August 6        Friday                American Legion                    1:00-6:00

1153 Clifford Ave. Sylvan Beach

For Appts. call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE

August 7          Saturday          Rome Area Chapter              8:30-12:30

303 W. Liberty St.,Rome

For Appts. Call 336-0030

August 27        Friday              St. John’s Lutheran Church  10:00-3:00

502 w. Chestnut St., Rome

For Appts. Call 336-0030

Sept. 2            Thursday          Camden Methodist Church   1:00-6:00

132 Main St., Camden

For Appts. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE

Sept. 8           Wednesday        Oneida Correctional Facility 9:00-1:30

6100 School Rd., Rome

FOR EMPLOYEES ONLY

Sept. 10           Friday              Griffiss Institute                     8:30-1:30

725 Daedlian Rd., Rome

For Appts. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE

Sept. 21            Tuesday          Rome Memorial Hospital      9:00-4:00

1500 N. James St., Rome

EMPLOYEES ONLY

Sept.24             Friday             St. John’s Lutheran Church  10:00-3:00

502 W. Chestnut St., Rome

For Appts. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE

Sept. 27             Monday         MVCC                                    12:00-5:00

1101 Floyd Ave., Rome

For Appts Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE

If we are not already at a health care tipping point in New York then we will be soon. This is due to New York’s unique place among states administering and funding health-related entitlement programs. In the Empire State this comes down to three programs: Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus, and Medicaid. Medicaid alone accounts for approximately 45 percent of our state’s budget; in the next decade that figure could rise past 50 percent, according to independent fiscal analysts.

Medicaid in the Empire State is by far the most generous in the country; New York’s government devotes ever-larger sums to the program’s nearly 4.5 million beneficiaries (23 percent) statewide. It spends more than California despite covering 55 percent fewer patients, and costs taxpayers 79 percent over the national average for each recipient.

New York is also only one of a handful of states that requires comparable Medicaid contribution levels between the counties and the state. This means that Washington pays around 50 percent, New York State covers approximately 25 percent of total costs, and local taxpayers get stuck with the remaining 25 percent. This cost-shift is a leading driver of high property taxes Upstate.

Now, with New York suffering a generational spike in joblessness, Medicaid is set to add patients to its pricey caseload, costing us even more in 2010 and beyond. Unemployment is typically a leading indicator of Medicaid growth. For example, a study conducted last April for the Kaiser Family Foundation projected that every increase of 1 percentage point in unemployment would generate 1.1 million more uninsured and 1 million more recipients of Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program nationwide.

With statewide unemployment over 8 percent (9.5 percent of Oswego County’s residents are out of work), Medicaid caseload growth is increasing precisely when our state’s taxpayers can least afford to fund it. A $1 trillion federal health care bill, with its proposed Medicaid expansion of 15 to 20 million more enrollees nationwide, threatens to supersize New York’s projected 2011 state budget deficit of $7 billion if no cost controls are applied.

New York State cannot afford the federal government dictating eligibility while leaving hard-working Upstate families, already paying some of the highest health-insurance rates in the country, to cough up more money. Furthermore, the number of New Yorkers not covered by employer-sponsored health insurance, individual market health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare is lower than the national average. Our Medicaid program serves not only about a quarter of the population, but also covers dental, vision, and 33 other optional services that cost taxpayers millions each year.

If the federal government is so keen on expanding eligibility for Medicaid then it should pay for it. (Applying the same tax standards to these generously comprehensive Medicaid plans that the Congress wants to level on private policy holders would be a good start.) If not, then don’t pass along one more unfunded mandate to the states.

Let New York and others like it experiment with a state-based system, one that does not keep shifting financial burdens to counties and their taxpayers. In fact, let’s take Medicaid’s $23,060 per-capita cost and give each family a non-refundable credit to buy its own private health insurance. If we are to rein in the rapid growth of Medicaid spending in New York, we must contain exploding costs driven primarily by perverse federal incentives. Affordable health care is important to everyone, and with a New York-first plan we can make true reform a reality.

