"This story is available only in print" - the Albany Times Union

Without Anthony Weiner to poke (fun at)and with the Casey Anthony trial "resolved," the Sunday news is a little tamer this weekend: the sensational stories (except maybe for what's happening with Rupert Murdoch) take a back seat today.

It's great when a newspaper takes an original story and keeps readers "in the loop." There's nothing worse than wondering "what happened" - the Albany Times Union has done a marvelous job following the life and times of "Poppy" - and the timing here was just right for a page-one follow-up to the transient's seemingly never-ending story! Poppy has settled for now in Ravena. (For those wishing to read the storyonline, don't fret - the "print exclusives" eventually show up at the TU's website.)

Right below the Poppy article there's a story very timely for seafood lovers: a warning that imported fish containing banned chemicals are being sold in the U.S.

"Death Arrives in the Neighborhood" is a story out of Lake George with a very unhappy ending, like so many stories of "relationship violence" turn out. Just as I wonder about suicides, I wonder how bad life has to be, how low one must sink, how severe heartbreak must be, for things like these to happen. Your prayers for all of the people involved in this and the Massachusetts story that follows below are needed!

THE BOSTON GLOBE has the bigger story (a sensational one in the Greater Boston area)::: that of Nathaniel Fujita, the son of Berklee College of Music assistant prof. Tomohisa Fujita, charged with the July 3rd murder of Lauren Astley.
Back to "LOCAL" ::: Way deep in the "Capital Region" section on pp D10-11, there's a news article/obit for New York State Assembly director Sisa Moyo... the 47-year old found dead in her apartment the other day. I'm glad I don't live alone. If you live alone, you die alone. Across the page there's a story about the army amputee who fell to his death from a roller coaster just outside Buffalo. That's gotta be as sad as the poor chap who fell to his death trying to catch a baseball for his 6-year old son at a major league game.

Deep inside the Sunday Times Union there's an ad where Hannaford vs. Price Chopper over the cost of cereal. REALLY? Hannaford, why the kid gloves? Why not go after them on the cost of MEAT. I'll give you an example. Roughly a pound of hamburger at the Delmar Hannaford cost me $3 and change on Saturday. The same day, roughly a pound of hamburger at the Madison Avenue Price Chopper ran around $7. I picked up a steak at HFD for $2.14. A nice steak, big enough for three (four with samller portions). I couldn't find a steak at the Madison PC for less than $8.

Now, Price Chopper may be advertsing lower prices for meat, but everytime I've gone to the meat section I CANNOT FIND a single package steak or hamburger being sold for less than $4 or $5, where at Hannaford, I can ALWAYS find a $2.50 steak and a $2.89 package of hamburger - and if it expires that day they'll even have a markdown slip on it anywhere from 75c to $1.50 off!

THE SARATOGIAN is running stories about economic uncertainty and the decline of fine arts possibly threatening the New York City Ballet's future with SPAC and the preponderance of "invasive species" making Saratoga Lake a "travel destination."

THE NY POST homepage showcases Derek jeter's 3000th hit. And so it goes. Another newspaper Sunday is in the books.


Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and Dave Lucas are properly cited. Permission to reprint any comments below is granted only for those comments written by Dave Lucas and staff.

Sunday's Newspapers 10 July 2011

...wow, is it Saturday already? And still on the to-do list: holiday shopping! I had a pretty productive week... only missed one of my scheduled events, the "exit interview" with NY Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch (another reporter had already pulled the assignment, unbeknownst to me!) Wonder if RR uttered his infamous "seed corn" reference?

Bill Clinton: Obama 'Made a Good Decision' abcnews.go.com

Nationally, the "big story" revolved around President Obama throwing the keys over to Bill Clinton! Doug Powers blogs the details... MSNBC compares the two Pres's...

Too late for me to cover: First (and second) veto by Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, who said "nyet" to Councilman Anton Konev & friends budget provision to keep Bath #2 operational.

More hyperlocal news: the trial of DeVon Callicutt, accused murderer of Richard Bailey.

Interesting was the "collapse" of NYC OTB and suddenly NYRA is talking about shuttering Saratoga again.

