Greenburgh, N.Y., is among communities in other states that is pushing a program that would let older people work off some of their property taxes by taking part-time town jobs at about $7 an hour.

Similar programs are considered successes in Colorado, Massachusetts, South Carolina and elsewhere.

“People shouldn’t have to sell their house, move away to a place with less taxes, leave behind their family and friends,” said Town Supervisor Paul Feiner.

In the Associated Press story, Boulder County, Colo., pioneered a tax workoff program in 1986 for residents over 60 and now has about 250 applicants for the fewer…

Catholic bishops in Baltimore today issued strong guidelines for voting Catholics. Here’s the description of the story for Thursday’s Post-Dispatch:

The guideline “says basically that a candidate’s view on abortion trumps everything else– work on poverty, human rights, etc. — and that a Catholic must weigh that. Info from the document will be put in church bulletins worshippers get on Sundays.”

Here’s an early version of the story by the Associated Press.

To what degree should faith leaders guide the politics of their flocks from the pulpit?

As a person of faith myself, I don’t want to be told from…

The Illinois Senate last week approved a major gambling expansion package that would create three new casinos and allow the state’s remaining nine to divvy up 6,000 new “gaming positions,” meaning more slot machines and seats at gaming tables. Illinois’ casinos currently are limited to 1,200 gaming positions each.

Although the Casino Queen recently expanded into a new, land-based facility, the East St. Louis casino — and others in the area and state — say in today’s story they would be open to continued expansion if state government give the go-ahead.

The Illinois Senate last week approved a major gambling expansion…

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled her plan for universal health care on Monday, prompting comparisons to her aborted effort to lead such an initiative as President Bill Clinton’s first lady.

The story by the Associated Press on her announcement reads, in part:

Her declaration was a clear message to Republicans, the insurance industry, businesses and millions of voters who nervously recall what sank her effort at health care reform 13 years ago in her husband’s first term - fear of a big-government takeover.

In unveiling her plan, she called for a requirement for businesses to obtain insurance for employees, and…

In an online story today, Verizon agrees to pay utility tax, we learn that one of the companies that claimed a cell phone is a mobile radio and not a phone has agreed to settle a Missouri lawsuit and began paying municipal utility taxes throughout the state.

That means hundreds of millions of dollars will be paid out to Missouri’s cash-strapped cities while cell users see will most likely see up to 11 percent added to their monthly bills.

Verizon became the first of a dozen cell companies to settle a six-year battle in Missouri courts and the legislature. With…