State tax dollars headed for Huntington

The state Assembly and Senate have released lists of their member items, more than 10,000 special appropriations arranged for by local legislators for local projects. There are 170 projects in Huntington. To find one near you, visit "http://www.newsday.com/community/news/northsh... .
Once you've seen them, please tell us what you think.

What is this LONG ISLAND CITIZENS for COMMUNITY VALUES group that received a combined total of $23,000 from Raia, Fuschillo, Marcellino and Maltese? I do not want those people giving my money to what appears to be a religiously-oriented family that says it's fighting pornography. We have the federal government doing the same thing, it's not clear to me what these locals are doing that the government doesn't do. I don't want my money going to a group that advocates parents install internet filtering software and consider installing tracking software. Raia, Fuschillo, Marcellino and Maltese, what are these people GIVING YOU that's worth $24,000?

So, if I am not mistaken, the following is in the Senate:
Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc,
total funds $23,000.00
Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center,
total funds $100,000.00
Gurwin Jewish Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, total funds $25,000.00
Suffolk Association for Jewish Education Services,
total funds $15,000.00
Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center,
total funds $112,000.00
What happened to supporting the Fire Departments that the community depends upon?

Police Surgeons Benevolent Association
Suffolk County
Purpose: Funding will be for a full day training exercise for doctors in Suffolk County and provide them with information in the event of a natural disaster or an emergency.
Funded Amount:$10,000
Dr. Raymond Mascolo
240 Clay Pitts Road
East Northport, New York 11731

Senator: Flanagan
Interesting that Dr. Mascolo is a Dentist! If there is a natural disaster or emergency, is he going to perform dental work?! No wonder our taxes are sky high and keep on rising!

the pork is at the massage parlor

I looked at the 11743 (huntington village area) and I have no problem with the vast majority of these earmarks. To call funding for the Family Service League, fire departments, Chambers of Commerce, Pedersen Krag and arts organizations like the Huntington Arts Council and Cinema Arts Centre "pork" is far from accurate, and really does a disservice to the nonprofit and community based organizations who depend on earmark money for a portion of their programs and services each year.
The real story here is that the money isn't competitively awarded. For example, Halesite FD was awarded $15,000 for pagers, which is a completely understandable and necessary expense. However there are surely umpteen other departments that need pagers or other gear just as badly but if they don't have the political knowhow for securing an award they lose out.
Newsday has been on a crusade to expose government waste, fraud and abuse and I applaud their efforts but in this case they are picking the wrong fight. These earmarks aren't pork, they're evidence of a system that distributes funds inefficiently and haphazardly. But I guess "pork" makes for a snappier headline.

I see nothing wrong with these anticipated projects. They are to improve the quality of life in the surrounding areas. The residents pay high taxes, for their quality of life. If anyone has every visited those areas, they can be compared to Norman Rockwell communities.
We should all be so lucky.

HUNTINGTON STATION ENRICHMENT CENTER
1264 NEW YORK AVENUE
HUNTINGTON STATION, NY 11746
Project Director: DELORIS THOMPSON
Purpose: FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
Funded Amount:$1,000
Assemb.: RAIA
Name of Administering State Agency:
OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES
Deloris Thompson is a criminal and should have been arrested a few years ago when she stole $40,000 from the town. She paid it back and none of this was mentioned to the public! She needs to be removed from her posistion!

HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE LONG ISLAND PHILHARMONIC GOING TO GET FROM ALL THESE LEGISLATORS? THE STATE SHOULD PUT SOME SORT OF CHECK AND BALANCE ON ONE NOT FOR PROFIT GROUP SUCKING FUNDS FROM MULTIPLE LEGISLATORS? OVER $100,OOO WITHGRANTS FROM $1,000 TO $50,000 IS CRAZY? ARE THESE LEGISLATORS GETTING CONCERT TICKETS IN RETURN?
LONG ISLAND PHILHARMONIC
Funded Amount:$2,000
Assemb.: MCKEVITT
Funded Amount:$5,000
Assemb.: SWEENEY
Funded Amount:$2,500
Assemb.: SCHIMEL
Funded Amount:$5,000
Assemb.: ALESSI
Funded Amount:$12,000
Senator: Hannon
Funded Amount:$10,000
Senator: Fuschillo
Funded Amount:$25,000
Senator: Skelos
Funded Amount:$50,000
Senator: Marcellino
Senator: Trunzo
Funded Amount:$1,000
Senator: Hannon
Funded Amount:$2,500
Senator: Johnson

Everything taken from the taxpayers and given to special interests is Pork and don't forget it.

There are some very good programs, most of them not advertised well enough so they are not taken advantage of appropriately. We shoulld unite to a more centralized community and stop waisting tons of money on the local administration so that there can be a common communication method.
And lets face it, as usuall a lot of it is a waiste of money that should be better spent. How many times do you see the same program listed with different amounts or in different zones. And why should we spend money on horses and music (I saw over 100k) or religious practices (why were there dozens of Jewish funds and no other religion's programs were supported?) when most of that should be a priviledge not a guaranteed opportunity.

Remenber that is just Huntington, how many other towns on LI are contibuting similar amounts?