More interesting was the meeting of the New York State County Executives in donwtown Albany Friday afternoon. They attended a New York State Association of Counties meeting, folowed by a luncheon, followed by a press conference. Here's Fox23's coverage with a link to the full report. To hear the county execs tell it, both "on mic" and off, the Empire State is rocketing toward financial doom. They're wishing and hoping and planning and dreaming that change will come when Andrew Cuomo takes over as Governor. Let's hope so!

Most interesting: activists report the finding of cancer-causing BPAs on receipt paper. The toxic substance is on the surface of the paper and rubs off onto money and the inner linings of wallets and purses. All of my news stories are on the radio station website.

Good news regarding jobs: NextAct of Colonie reported a huge increase in job postings in just the 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday, and the State Labor Dept. is pushing on in efforts to help the unemployed land work.

In sports, the SIENA men's BB team defeated again. So what else is new?

Tags: All Over Albany, All Over Albany

Another Week In The Bucket...

With the constant, never ending unblinking stream of data that pours into our eyes and ears every day, it's easy to miss stuff. Actually, we miss a lot of stuff. A far cry from 1910, when even a 3-day old newspaper from a distant city was "news." Today, if it was tweeted an hour ago, it's done. And yet...

Everything is available, if you know where to look. Here's our government in action. Want an in to the Spa City? It's here.

Might you have been wondering what was going on in the NXIVM clubhouse in Halfmoon last night?

Shots fired... Hey, I don't remember seeing this on my teevee news!

Any high-school garage band music lovers here from mid-1960s Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Scotia-Glenville Schools?

Any high-school garage band music lovers here from mid-1960s VINCENTIAN INSTITUTE (V.I.) and/or the Colonie Schools?

In this day and age, with big brother watching, would you do this?

Hiding In Plain Sight

It's over. Chris Gibson beat Scott Murphy. But for this reporter, in covering the story, there is so much more to it.

Seldom do you see a race where two amazing guys are both vying for the same seat. In watching them debate and listening to them talk about issues and family and community, one could have almost wished that BOTH candidates could be seated in Congress.

That's called "class." In the end, even a visit from the mighty Bill Clinton couldn't help Scott Murphy hang on to his seat. The voters had the last word.

And if last night is any hint of things to come, I believe we'll see Gibson and Murphy working together for the betterment of their district. Well done, gentlemen! What a great day to be Americans! If the caliber of candidates in every race could match these two...

By the way, I'm not biased. I don't live in the 20th.

The Evening After The 20th Congressional Race

In the pic (sorry, it's the best I could do) there's Congressman Scott Murphy, POTUS Bill Clinton and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand...


G Whillikers! I was up even earlier than usual this morning, with a mission to accomplish! Bill Clinton was coming to town. Actually, to the Hall of Springs in Saratoga, to a last-minute Scott Murphy rally. Longtime readers know I'm a HUGE Clinton fan and follower. I arrived in the Spa City for my assignment around 0530, got checked in and set up my recording equipment. Then it was time for coffee and mingling with the various reporters and journalists on the scene. When I left my Albany home it didn't seem very cold, but up in SS it felt like 30 below! Even though the scheduled events lagged behind schedule, a good time was had by all. And it was great to hear Bill Clinton speak. The power is still there.

Here's one person's take on the Clinton phenom.

Bill Clinton in Saratoga

"When you listen to Carl Paladino, you take everything he says with two grains of salt..." ~ Andrew Cuomo

Well, well, well... it looks like Carl Paladino has shot himself in the foot. The so-called "DustUp with Dicker" seems to have resonated with likely voters, and now backed up with his bizarre 3-minute TV ad, citizens are scratching their heads. Paladino's campaign is drifting into strange waters. Tea Party candidate Paladino is falling behind New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo ... according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. As one commenter on a political TV commentary piece put it "...New York voters [when electing the next Governor] should pick Cuomo, as he is the absolute lesser of two evils..."

Paladino and Cuomo have agreed to a debate, which should be verrrry interesting!

The Buffalo News Blog ::: "Paladino went on the attack yet again today (Friday), this time accusing Democrat Andrew Cuomo of playing favorites when deciding whom not to prosecute as attorney general."

Tags: Carl Paladino, Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo v. Paladino : The Debate is ON!

So, everybody and I do mean ev-er-y-body is talking about Carl Paladino these days after that "DustUp" (definition) the tea-party candidate had with New York Post State Editor Fred Dicker.

