Just wondering what you all think of Molinaro/GOP plans during Co. Leg. Committee Day today to force county taxpayers to pay for Marc's newly suggested position of Deputy County Executive...
[curiously, Molinaro never mentioned this during his campaign for County Executive; one wonders why;
also see just below: attempt to do end-run around current DCEDC leadership?...wake up; again-- why?]
Feel free to come out and share your thoughts with all of us on these two at the beginning of these two committee meetings-- today on 6th floor of County Office Building at 22 Market St. in Poughkeepsie:
See below-- from http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/CLagenda.htm ...
4:30 PM Dutchess County Legislature Government Services and Administration Committee Meeting
2012017 LOCAL LAW NO. OF 2012. A LOCAL LAW AMENDING ARTICLE III (EXECUTIVE BRANCH) OF THE DUTCHESS COUNTY CHARTER BY CREATING THE POSITION OF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE(S) AND AMENDING THE ORDER OF SUCCESSION FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE
[text-- http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/ResolutionsPDF/2012017.pdf ]
5:15 PM Dutchess County Legislature Budget, Finance, and Personnel Committee Meeting
2012022 ALLOCATING THE POSITION OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
[text-- http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/ResolutionsPDF/2012022.pdf ]
Curious, isn't it-- Molinaro/GOP priorities (ushering cronies into county government)-- as opposed to making sure law is followed and county contract with 22 county Dept. of Mental Hygiene employees honored; recall 500+ signed on to http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-layoffs ; layoffs by Mar./Apr...
Recall-- "The County will not exercise its right to contract work out if the result of contracting out is the layoff or discharge of then existing employees"... [recall efforts from Shaun Chesley, Liz Piraino]
[from page 25 of Dutchess County's contract (1/1/05-12/31/09) with CSEA-- still in effect now, folks;
http://www.dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2011/12/emergency-candlelight-vigil-mon-630-pm.html ]
Can't make it to join us today?...Email all 25 of us on these-- at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us...
[...and don't forget-- if GOP Co. Leg. majority rubber-stamps these two during Committee Day today, you'll still have opportunity to speak out on these at beginning of Co. Leg. full board mtg. Mon. at 7 pm!]
If you're not outraged you're not paying attention folks...it gets better...(as the worm turns, if you will)..
Here, word for word, is what King Molinaro actually had the gall to email out last night at 10 pm to hundreds of us on Dr. Peter Rostenberg's Hudson Valley Environment list serv re: resolution 2012021:
"I can only tell you that this proposal appropriately empowers the Executive Branch of county government to act as solid waste planning unit."
Fact: Several different reliable sources have told us over the last few years that it's actually BOTH the Legislative AND Executive branches of our county government that have to approve the Solid Waste Management Plan for the county-- Terry Laibach (DEC Region 3 Recycling Coordinator) has told us this, Barbara Warren (Ex. Dir. for Citizens Environmental Coalition) has told us this, and David Sears, citing DEC law/website, has told us this as well.
[see http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/71265.html ; http://www.CECToxic.org ; recall-- re: discussion of
http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/ResolutionsPDF/2012021.pdf ]
Can you say "GOP power grab for new King Molinaro"?.....I knew you could...
[all hail the King]
Joel
845-444-0599/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
http://www.JoelforCongress.org
[thx to many from http://www.OccupyPoughkeepsie.org : came out to speak out in Dec. vs. CSEA layoffs]
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From http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/ResolutionsPDF/2012017.pdf ...
Laid on desks by mail and placed in legislators boxes 1-10-12
Government Services & Administration Committee
RESOLUTION NO. 2012017
Legislators ROLISON and COOPER offer the following and move its adoption:
LOCAL LAW NO. ____ of 2012
RE: LOCAL LAW NO. OF 2012. A LOCAL LAW
AMENDING ARTICLE III (EXECUTIVE BRANCH) OF THE DUTCHESS
COUNTY CHARTER BY CREATING THE POSITION OF DEPUTY
COUNTY EXECUTIVE(S) AND AMENDING THE ORDER OF
SUCCESSION FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE
BE IT ENACTED by the County Legislature of the County of Dutchess, State of New
York as follows:
SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. The County Legislature hereby determines
that it is in the best interest of the County to provide for the appointment of a Deputy County
Executive(s).
SECTION 2. AMENDMENT OF THE DUTCHESS COUNTY CHARTER. Upon
adoption of this Local Law, the existing Section 3.05 (Acting County Executive; How
Designated, Powers and Duties) shall be amended and re-designated as Section 3.06 and a new
Section 3.05 (Deputy County Executive(s); How Designated, Powers and Duties) shall be added.
Both Sections shall read as follows:
Section 3.05. Deputy County Executive(s); How Designated; Powers and Duties.
