It's All About Dignity

Everything is about dignity. How we treat and talk about each other, people, animals, the earth, other religions, cultures, political parties, beliefs. Everything, yes everything is about dignity. How are we doing in that regard? The hateful speech of late, the policies - current and proposed, the taunting, the bullying.

I happen to believe that dignity is pretty basic. When we're right, humble and kind it's in play. When people or other things are hurt, a clear lack of dignity is always exposed for everyone to see. It seems so simple and in reality it is. Sometimes though, we just get sidetracked, all of us. We allow other forces to take over. Insulting other people, belittling their religion, even removing them from our presence, laughing and giggling at someone's misfortune or status. Dignity - a little word that needs a lot more attention these days.

Memories and The Future

Over the past week or so I've been lucky to have had some wonderful correspondence with and from old friends. We've shared thoughts and memories about times we spent together working for peace and social justice through the 60's and beyond. The memories are like those you may have - some good, some bad, some painful. They are also an important piece of our personal history.

Sometimes, many of us, can dwell too much on the past. It can become burdensome and frankly unhealthy. But the past is certainly important. It helps us understand who we are, where we came from and can help lead us in where we're going and how we get there.

One of my dear old friends is currently in Vietnam building homes with Habitat for Humanity. He's working with other volunteers and local Vietnamese helping to make current life better as well as impacting people's future. He recently told a brief story about his conversation and bonding with another volunteer, an ex-marine who fought and watched many die in that land so far away. Two men with different histories, different memories of that war and that time, working together today to make a difference in people's lives.

I've also had recent discussions with some folks about the evolution of supports and services for people with developmental disabilities. Past battles broke down walls and helped people move from institutions to communities where people are living independent lives. The battles today are for dollars to protect those supports and make sure the quality of life for those people continues today and into the future.

The memories and the past battles are so very important. They let us tell the story that helps the next generation continue to move forward. Some of the history prevents people from stumbling in the same pot holes that line the paths along the way. Sometimes falling or tripping is important to the new traveler.

Then I contemplate the future. Many people are involved in issues around the environment and climate change. What an important place to meld the past the present and the future. Our earth, our air, our water and all the elements around us are crying out for protection and stewardship. Young and old are becoming activists together as they see what's happening around them and as they understand the consequences of past and present practices.

The friend I spoke of earlier is also a musician and like all good musicians, he understands the importance of words and music in story telling and messaging. One of his recent posts from Vietnam consisted of a few powerful pictures and these words from Joni Mitchell's The Circle Game - "And the seasons they go round and round. And the painted ponies go up and down....." Here is the complete chorus, hopefully helping us to understand the relationship between past, present and future.

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted horses go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

It is a great big circle my friends so join in as we all go round and round.

"The Others" Are Coming - Protect Yourselves

All of the hateful language, speeches and yes, even the commentary, are based on fear versus reasoning during these dark days of December, 2015.

We are currently involved in listening to people talking about banning people with certain religious beliefs from coming into the US. Amazing - people founded a country based on religious freedom, fleeing persecution and now we actually would consider a leader who would ban people based on a religion.

And then of course there are the Mexicans. More problems, more people to bar, ban, lock behind a wall. Let's see, who are some of the other 'Others'? Who are the other people who have forced us into political correctness?  Ah the list is long - people with disabilities (why can't we just get back to making fun of them?), blacks, students, women, liberals, leftists, the mainstream media, Hollywood elitists, gays, lesbians, the list goes on.

All of this is based on fear. Reasoning has gone out the window. Local sheriffs are recommending that people with permitted weapons begin to carry them because we live in such violent times. That's what we need - more guns to deal with all of these issues. And when first responders show up to some other unfortunate and deadly event, now they'll have to determine who are the good guys with weapons and who are the bad guys with weapons. The rest of us will need to watch out for the cross fire.