Forget that the video went viral in its first 24 hours. There's a longer tail involved here...

With national and local radio talk shows (and even TeeVee) chatting incessantly about the "DustUp," I wonder why no one brings up the following possibility ::: what if a politician and a reporter had struck a "behind the scenes deal," carefully crafted, in order to give the politician mass national exposure, the likes of which money couldn't buy?

I only bring this up because the reporter has a past history of similar incidents [WRGB video]. And what better way to throw off all suspicion than the politican to publicly accuse the reporter of being the politician's opponent's lap dog?

Tags: Carl Paladino, Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino Gets National Exposure, courtesy Fred Dicker

...lay back and groove...

...aDDenDum...

*NOTE*
Just hover your mouse over the link until the snapshot box appears. You can watch/listen right through the snapshot box! Nice!

Rainy Day, Dream Away...

Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, NYS Chief Information Officer and Director of the Officer for Technology announced today New York State was recognized as the fifth most tech-savvy state government in the nation for its innovative and effective use of information technology to deliver government services, according to the Center for Digital Government's 2010 Digital States Survey. New York rose significantly from a national ranking of #18 in 2007 to #5 in 2010.

In its tenth year, the Digital Government Center's Digital States Survey is the first and only sustained assessment of state governments' use of information and communications technology. This year marks New York State's highest ranking in the prestigious survey and moves New York into the top ten. In addition, New York State was recognized for its leadership position ranking 3rd or 4th in five of eight survey categories.

NYS Ranks Highest in State's History on the 2010 Digital States Survey

Governor David A. Paterson today announced New York State has received a $6,375,431 federal stimulus grant for its broadband mapping activities. The State's Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure received the award from the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the final round of awards in the State Broadband Data and Development grant program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The State is using this and other funding to develop the first-ever statewide map depicting the availability of high-speed internet service, commonly known as broadband. This map is now available to the public at www.broadbandmap.ny.gov.

"Making broadband universally available so that every New Yorker can fully participate in the modern economy is vital to our recovery as a State," Governor Paterson said. "This federal grant will be put to good use as we work to collect, verify, map and analyze data obtained from each of the companies that offers broadband service to New York State customers. I thank President Obama and our entire New York State Congressional delegation for working to make this important funding available."

Visitors to the map can enter a street address and see a list of broadband providers who offer service in their neighborhoods, including the types of broadband service and advertized service speeds, as well as links to contact the providers for additional information or to subscribe for service. The map also allows visitors to view a variety of other relevant information, including the availability of each type of broadband service including Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), cable modem, direct fiber connection, and wireless and the number of competitive service types in each neighborhood. Finally, the map permits visitors to display those areas in the State that lack broadband coverage.

"As we work to ensure broadband access is available in every corner of our State, we must first clearly understand the existing broadband landscape, and this new map provides that clarity for the first time," the Governor added. "We invite all New Yorkers to explore the map and find out about the broadband in their backyards."

Thomas D. Smith, Director of the Office of Cyber Security, said: "We are very pleased to be conducting broadband mapping as part of the national effort. Our agency is leveraging its existing capabilities in mapping and geographic information systems to greatly expand the information available about broadband service within the State. This new broadband data, when combined and analyzed with other data such as demographic and business information, will provide policy-makers with a solid foundation for their decisions."

Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, Chief Information Officer for New York State, and Chair of Governor Paterson's Broadband Development and Deployment Council, said: "A critical component of our State Broadband Strategy requires establishing a Broadband availability baseline to address gaps in coverage, and identifying unserved and underserved areas of the State. New York State took the lead to develop a comprehensive broadband mapping strategy two and a half years ago to identify areas most in need. This initiative and the data analyzed and presented by the Office of Cyber Security provides the Broadband Council with information to close broadband availability gaps, and bring Broadband to every New Yorker."

In addition to the interactive map data, the site also provides descriptive information designed to educate New Yorkers about broadband by describing the mapping procedures and what the data represents. A glossary of terminology and helpful links to other information about broadband are also provided. Visitors can use the site to gain an understanding of the differences in broadband by comparing the service available in any two counties, cities, towns, or villages in the State.

The Governor also noted that the map provides ways for New Yorkers to report errors or omissions on the map, and to help the State gather additional data on broadband speeds by running an online speed test provided by the Center for Technology in Government at SUNY-Albany.