The County Executive may appoint such Deputy County Executive(s) as may be deemed
proper, in writing, each subject to confirmation by the County Legislature. The
appointment shall designate, in the event of the appointment of more than one (1)
Deputy, their order of succession which the County Executive may change from time to
time. Each Deputy County Executive shall serve at the pleasure of the County Executive
during the term(s) of Office of the County Executive. After confirmation, such
appointment(s) shall be filed with the County Clerk and the Clerk of the County
Legislature. The designated successor Deputy County Executive shall have all of the
powers and perform all of the duties of the County Executive in the event of the County
Executive's absence from the County or inability to perform and exercise the powers and
duties of the Office of County Executive. Each Deputy County Executive shall also
have such powers as delegated by the County Executive consistent with the powers of
this Charter. If no Deputy County Executive has been appointed or in the event that the
County Executive and the Deputy County Executive(s) are absent from the County or
unable to perform and exercise the powers and duties of their Offices, the provisions of
Section 3.06 shall control.
Section 3.06. Acting County Executive; How Designated; Powers and Duties.
The County Executive shall designate in writing, and in order of succession, the
department heads who shall be Acting County Executive in the event the County
Executive and the Deputy County Executive(s) are absent from the County or unable to
perform and exercise the powers and duties of their Offices. Such designation shall be
filed with the County Clerk and the Clerk of the County Legislature and may be revoked
at any time by the County Executive filing a new written designation and order of
succession. In the absence of such written designation and order of succession, and in
the event of the absence of the County Executive and Deputy County Executive(s) from
the County or inability to perform and exercise the powers and duties of their Offices, the
County Legislature shall appoint a department head as Acting County Executive. The
Acting County Executive shall have all the powers and perform all the duties of the
County Executive.
SECTION 3. RE-DESIGNATING SECTION 3.06, ENTITLED "REMOVAL OF
COUNTY EXECUTIVE". Upon adoption of this Local Law the existing Section 3.06,
Removal of County Executive, shall be re-designated as Section 3.07.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This local law shall take effect immediately upon
full compliance with all the requisite statutes and laws applicable to its adoption and
promulgation.
###################################################
[recall below originally sent out to this list Dec. 5th]
Residents sound off on county budget hearing
8:52 PM, Dec. 1, 2011 |
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111201/NEWS01/111201006/Watch-county-budget-hearing-live-tonight
About 100 Dutchess County residents showed up Thursday night at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie to sound off on the proposed county budget, and few speakers asked the Legislature to make further cuts to the $411-million spending plan.
Several employees of the county Department of Mental Hygiene asked the Legislature to reject a plan submitted by County Executive William Steinhaus to lay off 22 mental health workers and replace them with employees of a private firm. One mental hygiene employee, Sean Chesley, noted Steinhaus had rejected an offer by the state Office of Mental Health to pay the county $1.5 million to compensate the county for the closing of Hudson River Psychiatric Center. That money would more than offset the $1.2 million salaries and benefits for the employees slated for layoffs, Chesley said.
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From: Tracey Osetek
Subject: 2012 Proposed Budget
Dear County Legislators,
My name is Tracey Osetek. I am a Dutchess County Department of Mental Hygiene employee working as a Recreation Therapy Aide for Millbrook Continuing Treatment Center. I came into this position 8 years ago simply looking for a job but found my calling in servicing those who are inflicted with mental illness. I have finally decided to pursue a career as a psychiatric nurse. Unfortunately, I will be unable to do that if the 2012 proposed budget is passed. This budget has called for the elimination of 22 DMH positions, mine included.
I have a 3 year old and a 17 year old to support. My 3 year old has a sensory processing disorder which requires a structured program and services to help him. I will not be able to continue to pay for this if I am laid off. My 17 year old is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. He is doing well but he needs his medication to maintain the stability of his symptoms. I will not be able to provide his medication without my insurance.
This proposal does not only effect myself, my children, my coworkers, my friends, but it severely effects our main purpose, the clients we serve. The closing of Hudson River Psychiatric Center has already displaced many patients and with the closing of our three Continuing Treatment Center's these patients will be left with minimal services available to them.
A private organization is slated to take over all three of our Continuing Treatment Center's but they will only be able to serve the higher functioning patients since they operate under PROS, Personalized Recovery Oriented Services. This system is designed to encourage recovery which consist of symptom management, education, independence, job training and reintroduction into the community and work force. This is a great plan for those who are at the capacity to achieve those goals.
What about the large portion whose illness is severe and persistent? Where will they end up? Jail? On the street? There is no room at the hospitals due to Hudson River's closing. I work as a per diem Pt Care Tech on the 5th floor at St Francis Hospital and have witnessed first hand the cycle that occurs. St Francis is overflowing and patients have been sent as far as Glenn Falls because there are no beds.