So the bottomline is that we all have to protect ourselves in these perilous times. "The others" are coming. We don't know who they are from one day to the next but we do know this, they're not us. They look and think differently. They sometimes talk differently. They worship differently.

All of this is, of course, shameful but few people are really speaking up. Partly I think because of the other great fear. Is it possible that this is in fact the way our country has changed? Are the hateful things that are being spouted in a bombastic way really the thoughts and values of a large portion of the population? We all hope not, but...but...

Two Part Series On Dorothy Day - Dec. 14th & 21st

I will be presenting a two part series on Dorothy Day, her life and influence, on Dec 14th & 21st, 2015 from 11am to Noon at the Penn Yan Public Library. The series is part of the Classics In Religion series sponsored by Cobblestone Springs in Himrod, NY.

In Part One, I will be presenting a brief overview of Dorothy's early life and her co-founding of the Catholic Worker Movement with Peter Maurin in the 1930's. Part Two of the series will cover the period from the 1960's to her death in 1980. I will include some of my own personal expierience and knowledge of Dorothy during the period that I was involved at the Catholic Worker in the mid 60's.

There will be time for interaction and discussion during both sessions.

Cobblestone Springs is an interdenominational retreat/renewal center located in the Finger Lakes Region of rural Upstate New York. Housed in an historic 1840's cobblestone mansion, it overlooks the Seneca Lake valley. Well-kept Mennonite farms surround the property, and horse and buggies regularly pass by the house.  More about Cobblestone Springs here.

Stoking Hate & Creating Fear

That seems to be where we are. Some of it is the result of the actions and the realities of the world that we're seeing every day. Some of it is the result of our presidential campaign process that allows people to rant and rave for a year and a half before an election in contrast to countries that limit campaigns to 6 to 8 weeks. We've been affected by war, by economic injustice, by environmental threats, by religious fanaticism or religious bankruptcy. We seem to be reaping some of the results.

As peacemakers and peacekeepers struggle with the challenge of keeping people focused on sensible responses to world events, we have people who stoke the hate and create the fear. Syrian refugees, Hispanic farm workers and migrants, Muslims, people who think, speak and look differently are all presented as our enemies, as outliers from the rest of us.

Donald Trump of course takes the cake, which seems to be his ultimate goal. He has questioned the President's loyalty, his religion and his birthplace. He has talked about killing the families of terrorists. He has promoted waterboarding and other methods of torture. Others have thrown out the concept of internment camps, similar to those that were used to hold US citizens of Japanese heritage during World War ll. These discussions I fear will get worse over the next few weeks and months.

Fear impacts how we process information. It takes over and overrides our normal way of thinking. It can be a terrible and irrational thing.

My own view is that we all have a responsibility to let these folks know that their language and ideas are irresponsible and not helpful. This type of talk needs to be stopped in its tracks whenever and  wherever possible. We can't accept it. Any more Islamophobia just helps create more radicalization.

We should certainly be appalled at beheadings, torture, the killing of innocent men, women and children. But we have to protect people, religions and nationalities from explosive hatred through speech and headlines.

After I wrote this, I saw an article where Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke and warned about an anti-Muslim backlash and I thought adding the link here may be useful. Here it is - Loretta Lynch Article

Strange Partnerships & Contradictions In Seneca Lake Controversy

The demographics of the area surrounding Seneca Lake in upstate NY is interesting. Watkins Glen and Schuyler County, where salt caverns are at the center of the controversy of LP and Methane gas storage, is certainly a politically conservative area. That doesn't mean there aren't people of a more liberal persuasion but the general description would certainly be conservative. The eastern neighbor of Schuyler County is Tompkins County which includes Ithaca College and Cornell University in the city of Ithaca. A typical conversation among conservatives in Schuyler about their neighbors to the east will reference the 'People's Republic of Ithaca' followed by either a chuckle or a look of disgust.

Don't get me wrong, the folks in Schuyler County are good people who care about each other and their community. There just seems to be a mentality, like so many other communities, that is protective of belief systems, a way of life and an established political hierarchy. As we've all learned over the years, it's in our nature to be tribal relative to food, beliefs and values. Much of this occurs over years and years of living together.

