Governing In NYS

I'm exhausted and should probably rethink posting this entry but we'll see how it goes. The reason for the exhaustion is that I pulled an all nighter watching the NYS Senate presenting and debating Bills that make up the NYS Budget. I've never watched the process before and was only able to this time because of live streaming over the internet. It looked like, according to the counter, that there were only about 80 of us online. I've tried to think of the best words to describe what I felt watching the process. Here are a few that come to mind - surprise, shock, anger, disgust, disappointment, amazed.

I was watching particularly to see the discussion, debate and action on the proposed $90million cut to supports for people with developmental disabilities. I had high hopes that after weeks, months really, of advocacy by individuals, families and non profit organizations the legislative body would minimally understand the issues related to these cuts, why they were occurring and the consequences. Boy was I surprised on that one.

I started watching the feed at about 8:15pm and finally went to bed at about 3:30am. I remembered how in my younger days I did things like that and how easy it seemed. It's certainly gotten harder. I found my mind wondering, caught myself dosing, thinking about alcohol, sugar and potato chips. I resisted all of those and refocused many times or tried to. The process and the legislators certainly didn't help. I really began to wonder how NY actually functions on a daily basis with this legislative process in place. First there's the mystery. Language like "set aside" or "the Bill is high" that all of these folks seemed to understand. They were in session for ten minutes, then "at ease" while the Finance Committee planned a meeting to act on Budget Bills.

Finally in full session, partisan debates and votes took place on various printed Bills that no one could have read. Democrats attacking the Leadership and the Democratic Governor for anything and everything. Republicans, sponsoring and defending the Bills, the Leadership and the Democratic Governor. Votes down party lines were the norm. No one jumped ship. Every once in awhile someone would express their concern about one thing or the other in a particular Bill but then they would vote with their party.

There are also drama kings and queens in this cast of characters and honestly they should all be forced to go home and watch themselves perform as part of their punishment. Juvenile chiding, back and forth reaching for high and low ground. All of the debate is supposed to go "through the President/Chair" and everyone seems to forget that at some point.

Somewhere around 2am the Aid to Localities Bill came to the floor. This Bill included the 4.5% cut to the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities which will be implemented against private, non profit providers only vs state operations. Many Senators on both sides of the aisle spoke about how horrible these cuts were but in the end the vote on the larger Bill was 51-9 affirming and including these cuts. The debate itself showed that very few of NY's Senators even understand the rationale for these cuts. The sponsors related the cuts to a Congressional Oversight Committee report on NY's Medicaid expenditures rather then the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services decision and argument with NYS on overcharging the Federal government for many years. Some Senators went so far as to say that the $1.1billion payback to the feds was the direct result of private providers excessive executive compensation practices and these administrative cuts needed to take place. Sadly, they were not challenged on these false allegations. These Senators seemed to be mouthing the Governor's agenda. It was sad to watch.

So this group of statesmen and women are going to let individuals with developmental disabilities, their families and the people dedicating their lives to supporting them figure out how to move forward. At one point a Senator did ask the sponsor of the Bill what would happen to people if a group home was forced to close. The response was that no one expected closures. When pressed the sponsor indicated people would be served. When pressed again about how, he indicated that he didn't know.

So I'm tired - sick and tired of people who don't know what they're doing or why they're doing it. On to the NYS Assembly. They meet tomorrow. I'm going to sleep.