A national broadband map will be assembled from data prepared by each state and will be completed by February 17, 2011.

Throughout his administration, Governor Paterson has worked to improve access to affordable, high-speed Internet service as a fundamental component for building the Digital and Innovation Economy in New York State. The Governor signed an executive order creating the Broadband Development and Deployment Council in 2008, and established the NYS Broadband Program Office to support and complement the Council's efforts directly related to broadband infrastructure projects, funding, and digital literacy programs.

Governor Paterson published the New York State Universal Broadband Strategic Roadmap, and created the Innovation Economy Matching Grants Program, which provides a State match for federal stimulus broadband grants awarded to research facilities, municipalities, and businesses in New York State. To date, New York has received $149.5 million in funding for broadband projects. These funds have been used to better position the State to eliminate the digital divide and ensure every community, resident and business has the technology resources needed to thrive in the New Economy based on knowledge, technology and innovation.

Governor Paterson Announces New York Awarded $6.375 Million Federal Grant for Broadband Mapping Activities

Albany has traveled far since the time former Attorney General Eliot Spitzer rode a landslide to victory and was inaugurated annointed Governor of New York State. I recall watching the ceremony on TV and cringing while witnessing reporters, fellow-journalists, fawning over the new Governor like eager hungry little puppy dogs.

Who could have ever imagined that Spitzer would have resigned in disgrace! And then there was his successor, David Paterson, hailed as a serendipitous saviour (and we all know how that turned out!)

Now, we have another shoo-in (remember how everybody, even me, thought Hillary Clinton was a "shoo-in" for President?) in the persona of Andrew Cuomo. Until today it was a given that he would be the next Governor of New York. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, comes Carl Paladino. One journalist remarked: "I've never seen a race tighten so quickly." What next?

In the words of CBS2: "The race for governor of New York just got a whole lot more interesting."
Conspiracy theories, anyone?



Tags: Cuomo Paladino Poll, New York Governor



092210 NY GOV + BP

Illusions

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to write a great press release that's just about guaranteed to get your event covered by the media. Needless to say, it must be an event or gathering worthy of professional coverage.

The easiest way to publicize is by writing a simple, one-page release. You need to list

WHO / WHAT

WHEN (specific day and time)

WHERE (exact location, w/directions from all points unless it's a well-known location or landmark)

WHY

People to Contact BY PHONE

Email addresses are optional

You can put everything above in crayon on a paper grocery bag: the most important thing is to have LIVE people waiting to IMMEDIATELY answer the phone (or return calls ASAP) as well as someone manning the email account to answer inquiries IMMEDIATELY.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS! If reporters or media outlets can't reach a live body for verification or clarification purposes, you don't have an event!

In my career as a journalist, I have seen this happen time and time again (most recently last week - I was the only reporter who showed up at an event because I was familiar with the location, and had nothing else going on at the time - prior to heading out I had made numerous phone calls to THREE numbers on the press release, EVERY SINGLE ONE was on Voice Mail, each having a vague message that would make you believe someone might get back to you WHO KNOWS WHEN!)

SEND your press release out on Friday morning if your event is on a Monday: send it out one day before the event takes place (email it out between 0800-0900) - EVERY TIME YOU SEND AN EMAIL OUT MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AT THEIR PHONES and / or READY TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO EMAILS!

How to Write the Perfect Press Release

Wordless Wednesday ::: Saratoga

Detroit's Gabi Gregg will be MTV’s first TJ (that's a Twitter Jockey). The 24-year-old gained a name for herself as a plus-size fashion blogger. Now @gabifresh will be the face of MTV on Twitter!!!

Avatar fans ::: The Na’vi sex scene is hitting the big screen.

Chinese Airline Passenger Films Real UFO in Flight

Inside the Weird World of Justin Bieber Micro-Gossip

Madina Kucheryavenko (aka LJ-user ilgirino [RUS]) won the special contest [RUS] and will be the first Russian blogger officially accredited for 2010 Youth Olympic Games [EN] that will take place in Singapore.

Horse Racing Afficianados ::: Rachel’s Sandbox is a website dedicated to the reigning Horse of the Year, and features a blog, photos, video and biographical information on Rachel Alexandra at www.nyra.com/rachel/

Personalize your computer ::: You can create a message that will appear when you log on to your computer!

