FACETOFACE—Gov.DavidPatersonspeaksto
PEFRegion6CoordinatorBobVarano,CSEACapital
RegionPresidentKathyGarrisonandotherunion
thestateOfficeofChildrenandFamily
membersinJohnstownaboutstatebudgetcuts.
ServicesatthenearbyTryonCampus
listenedasthegovernorsaideveryonehas
tocutback.Patersonsaidhewouldmeet
withunionleadersbeforeadoptingafinal
budget.
“Wedon’twantPEF’sproposalstogo
bythewayside,”Varanosaid.“Wewant
thegovernortosupporttheunion’s
principlesandtoseeusasaproblem
solver.Wedon’twanttoseelayoffs.The
governorshouldconsiderdropping
consultantuseinthestateandimposing
ataxonthewealthiestNewYorkers,
insteadofthemiddleclass.”
Patersondidnotcommittoraising
taxesonthewealthy.Whenaskedata
pressconferenceafterthemeetingifhe
wouldseeklayoffsinthestateworkforce,
Patersonsaidhewouldseekconcessions
PEFmembersconfront
fromlaborunions.
Patersonwaswellreceivedattheevent,
despitehisongoingmessagethestateisin
governoroverbudgetcuts
itsworstfiscalshapesincetheGreat
Depression.Heisthefirstgovernortovisit
JohnstownsinceNelsonRockefeller,who
Storyandphotosby Thegovernorlistenedcarefully,buthis
leftofficein1973.
DEBORAHA.MILES answertoalmostallthequestionswasthe
PEFDivision218memberBillAgresta,
Gov.DavidPatersonheldaseriesof same.
avocationalinstructoratTryonBoys
“townhall”meetingsinlateJanuaryand “Ithinkpeoplereallydon’tunderstand
Campus,saidhispurposeforbeingthere
earlyFebruarytohearwhatNewYorkers howbadoureconomyis,”hesaid.“When
wastwofold.
havetosayaboutthestate’sfiscalcrisis. wecutprograms,it’sbecausethe
“I’mconcernedabouttheclosingof
PEFmembersattendedtheJanuary30 circumstancesarethatdire.Wearegoing
bedsatOCFSfacilities,”Agrestasaid.
meetingheldinJohnstownatFulton- tohavetorecognizethateverybodyinthe
“Everyoneisconcernedaboutthe
MontgomeryCommunityCollege.More stateisgoingtohavetoshareinthe
governor’sproposaltoclosethe$15.4
than300peoplecametoquestionthe sacrifice.”
billionbudgetgapwithmorethan137
governorandlistentohisresponses. Beforethemeetingbegan,Paterson
newtaxesandfeesthatcriticssaywould
Aboutadozenpeoplewereselectedto metbrieflywithPEFandCivilService
directlyhurtthemiddleclass.It’stimeto
askthegovernorquestions,andthefocus EmployeesAssociation(CSEA)members
taxtherich.”
wasoncutbacksineveryareaofstate outside.
PatersonquotedaChineseproverb
government,fromprogramsforyouthsto PEFRegion6CoordinatorBobVarano
duringthediscussion.“Withinevery
highertaxes,andtheeliminationofthe andahandfulofmemberswhoworkfor
crisis,thereisanopportunity.”
state’sschool-tax-rebateprogram.
Page6—TheCommunicatorMarch2009 PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
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