You're all cordially invited to join us for a press conference we'll be holding today at 4 pm in front of Rhinebeck Town Hall at 80 East Market Street in Poughkeepsie calling on Governor David Paterson and local state legislators to avoid tax hikes on local taxpayers and cruel, unnecessary state budget cuts with the Better Choice Budget-- bulk purchase of prescription drugs, ending contracting out of state services to pricey private consultants, collecting all taxes due on cigarettes, and using the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund; see http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org re: Better Choice Budget coalition; scroll down just a bit for letter I've been circulating among colleagues in our County Legislature on this...
Better Choice Budget Coalition members include Dutchess Outreach, New York Statewide Senior Action Council, New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Environmental Advocates of New York State,New York State, Coalition Against Domestic Violence, New York State Community Action Association, New York State Episcopal Public Policy Network, New York State Labor Religion Coalition, New York Children's Action Network, New York Jobs with Justice, New York Library Association, New York State AFL-CIO, AFSCME New York, Center for Working Families, Citizen Action of New York State, Citizens Environmental Coalition, Civil Service Employees Association, Fiscal Policy Institute, Medicaid Matters, MicroBizNewYork, National Alliance on Mental Illness - NYS, NYS Child Care Coordinating Council, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Public Employees Federation, Public Policy and Education Fund, the Public Utility Law Project, many more.
For more on this see testimony from just last Weds. from Ron Deutsch of Better Choice Budget Campaign and Frank Mauro of FPI to NYS Assembly Ways and Means Committee-- here:
http://www.abetterchoiceforny.org/testimony10_09a.pdf (Fiscal Policy Inst.: http://www.FiscalPolicy.org ).
We're making a stand today to say a firm no to cuts to Northern Dutchess Hospital (and other hospitals), cuts to Ferncliff Nursing Home, Baptist Home at Brookmeade, Thompson House (and other nursing homes), the Environmental Protection Fund, and municipalities like Rhinebeck and Clinton all over...
Recall also how Scenic Hudson Ex. Dir. Ned Sullivan also spoke powerfully and eloquently at Saturday's 350.org rally in Poughkeepsie w/Pete Seeger about how unfortunate it is that Paterson has proposed to take another $10 million from the state's Environmental Protection Fund-- and $90 million from green technologies(!)...
The mid-year cuts in state aid to schools sadly proposed by Paterson truly are unprecedented; see:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20091016/NEWS02/910160347/1007/Schools-face--unthinkable--midyear-aid-cuts ; click on this link for much more info on all of the other cuts proposed:
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/10/paterson-not-on-my-watch.html .
Call Gov. Paterson and state legislators at (877) 255-9417 asap!...(and pass it on)...
Note-- many organizations like the Working Families Party have also long pointed out how reckless, destructive, and excessive speculation on Wall Street could be reined in-- and much extra tax revenue brought in-- if a tiny stock transfer tax were reinstated on all trades on the stock market-- as existed until 1981-- see: http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=2806 -- and CSEA's Danny Donahue has long pointed out hundreds of millions of dollars in savings possible: Canadian Rx:
http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=65217&catid=37 ; these should be explored too...
Joel
242-3571/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
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From http://www.OurKidsCantWait.org :
Inadequate state aid is a key cause of low graduation rates statewide and is driving up local property taxes according to a new report released by the Alliance for Quality Education and the Public Policy Education Fund. Click here to read the report:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/AQE/images/PropertyTaxesandGraduationReport%20final.pdf
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From Debi Duke (DebiD2@frontiernet.net) of Rhinebeck's Committee in Support of Public Education...
Subject: Speak up for children's education!
Dear friends:
You have probably heard that Governor Paterson proposes to cut $686 million from public school funding in the middle of this school year. Initial projections are that Rhinebeck's schools stand to lose $227,329 or 8.99% of state aid. Such cuts could cause significant disruption -- across the state -- and in our own schools.
The Alliance for Quality Education, a statewide group we have told you about in the past, says the governor will call the senate and assembly back to Albany for a special session soon to vote on these proposed cuts. AQE asks that parents and others speak up now and tell the legislature that this is not an acceptable way to balance the budget.
Please take a minute stand up for children! It's easy. Click
Best wishes,
CISPE Steering Committee --
To join or get off CISPE's e-mail list:
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Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:38:11 -0400
From: "Laurie A. Rich"
Check out this speech being given to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee by David Little, NYSSBA director of governmental relations.