Demographics do change, however and people as well as institutions change too. The economy sometimes forces change. Many times people do not go along with the change automatically. They are often pulled and dragged screaming along the way. Of course there are those instances where people and whole communities refuse to change and there we see the sad results of denying the inevitable.

I've witnessed a great deal of change over the years in the Schuyler County community. People put their shoulders to the wheel and really put tremendous effort into the development of the area as a top rate tourist attraction, building on the development and success of the Finger Lakes wine industry. Hotels, lakefront development, entertainment and art venues, food and wine pairings have all been part of the effort and it's been successful. People are looking at retirement options in the area.

It's with this backdrop that the current fight is taking place relative to the use of salt caverns to store LP and Methane gas to be shipped by rail, trucks and pipe lines wherever the market for the gas takes it - upstate NY, the northeast corridor or overseas. Corporations basically bribe communities with promises of jobs and taxes while at the same time negotiating tax breaks to bring new or sustain existing jobs.

Here's where it also gets odd in terms of partnerships and contradictions. It's interesting to watch those very conservative politicians who run against big government, agency control, mandate relief and paternalistic regulations tell people opposed to the project that they (the politicians) are depending on - guess who? The answer of course is, the big government and its agencies who over regulate, create mandates and in general make a pain of themselves. Suddenly, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and others have become the experts that everyone should listen to. These are the folks who have all the answers, lets just let them do their jobs. Now isn't that a bit odd? We'll see what happens if a decision is made by one of these agencies to halt the project.

And then of course there is the outright anger about all of those outsiders who want to change everything. You know, the old hippies who live in Ithaca, Syracuse, Elmira, Rochester, Geneva. Yes, all the folks that were marketed to about coming to visit Wine Country and stay awhile - but not for too long mind you. God forbid that one or two of them like the area so much that they decide to invest some money and open a business here. That's one of the great risks of marketing your community. People come, they like it, they stay, they invest and they don't think like you.

The Fight Over LP Gas Storage At Seneca Lake Location Getting Nastier

The polarization over gas storage in old salt caverns around and under Seneca Lake here in upstate NY continues and seems to be getting worse as both sides dig in and try to make their position heard by people in decision making positions. That's ok to a point. It's what free speech and political processes are all about. But 'to a point' is the issue here.

Facts, or 'my facts vs your facts' seem to have taken over in the latest conversations. Some of this may be the result of a recent election in the Town of Reading where a number of folks opposed to the project ran and lost against incumbents and people in support of the project. The campaign allowed lots of people to voice opinions in letters to the editor that liked to take swipes at people vs issues. In that process the facts flew from both sides based on their position. All of that has continued after the election.

And then there's the national conversation and attitudes that are going on in the Presidential campaign and in protests in the street over police conduct, racism on college campuses, immigration, refugees and terrorism. Everything is beginning to collide and what seems to be a vacuum in leadership is allowing values to be redefined and hatred to become acceptable. An environment like this is not conducive to conversation and debate. It is becoming acceptable for people protesting to be thrown out of political rallies while being kicked and punched on the way to the exit. It has become acceptable for people to mock people with disabilities during campaign speeches. We are actually having conversations about registering people of specific religions and keeping people of certain ethnic backgrounds out of our country. Within the past few weeks, hundreds of people were shot in Paris. This past week a number of protesters in this country were shot during a demonstration of Black Lives Matter.

I lay all of this out because it really gives a sense of how badly we seem to be doing in terms of civil dialogue and civility in general. It also brings me back to the conversation about Seneca Lake. Facts and misinformation seem to be thrown around interchangeably. They sometimes become entwined and confused and hard to follow. Both sides are easily angered and frustrated. The process of approving or disapproving the project by public officials seems to be taking a very long time. I've concluded myself, quite some time ago, that this project is not in the best interest of Seneca Lake or the many thousands of people living around her or the many others who enjoy her beauty and recreational bounty.

