SAFETYNET AND DSS INCOMPETENCE

Alderwoman MaryAnn Parker has been saying it for years! Take the County to task for laying the brunt of the SafetyNet costs on the City of Kingston. She has been right all along.

As it turns out, the taxpayers in the City of Kingston have been paying for the county's responsibility not only for the residents in need of services within out borders, but pretty far outside as well. Seemingly for decades.

The papers have reported that Mayor Sottile has discovered additional payments since the issue first showed it's ugly head. But he's right to ask for every penny that's ever been drained of city taxpayers for the time the county's DSS officials were ignorant of their duties.

Would someone please tell me why I am responsible for the lodging costs of someone in Lawrence County? It's coming out of my pocket correct? I think we are all looking at our tax paperwork a little closer than ever and asking some more pertinent questions regarding what our responsibilities are.

So now it's the story of the "lists" and how the county and city comptrollers are reviewing the past payments for the program. I admit, I didn't look at the lists of clients either. What list? I never knew of such a list until this whole issue blew up last month. For that people, I apologize.

I had to laugh when I read Jimmy's quote in the Freeman: "It appears that the city of Kingston is paying for people in Ellenville, Saugerties and Kerhonkson who are not in the ZIP code, but those addresses where they are staying appear to be permanent addresses, in my opinion. I will be following up with the county, and I will make personal site visits."

I want to ride with him to see these locations as well. He's right to say that if a person locates to another community, that person should be that community’s responsibility. It's how the county's SafetyNet system is set up. Fair is Fair...Right?

If you think I have any faith in the abilities of DSS Commissioner Rodriguez, you'd be mistaken. He said; "If the mayor finds anything wrong with the list of clients, the department will move to rectify the situation." Good grief, you'd have to want to do the right thing from the beginning for us to believe youre interested in making things right today. Incompetent or intentionally malicious? You decide.

And this business about enrolling in out-of-town programs but still beating Kingston's taxpayers...is he serious? What does Roberto have over our Executive that we'd continue to ignore the fact that he really doesn't live on W O'reilly St. in Kingston? Ulster residency is a requirement for the position you know! Can't we get any qualified local help these days?

MaryAnn Parker continues to point out the unjust practices for administering the costs of the SafetyNet here in Ulster County. Long after her tenure as Alderwoman from the old Fourth Ward, her words still ring true.

Right from the paper; Sottile said the confusion could have been avoided if Ulster County — like every other county in the state — assumed full financial responsibility for the Safety Net program.

I have been discussing this with other members of the Legislature to the point that sometimes the banter gets a bit heated, but I feel I am chipping away at this issue. There have been years of prior attempts made by my colleagues that have fallen short during the budget hearings late in each fall, but the sudden interest by many influential parties this early in the year could make the issue a rallying call to make Ulster follow the procedures enacted in ALL the other 61 Counties in New York State.

Ulster County is the only one of 62 counties in the state that collects a share of the program cost from individual municipalities. The City of Kingston has hinted at the possibility of suing the county to force the case into court. The mismanagement in recent years and the imminent revelation of incompetence on the part of the DSS could be just what the City needs to gain a just verdict.

On a related note: Mayor Sottile has indicated that he would like those who are soaking up our taxdollars should be out there doing something for it. Isn't that a program instituted by President Clinton back in the 90's? Since it's expected that local unions will take issue with people doing jobs that employees would otherwise be doing had they not been laid off, lets find jobs that are outside the purview of the DPW.

Everyone knows I'd like some help cleaning the old tracks behind the Broadway branch of Rondout Savings. We could start there.