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. 

WSKG on public health

WSKG: What is the most pressing public health issue facing Chemung County residents today? 

A: Poverty. It’s the 4th leading cause of death in this country. We have a high poverty / homelessness rate for a county of our size. Poverty impacts every part of a person’s life. Not getting the right nutrition or amount of food leads to severe health issues, not having access to health care leads to worsening health problems. The county helped with part of this recently with the establishment of a federally qualified health center in Elmira that will offer care to any resident no matter their health insurance status or even if they are homeless. But there is more work to be done. Improving transportation so that people can get to their medical appointments are key. We need to make it easier for the elderly to get the services that they need. Their costs keep going up and their ability to reach help are going down. This all impacts our quality and length of life. We all hope to live to be senior citizens, but when we get there we want to be healthy and not impoverished. 

WSKG question on taxes

 

WSKG: What is your tax policy for the county and how will you implement the policy while maintaining services to residents in your district? 

A: If we really want to lower taxes for residents, we need to work harder on creating shared services between the county and the municipalities, especially Elmira. Years ago, there had been a joint county-city committee formed with the idea of finding ways to cooperate and save each other on costs. That committee was killed by the county executive. I think it’s time to bring it back. There are still some shared services agreements between the county and Elmira, but we can do better than this. So, one of my first actions would be to request that this committee be reestablished. 

WSKG question on Flock cameras

 

WSKG: What role do Flock-type cameras, AI-powered license plate readers and automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) play in public safety in Chemung County and what is the overlap, if any, with citizen privacy rights? Do you support the county’s current use of Flock-type cameras, AI-powered license plate readers and ALPRs and any expansion of such devices in the future?

A: The Elmira Police Department has Flock cameras, but the Chemung County Sheriff’s Department does not. As I understand it, they have a couple of pole cameras, used on a temporary basis for critical incidents. If the sheriff’s department were to consider Flock-type cameras, I would have issues and questions. 

• How long of an agreement would we have with the company? 

• Do the companies that provide the cameras own the data?

• How do we ensure the data is not being exported to outside agencies or groups?

• How can this data be misused? What safeguards can be put in place to ensure our right to privacy and the right to not be stalked?

• How reliable is this technology for identifying people for arrest?

• Do the law enforcement agencies have the training to double-check the information to make sure the technology has not identified the wrong person. 

There might be a value for law enforcement, but the heavy reliance on AI leaves it open to being misused, abusing our rights and leading to unsupported prosecutions. Is there a way to use a less-smart technology that would be useful to the police while protecting our rights?

WSKG on businesses

 

WSKG: How will you build and maintain businesses in the county and Legislative District?

A: We need to help people who already live here and love the area to start their own businesses. They already have the incentive to grow, hire workers and stay. I started my small business in 2019 with the help of an agency called Incubatorworks, which has since been brought into Chemung County to run an entrepreneurship center in Elmira. Full disclosure, I work part-time on an as-needed basis as IW’s makerspace coordinator and also assist in giving business presentations. IW helps aspiring business owners get started, guiding them around all the classic traps and pitfalls, teaching them about finances, product development, legal obligations, marketing, customer discovery, etc. I think this is key to turning things around in Chemung County. Let people pursue their dreams and create their own opportunities. Entrepreneurs become small businesses, which become bigger businesses and possibly large businesses. We may help create the next big thing. So, Chemung County needs to continue to help small businesses find the missing pieces that will lead to success.

WSKG on the Industrial Development Agency

 

What role, if any, should the county play in appointments to the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) board and public information regarding business opportunities and contracts in the county through the CCIDA? How will you maintain transparency at the CCIDA? What are projects spearheaded by the CCIDA that should be kept from the public?

A: What I would do is ask that the IDA make a presentation to the legislature on how their efforts have been going to date. We have data from the NY State Comptroller’s office from 2024 on Chemung County’s 49 active projects. These companies are given generous tax-incentives to bring jobs to the community, and the public deserves to scrutinize the success of these deals since they impact our tax burden.

Some challenges and questions we are facing:

• There are 106 other active IDAs in this state and Chemung County is competing with all of them. What advantage sets us apart from the rest? If we don’t have one, how do we create one?

