As grandparents, my wife and I try to instill traditional values in our grandchildren. We encourage them to play outside, value their friendships and family, be truthful and care for others. However, as I’m sure some of you parents and grandparents can agree, our government, both federal and state, seems to be focused on all the wrong things. It’s hard to tell your kids to follow and pursue the right things, when our government is chasing after Hollywood and its celebrities.
New York’s governor and the legislature struck a surprising blow during the recent budget process. They authorized $420 million worth of tax credits per year for wealthy Hollywood, which includes the “Jimmy Fallon tax credit,” while axing $90 million worth of investment into programs for the state’s developmentally disabled. I encouraged our legislative majorities to give up $26 million in members’ discretionary funding and earmark that funding for those with developmental disabilities. There was no response. During the debate, we heard excuse after excuse from the Assembly majority as to why this cut was acceptable; it was frustrating, to say the least.
Don’t get me wrong, Jimmy Fallon and others are very talented, but should they get preferential treatment with our taxpayer dollars when the people that need our support the most are losing so much? Maybe in the grand scheme of things the figure doesn’t seem so big, but that $90 million invested in services for the disabled goes a long way. This seemingly small cut places a huge burden on these programs.
What does an action like this say about our state officials when they are willing to balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens? I know they did not vote according to the values of people like you or me.
The $90 million in cuts is even more devastating to rural communities like ours. The men, women and children who need these services rely on groups like Lexington in Fulton County and ARCs in Herkimer, St. Lawrence and other upstate counties. As these cuts take place, how will it affect the groups that serve these individuals over the wide expanse of our rural upstate landscape?
At the end of the day, the real stars are those with developmental disabilities and those who guide and care for them who, every day, meet each challenge with patience and successfully overcome these challenges so lives and individual potential are fully realized. These are the folks who truly deserve Albany’s laud and investment.
We still have time in this year’s legislative session to get it right, to correct the shortsighted wrong of Albany. I will continue to advocate for those with developmental disabilities and work toward restoring funds to the programs that serve them.
If you have any questions or comments about the budget or OPWDD, please e-mail me at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us or call my Herkimer office at (315) 866-1632 or my Johnstown office at (518) 762-6486.