The URL that has his speech is:
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From: Jeff Romano (dispatcha@gmail.com)...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laurie A. Rich <
Date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Join me, speak up for our children's education!
Dear friends and colleagues,
I am passing on to you -- and hope that you will pass on to others -- news about Governor Paterson's proposal to cut $686 million from public school funding, in the middle of this year. According to the initial runs the Rhinebeck CSD has received about these cuts, the District stands to lose $227,329 or 8.99% of its state aid for the second half of this school year. The disruption that these cuts would cause, across the state, and in Rhinebeck, would be significant and will have a truly detrimental impact on our students.
There is an organization called the Alliance for Quality Education, and they are waging a write-in protest campaign online. They note that the governor will call the senate and assembly back to Albany for a special session soon to vote on the proposed cuts. They ask that we speak up NOW and tell the legislature that these cuts are unacceptable.
I have done so as an individual, and urge you to do the same. It's easy to do, and only takes a few moments. Click
Even if you choose not to send an email or faxed letter to our representatives in Albany, please consider forwarding this message to others on your address book from the district.
All the best,
Laurie
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[Tyner sent this letter below to the other 24 of his colleagues in our County Legislature]
To: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us
From: Joel Tyner
Subject: Colleagues-- please let me know if I can add your name to this letter to Albany...Joel
Dear Governor David Paterson, State Senators Vincent Leibell and Stephen Saland, Assemblymembers Greg Ball, Kevin Cahill, Joel Miller, Marcus Molinaro, and Frank Skartados:
$5 billion worth of cuts in state spending over the next two years has recently been proposed-- with deep cuts into education and health care of more than $1 billion, $90 million in cuts proposed to Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative proceeds, and $10 million to be unfairly stolen from the Environmental Protection Fund (on top of the onerous MTA payroll tax already hurting us here in Dutchess County).
$1.3 billion in cuts to state aid to local assistance spending has been proposed, $686 million in cuts to education spending, $500 million in cuts to hospitals, home care providers and nursing homes, and a $67 million cut in aid to municipalities-- cuts that may well end up causing massive local tax hikes. Initial projections are that Rhinebeck's schools alone stand to lose $227,329 or 8.99% of state aid.
There are alternatives to these cuts, as the massive Better Choice Budget Coalition for NYS has long pointed out-- twenty other states in the U.S. bargain down the cost of prescription drugs to save money for those states and local governments there (why not NYS?)-- there are also still huge tax loopholes for corporations in NYS-- and literally hundreds of millions of our state tax dollars are flushed down the drain annually, wasted on privatization of state services for consultants, overpaid on jobs state workers can do better and cheaper.
Better Choice Budget Coalition members include Dutchess Outreach, New York Statewide Senior Action Council, New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Environmental Advocates of New York State,New York State, Coalition Against Domestic Violence, New York State Community Action Association, New York State Episcopal Public Policy Network, New York State Labor Religion Coalition, New York Children's Action Network, New York Jobs with Justice, New York Library Association, New York State AFL-CIO, AFSCME New York, Center for Working Families, Citizen Action of New York State, Citizens Environmental Coalition, Civil Service Employees Association, Fiscal Policy Institute, Medicaid Matters, MicroBizNewYork, National Alliance on Mental Illness - NYS, NYS Child Care Coordinating Council, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Public Employees Federation, Public Policy and Education Fund, the Public Utility Law Project, and many other organizations all across the state.
Note, too-- many organizations like the Working Families Party have also long pointed out how reckless, destructive, and excessive speculation on Wall Street could be reined in-- and much extra tax revenue brought in with small stock transfer tax reinstated on all trades on the stock market as was until 1981; hundreds of millions of dollars could also be saved annually with prescription drugs from Canada for state employees, as CSEA has long pointed out as well; these should be pursued-- not budget cuts.
We call on you, our representatives in state government, to stand up for us to stop these cruel, unnecessary, and unfair budget cuts to our schools, towns, hospitals, nursing homes, home care providers, and environmental protection that will only end up forcing up local property taxes (and possibly huge county budget cuts to services) even more so than now.
Yours,
Joel Tyner
County Legislator
Clinton/Rhinebeck
[ http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ; http://www.FiscalPolicy.org ; http://www.OurKidsCantWait.org
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20091016/NEWS02/910160347/1007/Schools-face--unthinkable--midyear-aid-cuts ;
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/10/paterson-not-on-my-watch.html ;
http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=2806 ;
http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=65217&catid=37 ;
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/425/t/24/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27986 ;
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/AQE/images/PropertyTaxesandGraduationReport%20final.pdf ]
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From http://www.abetterchoiceforny.org/testimony10_09a.pdf ...