The first bicycle was stolen from Bridge Street in the Village of Sylvan Beach near the amusement park.  The theft occurred on July 4 at about 10:30 p.m. The State Police in Sylvan Beach located the bicycle shortly after it was stolen and they are currently holding it at the station pending the identification of the owner.

The second bicycle was found at the intersection of Turin Road and Karlen Road in the Town of Lee on July 18. It is being held at the Lee station pending the identification of the owner.

The owners of these bicycles or anyone with information about the owners, can contact the Sylvan Beach station at 762-4441 or the Lee station at 337-0036.

One of the most reliable sources of fuel for the American economy over the last year is beginning to run dry. Federal stimulus dollars are evaporating. With home sales sliding, employers reluctant to hire, and world stock markets in flux, the federal and state economies are in danger of stalling. The stimulus jobs, along with temporary government positions created for the 2010 Census, are among the few bright spots in a bleak employment market. The nation’s unemployment rate is around 9.5 percent and companies have shown little willingness to hire new workers.

There is an uncomfortably high probability that we could slip back into recession. When the economy retracts because of a recession, it makes it harder to pay back debt in the future. If the economy slumps again, there is little effective response available to policy makers. We would not have the resources for a second crisis in as many years.

The figures speak for themselves. There have been over 3 million jobs lost since the federal stimulus was passed in early 2009. Couple that with a measly 2.2 percent economic growth, which is outpaced by India, China, and Brazil. In addition, the $862 billion package will probably carry a price tag of over $1 trillion when we factor in interest payments to cover the borrowing the United States needed to pay for it.

The inherent flaw is that the resources the federal government spends come from the economy. When the government increases spending, it crowds out the resources that business owners could have invested in their enterprises. Private investment falls sharply when government spending rises. My message to Albany has been much different, one that promises to alleviate our dependence on the federal government: stop spending money you do not have.

“Demand-side” expenditures such as the federal stimulus package distort free enterprise and long-term growth because the government naturally plays favorites with select industries receiving the lion’s share of funds. The results are often concentrated amongst a few political insiders while the economy as a whole continues to lag behind. Not surprisingly, last week’s Gallup poll revealed that 56 percent of Americans believe the federal stimulus program had no impact on the economy. Our leaders should be more responsive to the economic concerns of its citizenry and put forth a more sustainable economic agenda.

My plan is to get taxpayers back to work as soon as possible, but by using pro-growth policies in which government over-spending was not the focus. Effective job creation comes from a combination of tax cuts and capital incentives to help small businesses get back on their feet again and hire quickly.

Federal stimulus dollars paid to hire workers for certain economic projects means that the very reason for hiring these people – to “create” jobs – ends just as soon as the federal dollars are gone. Recession and overspending have created an atmosphere in which businesses do not want to hire. Employers relying on federal funds do not have an incentive to try and make these newly hired workers part of their business structure for later promotion. These companies are raising productivity to build cash reserves while outsourcing more of their labor costs overseas. Tax dollars, not supply and demand, was the reason for hiring these workers. This approach does not create lasting jobs.

The time is now to get Upstate New York back to work, not work at spending more of taxpayers’ money on wasteful projects stuffed with “pork.” A hand-up rather than a hand out is the only way our federal, state, and local economies can once again thrive with lasting employment and prosperous businesses.

New York State has once again been steamrolled by those in Albany who practice politics over policy.  Those in control left town with little thought to New York’s precarious fiscal situation of a mounting budget deficit compounded by our deepening state debt.  If Albany leaders do not take immediate action to solve the budget gap, we could face the same desperate circumstances that affected New York during the Great Depression. A double-dip recession would lead to lower productivity, stalled economic recovery and higher taxes. To avoid these unwanted consequences, we need to lower taxes, put people back to work and reduce the size of government. The future of the Upstate economy depends on this.

After the addition of a paltry 13,000 jobs nationwide in June, New York and other states stand on the edge of a fiscal abyss. There is the potential for another crash in economic activity after a very brief period of recovery or stabilization, referred to as a “W-shaped” recovery. This type of recovery, which occurred during the Depression-era contraction of 1937-38, should be avoided. The first step to avoiding it is by tackling the state’s structural deficit.

