Coming
up on "Need to Know" democracy in action.-
The county legislaturors are the closest to the people.-
We will talk to them on the budget negotiation and see a
grassroots democratic effort by the Latino alliance.-
We will have the business section with the Democrat and
chronicle.-
Keep it here for "Need to Know."-
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[Captioning Made Possible by the U.S. Department of Education]-
(For "Need to Know")-
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>> Thanks for joining us.-
I'm Michael Caputo.-
We will get to the democratic experiment, the Latino summit
in
a few minutes.-
First we are going to tackle Monroe county's budget.-
29 county lawmakers have the proposal before them that
increases spending roughly 5% and requires maneuvering to close
the $40 million gap.-
A big part of county executive jack Doyle's answer was to raise
the sales tax 6/10 of a penny which would have made it the
highest in the state.-
All this with a backdrop of the local county executive
elections.-
For Republican Maggie brooks won a land slide for the county
executive on a fiscal platform of continuing Doyle's policy
of
no property tax increases and also vowing no cuts in services.-
Now the budget is in the hands of lawmakers and Republicans
in
control of the legislature say the sales tax increase is off
the table.-
They would like to replace it with cuts in services that
include cutting social service workforce by nearly 200 people
and propose passing along the cost of state welfare programs
to
the localities.-
The safety net cost would hit the city where most of those who
get the service live.-
With us to talk about this are the two party caucus leaders
minority leader Stephanie Aldersley of Irondequoit and
Republican majority leader bill Smith of pits Ford.-
Thank you both for being here.-
Let's start with the sales tax.-
Is it off the table really?-
-
>> I think we have to take what the state legislature
says at
face value.-
It only takes one house of the legislature to say no.-
-
>> Are you saying the other side can't -- you are talking
about
the democratic assembly.-
-
>> Given the track record I don't think we should hold
out hope
and I don't know if there would be support within the county
legislature for a sales tax.-
But if the state has said no, because a sales tax requires
approval bit state legislature, I don't see how we in putting
a
budget together can rely on something we have been told won't
happen.-
-
>> Does your caucus see this the same way?-
Pretty much.-
There's in the much taste for such a big sales tax increase
and
judging from the rhetoric I have heard from their side they
are
not crazy about it.-
It place as burden on the retail sector in Monroe county and
we
depend more on that retail sector than we used to when we had
minister manufacturing here.-
So, if it forces people who live near the county border to
cross the border to shop, that is booed bad for jobs in Monroe
county.-
-
>> I will give you a line that I can't quote verbatim
but stuff
rolls downhill.-
We have been hearing a lot about how the state mandates have
been rolling down on the county, Medicaid, most of the budget
is state mandated.-
The talk is about pushing down the cost of welfare particularly
safety net.-
This is the recent proposal by your side of the aisle down to
the localities primarily the city.-
Isn't this just stuff rolling downhill, bill?-
-
>> Well, stuff rolls down in different ways.-
There are things that roll down because you are forced to do
them.-
Then there are things that roll down because you have done them
voluntarily out of a sense of community mindedness add you can
no longer afford to do them any more because what you were
forced to do has become so expensive.-
To put it into perspective, the $15 million approximately that
the county would save by no longer voluntarily paying the
safety net component of welfare is still less than the increase
in Medicaid.-
-
>> What's wrong with that argument?-
-
>> What bill and his colleagues have complained about,
that the
state forces expenditures down on to the local level and on
to
the county government, we are then going to do that to the city
and towns in terms of their safety net expenditures.-
For my own town of Irondequoit, my best estimate is that will
be about a million dollars added to their budget, which is
done.-
Around it is a pretty tough situation to place these local
municipalities in.-
-
>> It is not a pretty picture.-
But I think we have to look at the total picture.-
The total picture is that good things also flow downhill.-
Monroe county is the most generous county in New York in
sharing its revenues with the city and with the towns and
school district.-
-
>> You can get back to the sales tax, I guess.-
Monroe county has a very generous sharing man.-
Would you then propose -- I will three this out.-
Instead of passing down the cost of safety nets, could there
with be, be a 2003 ask for more of a share of the sales tax?-
-
>> That's not something on the table.-
No one is proposing it.-
At least not in my caucus and I believe that could require
