Transportation issues in Chemung County

Yet again, yesterday I spoke with a resident who told me how difficult it is to live in Chemung County if you don't have a car or can't drive yourself. The issue came up a few weeks ago when the county announced the new FQHC -- federally qualified health center -- in Elmira. The center offers health care to any Chemung County resident no matter their health insurance or even if they had no health insurance.

This is a good thing, but the question was asked. How do we get there? Not everyone has means, and the public transportation has been inadequate to get everyone where they need to.

The issue came up again when I visited an elderly lady in my district who told me about how difficult it is getting for her to get the services she needs. The rising costs on a fixed income is part of it, but actually getting to medical appointments and other services is a whole other battle.

Then yesterday, another lady in Horseheads told me she can't drive because of her medical condition. So, she has to work from home. However when she needs to go into Elmira, getting to public transportation and using it is a struggle. Some who use public transportation have to ride the entire bus route the round-about way just to get where they need to. Some have great difficulty getting to work on time with the available bus routes. 

As much as I love Horseheads, I have noticed that it is not an easy place to get around without a car. It is not built for walking. It doesn't always look like the safest place to ride a bike either. 

What we have is a small rural county with a central city. People out in the country do need to get into Elmira to get the services and opportunities they need, and we need to think about how they can do that.

I told the lady yesterday, I can't make promises, but this is becoming a priority for me. I don't know the answer, but maybe we need some version of Zip Cars to come to the area. Zip Cars, available in big cities, can be borrowed short-term for a fee, but it may not be feasible for that company to come here. Chemung County and Elmira does not have the resources of big cities, so we need to put our heads together and figure out some other way to make transportation better for everyone. 

The first step would be to get some facts. We at least need a survey to find out:

• How many people need public transportation
• Where they live
• Where they need to go

Are we ready for another crisis?

First off, don't panic.

Right now, the fatal case of pneumonic plague reported in Russia does not appear to pose a further serious threat. 

So far ... 

[unless we don't have the full story.]

This appears to be a single event of a disease caused by a very dangerous air-born bacteria, but the patient can be saved if treatment with strong antibiotics begins early enough. 

It is not a virus, which is good news. Bacteria are complete, living cells and relatively easy to kill with antibiotics. However, some are harder than others. 

Viruses have been much more difficult to defeat because they are merely tiny packets of genetic material wrapped up in an envelope of fats or proteins just waiting around for a living body to attack. They are not technically alive, but they are programmed to invade our cells, take them over and make us sick. Antibiotics do nothing against viruses. We need vaccines to protect ourselves from viruses like COVID-19.

Yes, I support vaccines because they have saved so many lives. And I have no problem with people who do their own research, so long as that research also includes a honest and open conversation with your doctor. It also wouldn't hurt to look up the story of Edward Jenner and how his vaccine helped eradicate small pox from the world. But vaccines aren't what I wanted to talk about here.

The plague case in Russia has reminded many of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were all caught off guard. March 13, 2020 was the day I remember the whole world changing. People died.  Businesses were shut down. Many never reopened.

If you are reading this today, you, like me, survived. We got through it. My deepest sympathies to those of you who lost a close relative, friend or loved one. 

But what did we learn? Are we ready for the next crisis, either another pandemic or a natural disaster or something else we can't even imagine? 

One lesson: Large businesses and corporations survived and many small businesses did not. 

Fixing that, and being ready for the next one, will take creativity, cooperation and compassion.

If one business must close because it does not have enough space, can it reopen by sharing space with someone else? I saw examples of that during the pandemic, but we could make that a more consistent and reliable system. 

The county should take this up as a long-term study. Look back at the pandemic. Figure out what went wrong and how to minimize those mistakes. Figure out what went right and how to capitalize on those opportunities. 

This is something that especially needs to be done at the local level. During a crisis, directives get imposed from the federal and state government to carry out orders without exception. The local governments and community organizations are the ones who need to look at the situation and find ways we can help each other. 

Opposing artificial intelligence and data centers

"The true purpose of AI is to allow wealth to access skill without allowing skill to access wealth." -- quote from Reddit.

Why should I support data centers for artificial intelligence?

