|
This belongs to you. Take it back...
|
State Of The State Address 
Wed Jan 28, 2009 at 14:05:49 PM EST
|
|
I wrote yesterday about the lack of upstate town hall meetings that were promised in place of a State of Upstate Address. So far, only one town hall meeting has been held (in Watertown) and until today, there were no updates about when the next town hall meetings would take place.
Today, the Governor's press office announced the next three upstate town hall meetings that will take place later this week and next week.
Governor David A. Paterson today announced the dates of three State of the State Town Hall meetings that he will host in the next week. The meetings will be held in Johnstown, Auburn and Binghamton, and will be open to the public. On January 5, Governor Paterson announced that he would hold a series of town hall meetings across Upstate New York to give the public a chance to discuss New York's fiscal crisis and the themes of the Governor's State of the State address. The first of those meetings was held in Watertown on January 11.
"Now is the time for State government to take action and confront the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. It is equally important that we take the time to hear directly from New York residents about their concerns as we move to address these problems," said Governor Paterson. "The opinions and suggestions I have heard during these town hall meetings have helped to shape state policy, and I look forward to hearing from more New Yorkers as we move forward in this unprecedented time."
Governor Paterson will continue to travel throughout Upstate New York, and will hold additional town hall meetings and other public events as part of his State of the State tour. In addition to these stops in Fulton, Cayuga and Broome Counties, Governor Paterson plans to hold State of the State Town Hall meetings in Western New York and the Finger Lakes region. The time and location for those meetings will be announced at a later date.
The Johnstown town hall will take place at Fulton Montgomery Community College, 2805 State Highway 67 on Friday, January 30. Doors will open at 2:00 p.m., with the event scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.
The Auburn town hall will take place at the Irene A. Bisgrove Community Theatre at Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin Street on Saturday, January 31. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m., with the event scheduled to begin at noon.
The Binghamton town hall will take place at the West Gym at Broome Community College, 901 Upper Front St. on Wednesday, February 4. Attendees should enter through the North Entrance. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., with the event scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
If you are interested in attended any of those town hall meetings, you can register here.
This is a great chance for upstaters to have their voices heard and to let Governor David Paterson know what parts of the budget we agree with, disagree with and what would make for better alternatives in place of those issues we disagree with.
Let your voices be heard. Go to the town hall meetings, ask questions and show the governor you are a concerned citizen.
|
|
Discuss
:: (1
Comments)
|
|
Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 11:34:20 AM EST
|
|
On January 5, Governor David Paterson's press office announced that he would travel throughout upstate New York after the State of the State Address to hear the concerns of upstate residents and receive their input on the budget and his approach to the economic crisis we are living in.
On January 11, Governor Paterson did hold a townhall meeting in Watertown - the first stop of what was supposed to be his upstate tour. But since then, there have been zero townhall meetings. In fact, the Governor's townhall page has not been updated since that Watertown meeting.
In the January 5 press release I referenced to above, there is this paragraph about the townhall meetings and when they would be announced.
Governor Paterson will travel throughout Upstate New York in the next six weeks, and will hold at least four town hall meetings and other public events. In addition to Sunday's Watertown meeting, Governor Paterson plans to hold State of the State town hall meetings in Western New York, the Finger Lakes region and the Southern Tier. The full Upstate travel schedule will be announced after the Governor's State of the State Address.
The emphasis on that last sentence is mine. I emphasis that last sentence because the State of the State Address was given almost three weeks ago on January 7. Today is January 27 and over the last 20 days, there has been no updates given regarding the upstate townhalls. That schedule that was to be released following the State of the State Address has not been unveiled. And Paterson traveling "throughout Upstate New York in the next six weeks" has not happened.
Tomorrow will mark the third week since Paterson gave his State of the State Address. He said (or the press office did) that instead of having a separate address for upstate, these townhalls would be his way of communicating with residents of upstate to hear their concerns and allow them to voice their opinions. Three weeks in, with the exception of the Watertown meeting, he has failed to do that.
It has been acknowledged by many that this state's power structure resides in New York City. Governor Paterson hails from New York City. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is from New York City. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is from New York City.