action by the state legislature and I don't think we can rely
on that.-
I can we have to look at one other aspect of this which is very
important.-
We are not going to get out of these recurrent crises in the
county budget until something is done about Medicaid reform
and
I'm convinced the only way that will happen is when central
democratic constituencies go to the state assembly and demand
something be done about this.-
-
>> Itself knee?-
-
>> -- Medicaid has been unfairly portrayed over the years
as
something that other folks get, whether it is a group of people
such as single moms who are singled out for some pretty
pejorative attitudes.-
But we know that Medicaid really is there to support the
elderly, the blind, disabled.-
71% of Medicaid supports these folks.-
So, Medicaid does good things.-
And the bill gets picked up somewhere.-
If the state picks it up, we pay.-
If the county picks it up, we pay.-
I'm not sure that -- -
>> The argument is, going back to the safety net and the
welfare program, if it goes down to the city or towns, again
I
suppose you could say we pay.-
It is just a reorganization of costs, isn't it?-
-
>> It is to an extent, but it could have disbenefits.-
By affecting the city you could get the democratic
constituencies willing to go to the assembly and say enough
is
enough, the Medicaid situation has to be taken care of.-
-
>> Why is it just Medicare?-
I'm looking at a period of 10 years and that has gone up.-
About what Medicaid is.-
And you had welfare costs drop over the 10 years.-
Why single out Medicaid?-
-
>> The welfare cost as such looking at them alone dropped
over
the course of 10 years you but there are two important
factors.-
One is there were a lot of additional costs that the county
has
to pay as a consequence of welfare reform, welfare-to-work and
programs like that.-
The other is you don't do budgets on a 10-year basis.-
They are year to year and last career to this year and this
year it next year the welfare case loads have gone up as
Medicaid has gone you.-
-
>> Did you say maybe we should?-
-
>> We need to do more long-term planning in terms of the
budget.-
This budget crisis and last year's, in my judgment, have been
entirely foreseeable.-
We have been overestimating revenues and undermating costs for
about 12 years now.-
When I say we, the Republican administration.-
But I want to go back to something bill said.-
He talked about democratic constituencies.-
We had an announcement at the county office building yesterday
I believe that the Republicans in the assembly are looking for
some help from Medicaid costs.-
That's great.-
But what about the Republicans in the state senate?-
They are in the majority.-
They could help with this.-
It isn't just Democrats' responsibilities.-
-
>> These changes, are they going to help things now?-
Calling for Medicaid, is that going to help your situation?-
-
>> That's not going to help this budget now.-
-
>> Here is what I see.-
At every level of government we politicians don't want to be
the ones to raise taxes.-
So if we can get the state to pay for something or if we can
get the local municipality to pay for something, then it takes
it off our next necks.-
-
>> The central problem of the Medicaid issue is not so
much who
pays for it in one sense in the sense we are talking about
now.-
It is the total cost of the program.-
It is worthwhile.-
It does things we want to do as a state and a society.-
Yet we have half the population of California, our Medicaid
bill is twice California which has a demographic representation
very similar to New York's.-
These are the kinds of things we have to look at.-
-
>> I could talk about that a little bit, too.-
One of the reasons why New York state's Medicaid bill is so
high from what I understand is that there's a federal component
to Medicaid and New York state was a rich state when Medicaid
began.-
So the federal share as the deals were made early why that
process is far less than New York state.-
-
>> So I hate to go back to the line stuff rolls downhill
but it
seems like a lot of this is rolling downhill on to your
shoulders.-
I have to ask this.-
How much -- and I have a couple of minutes.-
How much has politics played in the discussions up to now?-
And this primarily with the Democrats, what they have said.-
The budget was delayed, the budget presentation was delayed.-
The legislative committees were put on hold.-
How much of that was political and the question now to you
folks is, are you willing to play politics by not joining in?-
-
>> It feels very political to me in this sense.-
We have no information at this point.-
We were told that the budget was delayed originally because
of
the altrea report.-
We have yet to see that report and we requested it
immediately.-
On our side of the aisle we are getting no information and we
are not party to any talks.-
-
>> Let's talk about this, bill.-
-
>> I think that political considerations have entered
into it
to the following extent.-
On our side we have taken some signals from the democratic
caucus and legislature to believe that basically they are not