This weekend, people opposed to the gas storage project, have been invited to march through the streets of Watkins Glen on Sunday, Nov. 29th, in solidarity with international Climate Marches throughout the world. I was extremely disappointed to see that an elected Schuyler County official, a county Legislator and former Undersheriff, posted a pretty awful comment on the march sponsor's Facebook page. After the announcement inviting people to join the march, he posted a comment that people should remember that Saturday was the beginning of deer hunting season. To make matters worse, another elected official, a NYS Assemblyman, has suggested that this fellow should get an award for 'poking fun' at these people. That's where we seem to be at this point. People talking about guns and protests and attempts at intimidation and excusing it as humor. It was a stupid and irresponsible comment by one official, followed by another.

It's an example of how nasty the conversation has gotten recently. It can happen on both sides of any issue and I would encourage everyone to tone it down. There are people who may take words like this too seriously. Try to be respectful of the opposition and don't encourage or let hate speech take over. In the meantime, my plan is to show up and join many others in the march through Watkins Glen. People will be wearing orange to signify both safety and the emergency that confronts Seneca Lake.

Being Numb About Paris Shouldn't Be Excuse For Stupidity

The tragedy of violence in Paris does have a numbing effect, as did 9/11 in NYC. We're always shocked about the death and suffering of innocents and heroes. But this statement comes with some realities and contradictions. One of the realities is that others are suffering and being killed every day throughout the world.  Bombings from suicide vests, missiles, planes and drones are a way of life and death in parts of the world. Sides don't really matter. Death has no allegiance. Death doesn't care about sides or political positions.

Death and injuries do instill fear however and sometimes fear impacts how we think or what we believe. This is not only the point of terrorism, it's the point of violence in general. So now, Europe and America struggle with policies and political reactions. Values that are centuries old are suddenly questioned and there are reactionary responses to refugees and migrants. Values like opening arms and borders to the politically oppressed or those suffering from the brutality of war or the poor and hungry go quickly by the wayside. People, politicians especially, speaking before thinking or checking the facts, stoking fear and in many cases hatred. The reality is that currently Syrian refugees are going through an 18-24 month vetting process while some make arguments about the outrage of their entry across America's borders. None of the same politicians are talking about the thousands of tourists and businesspeople who fly and sail to America every day or the Visa program that allows many across borders. Classes of people continue to matter.

There is the other very harsh reality. We have been engaged in war for 14 years and all the things we've tried have not worked - soldiers on the ground, drones in the sky, etc. Yet now, we somehow think that more of the same will solve the problems we've seen and that we have. There are so many experts and critics pointing out failed policies but not providing useful solutions. No one seems to be looking at or caring about where the violence is coming from or why it exists. Instead we follow the same course or call for more military action that in the end creates and fosters more radical responses from some in the Mideast.

The numbness from violent attacks on people makes us crazy and sometimes stupid. We all have to fight that instinct. We have to be smarter about our reactions. We have to think about our own ancestors, their plights and their journeys across seas. We have to think about the reasons for war and the injustices that create the environment for war. We have to protect values that are dear to us through dialogue. We have to keep working for peace even while we're numb from continued violence and death.

Remembering Roger Allen LaPorte

In the early morning hours of Nov. 9, 1965, a young man named Roger Allen LaPorte completed his trip to the UN carrying a container of gasoline. He sat down on the pavement, poured the gasoline over his body and ignited himself in flames. This self immolation was Roger's protest against the war in Vietnam. Roger was taken to Bellevue Hospital with burns over most of his body. He identified himself as a Catholic Worker and indicated that he was against war, all war and that he did this as a religious act.

