The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Carol Montana

About 50 people attended the Senior Legislative Action Committee (SLAC) meeting on November 20 to hear about the New York State budget crisis.

Representing NYS Senator John Bonacic was Joanne Drake. Reading from a prepared statement from Senator Bonacic, Ms. Drake said, “One of the most important things we can do for seniors is to reduce and eliminate school property taxes. The senate has passed legislation that I have cosponsored to both freeze school taxes … and also to allow for their complete elimination.”

Ms. Drake also read Senator Bonacic’s statements about senior housing and affordable apartments for seniors, and saving hospitals and beds in Achieve Rehabilitation. Bonacic is especially proud of his fight against the NYRI powerline. And Ms. Drake also spoke about Bonacic’s part in the recent legislation strengthening drunken driving laws.

For her part, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther criticized some of the media for saying nothing was getting done in Albany. “You have to listen and be engaged in order to understand what’s going on in Albany or what we do in our office and there’s absolutely no interest. Once every election cycle they’ll come and they’ll ask you a few questions. Other than that they don’t want to be insightful as far as writing the appropriate and accurate story.” 

As far as what has been going on in Albany, “There’s been a lot of negotiations. and we did pass a few great bills — the ignition interlock law. We also passed a significant piece of legislation … it has to do with the public authorities. We have over 700 public authorities in the state of New York, at this point they are $152 billion in debt, there is no oversight, nobody watching what they’re doing, where the money is going. When we bond money in NY, we’re bonding for the public authorities and it’s time to get rid of them, to merge some of them. This particular piece of legislation is going to save billions of dollars. We need a smaller, more efficient government.”  

Gunther said that unless the state reins in spending and property taxes, “people will leave NYS, it will be a mass exodus …”

Calling the leadership of some of her fellow Democrats “an absolute disgrace,” Gunther stated that “It’s not time for partisan politics.”

She also talked about a bill designed to eliminate consultants who spend as much as 20-30 years working for New York State. “Now those jobs will be filled by residents of New York who will pay income taxes to New York.”

Gunther and Drake entertained questions about charging non-profits for fire and police, natural gas drilling, education, consolidation of municipal services, saving hospitals and many other topics.

Regarding the new recommendations for mammograms at 50 instead of 40 years of age, Gunther said that “it was an attack on women. I think it’s driven by the insurance companies. We need to make our own decisions.”

Responding to the issue of budget cuts, SLAC co-chair Priscilla Bassett said, “There are concrete things that can be done to create other revenue streams.” Gunther agreed that “it’s not about cuts, it’s about reducing costs.”

Additionally, Gunther talked about freezing property taxes, the MTA tax and state unfunded mandates. “We’re at a point where people have a feeling of hopelessness. As much as you save, as much as you cut back, it doesn’t seem like the end of the day you can pay your bills.”

“I might be spending Thanksgiving eating a turkey sandwich up there, but that’s okay as long as they figure it out,” Gunther joked. “You want to clear the slate, go to a new year and hope for the very best.”

Sullivan County Legislator Leni Binder also spoke. And at that point, the meeting got a little heated as audience members questioned her about the new Sullivan County Solid Waste User Fee. “I’m agreeing with you. There is a lot of controversy about this. I’m not saying there isn’t. However, would you have preferred a 17-percent increase.”

Referring to the ongoing problem with the county landfill, Neversink resident Joe Inghrim commented,  “It didn’t just happen overnight.”

Binder put a solid responsibility on county board of supervisor who were the predecessors to the county legislature, responding that “I never understood, nor did I run to be legislature to deal with garbage.”

“There are inequities for seniors,” countered Bassett, “because seniors produce less waste.” 

Binder pleaded with the audience to attend the public hearings. “One of the things we’re looking at is to give you a credit if, in fact, you do recycle. You folks have to come and tell the county government. Call up the county government at 807-0435. Please give them lists of what your suggestions are. Write them out. Talk to them. You’d better voice these concerns,” she warned, “because I don’t have all the answers and I’m only one vote.”

SLAC co-chair Roz Sharoff then told the audience that “Town Hall meetings on the budget and the waste fee will be held on December 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the Liberty Senior Center in Liberty, and on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mamakating Town Hall. The public hearings will then be Thursday, December 10 at noon and Monday December 14 at 7:00 p.m.” Both public hearings will take place in the legislative hearing room of the Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello.

Binder also mentioned that there will be a public announcement about a night meeting when the Commissioner of Corrections comes down to discuss the jail.

Bassett asked Binder about a provision in the budget to possibly sell the Adult Care Center, saying that SLAC is very concerned about that. Binder said that selling the Care Center is not in the budget. “I am a senior, and I face every issue that you do,” reminded Binder. “And I understand that everybody in this room is one critical illness away from total poverty, one social security check away from losing their home. … And by the way, if you have county insurance, they’ll pay to pull your teeth, they won’t pay to pull them. So I had to pay for my own teeth.”

To end the meeting, Sharoff read a piece against the Solid Waste Fee from county Legislator Alan Sorenson’s Web site.

The next meeting of the Senior Legislative Action Committee will be on December 18 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ted Stroebele Recreation Center on Jefferson Street in Monticello.