Many Albany legislators believe if they are forced to raise taxes and cut excessive spending, they would undermine true recovery and thrust our economy back into a period of recession and deflation. They believe they would be damned if they don’t because by maintaining our large deficit, inflationary expectations will increase and borrowing rates will escalate, leading to stagflation.

What these legislators overlook is the fact we can rein in spending, cap property taxes, cut government pork and perks, and consolidate state agencies all while creating jobs and providing the seeds for a full and healthy economic recovery.

New York needs to cut our dependence on outrageous spending with a spending cap. This process can begin at spend-thrift state agencies and authorities. Consolidation of such agencies will allow for a more efficiently managed and on-task state workforce which enhances taxpayer accountability.

New York can also take steps to recover money from Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse. Similarly, our severely outdated state pension system needs to be reformed, placing new employees in a 401(k)-style plan. Reform of our broken budget process also makes the shortlist and that starts with New York adhering to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) standards. Finally enforcing Indian tax collection would provide a benefit to New York’s coffers, as much as $1 billion a year by some estimates, while creating a more level playing field for independent convenience stores, gas stations, and other small businesses.

As always, I completely oppose any new taxes imposed on Upstate New Yorkers. Each year, the governor and his allies throw out bloated numbers that estimate would-be revenue generated by new taxes and fees. And each year, the final revenue numbers do not come close to hitting the threshold forecasted by Albany leaders. The never-ending quick fix schemes just demonstrate the continuing ineffectiveness of state leaders; leaders who think nothing of passing on a heavier cost to freedom and individual choice than benefit to the state economy.

Federal stimulus money cannot hold a broken crutch under New York’s economy forever, nor should our leaders anticipate or expect federal money to bail us out from their dangerous economic decisions. Reining in spending, cutting taxes, and consolidating government agencies are just the start of what New York needs to restore our economy and put residents back to work. State government needs to tighten its belt and make tough cost-cutting decisions like taxpayers have been doing for years. We must avoid the double-dip recession now, in order to prevent a triple-dip for our children.

Albany has milked the last drop of partisanship into an irresponsible budget assembled by Democrats in a piecemeal fashion. This leaves an incredibly vast state debt, sentencing future generations to an even heavier tax burden. It’s shameful, deceitful, and, most importantly, it’s unfair to the millions of New Yorkers who will be forced to live with the reckless decisions of the Capitol’s “three men in a room.” It is a classic example of business as usual for the Albany Democrats: politics over policy.

The 2010-2011 budget process has been the most unproductive in years, to the detriment of all New Yorkers. A secretive process of negotiating led to the longest period without a budget in six years. Despite an annual April 1 deadline for a spending plan, it took nearly three months for Governor Paterson to take action on the Democratic majorities’ inaction. New Yorkers face penalties when their bills aren’t paid on time; the Democrats who control Albany should be held to the same standard as the rest of us.

These standards should include incorporating a comprehensive budget, not pork barrel items and “sweeteners” to ensure enough votes for passage. This year’s budget is the product of irresponsible decision-making and a checkbook that doesn’t balance.

The new budget includes $1 billion in additional taxes on families, individuals, and small businesses this year. As a last-minute plug, Governor Paterson and the Democrats opted to place a burden on families and business rather than tightening their own belts and making tough decisions. It also does not contain unfunded mandate reform or any significant property tax reform for Upstate. School aid is being directed to politically-connected downstate districts while Upstate schools are forced to make cuts and layoffs. As if the Democrats weren’t playing politics with our children enough, they proposed to raise taxes on businesses by instituting a new sales-tax hike starting this year for clothing, diapers, and school supplies.

“Reform” has been disguised throughout: their version of  pension reform was nothing more than pension sweeteners for political appointees, and tobacco-tax collection was merely an illusion as long as special interests get exemptions for cigarettes manufactured on tribal land. The Democrats have approved a budget that would play a political game with convicted felons to gerrymander districts and strip Upstate residents of representation in order to fuel the downstate political machine.