Roger was 22 years old, a former seminarian and someone who volunteered at the Catholic Worker's House of Hospitality close to the Bowery in NYC. I knew Roger and worked with him. I was 21 and was in the middle of my own protest against the war. There were many other people who knew and worked with Roger. We were living in a somewhat surreal time. We worked with the poor and the marginalized. We cooked soup, gave out cloths to those who needed them. We sat up at night singing songs, drinking beer and arguing with each other about war, peace and our actions and reactions to the politics of the time. The times were intense. People were making decisions about their lives and about their futures.

Roger was quiet and thoughtful. He watched what was happening around him. A week earlier, another young man, a Quaker named Norman Morrison, had set himself aflame in front of the Pentagon and the office of the Secretary of Defense.

A few days before Roger's action he had attended a draft card burning demonstration at Union Square. He stood in the crowd and listened to hecklers telling the young men on the platform to burn themselves, not their draft cards.

Roger made a choice. He didn't tell any of us of his plan. He went to the UN early, before people would see him and intervene. He sat down and acted.

At 5:16 pm that evening, NYC and much of the northeast went black with a large power outage. Traffic lights, elevators, and lights throughout the city stopped working. At the Catholic Worker, the evening meal was being served. We were lit by candles and the light from a bicycle turned on its handle bars and seat with people taking turns turning the pedals. After dinner a small group walked the streets in wonder at how everyone was helping each other out. Pedestrians were directing traffic, people were helping each other cross streets. We sat together in an apartment talking about, praying about Roger. Wondering, thinking in silence and sometimes breaking into a song.

Roger died the next morning. There are those who spent and continue to spend time analyzing Roger's action. Was it this or was it that? It was what it was, a young man seriously frustrated and angry about a war that seemed to have no end.

Roger was a good young man and he should be remembered as such. That's the way I remember Roger LaPorte fifty years after his death.

Fifty Years Ago - Draft Cards - Protest & Free Speech

Fifty years ago on Nov. 6, 1965, five men stood on a platform and burned their draft cards in front of a crowd of about 1500 people at Union Square in NYC. Peace activists A.J. Muste and Dorothy Day both spoke at the event. Counter demonstrators yelled that the men should burn themselves and not their draft cards. In the first attempt, someone in the crowd shot a fire extinguisher at the flames from the protestor's lighters. The men and others thought it may have been gasoline and stepped back briefly. Regrouping, they relit the pieces of paper that symbolized hundreds of thousands of young men being called upon to fight a war that many questioned.

There were three aspects to the draft card burning at Union Square. One was to protest the war in Vietnam that was becoming increasingly unpopular. The second was to protest the draft itself and the selective service system that was choosing who would fight in that and other wars. The third aspect was to speak up for the First Amendment and protect the right to free speech and protest. Earlier in the year, Congress had passed a law that specifically made it illegal to destroy a draft card. This legislation was a direct result of more and more people speaking out against the war and public demonstrations that included draft card burning. The legislation was meant to stop the protests and intimidate the protestors. In October of '65, David Miller became the first person to publicly challenge the new law and he was quickly arrested and charged. On Nov. 6th, these five men publicly burned their cards in solidarity and in support of Miller. Three received sentences of six months in prison. One wasn't charged due to his age. The last received 2 years probation but was then inducted, refused induction and served two years of a three year sentence in Federal Prison.

There are many today who don't know what draft cards were or what they symbolized. There are those who have no memory of the Selective Service System of that time, the lottery or the draft. Ultimately the draft ended, in no small part because of demonstrations and sacrifices made by many during this period of unrest and protest.

There is much more to the story of these five men and others but I'll leave that for another day.

Tom Cornell, Marc Edelman, Roy Lisker, Dave McReynolds, Jim Wilson, Nov. 6, 1965 at Union Square, NYC

Lets Blame The Mentally Ill For Everything

It seems that's the thing to do these days - mass shootings take the lead in these conversations but it happens in other topics too. When the discussion comes about relative to shootings, it's not about the availability of guns, including assault weapons and powerful ammunition. Instead the focus is on the mentally ill - you know the really crazy people. You know who they are, right? We're not talking about the people who occasionally get upset at poor service in a bar or restaurant and make a scene. Of course not. We're not talking about the man who every once in a while gets upset at his wife or girlfriend. Somehow, that's become normal behavior. Certainly we can't be talking about the otherwise rational human being who gets upset with others in traffic and goes through a little road rage. These aren't the mentally ill people we're talking about. These are just people who sometimes walk around with weapons.