Testimony to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee
2009-2010 Executive Deficit Reduction Plan
October 21, 2009
Submitted by:
Frank Mauro, Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute
Ron Deutsch, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness
We would like to thank the distinguished members of the Assembly Ways and Means
Committee for the opportunity to testify here today.
We believe that Governor Paterson's Deficit Reduction Plan (DRP) to make $1.8 billion in
spending cuts between now and March 31, 2010, is a poor policy recommendation that will
have the opposite effect of his contention that it will "prime" the state for economic recovery.
First, Do No Harm!
Can you really take $2.26 billion of demand out of the state's economy in five months without
having a significant negative economic impact?
At his October 15, 2009, press conference, Governor Paterson called for New York State,
between now and March 31, 2010, to make $1.8 billion in real budget cuts - $500 million in cuts in state agency budgets and $1.3 billion in local assistance cuts, including $480 million less aid to school districts and $287 million less in Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers. When the Governor was asked, at that press conference, if estimates had been prepared of the impact of his proposed cuts on employment levels in the state, his budget director pointed out that the $1.8 billion in cuts were designed to have the least possible negative economic impact and that their assumption was that the plan would not require significant layoffs. But the question regarding estimates of the impact of employment levels was never answered.
Better Choices:
Bulk Purchase of Pharmaceuticals: Language inserted into last year's budget allows the
Department of Health to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower cost drugs.
According to recent studies, New Yorkers spend over $20 billion a year on prescription drugs.
Approximately $4 billion (or more) of this spending is in the Medicaid program. We should use
our purchasing power to force drug companies to provide us with lower cost drugs. We could
save hundreds of millions or more if we were able to get drugs for what the federal government
currently pays.
End the Contracting Out of State services to Pricey Private Consultants: In SFY 2007-08, NYS
spent $2.78 billion on consultants and paid them an average annual rate of $126,503.
Consultants charge 54% more than state employees who do the same work (including the cost
of state employee benefits). Consultant spending for the first half of this year is at the same
rate as last year. The state should reduce the use of these high priced consultants before
eliminating jobs and/or services from the current years' budget. Replacing half of these
consultants with state employees will save the state over $730 million over the next three
years.
Collect Taxes that are Due on Cigarettes: The impact of price on cigarette consumption is well
documented. The more expensive tobacco products are the more people will want to quit
smoking. The good news is the Empire State now has one of the highest cigarette taxes in the
nation at $2.75 per pack. But there's a problem. Hundreds of millions of dollars in cigarette
taxes aren't being collected.
New York has been unable or unwilling to collect taxes on tobacco products sold at Native
American retail outlets. This torrent of tax free cigarettes is both a significant public health
problem and economic burden to all New Yorkers. But a new law allows the state to collect all
cigarette taxes before the products reach the reservation and put an end to this public health
embarrassment. Native Americans would be provided coupons to purchase tax free cigarettes
while sales to non-native Americans would be subject to the tax.
NYS should implement this law as soon as possible to help eliminate the need for cuts in vital
state services.
Use the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund and State Rainy Day Fund to help solve our mid-year
budget gap:
The Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund (TSRF) is for unplanned end of year deficits and totals $1.039
billion. The state rainy day fund has approximately $400 million reserved for economic
downturns. These funds are an important backstop or cushion for getting through the current
fiscal year without making $1.8 billion in cuts to vital services as the Governor has proposed.
These funds provide the state the time to have a well-informed debate over expenditures and
revenues in the 2010-11 state budget. The Legislature cannot pass a law transferring money
from the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund to the General Fund, nor can it pass a law requiring the
Governor to use the money from this fund. The Governor simply has to borrow the amount
needed from it on March 31, 2010, if disbursements exceed receipts and money available to
make those disbursements.
The relevance of the TSRF and rainy Day Fund to the current situation is that (1) NYS has a
reserve fund of approximately $1.5 billion that it can borrow from if disbursements made
during the 2009-10 SFY end up exceeding the receipts and money available for use during the
SFY. The Governor and the Legislature should not make more cuts during the current fiscal year than are necessary given this $1.5 billion cushion.
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