The leaders in Albany have spent less time on assembling a budget than hiking new taxes and fees on middle-class families. Where does the fiscal insanity end? I fear the answer may be never. Albany is full of misfit men from Manhattan attempting to balance a budget that doesn’t reflect all of New York.

If Albany politicians understood the value of a dollar, we would have reduced government spending and forced agencies to do more with less. Reducing government spending should have been Albany’s highest priority when passing this budget, but unfortunately it was ignored.  Instead, Governor Paterson and his legislative allies increased taxes in order to justify spending increases. The same tax-and-spend policies are clearly not working. We must break this cycle of insanity in order to get New York back on the road to recovery.

“For months the Assembly Democrats shut out different points of view and closed off debate when pro-reform members like me voiced disapproval with the corrupt budget process. Negotiations were kept secret and final revenue figures still have not been released. Once again Albany is spending without knowing how exactly they’ll pay for it. If the New York City-dominated Legislature thought that this budget would ease the economic difficulties facing Upstate New Yorkers than they have badly miscalculated. Once again Albany spends, but the hard-working families of Oneida and Oswego counties will be the ones to pay.”

The following stores were checked and found to be in compliance:

Nice and Easy-Mill Pond Way, McConnellsville-no arrests

Sylvan Spirits, Main St. Sylvan Beach- no arrest

Fast Trak, 24 Main St. Camden-no arrests

Country Store, 15 Oswego Rd Camden-no arrests

Stewarts, 3 Harden Blvd. Camden-no arrests

P&C, State Route 13 Camden-no arrests

Nice and Easy, State Route 69 Taberg-no arrests

Nice and Easy, 8727 Turin Rd Rome-no arrests

The beach front in the Village of Sylvan Beach was also checked by the undercover Trooper and no underage drinking was observed.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. During the summer of 2009 the New York State Senate was in tumult, openly revolting against its Democrat leadership. The resulting gridlock paralyzed the Legislature and made progress on key bills nearly impossible. This year some of the sources of legislative paralysis have changed, but its effects should still be familiar to any New Yorker accustomed to observing the nation’s most dysfunctional representative institution. Governor Paterson, through the use of emergency extender measures designed to keep the state operating week to week, has subverted the budget process and bent the rules to serve his own ends.

Meanwhile, the Assembly Democrats hide revenue figures from their counterparts and obscure the true cost of New York’s 2010-2011 spending plan. We have been consumed with this kabuki theater for three straight months and the people’s business has suffered. Various bills have been pushed aside or shelved indefinitely to make room for the ongoing budget wrangling and backroom wheeling and dealing. This level of secrecy and obscurantism may serve Albany’s special interests, but it cheats taxpaying New Yorkers out of job creation, tax reduction, and a functioning, efficient government. We must work to pass these remaining items so that Upstate New York’s path to recovery does not transform into a road to ruin.

We have tough sledding ahead of us. The longest recession since the Great Depression has exacerbated many of the problems already abundantly clear to its residents before the financial collapse in autumn 2008. What is needed from the Assembly at this moment is unity of purpose, not further corruption of our laws and legislative process. Three areas of concern which the people’s house failed to address include job creation, tax policy, and overspending. We have an obligation to Empire State residents to cut the red tape currently crowding out investment and sending more employers looking for a new home. If we must address these issues with a special session called by Governor Paterson in order to pass meaningful reform that will begin reducing the highest unemployment numbers in nearly a quarter-century, then so be it.

Unfunded state mandates on local governments are a leading cause of property-tax hikes. If we want to help cut property taxes, we need to stop forcing unfunded mandates on our localities. When Albany wants it, the state should have to pay for it, not local taxpayers. Let’s get this done now.

In recent years, state government spending has been out-of-control and led our state to the billions of dollars in accumulated debt it now faces.  Now, more than ever we need to cap state spending and ensure the next generation of New Yorkers is not forced to pay for our mistakes.