To steal the intellectual property of my fellow writers, artists and other creators?

To snatch job opportunities from recent college graduates searching for entry-level jobs in their chosen profession?

To watch as the technology industry shifts to focus on manufacturing AI chips rather than on the standard type of chips used by us ordinary humans?

To use up our resources, put a drain on our electrical grid and drive people out of their homes through eminent domain?

To give AI the power it needs to break out of its controls and threaten humanity?

Building data centers may create jobs, but artificial intelligence has already destroyed the livelihood of so many professionals. 

It gets worse.

From the recent news and the summit on AI held at the White House with the heads of the AI industry, where Trump announced the technology could simply be self-policed, a few points:

• This small group of tech heads are making all the decisions for us.

• They are not worried about destroying jobs because they promise a utopia of abundance where everyone will get a universal high income. (Don't trust that.)

• The next generation of AI is expected to be much smarter, much harder to control and they do not know how they will be able to retain human control over this technology.

So, for us, we may fret and worry about whether a data center could come to our area. I am glad of the current moratorium on data centers in New York. It gives us time to understand the environmental impacts and make a choice as a community as to whether we would want to have a data center here. 

In Pennsylvania, Gov Josh Shapiro set rules for data centers earlier this year. This required local approval and the hiring of local workers. It also required the data centers to pay all the costs for the extra water, electricity and resources. 

This seemed like a reasonable step to give the people a say. 

But now, the technology is advancing so quickly and without real controls, I fear that we have already lost our chance to apply the brakes. 

We ordinary humans have begun to notice the impact on our lives and the resistance to AI and data centers has been growing, but too slowly.

As with all issues, community discussion and public education is usually the best remedy. But by the time we talk and educate ourselves, AI will leap ahead to create dangers we can't even imagine.

What I would like to see:

• Immediate freeze on any development of a next generation of AI.

• Controls put on current AI programs that limit their abilities. 

There have been useful applications of AI. In the medical field, AI has helped tremendously in diagnosis and in note-taking and paperwork for doctors. So, we can keep the elements of it that have been beneficial. You can still use it to make memes and videos -- so long as the AI use is clearly labelled up front. But the advancement of AI needs to be hobbled before it's too late. 

Jon Stewart gave us an excellent overview last night.

I'm a writer, and I would say I am striving to be a self-taught artist. In my laser-cutting and game business, I use only my own original designs. Meanwhile, I practice sketching and drawing to get better. I worked hard to get as far as I have, and although my drawings are not perfect, I know they are made by a human. So here are a couple of my practice sketches, which do not use AI.

WSKG on housing and homelessness

 

WSKG: How would you address housing demand vs. supply in Chemung County and Legislative District 5? What are ways the state and county can serve vulnerable populations affected by homelessness and unscrupulous landlords?

A: I would like to see Elmira without a homeless problem, but passing laws against being homeless does not solve the problem. If homelessness is to be resolved, it will require everybody working together, in the same direction to deal with the wide variety of causes. Providing shelter is only one piece of the puzzle. Mental health, addiction, the costs of health care and a lack of opportunities are other factors. In some cases, the person being helped may not be ready to be in housing. They need to learn the skills and outlook that will keep them sheltered. Some cases will be more intractable than others. We may not be able to save everyone, but we will save more if we try. As a journalist, I have interviewed many homeless/former homeless and lived on the streets to see what it was like. Some observations:

• Many homeless try their best to not be noticed. For example, they live out of their car in a parking lot, moving along before drawing attention to themselves, dressing as well as possible so that they don’t look unsheltered. The problem may be bigger than you can imagine.

• They may have a car, even a nice-looking car, but it is their last possession and you cannot judge their situation based on how good the car looks. 

• Many people may be only a paycheck or a health or financial crisis away from becoming homeless. I am glad that Chemung County has a program to help people before they become homeless. 

As to unscrupulous landlords, I think that absentee landlords are a big part of the problem, and local ordinances requiring them or a representative to be onsite would help. But that may be something handled at the city or town level. 