If we are truly one New York, we need to be shown that this is one New York. I would hope that the schedule for the upstate townhall meetings will be unveiled soon so that we know that this wasn't just an empty promise given to us prior to the State of the State Address.
|
|
Discuss
:: (1
Comments)
|
|
Fri Jan 09, 2009 at 09:56:17 AM EST
|
|
A few more groups have stepped forward with their responses to Governor David Paterson's much-talked about State of the State Address.
Home Care Association of New York State:
The home care community couldn't agree more with Governor Paterson's assertion in today's State of the State address that "we must shift funding to primary, preventive and community-based care" - but it is impossible to accomplish this goal while proposing nearly a half-billion dollars in cuts to home care services, as the Governor has done.
While the Governor's ledger may in fact show $200 million in home care cuts, the actual bottom line is far worse for patients who would end up taking an astounding $460 million hit under the Governor's plan, once the loss of federal Medicaid matching dollars, resulting from these cuts, is accounted for. Every dollar in home care reimbursement reductions that the Governor counts as savings to the state is actually two dollars taken away from essential services for vulnerable patients who are disabled, chronically ill, or recovering from an illness, and who prefer to receive care at home rather than in a facility.
When the Governor today says that "we still incentivize the wrong care in the wrong setting at the wrong price," we ask: how does he intend to right the situation by cutting almost a half-billion dollars in home care services?
Patients who rely on home care services cannot sustain a double hit like this one, after past years of underfunding, inadequate reimbursement and rising health care costs have already taken their toll on essential services.
According to a recent study conducted by HCA and the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA), 71 percent of programs serving long-term home health care needs and 53 percent of programs serving patients with post-acute/preventive home care needs reported operating losses in 2006, due to inadequate reimbursement and rising costs.
The report, entitled Unstable Ground: The Fiscal Instability of Home Care in New York State, also found that nearly half of home care providers would seriously consider closing their doors under a ten-percent Medicaid funding cut. This is already a reality throughout much of the state, particularly in rural New York . Since 2004, 14 New York home care agencies have already closed or have been consolidated through mergers.
In recent months, Governor Paterson has advocated strenuously for an increase in the federal Medicaid match provided to New York State . But with nearly a half-billion dollars in cuts on the table, we cannot wait for federal relief - while today's policies decimate New York 's home care community and its capacity to provide services to patients in greatest need.
Legal Services Funding Alliance:
Advocates for civil legal services (CLS) reacted strongly today to Gov. David Paterson's State of the State message and his earlier proposed budget that cuts civil legal services funding to zero, completely eliminating state funding for the legal services that low-income New Yorkers depend on, particularly in difficult economic times.
"We commend Gov. Paterson for delivering a sobering State of the State address and we recognize that the state is in the midst of a serious economic crisis," said Anne Erickson, president and CEO of the Empire Justice Center, speaking on behalf of the Legal Services Funding Alliance, a coalition of the 20 legal services programs outside of New York City.
"However, the Governor's complete elimination of civil legal services funding in his budget, especially at this urgent time of need, runs counter to his personal record of advocating for poor, disabled and distressed New Yorkers, as well as, his message today that recognized the need for community service programs," Erickson continued. "We know Gov. Paterson has been a strong advocate for access to justice and the delivery of legal assistance to those most in need, and today said that the best ethical decisions lead to the best policy decisions. We agree and urge the Governor to heed his own words and make the right ethical and policy decision by restoring critical CLS funding, at least to last year's level."
In the 2008-09 budget, state funding for civil legal services was reduced to just under $8 million, a 55% cut to the just under $16 million in funding for 2007-08. Adding to the pain is the continuing attempt to cut current year funding through the deficit budget which calls for a 44% cut to any unspent funding in the 2008-09 budget.
Below the fold is a chart that shows funding levels for civil legal services in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. You can see how New York measured up in 2007 and how they will measure up according to Governor Paterson's budget proposal.
|
|
There's More...
:: (0
Comments, 2 words in story)
|
|
Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 12:58:55 PM EST
|
|
Before mentioning all the newspapers that have written their own editorials on yesterday's State of the State Address given by Governor David Paterson, here are what a few groups had to say about yesterday's address.