Add to all of this the concept of more people walking around with concealed or open carry weapons keeping us all safe. Vigilanteism at its best. More people, more guns and we'll all be safer. Just don't get caught in the crossfire. None of this is crazy.

So as I see it, maybe we should blame more things on the mentally ill. How about the ineffectiveness of Congress and the President? Its got to be the mentally ill. Then there's taxes. That too has to be the  fault of the mentally ill. The environment and climate change - these have to be the result of the mentally ill too. See, it's easy. Anything you can imagine is really the fault of the mentally ill and there's not much we can do about it unless we round them all up and put them in one big place.

Somebody's looking at me funny so I have to go.

Redesigning Healthcare In NYS - Unintended Consequences

I recently realized that healthcare for pets is easier to access in NYS then healthcare for people. For some reason I was surprised. Back in July I was informed that my primary care physician was retiring. He deserves it so good for him. I was provided with a list of physicians within his system of care and he made a recommendation or two. Before I left his office, an appointment was made for January with one of the providers he recommended. So far, so good. But I have a number of health issues where things can come up. I did have some symptoms that needed some follow up in August. Naturally in my mind, I thought I could just call the new provider, get an appointment and go from there. No such luck and that's when I realized things weren't going to go well.

It turns out the new provider wasn't prepared for new referrals coming into his office even though a January appointment was already made/accepted. I called numerous times and couldn't get calls returned. When I finally was able to speak to a human, I got the distinct impression that the new guy was upset about the new referrals.

Next steps - after realizing I was on my own, I began shopping around. Should I stay in the same system or move on? This requires thinking through health records, distance, insurance coverage, etc. It also requires trying to find out how good a provider and their system is - a chore in itself. I began talking to other friends and acquaintances. Results were all over the place.

After three months, I've finally got an appointment for early November with a provider I've chosen but still don't really know. We'll see how that goes. I hope well.

The reason I've gone into detail on this is because NYS is involved in a major redesign of healthcare for the medicaid population. This is happening across the nation but New York is undertaking its largest effort yet to transform the state's Medicaid health care delivery and payment system through the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program.

New York is one of six states that has a program designed to move its delivery system from a place that’s fragmented and overly focused on inpatient care in hospitals toward an integrated system that proactively focuses on patients and the community. Organizations and agencies are working together to address the same goals and to care for the same patients.

Sounds easy. It's been talked about for years but now, how people and health systems will be paid is tied to the reforms and redesign so hospital administrators and providers are taking it very seriously. Remember though, this is for Medicaid health care delivery. What about everyone else?

Having gone through what I have recently, here's my read. NYS has over reached again and I'm not sure if they even realize the impact of this.They've forced this down to the provider level. Hospital administrators, project managers and providers as well as community agencies are spending much of their time redesigning a massive system for the Medicaid population. All of their resources are going into this effort and few, if any, are home watching the store or how the rest of the system is operating. Medicare and private pay patients are being impacted by the redesign without any real thought as to why or how this is happening.

While I wait for my appointment, I'm told to use urgent care or the emergency room if anything comes up. These are the more expensive options that are part of the target of the redesign effort for the Medicaid population. Interesting.

So back to animal healthcare. Turns out I can call the vet and get an appointment for my dog with ease (within 48-72 hours), even though my regular vet is out on paternity leave. I think we all hope for positive results from NYS's latest effort at Medicaid redesign but there are unintended consequences that need to be watched and acted on.

Supporting People Who Support People With Disabilities!