I ask that you restore and fund these positions so that DMH employees can continue to provide the services this population so desperately needs and continue to try and formulate a more cost effective plan to operate Mental Hygiene.
Sincerely,
Tracey Osetek
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Again-- I received a call recently from one county employee (of 49) from Dutchess Co. Dept. of Mental Hygience to be laid off; they've been working with mentally ill folks unemployed who have turned to alcohol/substance abuse-- this county employee pointed out to us the irony of GOP creating more depressed unemployed who may well turn to alcohol or drug abuse after being laid off-- insanity...
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Dutchess County Dept. of Mental Hygiene's Shaun Chesley statement on all this:
"Almost two years ago, CSEA was informed of the transition plans of contracting out the services of the Continuing Treatment centers of the Department of Mental Hygiene to Occupations Inc.
CSEA was told that this transition would take place using attrition, meaning that if employees found other positions or retired, those positions were to be back-filled by Occupations Inc. employees. This plan is fair, and it has been done in the past. It means no layoffs, and it allows for all parties to transition painlessly while maintaining services to the residents of Dutchess County.
On November 1st we were surprised to learn that the County Executive suggests in his 2012 Tentative Budget to not only break the agreement of the Transition plans and our past practices, but to go against our Collective Bargaining agreement by contracting out services and laying off existing employees.
This is not only wrong; it is illegal, and we ask that you reject this proposal and return to the past practice of the agreed-upon transition plans."
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From: Shaun Chesley
Please consider the appeal for your help below. If you could consider this and or sending it out to your contact listings it would be appreciated..we are at a critical point.
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You may already know that the Dutchess County Executive has released his Tentative 2012 Budget to the Legislature. A budget that calls for the Layoff of 22 employees in the Department of Mental Hygiene and ending services to Dutchess Counties most vulnerable population, the mentally ill. As employees we are trying to save our jobs as well as represent the population of Dutchess County that we Serve. They have no Union, no voice or representation but us.
Please help us to get the attention of the Dutchess County Legislature to STOP THE LAYOFFS and continue the services, by taking a moment to sign our petition at the link below. Each signature will automatically send an email to the general Legislative email account. When you are done signing would you also consider forwarding this note to any of your friends you think might also help.
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-layoffs
Thank you for your time and helping save Jobs and Services.
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Five facts to send now-- to countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us, countyexec@co.dutchessny.us(!):
Fact #1: It would have only "cost" $1,200,000 to keep 22 county employees doing the valuable work they now do in our county Department of Mental Hygiene's Continuing Day Treatment program.
Fact #2: As it is right now already, Dutchess County taxpayers unfairly subsidize privatization through poverty wages-- $3 to 10 million annually for Medicaid, Family Health Plus, and Child Health Plus for members of working families (when folks have jobs but can't afford to pay for health care for families).
[study-- http://www.petitiononline.com/duhealth ; http://clawback.org/category/hidden-taxpayer-costs/ ]
Fact #3: As it is already right now, "Dutchess County taxes its residents 23% less per capita and spends 26% less per capita than the statewide average, ranking us among the lowest of all 57 New York counties for spending and taxes per resident."
[Steinhaus: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/CountyExecutive/20604.htm ]
Fact #4: GOP Co. Leg. leaders are going around telling people our county's Finance Commissioner Pam Barrack has stated true current fund balance is actually $52 million (far more than Steinhaus est.).
Fact #5: The Daily Freeman reported Sept. 29th that "In a memo released Wednesday...by Dutchess County Budget Director Valerie Sommerville and Finance Commissioner Pamela Barrack...the county's fund balance currently stands at $30.9 million, a number that is significantly above the $17.5 million fund balance the county ended 2010 with." [Poughkeepsie Journal and MidHudsonNews.com = same]
[ http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/09/30/news/doc4e8519aa68730023971139.txt ]
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From: Shaun Chesley
Subject: Figures for the 22 positions
Date: Nov 29, 2011 2:23 PM
After review of the Budget and knowing your intentions to save the 22 positions for entire year, please consider the following:
In the budget:
Page 303 top right corner of the page shows a figure of $419,315 to fund the 22 employees for the 1st Quarter. This figure includes fringe.
I simply multiplied that figure by 3 to come up with an additional figure of $1,257,945 (this is what is needed to fund the end of the year, this number also includes fringe.)
If the 1.5 million refused by the County Executive were accepted we could actually fund all 22 positions until the end of the year and still have monies left over, nearly $300,000 that could be used to further offset the County Tax Levy or used for other issues.
[re: $1.5 million-- http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/CountyExecutive/20604.htm ]
Plus...
The number includes fringe, which does not need to be considered for Tax Levy .... an Additional Savings.
Plus...
This will cover all 22 positions.
Plus...
Shared staffing would even mean more monies coming back to the County.
Thank you again,
Shaun Chesley
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