going to participate in a budget process.-
-
>> Are you going to participate?-
-
>> We would be delighted to talk with anyone about this
budget.-
For one thing, we would be delighted to talk with Maggie
brooks.-
She seemed to have some good ideas about not raising taxes and
yet maintaining our services.-
And, you know, I will get a new tea set for the democratic
conference room if she will come in and talk about it.-
-
>> I have 10 seconds left.-
Yes or no.-
Will there be a compromise between the Republicans and
Democrats?-
-
>> If both sides can have their concerns addressed in
this
budget I would believe that some compromise would be possible.-
-
>> I don't know.-
I still don't want to raise taxes on people who already pay
the
highest taxes.-
I appreciate both of you being here.-
Lawmakers speak for us on a representative form of government
but democracy also needs to have an informed and vocal
electorate.-
Over the past week we saw an interesting experiment in
democratic discussion.-
It is the third annual Latino summit where organizers hope to
bring leaders from all political parties and from various
geographic places together to create a common understanding
by
talking.-
People say talk is cheap but how does a democracy work without
talk, without people to go listen to one another's views?-
Without those who are able to hear disagreement and able to
debate with civility.-
Without those that can come to a consensus on problems that
confront them.-
Empowering people through dialogue is the idea between the
Latino summit held this year at Monroe community college's
Damon city campus.-
-
>> Vision is essential.-
Latinos have a full voice, as stake holders in the development
of the region's quality of life.-
-
>> Organizer John Rodriguez called the summit now in its
third
year a work in progress.-
-
>> We started to try to do some things after summit two.-
Some of them didn't work.-
They did not work.-
In other words, we failed at some things.-
But we tried.-
Some things worked.-
We are in a big experiment and journey together.-
-
>> This experiment in democracy took a new path thisier.-
The participants were split into groups to tackle different
issues of concern.-
It was clear what the most pop ar issue was.-
-
>> Education is -- when I tell that you it is a hot topic,
that
is an understatement.-
We are here mainly because we are passionate about this.-
We are here and we get passionate about this stuff.-
But what we want to do is channel that energy so that it is
positive energy.-
-
>> About 20 summitgoers talked and debated on Latinos
and
education, why the rate of Latino students graduating is lower
than the general population.-
They looked at cultural attributes that can clash with the
educational system.-
Such as Latinos work together in groups.-
-
>> Maybe one thing is how do we take advantage of that
in terms
of the education arena?-
How do we form groups that we work in groups of parents working
with their children together like a community to say here it
is, this is what we are doing.-
That may change the system but you change it one factor or one
organization at a time and we start building that notion
through that.-
Maybe that's one of the key issues.-
We have not figured out how to use the strength we have this
our community to work together in groups to make that work for
us in the system that tries to make us all individuals.-
That may be part of the problem is people are resisting this
bus they are saying I'm part of the family and I don't want
to
break you the family.-
What do we do to turn this around?-
This is what we are.-
This is where we are going.-
-
>> They took what they discussed and made presentations
to the
group as whole.-
-
>> Poverty is an interesting issue.-
I don't know, there's a bunch of educators here, it would be
interesting to see how Spanish compare not so much with Spanish
and nonbut Hispanics and other poor groups.-
I think we need to focus on poverty, on what that does to our
ability to learn.-
-
>> BILL: -
>> Organizers of the summit appreciated the frank talk
and they
want it to continue throughout the year and then become more
of
a common message from the Latino community.-
So, talk is far from cheap but it is only a start.-
-
>> We are looking for people to take us to the end and
commitment and no matter how tough it gets and how dire it
looks you are willing to stick to the end to support us, the
Latino alliance to the end.-
-
>> With us now is the president of the Latino alliance
and
founder of the Latino summit John Rodriguez.-
Thank you for being with us.-
-
>> Arthritised to be here.-
-
>> I want to ask, is dialogue the end goal with this or
is it
something, you know, a discussion that needs to translate in
action?-
-
>> At the end of the day action counts.-
So we need to translate it into some kind of substantive action
around improving quality of life in the region.-
But it begins by building relationships.-
Just like the conversation we saw earlier today around the
budget.-
So much of that has to do with what have been people been
working on beforehand.-
What are people doing.-