Citizen Action of New York:
"Low and middle income New Yorkers are reeling from national and state policies that have led to mortgage foreclosures, job losses, and health care premium increases, said Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. "Governor Paterson says we all should share the pain, but his solution will make the problems worse by cutting education, aid to cities and other critical programs."
"We support the Governor's call today for President-Elect Obama and the Congress to pass a federal economic stimulus package to help the states, but this shouldn't substitute for state action to stimulate New York's economy. The President-elect has made clear that in tough economic times, the best thing for families is for government to invest in education, health care and jobs. We urge the Governor and the Legislature to show the same kind of leadership by asking the wealthy who benefited from the last economic boom to contribute, rather than balancing the budget on the backs of schoolchildren, urban residents and others who depend on state services," said Scharff.
Working Families Party Executive Director Dan Cantor:
"Governor's Paterson's call for shared sacrifice in tough economic times is heartening.
"Working families across New York are facing the triple threat of a deep recession, painful cuts to programs they rely on, and nuisance taxes that will raise their cost of living.
"True shared sacrifice must mean asking the wealthy New Yorkers who have seen massive tax cuts to contribute a little more. Fair Share Tax Reform is enormously popular, will help balance the budget, and according to hundreds of our leading economists, it is the best way to revive the state's economy.
With the Governor's leadership, we can find a fair solution to the fiscal crisis, but only by asking all parts of society to pitch in."
New York League of Conservation Voters:
"Governor Paterson's commitment to a 21st century, green economy - from research and development to energy efficiency projects - will help reinvigorate New York's economy and reaffirm the state's role as an environmental leader," said NYLCV President Marcia Bystryn. "While we remain concerned about proposed cuts to other environmental programs, we are tremendously heartened by the governor's energy agenda and we look forward to working with the state Legislature and state agencies to make it a reality."
The centerpiece of Gov. Paterson's energy vision is the new "45 by 15" plan, which calls for reducing the state's energy usage by 15 percent and increasing the amount of energy that the state gets from renewable sources to 30 percent by the year 2015. In addition, the governor called for the creation of workforce training initiatives; a major push to get schools, local governments and large institutions to take advantage of energy efficiency programs; the creation of an Energy Policy Institute to work on energy efficiency issues; and an emphasis on cleaning up the Hudson River in conjunction with this year's quadricentennial celebrations.
There will be more reaction to come throughout the day today.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 16:24:33 PM EST
|
|
Governor David Paterson gave his State of the State Address today and it has drawn plenty of reaction so far from groups and leaders alike.
This is what newly-elected Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith had to say about today's address:
"Today, Governor Paterson gave his first State of the State address on a historic day for New York, a day during which the Senate was convened with its first Democratic majority in 43 years. But it was a bittersweet moment for us all - while we note the milestones that have been achieved, we are mindful of the dire fiscal times we're facing, the likes of which we have not seen since the Great Depression.
Across this great state, New York families are hurting. Unemployment and poverty are rising and healthcare coverage is disappearing. And, we're grappling with the biggest budget deficit in decades. Now more than ever before, we need to come together to get our state back on track and help ease the burden on hardworking men and women.
In his address, Governor Paterson laid out an ambitious and forward-looking agenda for the year ahead. From balancing the budget, strengthening our healthcare system to improving schools and creating jobs - the Governor has set the right priorities for this legislative session.
We've been energized by the Governor's ambitious initiatives in infrastructure and clean energy; overhauling our economic development initiatives; reforming our Empire Zones; and his specific mention of Rockefeller Drug Law Reform.
We are eager to get to work with the Governor and our legislative colleagues to achieve these goals and get New York moving again."
Governor Paterson's address was solid. As I said in my post earlier, there is plenty to agree with and other things to disagree with. But overall, it was a great starting point. He set forth plenty of goals and a lot of those goals are things that both houses of the Legislature should work towards in the 2009 session.
|
|
Discuss
:: (1
Comments)
|
|
Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 15:51:51 PM EST
|
|
Governor David Paterson has concluded his first State of the State Address. You can read the full speech here.