The People’s Convention to Reform New York Act would put the question of whether New York should convene a convention on the 2010 ballot. This bipartisan legislation requires any elected official seeking to serve in the convention to resign their office first. This will help ensure a true “people’s convention,” not a special-interests summit. The fact that our state budget is three months late indicates why we need a People’s Convention to help us take back our state government and make it work, for a change.

Finally, unless the Legislature acts, the plug will permanently be pulled on the Power for Jobs program. Power for Jobs provides approximately 400 megawatts of low-cost power annually to support 240,000 jobs in 440 businesses and not-for-profit organizations across our state. The current program expired May 15 and has been limping along on extenders, some with poison-bill legislative gimmicks designed to harm the Upstate economy.  If serious action is not taken to make this program permanent, participating businesses in our region will be confronted with the harsh choice of staying and paying or closing their shop because of sky-high energy costs.

Our legislative leaders have a duty to allow policy to triumph over politics, delivering meaningful reform for all New Yorkers. The Assembly Democrats have consumed all of the people’s time with legislative gimmickry fueled by political gamesmanship while very little was accomplished to deliver jobs or reduce taxes. Caught up in their own agenda, these legislators have lost sight of the people’s agenda. The time to act to reduce taxes, create jobs, and curb spending is now: it’s what Upstate New York demands.

The middle class is being squeezed by national economic forces beyond their control. Known as labor -market polarization, these trends affect everything from household income to savings and investment. Thanks to its fragile regional economy and the persistent ignorance of the New York City Democrats who control state government, Upstate has been the victim of labor-market polarization over the last several decades.

But there is a way out. Upstate jobs can be created and economic development encouraged through a mix of state-based reforms and regional incentives. My plan to address this type of polarization would create jobs, reduce wage disparity between the middle and lower-middle classes, and refocus development policy on upstate so that the businesses created here stay here.

Over the last 30 years, there have been worrying signs in wage growth for many workers in our area. The four middle-skill occupations – sales, office and administrative workers, production workers and operators – accounted for 57.3% of employment in 1979. That portion fell to 48.6% in 2007, and declined to 45.7% in 2009. The structure of job opportunities in the United States has become sharply polarized over the last several decades which resulted in significant challenges for the workforce in Upstate New York.

The labor market polarization in manufacturing and in the service-sector economies has placed Upstate New York’s economy and families in challenging times. The longest recession since the Great Depression did not create the symptoms of polarization; it simply exposed trends which had been operating under our noses for too long. The solution is not to increase taxes, it’s to create opportunities: to provide a hand up instead of a handout.

There are several ways to ensure expanded opportunity without resorting to the economic distortion of high taxation. Creating incentives for our current business to hire as well as providing a tax credit for businesses that make new hires and keep these workers is more appropriate now than ever. Investing in these important businesses will allow them to create jobs, and newly hired employees would in turn invest in our local economy. Manufacturing and service-sector jobs are the roots of our economy and have provided our region with incredible strength.

In addition, Industrial Development Agency (IDA) reform and making New York’s Power for Jobs program permanent will also expand opportunity and support investment in our region. Power for Jobs provides low-cost power to employers and enables them to better compete in our economy by affording them relief from the high energy costs that continue to plague our state. IDAs in turn attract new companies and firms to Upstate New York through community-wide initiatives and technical assistance. They work with existing businesses looking to increase their market share and employ more workers.

Labor -market polarization has clear long-term effects. Economic mobility is reduced. Stagnant wages hurt household purchasing power and affect revenues at the local level. It hurts expansion and development by businesses that cannot sell to lower-income families. Democrats want to offer redress through heavy taxation, direct handouts, and greater regulation.

My plan focuses on business development, retaining the firms that create well-paying jobs, and making the Empire State friendlier to companies hoping to relocate here. If we address the employment side of wages, incomes are certain to rise and many upstate households will not be forced to live paycheck to paycheck. Labor -market polarization is real; the solution to increasing wages on a regional basis doesn’t have to involve wealth redistribution. It just takes a little economic development imagination.