Last week was a nationally designated week to recognize some really important and committed people. These people are called Direct Support Professionals and they do just that. They are the people who exist in every community providing necessary and real supports to people with developmental disabilities. Some of the people they support are very independent and need limited assistance. Others are in much greater need of supports for very basic needs relative to bathing, communications and all levels of personal care. Some of these Direct Support Professionals are in the state workforce and others work as employees of non-profit organizations who provide these services to the state as contract agencies. These folks deserve the recognition and our respect for the great job they do.

There is widespread recognition by the public, by government and very importantly by the courts, that people with all kinds of disabilities can and should be able to live as independently as possible in the community. This recognition has come through struggles by individuals and families over many years and even though those struggles aren't completely over, supporting people in communities in an inclusive manner is the norm. It couldn't happen without people willing to be part of this important support infrastructure.

A recognition week is nice and is generally accompanied by things like proclamations, special events, donuts, lunches and dinners. Thanks and awards are given sincerely by administrators and families and in some cases by the people receiving the supports. But there is plenty more that can be done relative to respect and recognition.

The reality is that many of these employees are on the lowest rung on the salary schedule. They work long hours with changing schedules, changing environments and rules. They become the lifeline for people they support. They become family and friends. It is no secret that there is substantial disparity between the pay for the same job of the state workforce and the private non profit providers and that needs to be rectified. But the really terrible truth is that many in the private sector are paid just above $10 or $11 per hour. This is because these services and supports are paid for by NYS through Medicaid rates that they send to the non profits. These rates don't allow for the $15/hr that the Governor of NYS is currently promoting in his call for economic justice.

If the Governor truly believes in economic justice, he should be the first to advocate for and provide the funding that would allow Direct Support Professionals to be paid a minimum of $15/hr with all of the necessary benefits. It will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars but economic justice demands it. The people supported and the people supporting them deserve it.

A final thought on respect. The words Direct Support Professional say something and mean something. They are very clear. People who hire and support these people have to stop using lazy and disrespectful acronyms to define them. DSPs doesn't cut it and in fact helps to dilute the importance of the discussion about the importance of these employees. They are Direct Support Professionals and it isn't hard to use or type the words. Using the words educates and allows people to envision who these people are and what they do. Using the acronym allows and encourages politicians and the public to use the acronym and to understand less.

Finally, for whatever it's worth, I just want to add my thanks to all of those people who are out there, everyday, helping people to be as independent as possible and to be included in their communities with dignity and respect.

The Challenges We Face With Our Environment - Seneca Lake

Here's a topic that is way too big for a simple writer like me so I'm going to add some articles and quotes by others. I write this as the battle between Crestwood Midstream, a movement called We Are Seneca Lake, another called Gas Free Seneca and political as well as economic development leaders in the Schuyler County community continues and escalates. There are also other developments that play into all of this discussion. An out of service coal fired power plant in Yates County on Seneca Lake just north of Schuyler County is being reopened by a new operator (Greenidge) who has committed to using natural gas and bio mass vs coal. This is being presented as the clean alternative. In addition, within the past few weeks toxic blue-green algae has been discovered on the northeast shores of Seneca Lake and on other lakes in the Finger Lakes region.

With that back drop, the challenges are clear. Seneca Lake provides drinking water to over 100,000 people. It also adds about a billion dollars to the economy through recreation, tourism and agriculture. There is push and pull that occurs between the public, elected officials and economic developers. Corporations and businesses of many sizes also enter the mix. Economic growth is quickly part of any discussion. The idle power plant is one example. When it closed, millions of dollars were lost in tax revenue along with jobs in a community that needs them. So now, as a new owner steps up, many just look at the return of revenue and jobs without asking some critical questions about business plans, sustainability and environmental issues. That tends to happen a lot I think.