• Are we getting the best bang for our buck by drawing the types of companies that create the jobs we need?

• Are we always sure that an IDA deal was the only way a project would go through? 

• How many businesses leave before the end of their IDA deal?

• How many businesses become full, tax paying partners in the community after the conclusion of their IDA term? How many simply demand an extension or threaten to leave?

Other thoughts, raising questions beyond Chemung County’s control:

• The IDAs are an idea created in the 1960s to give municipalities a tool to draw business and jobs to their communities, but there was not much thought going into what happens next. Perhaps there needs to be a successor program, available to businesses after they have completed their initial IDA agreement. 

• If the hope is that the IDA results in a long-term relationship with a company that stays in the community and eventually pays full taxes, perhaps IDA terms should not have fixed rates for the entire length of the agreement, but to slowly phase in the tax increase over time. 

WSKG on state mandated programs

 

WSKG: What actions should the county take to mitigate the cost of state mandated programs that are not reimbursable and passed on to the taxpayers? 

A: This is a good reason to support the passage of the New York Health Act. This bill, perpetually stalled in committee for decades, would create a simplified, streamlined health care system. Rather than going through a profit-driven system bloated with corporate bureaucracy, residents would pay a much smaller amount based on income. For example, a self-employed worker making $62,400 a year could pay only $214 a month, as opposed to the thousands of dollars we all pay each year in co-payments and deductibles. This would not only save the county on health insurance for its employees, but it will significantly cut down the $24 million a year the county is paying in Medicaid, the single biggest part of the unfunded mandate. https://ebondny.blogspot.com/2026/08/its-time-to-bring-single-payer-health.html

WSKG on the legislature vs. county executive

 

WSKG: How important is the working relationship between the county legislature and the county executive? What will you do to address conflict and keep the county residents informed of progress or challenges in the county and Legislative District 5?

A: The current executive has blocked and bypassed the legislature in many ways, to the point that county department heads are not allowed to talk to legislators. This makes no sense to me. Legislators need to have complete information so that they can make the best choices when they vote. Otherwise they are voting in the dark. At the very least, the executive and department heads should routinely appear at legislature meetings to explain the resolutions being voted on. I often wonder if someday the Chemung County would be better served with a county manager system. 

As to informing the public, a primary job of any legislator is to make sure the residents of their district know what the government is going to do before they do it. Give people a chance to have input, keep open the lines of communication. This could be done with a variety of methods such as social media, email newsletter, website posts or even public forums. 

WSKG interview: Most pressing issue

 

WSKG asked me to fill out a candidate's questionnaire for a voter guide. I'm posting my responses here as well.

WSKG: What is the most pressing issue facing Chemung County and Legislative District 5?

A: It all revolves around the economy. We need better jobs. We need better opportunities. Creating our own opportunities is a big part of resolving the problems we face such as homelessness, the cost of social services, unemployment, crime, etc. As I will discuss, we should focus on helping more residents of Chemung County start their own small businesses and help those already in business to survive. This would get us on the way to recovery. 

Time running out for Chemung County

Driving around Breesport in the 5th District after an afternoon of door-knocking, Amy and I came across a county-owned cemetery and then a curious, abandoned red-brick building, which I later learned had been part of the Breesport Almshouse for the poor. 

The original poorhouse had been built in 1837, and the red-brick building had been built in 1888 to provide medical care.  The need for poorhouses in this country slowly declined with the establishment of the Social Security Act of 1935, and the services provided were divided among federal, state and county agencies. In 1971, the last 100 residents were transferred to the recently built Chemung County Nursing Facility and the building was closed and abandoned. 

Star-Gazette article

But seeing the Breesport Almshouse was a reminder of the county's legacy of providing care to those existing at the very bottom rung of society. Changes at the federal level will put the county under ever increasing pressure to provide that care. 

Providing social services has been a key part of the county mission, but also one of the biggest challenges. Under the 2026 budget, the county is paying $45 million in for a range of services such as Medicaid, child welfare, special education, etc that are required by state or federal law but without reimbursement. An additional cost is on the way.

SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. About 13,000 Chemung County residents (about 16% of the population) are on the program. The program is administratively run through the counties, but until now the benefit costs had been split 50-50 between the federal government and the states. Typically, SNAP benefits are worth about $332 a month to recipients.

Under the "Big Beautiful Bill," the federal share will drop to 25%, leaving the states to pick up the rest. And it appears NY state will be passing along that extra expense to the counties.

If nothing else is done, this extra cost of $780,000 will hit Chemung County in the Fall of 2027. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and other Democrats have been lobbying to include a two-year delay on the SNAP transition into this year's Farm Bill. But the Senate version only includes a one-year delay, and it is unclear whether any delay will be included in a final version, which will likely not be resolved until after the mid-term elections in November. 

This squeeze is especially difficult for Chemung County, which has a high poverty rate for such a small county. With 80,000 residents, Chemung County is 29th in total population among counties (counting NYC as one.) But it is 20th in amount of SNAP benefits received and 22nd in number of residents receiving SNAP benefits. 

But if the county does not pick up the extra cost:

• More people will struggle for food, pushing them closer to homelessness and destitution. This creates a worse problem for the county to solve.
• More kids will go without enough food. This will impact their education, development and potential for success as adults. 
• Local grocery stores will take a hit in revenue.

The federal and state government have stepped back, as if by spending less on SNAP will make the need for SNAP go away. But the county still has an obligation to care for those at the bottom of the ladder.

One of my followers on Facebook writes: "Rather than lament the lack of funding from 'above', the county ought to be making an attempt to raise more Chemung County residents OUT of poverty....thus reducing the NEED for social services expenditures."

Yes, well-paying jobs are the answer, but the county has been struggling with this question for years. It would be difficult to find the answer before these cuts hit. 

Somehow we need to turn Chemung County into the kind of place that higher-paying employers would want to locate to. We need to draw companies here for reasons better than offering a tax deal. I don't know what that would be, but finding the answer to that question would solve many of the issues facing the county. 

But in the meantime, we need to do what we can to save those dangling from the precipice. To let them fall, would mean our recovery as a county will take that much longer. 

Single-payer health care would save lives, money

Facebook page

"Parents shouldn't have to go bankrupt to get care for their children," said Susan Beckley, one of three speakers at last night's forum by the Campaign for New York Health. 

The New York Health Act has been proposed in Albany since 1991 and has failed to get passed despite its potential to save New Yorkers billions in health insurance costs and give everyone access to the medical services they need. It would end the need for chicken-dinner fundraisers for sick kids or GoFundMe campaigns to pay for emergency surgeries. 

The forum at the Chemung Democrats Headquarters laid bare the tragedy and contradictions of our health care system for anyone who attended or watched on Facebook.

"What's wrong with our health care system now?" Beckley asked. "Well, we pay more than twice the average per capita in this country for medical coverage and our life expectancy is less than most developed nations. We rank 31st."

Furthermore, the life expectancy numbers become more stark when comparing the wealthiest Americans with the poorest, according to a chart Beckley presented. Between 1980 and 2010, life expectancy dropped 4 years for the poorest U.S. residents, from 82.3 years to 78.3 years. Meanwhile, the richest Americans, who have easier access to health care, saw an increase in life expectance from 86.3 to 91.9 years. 

The insurance companies get in the way of patients getting the care they need with bureaucracy, denials of treatment and prescriptions, billing and rebilling, co-pays and deductibles. The New York Health Act would get rid of all that, streamline the system and create a single-payer system.

A single-payer system, which I blogged about in 2018, would eliminate private health insurance and instead create a single public fund, paid for by some Federal money but also by taxpayers. Patients could go to any doctor they wanted, and the doctor would get paid directly out of that central fund.

"How are we going to pay for that?" a woman said to me once when I knocked on her door during a campaign. 

The question is really, "How can we afford the system we have now?"

"Insurance companies exist to make a profit," said Dr. Cori Marshall, a family medical practitioner in Sayre, Pa., who got hit with a $6,000 medical bill when she needed treatment while pregnant with twins. Since her hospital didn't have a NICU, she was forced to go to an out-of-network hospital and got hit with that excessive bill despite having the "good" insurance.

