edison, NJ 08817
Fuel One Inc., 869 Route 1 South, Avenel, NJ 07001
Fuel One Inc., 279 Route 1 South, Edison, NJ 08817
North Brunswick Express Fuel, 483 Georges Rd., North Brunswick, NJ 08902
PAK Petroleum Citgo, 1614 Stelton Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854

Have you suspected any quality problems with gasoline at certain New Jersey pumps? Sound off in our comments section below…

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