Friday Poem from 3quarksdaily by Jim Culleny

Around The Blogosphere 13 Friday 2010

NY State Health Commissioner Richard Daines says West Nile virus is on the rise in mosquito populations. Since 1999, there have been 389 human cases of West Nile Virus in New York State.

I've uploaded Dr. Daines WEST NILE VIRUS update to youtube... (hover your mouse over the link and you can watch the video right through the 'snapshot' popup window)

Click here to read the Health Dept. Press Release.

West Nile Virus Warning For New York State

New York Teams Up with Federal Government to Help Children Obtain Affordable Health Insurance

State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., today joined officials of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and representatives of the North Albany YMCA for the launch of the "Get Covered. Get in the Game" initiative, which will enlist coaches, school officials, and community sports programs to help enroll uninsured children in public health insurance programs.

There are nearly 5 million children around the nation – and about 343,000 in New York -- who qualify for free and low-income health insurance but are not signed up.

"Get Covered. Get in the Game." brings together coaches, schools, and communities to educate families with children who are eligible for Medicaid or Child Health Plus and can immediately avail themselves of free and low cost children's health care programs. New York State Health Department Commissioner Richard Daines and Sue Kelly, the associate regional administrator for Medicaid and Children's health at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, were at the North Albany Y today to kickoff the Empire State's launch of "Get Covered." Here's a link to my report.

For more information about the programs go to InsureKidsNow.gov or call 800-698-4KIDS.

Where I Was Today... North Albany Y

This morning Saratogians are buzzing about the cops ::: You see, when police responded to a backstretch stabbing at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday night, none of the officers could effectively communicate directly with the victim or witnesses, all of whom apparently spoke Spanish exclusively. Now the police chief has taken the bull by the horns, word is he'll be issuing Rosetta Stone tapes/DVDs to EVERY officer. But given the number of dialects of Spanish-speakers from different countries and "street Spanish" - can the cops pull this off?

And what if, one day, there's an incident between a couple of Quebecois? Will the cops be issued French tapes? Just wondering...

(Source: Schenectady Gazette)

What next? Mexican Officials to Patrol Staten Island Following Latest Bias Attack - maybe they can follow the Hudson River upstate a little bit?

Hmmm... maybe the officers should be sent to Skidmore College to learn Spanish (at taxpayers expense, of course!)
At a Saturday meeting in Middlebury,VT Mexican nationals came from a wide geographical area. “They come from far and wide... we even have some from Saratoga, N.Y.”

Seriously: New Yorkers, especially upstate, SHOULD have a working knowledge or at least a smattering of Spanish and French, considering our proximity to NYC and Canada. And a little Chinese in the mix isn't a bad idea. Certainly in a day trip to Montreal or the City and the Chinatowns there, one could avail onself of a bit of "field experience" in trying to interact with non-English speakers and bi-linguals.

On a recent trip to Montreal I was in a department store where there were two girls in their early 20s cashiering at one of the checkouts. I made a remark to one of the girls who just stared back at me blankly: her colleague began laughing and said "she doesn't know what you're talking about! She just learned English!" So I said back to the other girl "Oh, new to English," to which she responded IN PERFECT ENGLISH "Yes, I just finished an 18-month crash course so I could have better chances of finding work." So, if you have the right teacher you could master the basics of a language without picking up any discernible accent!



Tags: Saratoga Police Spanish, Saratoga Spanish

Saratoga Police Get Rosetta Stone

I was in Hong Kong a few weeks ago and noticed several people wearing unique tee-shirts. Some carried logos for products, others Chinese characters and even one with Arabic writing. Then last week in Saratoga I came upon a gal who had on a sky-blue T with her TWITTER HANDLE on the back, and the twitterbird logo on the front! I didn't have my handphone with me so I couldn't snap a picture, but I did speak with her. She told me she designed the shirt herself about six or seven months ago. Judging from the quality of the shirt, I said to her "it must have cost you a small fortune," to which she replied "nope! I did it all online..." and then she had to run, and of course she couldn't remember the website she went to.