The current system is also why it took 8 years for one of her patients to get a much-needed hip replacement. 

This factoid from the presentation demonstrates one example of why the U.S. health care system is so bloated and costly.

Duke Medical Center

• 957 beds in 3 hospitals

• 1600 billing clerks.

Toronto University Health Network (under the Canadian single-payer system)

• 1,272 beds in 5 hospitals

• 7 billing clerks

Now, think about this -- How much do you pay each year for your medical care? Consider the premiums, the deductibles, the co-pays. Depending on what you need and the plan you have, it could be $10,000 or more. 

The presentation included a chart of estimate payoll rates for New Yorkers under the single-payer plan. A self-employed worker making $62,400 a year would pay only $214 a month. If employed by a company, the employee would pay only $43 and the employer would pay $171. (20/80 split)

That's not a guarantee that the payments would be exactly that if the Health Act went into effect, but the point is this may be the kind of savings we would save were we to get rid of insurance companies and their bureaucracy, profit margins and CEO bonuses. 

The Health Act would also provide coverage for every New York state resident without requiring employment with a large company or the need to be married to an employee of a large company. People will be free to leave jobs and start a small business, confident they and their employees will be covered. 

Perhaps we would feel like human beings rather than a commodity to be financially exploited. Put the care back into health care, as Marguerite Uphoff, a retired pediatrician put it. 

But the benefits go far beyond that. Pragmatic, no-nonsense, budget-conscious public officials need to wake up to the potential here. Chemung County is under a unfunded mandate to pay nearly $20 million in Medicaid costs. They also pay nearly $35 million for employee health insurance. The single-payer plan would see that $55 million in costs greatly diminished. This is a savings that every municipality and government entity should really look at and consider as a means to cut taxes or provide better services to their constituents.  

This bill has been presented to the legislature in Albany for years. It passed the Assembly 4 years in a row and one year failed to pass in the Senate by 1 vote. For now, it is stuck in committee and the advocates for this bill are pleading for the public to get involved and contact their local representatives. 

"We don't have money, but we have a voice," Beckley said. 

My state Senator is Tom O'Mara and the state Assemblyman is Chris Friend, but neither have shown any interest in advancing this bill. However, Friend's opponent in this year's election, Andy Fagan, recently attended another forum on the Health Act and told me, "It seems the way to go."

If it does not get voted on this year, it would be resubmitted next year. 

But every year we wait costs us money and lives. 

It is worth it to watch the entire presentation:

Financial analysis

Get to know me -- Photo Gallery

 

I like to draw and create art

Volunteering with Food Bank of the Southern Tier

College DJ in the 1980s. I'm somewhere in here. 

I learned piano in high school. 

I can still play a half-hour worth of songs.

Published a book in 2020. 

Cub Scout Den Leader when my boys were younger.

Attending the Co.Starters business startup class
offered by Incubatorworks in 2019.

Graduating from the business plan class 

at Incubatorworks in 2024. 

A piece of my laser-cut art on display at 
Arnot Museum for their holiday market. 

Talking to my fellow business plan classmates.

 

I had some artwork in the Senior Art Gallery, 

when it was at the Arnot Mall. 

I like to visit the cats at the Chemung SPCA.

It helps socialize them so they are more adoptable. 

At a convention in St. Louis with the 

Toy Creators Academy.

Finishing touches on our treehouse. 

MetaDreams Games vendor booth. 

I used to run cross-county and track in high school. 

Wrecked my foot in a marathon and running became more difficult,
but I kept trying until my knees started to go. 

Nowadays I focus on walking or non-impact exercise. 

Recovering from foot surgery in 2012.

First 5k after foot surgery.

With former Elmira Mayor Jim Hare,

and fellow Democrats.

Visiting a display of my games at a store in Wellsboro. 

Interview with Ed Bond on the Chemung County Democrats podcast

Jim Bobreski, candidate for New York State Senate 58th District

Bill McCarthy, Chemung County Legislator, 12th District

Jharmi "Cuba" Leach, candidate for 14th District Chemung County Legislator

Brent Stermer, Chemung County Legislator, 11th District