News from STATE SENATOR

Liz Krueger

New York State Senate, 26^th District

COMMUNITY BULLETIN – July 2004

Message from Liz . . .

Late last month, the legislature wrapped up its session with the usual lack of accomplishment, and it is clear we are back to business as usual. We adjourned without passing a budget, and without dealing with the vast majority of major issues facing the State. Across the spectrum, hardly anything of note was accomplished this year. And we adjourned for six weeks, rather than continuing to work toward resolution of the outstanding issues facing us. Rumor now has it that the Senate will go back into session in mid-July, but what we will be going back to do remains a mystery to everyone but Joe Bruno (and perhaps even to him).

A short list of the things we failed to do this session:

· Legislation establishing fair funding formulas for New York City schools, as required by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court decision;

· Timothy’s Law legislation, to establish parity for mental health insurance coverage;

· Rockefeller Drug Laws reform;

· Legislation implementing the Help America Vote Act (HAVA);

· Article X Power Plant Siting legislation, which would provide stricter environmental standards and requirements for community input in power plant siting decisions;

· improved Bottle Bill/Recycling legislation;

· MTA Oversight legislation and public authority reform;

· Procurement lobbying reform;

· Increased access to emergency contraception legislation;

· A minimum wage increase from $5.15 per hour to $7.10 per hour;

· Regulations on assisted-living facilities.

Additionally, there is still no fiscal budget for the 2004-2005 year, only a six-week extender bill.

The most substantive package of legislation to pass through the Legislature was a budget reform package. The Budget Reform Conference Committee shaped a reform package that includes provisions to create an Independent Budget Office (IBO) that is empowered to issue binding revenue forecasts if consensus cannot be reached by the legislature and a change of date for the fiscal year from April 1^st to May 1^st. The legislation also calls for three-year financial plans and requires agency budgets to be made available to the public at the time of Executive Budget hearings. The package also provides for a contingency budget that would continue the previous year’s spending if a budget is not in place at the start of the state fiscal year. It includes a number of bills and ideas that I have long advocated for. I can only hope

________________________________________________________________________________________________

District Office: 211 East 43^rd Street, Suite 1300, New York NY 10017 (212) 490-9535 Fax: (212) 490-2151

Albany Office: Room 302, Legislative Office Bldg., Albany NY 12247 (518) 455-2297 Fax: (518) 426-6874

Email: liz@lizkrueger.com

On the Web at http://www.lizkrueger.com

that the Legislature’s ability to pass this bill shows promise for future budget reorganization. Taken together, I believe these reforms will represent a significant step towards the creation of a more rational, open, and accountable budget process. The success of the conference committee in putting together this package is also unheard of in the recent history of the legislature, and I hope the Governor will sign this legislation.

Despite this one significant accomplishment, the 2004 legislative session will hardly be remembered for its bipartisanship or for innovative legislation. Instead this session will be recalled as a gigantic failure. The continued practice of ‘three men in a room’ negotiating secret deals at the last minute is just an example of one of the dysfunctional practices that disenfranchise constituents and the Senators and Assemblymembers who are elected to represent them. I will continue to work to make sure that we pass a fair budget and help resolve all of the outstanding issues that the Senate Democratic Conference has been working on.

Community Spotlight

Senior Employement Services Available:

The Department for the Aging's Senior Employment Services (SES) assists New York City residents 55 years of age and older who are seeking work opportunities. SES workshops offer classroom training, computer instruction, job search techniques and part-and full-time job placements. All SES programs offer employment contact and placement assistance for low to moderate income mature adults. For more information, contact the Department for the Aging at (212) 442-1353.

Upcoming Free Summer Events in Senate District 26:

Piano In The Park, Bryant Park, 42^nd & Sixth Avenue,

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Noon-2PM

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30-7PM, 212-768-4242

Works by Scott Joplin, the Gershwins, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Jelly Roll Morton and others, performed by New York City pianists.

Much Ado About Nothing: Shakespeare in the Park, Central Park Delacorte Theatre

Tuesdays through Sundays, 8:00PM, and 2PM on weekends, except July 13^th and 14^th

Tickets distributed at the theatre at 1PM the day of the performance.

Walking Tour: Times Square, Times Square Visitors Center, 1560 Broadway/47^th Street

Fridays, Noon 212-869-1890

Walking Tour: East 42^nd Street, Whitney Museum in Altria Lobby, 120 Park Ave./42^nd St.

Fridays, 12:30PM, 212-883-2420

Uncle Vanya, (1942 Film) 58^th Street Public Library, 127 East 58^th St. b/t Park & Lexington

Friday, July 9, 2:00PM, 212-759-7358

Fala Tu (Lives of Rhyme), Part of the Brazilian Art and Film Festival

Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, enter at 69^th Street and Fifth Avenue

Friday, July 9, 7:00PM, 212-360-1399

Documentary film telling the story of three rappers from Rio de Janiero

Central Park Walking Tour: Waterways and Vistas, Central Park, meet at the Dairy (65th St.)
 Saturday, July 10, 11:00AM, 212-794-6564
Grace Garland Jazz & Blues Performance, Andrew Heiskell Library, 40 West 20th Street
 Saturday, July 10th 2PM, 212-206-5400
Performance of Works by Cage, Ibert, Koechlin, Sainte Croix, Theobold, Lanier, and Creshevsky, Donnell Library, 20 West 53rd Street
 Saturday, July 10, 2:30PM, 212-621-0618
 Preformed by Andrew Bolotowkski, flute and Mary Hurlbut, Soprano
Central Park Walking Tour: Amble Through The Ramble
 Central Park, meet at Belvedere Castle (79th Street)
 Saturday, July 10, 3:00PM, 212-772-0210

Performance by Marageth Menezes and Screening of “Speaker Phone”,

Part of the Brazilian Art and Film Festival, Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, (69^th St.)