Naturally, as soon as I got to a computer I went online to check it out! How can I make my own T? Me being me, I found "the source" in just a few clicks and clacks: they call it "The world's favorite place to find or make unique T-shirts and gifts.TM " And the funny thing is, I had heard about it before: a long time ago I visted a website where one could order custom t-shirts emblazoned with the website's product logo. It turned out that the order would be processed via Cafe Press.

I visited the website and I'm impressed... they've come a long way since my visit years ago! I'm looking into designing a few custom hoodies and sweatshirts for a local DJ pal of mine. Saki Tumi says she's interested in Cafe Press' Posters, and Saki's sister Livvy is online as I type this, ordering Eclipse clothing! You can find fan-designed products or MAKE YOUR OWN TWILIGHT fashions! They've got a 100% satisfaction guarantee! Your order is safe: they have a very secure website

And (best of all) guess what! Cafe Press has a BLOG!

Tags: Cafe Press, T-Shirt

T-Time!

Cinergy, which advertises limited benefit health plans on late night television, the Internet and through telemarketers, will face a hearing where it will answer charges that it is not fit to be allowed to sell insurance in New York State.

Limited benefit health insurance plans normally provide less than comprehensive hospital/medical coverage, but with healthcare bills being the leading cause of personal bankruptcy filings nationally, many consumers searching for affordable coverage buy limited benefit health plans as one way to insure against potential liability. Limited benefit health plans may leave consumers with large medical bills. If injury or illness occurs and an insured files a claim, they may find that they have less coverage than they thought.

"Health insurance is too important to take chances with," Superintendent Wrynn said. "Consumers need to have confidence that the coverage they think they are paying for is the coverage they get. We will not allow anyone to take advantage of New Yorkers' need for affordable health insurance by using misleading marketing techniques."

At the hearing, Cinergy Health Inc., a Florida company, along with sublicensee Steven Trattner, must answer charges that they "have demonstrated untrustworthiness and/or incompetence to act as insurance producers within the meaning of section 2110(a)(4) of the Insurance Law." The company, which generated more than $26 million in 2008 marketing limited benefit and associated health plans, and Mr. Trattner will have to show cause why they should not be fined or their licenses suspended or revoked. An unlicensed company or individual would not be able to do any insurance business in New York.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 29, 2010 at the New York State Insurance Department's New York City office, 25 Beaver Street.

Last year, the Department cracked down on companies selling limited benefit health insurance plans in ways that mislead people into believing they have full heath insurance coverage. The Department moved to protect New Yorkers by stopping one company from selling the product in New York and from advertising nationally and began an examination of the marketing practices of all companies selling this product.

Cinergy marketed the plan that led to the Department's crackdown, and committed multiple violations of the Insurance Law while doing so, according to the citation the Department issued to Cinergy. Major charges against Cinergy include creating and using television advertisements that were false and misleading, in that the advertisements:

• stated that the insurance covers "doctors, hospitals, accidents, pregnancy, labs, diagnosis, emergencies and surgery" and that there are "no annual limits or deductibles for surgery," when in fact there were limitations on the coverage such as a limit of $100 per visit for five doctor's visits per year. By not indicating the significant limitations in the coverage, the advertisement created the misleading impression that the limited medical benefit plan actually offered major medical or comprehensive coverage, which it did not;

• stated that "Most Pre-Existing Conditions Are Accepted," without defining or describing "pre-existing condition," and without disclosing that the policy actually had a six-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions;

• did not contain the expected benefit ratio for the policy, which is the portion of future premiums that the company expects to return as benefits;

• prominently displayed the "Cinergy Health" logo and name throughout the duration of the advertisement, while the name of the insurer providing the coverage, AMLI, the actual plan provider, was shown inconspicuously for only a few seconds; and

• failed to provide the full name of the insurer providing the coverage, together with the city in which it had its principal place of business.

Cinergy's telephone sales staff made false and misleading statements to potential enrollees regarding the nature of the coverage, the cost of the coverage and other benefits, and the identity of the entity that was actually providing the coverage, the citation says. In addition, Cinergy issued a "Member Handbook" to enrollees that contained false and misleading statements regarding the nature of the coverage, the cost of the coverage and other benefits, and the identity of the entity that was actually providing the coverage.

Cinergy was cited for numerous other violations of the Insurance Law, including compensation violations, using unapproved forms and using unlicensed agents.

Tags: Cinergy, Cinergy

Cinergy In New York's Crosshairs