They are dialoguing about kids and pets.-
Trying to build relationships.-
All of those things count.-
It is very difficult to build a community going through what
Monroe county is going through if you look at the opposition
as
your enemy.-
We need to have strong relationships.-
-
>> Talk about that theory.-
And I think part of what it is called is the Putnam theory,
Robert Putnam who wrote the book called "Bowling alone."-
Which is talking about society complete completely fragmented.-
Talk about that which were to the summit.-
-
>> In his work and we have looked at a number of works,
but his
around social capital, social capital has to do with how we
take advantage of the relationships that we have with one
another.-
If they are fragmented relationships, it is very difficult for
people to come together during a crisis.-
The time to deal with a crisis or the way to deal with a
situation like the budget is not when in is a crisis but in
advance.-
It is when people are dialoguing in communities and agencies
around what is going on in the community regionally so by the
time you get to budget crisis you have the information and the
relationships in place to make substantive adjustments and
changes.-
-
>> People are going to look at this and say that's nice,
groups
talk, that is freight but this is theoretical butty y is it
important to the person out there now, why does what you did
matter to them?-
Why does it matter?-
-
>> Look at the conditions of what's going on in western
New
York and this region.-
Look at healthcare.-
The merger between two major health providers.-
Look at what is going on in economic development, job loss,
Kodak, education.-
Look at what is going on in tax days ago.-
Those are the -- taxization.-
If we aring if to solve those problems more people need to step
you.-
We can't put it on the elected officials.-
It has to be shared by all civic minded people.-
And we need to look at that time from the Latino perspective.-
We have a young population, 50,000 people in the county.-
The majority of -- or I should say the trend is toward people
who are older, baby boomers aging.-
That means that the Latino population, the young ones will
inherit the responsibility of what happens down the road.-
So it is in the Latino interest to look at the consequences
of
the decisions being made today and how they will impact the
quality of life for everyone down the road.-
-
>> You talked about this being the third year of the Latino
summit when we visited with you and you said -- and it has been
a fairly, I won't say slow but a methodical process.-
-
>> First we get together.-
Second how do we get together.-
Now I want to ask you when does the pressure build for there
to
be some sort of either unifying message that perhaps the Latino
community comes out with or some sort of lobby be effort that
comes out of this?-
When does the pressure build for that to happen?-
-
>> I think that the pressure is building all the time.-
There are three things we are working on.-
Social capital piece, intellectual and financial capital.-
We have seen some progress.-
Last summer in June we graduated 38 people from the political
campaign academy.-
-
>> Democrats and Republicans?-
-
>> Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals.-
Independents.-
From throughout the region, from every town and every village
in Rochester.-
These are new voices that will be participating in civic
engagements.-
A number of them have already been appointed to planning boards
working with assembly members, working with local member of
congress.-
So we are beginning to see individuals become more civicly
engaged.-
These are the future leaders, the people that are going to
understand something about what is going on in the region and
how do we solve real problems.-
-
>> 55% of the people voted, 45 and these are registered,
45%
did not.-
That means of the registered voters, 55% voted.-
My voice doesn't count is what they are saying.-
Talk to that person.-
You have a minute left.-
-
>> I think people feel their voice doesn't count for a
reason
and I think those of us involved in politics, elected
officials, those of us involved in voter redge -- registration,
we need to say why are you not getting involved and repair them
and make the voice count.-
People will register and vote if we begin to behave in ways
and
make decisions that translate that real tangible improvement
for quality of life for the majority of people in the county.-
They are discouraged and not voting and participating because
they are getting the signal, seeing the way the government is
operating or the society as a whole and this is not just the
government burden, but everyone's burden and they become
discouraged.-
Thank is normal.-
When need to do a better job of listening and responding to
the
issues.-
-
>> John Rodriguez.-
Thank you for being here.-
We want your thoughts on grassroots organizing and on the
county budget deliberations.-
Email us at NEEDTOKNOW@WXXI.org or call us at our response
line, 258-0250.-
Now here is the business
section with "THE
DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE."