As Governor Paterson just wrote here, this is our time to lead. This is no time for politics. In a recent interview, Assemblyman Sam Hoyt told me that a "crisis is a terrible thing to waste." That is very true. We can't sit down and complain that we are in a crisis. We must start working our way out of this crisis.
Governor Paterson highlighted many different issues during his address today. He talked about health care and proposed expanding health care for individuals ages 19 to 29 who could still be covered under their family's health insurance plan. Paterson also made a strong case for his proposed obesity tax, which has drawn criticism, not necessarily because of what the obesity tax stands for, but because it is another tax. More taxes and fees aren't the answer. However, Paterson made a strong case in support of addressing the issue of childhood obesity. That was worth noting.
Paterson also discussed education, economic development, energy and the environment. I loved his mention of the Erie Canal and how the canal's construction created a revolutionary means of travel and something that would be historic even 200 years after it was built. The Erie Canal was for the 1800s what things like high speed rail could be for us in the 21st century. We should utilize that comparison going forward and use it to build a stronger case for high speed rail and other transportation initiatives moving forward.
I thought Paterson was eloquent and intelligent. He presented some great ideas. Although I disagree with him on the budget and other issues like the tax cap, I believe he presented a strong agenda for the upcoming year that was both progressive and responsible.
|
|
Discuss
:: (3
Comments)
|
|
Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 11:36:46 AM EST
|
|
At 1 p.m. today, Governor David Paterson will give his State of the State Address before a joint session of the New York State Legislature. There are plenty of things that Governor Paterson should talk about, but he will only fit so much into his address.
It is expected that Paterson will defend his Executive Budget proposal that includes several spending cuts and many increased fees and taxes. While it is expected, he will be saying this in front of the Assembly and Senate who will ultimately have a say in what spending cuts will pass and what increased fees and taxes will be implemented.
But Paterson needs to talk about the future. He needs to have a plan. We all know about the present. The present requires urgent attention and will receive that by this state and by our federal government. But we also need to hear a plan for the future. The future needs to include more than spending cuts and increased taxes. The future needs to include economic development.
Economic development (and job creation) is a big issue because it impacts the whole state, especially upstate New York. While New York is in crisis, upstate New York has been in crisis for a long time. It is the reason why former Governor Eliot Spitzer decided to have a separate State of Upstate Address. It wasn't meant to divide us, but it was meant to address the problems from upstate in a more personal manner. Paterson will do that, but not through a separate address.
In about 90 minutes, Paterson will give his address. We will hear about the current economic state and how New York faces a tough road ahead. We will also hear Paterson defend his much-talked about spending cuts and increased fees and taxes. But what will we hear about economic development and job creation? Will we hear anything about funding such initiatives? Will we hear anything about planning for the future?
That is what we need to hear. Paterson only gets one State of the State Address a year. Next year, I hope he gets to talk about the progress we have made economically. But this year, he needs to talk about a plan for the future. That plan doesn't include budget cuts and increased taxes. That plan needs to include other proposals.
|
|
Discuss
:: (1
Comments)
|
|
Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 16:33:41 PM EST
|
The Albany Times-Union is reporting that Gov. Eliot Spitzer will announce tomorrow in his State of the State Address that he will set forth a $1 billion plan to revitalize upstate New York:
Spitzer's plan appears to have similar components. His new fund would help him pay for commitments he made last year in his City by City program. The Democratic governor traveled upstate to dispense state money to spur private investment in urban areas such as Syracuse, Utica and Rochester. The $1 billion he calls for will back up many of those pledges and many more new grants for upstate cities.
The money will also fuel investments in businesses through a Strategic Industries Fund, allow for additional spending on farms and other agricultural operations and for state park restoration projects.
The revitalization plan is expected to be a highlight in the State of the State address scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Assembly chamber and in Spitzer's presentation at Buffalo State College on Jan. 16, his first speech on the state of upstate.
The governor will also talk about spending more on the SUNY/CUNY network, announcing the creation of an endowment fund to help pay for expenses and expansion.
More on the flip.
|
|
There's More...
:: (6
Comments, 287 words in story)
|
|
|
|
|
|