Ultimately, turning around the county’s financial struggles and creating jobs would be the answer. So, all of these issues are tied together. The solutions will not be easy. Elmira and Chemung County need to do what many people have had to do to survive. That is to reinvent themselves, find new strengths and create new opportunities.

Solar project issue

A resident handed me this flyer while I was door-knocking in the Birdland neighborhood of Horseheads yesterday. This is not before the Chemung County Legislature, but what I keep telling residents is that you should know what the government is going to do before it does it. So, I am sharing this here. 

This group is raising serious concerns to the Town of Veteran Planning Board and offering reasonable solutions. I have not had a chance to do a deep dive into this, but so far the facts check out. I think the residents should know about this issue. 

I support solar power, and we have solar panels for our house. In general, solar power is safe and has become more and more affordable. But any company building a project of this type needs to account for the environmental impact. The residents are not saying "No" to solar power. They are saying the installation of the panels in this location could damage the aquifer supplying household wells and create a dangerous water runoff into their neighborhood. Reasonable measures to protect the surrounding neighborhoods must be followed. 

Here's the link to the solar power project application:

https://townofveteranny.gov/active-applications/

The text of the handout follows below. I added some links to relevant news stories. 

----------------------------------------------------

A PACK THE TOWN HALL: STOP THE VETERAN HILL SOLAR PROJECT VARIANCE!

MEETING DETAILS: Monday, October 5th at 6:30 PM

LOCATION: Veteran Town Hall (4049 Watkins Road, Millport, NY 14864)

Dynamic Energy LLC (operating as Wedge Solar, LLC) is proposing a 30-acre commercial solar project directly above our neighborhood on Veteran Hill (Tax Map IDs 39.00-1-14.1 and 39.00-1-14.2). They are petitioning the Planning Board for a financial variance to bypass Local Law #1 of 2026 so they can avoid setting up the mandated 100% liquid cash escrow account for cleaning up the site. They are pushing this through fast, so we must speak up now or accept the consequences.

If you cannot attend the meeting in person, you must voice your opposition by immediately emailing the Planning Board Chairman, Dave Adams, at:

planning.board.chair@townofveteranny.gov

THE IMPACT ZONE: OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

* Extreme Topography: The project sits at an elevation of 1,350 feet a massive 450-foot vertical drop directly above our homes on Meadowlark Road, Robin Rd, Redwing, Whippoorwill, Bluejay Drive, and Oriole Drive.

* The Runoff Funnel: Stripping this steep 15% to 18% slope turns the hillside into a high-velocity stormwater funnel. Impermeable solar panels act like massive metal roofs, dumping millions of gallons of unmitigated runoff directly onto our downslope properties.

* To help understand the size of this project please note that our entire neighborhood is about 30 acres.

THE DEVELOPER'S TRACK RECORD: THE WILLIAMSBURG DISASTER

* The Precedent: In Williamsburg, Massachusetts, developer Dynamic Energy Solutions LLC built a solar array on a steep hillside after falsely telling local boards it would not increase pollution.

* The Fall-Out: Once approved, they ignored stormwater rules. The hillside completely blew out, uprooting trees, burying protected wetlands under an acre of thick mud, and destroying a local river fishery.

* The Penalty: State environmental officials designated their actions as "egregious," and the state Attorney General forced Dynamic Energy to pay a $1.14 million federal settlement for environmental devastation.

https://gazettenet.com/2021/02/01/developer-to-pay-1-14-million-for-wetlands-stormwater-violations-38651958/

PROOF OF DAMAGE: PROPERTY & FOUNDATIONS

* The Plainville, MA Precedent: A near-identical uphill solar project in Plainville, Massachusetts, completely ruined downslope properties. Uphill clearing sent water gushing into naturally dry basements, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in uninsurable structural damage.

[Different company handled that project. Here are news stories: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/plainville-solar-farm-development-flooding/

https://turnto10.com/news/local/plainville-residents-plagued-by-flooding-blame-neighboring-solar-project-southern-new-england-massachusetts-homes-water-damage-weather-january-29-2024]

 * Hydrostatic Pressure: Most of our homes have naturally dry basements and no sump pumps. A suddenly rising water table will create massive underground pressure, cracking concrete foundations and flooding our homes.