>>
With us is Ellen Rosen business editor of the Democrat and
chronicle.-
How are you doing?-
-
>> Fine, and you?-
-
>> Karl Icahn and Kodak in the news again of he is giving
Kodak
more space?-
-
>> It's hard to tell.-
They issued a statement acknowledging while not directly
saying, acknowledging that they had met, that Icahn met with
the chairman and C.E.O. of Kodak saying that Mr. Icahn had
explained the Kodak strategy for the move from film to digital
and he would monitor it closely.-
Now, what that means we had an analyst in the paper say that
it
could mean Icahn is watching carefully, show patience, give
them a little space to see where it goes.-
But he hasn't really said anything and not said a lot to signal
the intentions.-
Our research shows he is very distribute in what he says so
it
is a mystery.-
-
>> And the Kodak folks themselves, how do they portray
it?-
Did they portray it as oh, well, great?-
-
>> They didn't portray it at all.-
They were careful.-
It was a very measured statement that they released.-
And perhaps it is just that you would think that the company
is
probably under pressure, shareholders and employees, to let
them know what is going on.-
Their policy is they have said over and over is not to talk
about conversations with investors or potential investors.-
But there's pressure from broast employee groups and
shareholder groups to know about the meeting and how it went.-
This is Kodak's take on the meeting.-
They met, they talked, they explained the strategy to Mr. Icahn
and he said he would be monitoring it closely.-
-
>> How do you keep on top of something like this?-
Because I would think much of the news is behind closed doors.-
Everybody will be interested in this.-
-
>> The other issue is the filings are always delayed.-
Wording of the filing didn't hit anyplace where it could be
hit
publicly for several weeks.-
But it hard but you have to keep talking to people to see what
you can find out.-
-
>>," the high falls area appears to be getting a
boost after we
heard about empire brewing closing.-
-
>> That is is interesting.-
From a well-known name in the beer business, Jonathan whaley.-
Of Genesee brewing company.-
He is going to open a brew push where empire has been.-
He said it will be an mesh bistro.-
And he will be doing some micro brewing.-
It is boost because folks were worried how long the space might
be vacant.-
It got a fair amount of traffic at lunch, after ball games and
stuff like that so they are looking to have somebody fast and
somebody with that name recognition although he didn't say what
he would name it or give an opening date but he is in there
working.-
We have seen him working and they apparently just sign add
lease yesterday.-
-
>> You may not know anything about this, but does he let
on
whether it will be as big an operation as -- empire was a
fairly vast, you know, restaurant -- it was a cornerstone.-
-
>> He didn't offer us a lot of details about whether or
not
what he was going to do with it.-
We heard from David dworkin, one of the people that owned it
and they had a lot of people come through.-
Mr. whaley didn't say much about what he plans to do beyond
it
will be a micro brew pub and an American bistro theme.-
-
>> Let May veer off to healthcare.-
Excel low has been a big story for months and why would that
move make strong nervous?-
-
>> What strong was concerned about was the announcement
that
excellus had given $250,000 for legal costs and help pay for
the consultant report that recommended the merger.-
Strong's point is it is not fair for an insurer that has such
a
dominant piece of the market to -- market to get involved in
controlling one of the healthcare providers and they feel it
is
a power struggle to diminish strong and push strong.-
Strong is the dominant, 52% of the market.-
This combined hospital system is going to be much stronger
competitor to strong than the two individuals.-
-
>> And they are saying what?-
-
>> They are saying no, this is, they are trying to help
keep it
going, that it is important to have two hospital systems and
they want to make sure that that happens.-
-
>> What is coming up Sunday?-
-
>> We have a look at an interesting family, laotian refugees
who came here 20 years ago and have three of the most
successful restaurants in the area.-
-
>> Write us by email, NEEDTOKNOW@WXXI.org, phone us any
time.-
Our response line is 258-0250.-
Next week we look at how technology is helping those with
disabilities and whether these advances are making it for all
who need them.-
We will see you then.-