Strings attached wrote:

HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE LONG ISLAND PHILHARMONIC GOING TO GET FROM ALL THESE LEGISLATORS? THE STATE SHOULD PUT SOME SORT OF CHECK AND BALANCE ON ONE NOT FOR PROFIT GROUP SUCKING FUNDS FROM MULTIPLE LEGISLATORS? OVER $100,OOO WITHGRANTS FROM $1,000 TO $50,000 IS CRAZY? ARE THESE LEGISLATORS GETTING CONCERT TICKETS IN RETURN?
LONG ISLAND PHILHARMONIC
Funded Amount:$2,000
Assemb.: MCKEVITT
Funded Amount:$5,000
Assemb.: SWEENEY
Funded Amount:$2,500
Assemb.: SCHIMEL
Funded Amount:$5,000
Assemb.: ALESSI
Funded Amount:$12,000
Senator: Hannon
Funded Amount:$10,000
Senator: Fuschillo
Funded Amount:$25,000
Senator: Skelos
Funded Amount:$50,000
Senator: Marcellino
Senator: Trunzo
Funded Amount:$1,000
Senator: Hannon
Funded Amount:$2,500
Senator: Johnson

Member-item money consists of tax dollars given to the legislators to spend on behalf of the tax payers. The objective is to get the tax money back to Long Island in a fashion that will serve Long Island residents. Areas clearly addressed were the arts, pubic safety and provision of services to Long Island's underprivileged population. I am the volunteer board member of North Shore Holiday House who approached the state legislators for member item grants. Our organization serves at least 200 girls each summer, aged 7-11, who live in poverty on Long Island. Like their affluent counterparts, these girls get to come to a sleep away camp free of charge. Our board plans enrichment activities providing positive influences on these girls. Since 1914, our volunteers have expended remarkable efforts to provide a quality experience for these girls. My rationale for approaching the legislators was that their member item grants represented a contribution on behalf of their constituents; some are campers benefiting from our program, while other constituents simply don't know of our existence. Of course, if you want to reduce our dependence on these grants, feel free to contribute to us directly. Our website, which was designed and maintained by a former co-president, is www.NSHH.org .

chris wrote:

There are some very good programs, most of them not advertised well enough so they are not taken advantage of appropriately. We shoulld unite to a more centralized community and stop waisting tons of money on the local administration so that there can be a common communication method.
And lets face it, as usuall a lot of it is a waiste of money that should be better spent. How many times do you see the same program listed with different amounts or in different zones. And why should we spend money on horses and music (I saw over 100k) or religious practices (why were there dozens of Jewish funds and no other religion's programs were supported?) when most of that should be a priviledge not a guaranteed opportunity.

Chris: answer to your question about Jewish organizations - Gurwin and Parker, with which I am not affiliated in any way, are nursing home facilities. Parker has a rehab unit and a few beds for hospice. The homes are not exclusively for persons of the Jewish faith. However, in addition to the public funding received, they get a lot of funding from UJA Federation [United Jewish Appeal] and they were started by those organizations. FEGS [Family Education and Guidance SErvices] is a UJA grantee that operates the largest social services system here in NY - they provide psychological counselling on a sliding scale, job training and a host of other opportunities. The objective of all of the above, including Parker and Gurwin, is to help those in need - so not to worry about the religious thing!

Take care,
B

To call it all pork seems a bit harsh. The family Service League, the Y, the Heckscher, etc. should get every dime they got and more.
<p>
We should all be relieved that the Greater Huntington Council of Yachting and Boating Clubs got that five grand for a new PA system. What? All you big boys who bought big boats couldn't kick in for a loudspeaker?
<p>
And I had not heard of the obliquely-named LI Citizens for Community Values, which appears to be receiving $23,000 in grants. It turns out to be an anti-pornography organization whose website states, among other things:
"Soft-Core" pornography is "mere nudity" which is protected by the First Amendment.
"Soft-Core" pornography is not prosecuted by law enforcement even though it is more
harmful than hard-core pornography.
Yeah... Right. We should give money to people who think this way??

Hey I didnt know Coast Guard Aux units could get money! Maybe our local unit will ask too! ASK AND THEE SHALL RECEIVE!

It seems that the little amounts went more to small projects which i find in line.But the senate should look a little harder to where there monies go.These funded amounts will not be used as they say and we no it,think more about showing them how to fund raise then to get funded monies.after all no monies should be free.........

$$ Twenty grand ($20,000.00 ) for 45 replacement pagers for the Halesite Fire Dept? What was wrong with the old ones?

Frank from Centerport wrote:

Everything taken from the taxpayers and given to special interests is Pork and don't forget it.

I think you misunderstand that the organizations to whom member-item money is given are not 'special interests.' The legislators are very, very careful in their selection of groups that will receive a member item distribution. They, and their staffs, are well aware that they are spending your money and making contributions on your behalf.

The organization I serve provides a special experience for impoverished girls ages 7-11. North Shore Holiday House girls are exposed to positive influences at a very delicate age and give these girls a summer program that their families could not afford. Girls who have attended our camp have gone on to college. To the extent that North Shore Holiday House contributes to the future success of its girls, North Shore Holiday House contributes to the betterment of society in general, and on Long Island in particular. We are a very small organization with 1 full-time paid employee. Our other employees are seasonal. They are all dedicated and remarkable people, as are the women volunteering on our board [including me] who work hard to make sure that our girls have a safe quality program to attend. I also must note that through this article, I learned about NY Chariots of Fire. What a worthy organization, providing athletic opportunities for the physically challenged. You should be proud that your legislators have chosen to support such worthy causes within your community. Have you contributed on your own? Feel free - we definitely need the help!

I don't work for the legislature, but I have tremendous respect for the process. I also respect the way the legislature conducted itself this past March. In other countries, there could easily have been rioting in the streets.

Another thing; your legislators are living, breathing people. They exist, and they are interested in knowing constituent opinion. So - if you have a question about why your state assembly person or senator supported one cause or another, send them an e-mail asking for an explanation. If you still disagree with the member item, let them know.