THE THREAT TO OUR PRIVATE WELL WATER

* Aquifer Puncture Risk: Our neighborhood relies 100% on private wells. During construction of the Horseshoe Solar project in Rush, NY, crews driving heavy steel piles accidentally punctured an aquifer, cutting off residential water supply for weeks, causing permanent damage.

https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/documents-aquifer-rupture-at-horseshoe-solar-floods-farm-fields-prompts-emergency-fix-along-genesee-river/

* The Illusion of "UL Approval": The developer claims their hardware is safe because it is "UL listed." A UL rating only proves fire safety in a laboratory. It does not stop toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, or gallium from leaching into our groundwater if panels shatter during harsh winter freeze-thaw cycles.

WHY SURETY BONDS ARE A FINANCIAL TRAP

* Bonds Are Not Cash: Dynamic Energy wants to use a corporate surety bond instead of a town-held cash escrow. If their shell company goes bankrupt, insurance companies will spend years fighting our town in court to avoid paying out.

* Taxpayer Liability: With a ~90% pre-construction attrition and resale rate for New York solar projects, a cash escrow is the only guarantee that taxpayers won't be stuck with a multi-million dollar cleanup bill when the developer walks away.

WHAT WE MUST DEMAND ON OCTOBER 5th to protect us and our private wells:

1. DENY THE VARIANCE: Force strict adherence to Local Law #1 of 2026. Demand a 100% liquid cash escrow.

2. WELL & FOUNDATION ESCROW: Mandate a developer-funded, town-held cash fund to instantly pay for repairs if a well goes dry or a basement floods.

3. HYDROGEOLOGICAL STUDY: Force a complete mapping of our aquifer before any piles are driven.

4. INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING: Require a developer-funded, town-appointed independent engineer with full stop-work authority on-site daily.

PROTECT HORSEHEADS-PROTECT VETERAN HILL. SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR NEIGHBORS!

WSKG on public health

WSKG: Rural hospitals are at risk of discontinuing services and/or closing. Guthrie and Centralus Health are among those with longstanding operations and facilities in the county. These health care providers are some of the largest employers in the county. How will you ensure the county maintains access to health care, senior care and nursing facilities as counties face staggering funding losses due to the OBBBA? 

A: The county made the right move by bringing in an FQHC to Elmira. This is a positive example of federal money being used to provide health care. However, the federal government as a whole has failed us. The cuts to health care and throwing people off health insurance only assures that more Americans will die. The county is already obligated to pay millions in social services such as Medicaid, and I don’t know how we would make up for all the shortfalls that are being created. Health care should be considered a right and a public service. 

I look at it this way. There are needs in our lives that we cannot manage without working collectively. If my house catches fire, I do not have the means to put the fire out myself. That’s why we collectively support each other to have local fire departments. If I get cancer, I do not have the means to get the treatments I need on my own. Some of us had been able to manage somewhat by cobbling together a variety of private, local, state or federal resources. But the federal government is now backing out of that partnership, and the effects will be devastating. 

WSKG on environment

 

WSKG: Neighboring Steuben County placed a six-month moratorium on new permits for sewage sludge spreading on farms, crops, and land. It has been shown to contain pollutants like PFAS forever chemicals that are toxic to people and wildlife. How does Chemung County review its biosolids use policy/s and place regulations on public/private permits for the use of municipal sludge on farms, crops and land in the county? Should there be more regulation or deregulation on this topic for the county?

A: According to a Water Quality Strategy Plan from the 1990s which is on the Chemung County website, sewage sludge is sent to the Chemung County Landfill. https://www.chemungcountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/885/Chemung-County-Water-Quality-Strategy-Plan-Update-PDF

In any case, if toxic chemicals are found to be leaking into the environment, from either the county landfill, a local farm or business, we would need to take immediate steps to stop further damage to the environment and take steps to make sure the contamination does not continue. That may require the involvement of state and federal agencies. When I was a reporter, I wrote about how Bloomington, IN, had been devastated by the contamination of PCBs coming from the landfill. I will never forget interviewing the residents who suffered long-term, debilitating health issues and meeting the widows of those who slowly died of cancer and other diseases.