Saturday, July 10, 7:00PM, 212-360-1399

Central Park Walking Tour: Manhattan Adirondacks,

Central Park, Dana Discovery Center (110^th St.)

Sunday, July 11, Noon, 212-860-1370

Tour of Saint Bartholomew’s Church, 109 East 50^th Street at Park Ave.

Sunday July 11, 12:15PM 212-378-0222

Central Park Walking Tour: View from the Past, Central Park, the Dairy (65^th St.)

Sunday, July 11, 2:00, 212-794-6564

Performance by Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited/Kekele,

Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, (69^th St.)

 Sunday July 11, 3PM 212-360-1399

Performance by Cynthia Scott, Central Park, Dana Discovery Center (110^th St.)

 Sunday, July 11, 212-860-1370
 Jazz vocalist
Performance by Organist Douglas Keilitz, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 5th Ave/50th St.
 Sunday, July 11, 4:45PM 212-753-2261
Blond Venus (1932 Film), Epiphany Library, 228 E. 23rd Street/2nd Ave.
 Monday, July 12, 6:00PM, 212-679-2645
Reading: Twelfth Night, Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave.
 Monday, July 12, 212-340-0833
Cat Balou (1965 Film), Bryant Park, 42dn Street and Sixth Avenue
 Monday, July 12, 212-768-4242
Every Mother’s Son (2004 Film), Donnell Library, 20 W.53rd St.
 Tuesday, July 13, 6:00PM, 212-621-0618
Classical Concert: Manhattan School of Music, 
 Bryant Park, Library Terrace 42nd St./5th Ave.
 Wednesday, July 14, Noon, 212-768-4242
Concert: New York Philharmonic: Works by Ives, Schuman, Barber, Adams
 Central Park, Great Lawn (79th St)
 Wednesday, July 14, 8:00PM
Central Park Walking Tour: Waterways and Vistas, Central Park, meet at the Dairy (65th St.)
 Thursday, July 15, 1:00PM, 212-794-6564
The Triplets of Belleville (2003 Film), Sony Wonder Technology Lab 550 Madison/56th St.
 Thursday, July 15, 6:00PM, 212-833-7858 CALL FOR RESERVATIONS
Flamenco Dancing by Sandra Rivera, Central Park, Naumberg Bandshell (72nd St.)
 Thursday, July 15, 7:30PM

The Emperor Jones (1953 Film), 58^th Street Public Library, 127 E 58^th St. b/t Park & Lex

 Friday, July 16, 2:00PM, 212-759-7358
“Blind Lemon Blues” Musical Review, Central Park Rumsey Playfield (69th St)
 Friday, July 16th, 6:00PM Discussion, 7:30PM Performance, 212-360-1399
 
 

Spotlight on Policy

Protecting the Social Safety Net for Poor New Yorkers

The long delays in this year’s budget process, combined with the very justified focus on ensuring New York City receives adequate educational funding, has meant that many other important budgetary issues have not received the attention they deserve. One area that I am particularly concerned about is the incredibly short-sighted changes Governor Pataki has proposed to the state welfare system. These changes will do irreparable harm to the poorest New Yorkers and they will most certainly rule out any chance of economic recovery for those most in need.

The governor has offered four proposals in his executive budget that would undermine the social safety net for poor New Yorkers. The first proposal would alter the rules regarding full-family sanctions, and could potentially mean the termination of aid to an entire family if the head of household is allegedly not in compliance with a work requirement. Essentially, this seeks to take benefits away from children. The second change would reduce the non-shelter portion of the welfare grant by an unprecedented 10% after a period of 1-5 years. The third proposal would reduce and then eliminate the earned income disregard at arbitrary deadlines. In reality, this change would penalize low-wage workers who cannot get better paying jobs or those who have to work part time because of disabilities or children. The final alteration would cut the benefit of a household with a disabled family member receiving SSI by an average of $90 per month, or over $1,000 per year. The legality of this proposal has been questioned and some have indicated that in order for such a regulatory change the Governor may need to introduce additional legislation. The entire savings projected from these cuts would be about $77 million, or less than 1.6% of the budget gap.

As of March 2004, 632,773 people in New York State received public assistance. Children under 6 years of age make up over 40% of the state welfare caseload. Close to 70% or 436,838, of the state welfare recipients live in New York City. Presently, a family of 3 would receive a maximum “grant” of $691 per month in public assistance, which includes a shelter allowance of $400 per month. The remainder of the grant is supposed to pay for all other expenses. The basic allowance amount has been frozen since 1990. The grant brings a family of 3 to less than 80% of the federal poverty level.

I understand that one of Governor Pataki’s main objectives is to create a stable and balanced budget, but the Governor has gone way too far this year. In his desire to close the budget gap, the Governor plans to have poor people pay the price, even though the cuts will have little impact upon the deficit.

There are multiple revenue-generating alternatives, that have yet to be explored, that would help to balance the budget without cutting $77 million in welfare benefits to those who can least afford to lose it. For instance, we could terminate the absurd empire zone program, we could make corporations more accountable, we could pass the bigger, better, bottle bill, we could create a universal, single-payer health care system, and we could improve access to emergency contraception. Each of these proposals would have generated far more money than cutting benefits to the poorest New Yorkers. I will continue to advocate for a fiscal policy that does not balance the budget on the backs of those least able to afford it.