Then there's the storage of methane and liquid propane gas in abandoned, unlined salt caverns on the shores of Seneca Lake near Watkins Glen, NY. Those who support it talk about revenue and jobs. They dislike the 'outsiders' who protest the project and point to decades of similar use of the caverns, seemingly not able to recognize that the volume being proposed far exceeds any historical quantities. Those who oppose it point out risks related to both the storage and the transport of the products and point to the winery and tourist industries as the clean, safe industries that could be adversely affected by the gas storage and transport project. There are some contradictory issues that surface in the whole debate. On the one hand the politicians and developers express a desire for 'clean', 'light industrial' operations that are compatible with the rural nature of the area. They promote tourism and bringing people in from outside the region to visit, buy and consume. Yet when people come from neighboring communities or counties on or around the lake to protest or question they are rebuked as 'outsiders'. Now you just can't have it both ways. Tourists are most likely outsiders. Some will move here. They will have new and different ideas. That's the way it works.

The defenders of the lake also have some issues that need to be thought about and talked about and some of them are more urgent due to the appearance of the blue-green algae mentioned above. Farming and agricultural practices all around the lake add to the problem of algae growth and development. Much of that comes from the cultivation of the crops that people are promoting as the alternative and way of life they want to see in the area. The grape growing and wine industry has some major responsibility in helping to maintain the health of Seneca Lake through environmentally sound agricultural practices. The reality is that the environment of Seneca Lake is challenged by gas storage and agricultural practices that place nutrients in the water. A recent opinion piece by Rich Reiben in the Finger Lakes Times speaks to this issue and also offers good information on the blue-green algae. Take a look here Love Not In This Bloom.

The folks from We Are Seneca Lake have been utilizing and promoting Pope Francis' latest encyclical, Laudato Si', as an informational and directional learning tool. They are right to do so. There are critical important pieces to the document for water keepers, farmers, politicians, economic developers and yes, all of us. Catholic Workers have joined the We Are Seneca Lake defenders. There is a strong historical commitment by the Catholic Worker toward peace, nonviolence, economic and social justice along with environmental concerns. I am proud that I myself am affiliated with the Catholic Worker and someone who knew and worked with Dorothy Day in the '60's. She was a mentor and a strong leader with much wisdom. She was non violent and tolerant but she also had the right amount of anger at injustice. She was arrested numerous times in the cause of peace. She sat in the vineyards and was arrested with Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers in California. She was inducted and is a member of the Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls and has been proposed as a saint in the Catholic Church. So We Are Seneca Lake is in good company with the Catholic Worker and its traditions.

Thomas Reese has written an article in the National Catholic Reporter titled "Saving The Environment Through Dialogue and Transparency" about Pope Francis' Laudato Si'. Here is an important quote from the article by Reese:

Transparency is an essential element in the dialogue to find better ways of preserving the environment, according to the pope, especially transparency in the assessment of the environmental impact of business ventures and projects. Corruption, on the other hand, conceals “the actual environmental impact of a given project” and produces “specious agreements which fail to inform adequately and to allow for full debate.”

What is needed is environmental impact assessments that are “interdisciplinary, transparent and free of all economic or political pressure.” Only when scientific and political discussions are imbued with honesty and truth can all the different stakeholders reach a consensus on the alternatives available. “The culture of consumerism which prioritizes short-term gain and private interest, can make it easy to rubber-stamp authorizations or to conceal information.”

Pope Francis calls for a thorough investigation and discussion of any proposed venture. “What will it accomplish? Why? Where? When? How? For whom? What are the risks? What are the costs? Who will pay those costs and how?”

If a study finds that “serious and irreversible damage may result, a project should be halted or modified.” He recognizes that sometimes the evidence is disputable. In such cases, the burden of proof should be on the projects promoters “to demonstrate that the proposed activity will not cause serious harm to the environment or to those who inhabit it.”

The full article can be accessed here Thomas Reese Article.

So yes “What will it accomplish? Why? Where? When? How? For whom? What are the risks? What are the costs? Who will pay those costs and how?” These are the questions we have to be able to ask about the Crestwood Midstream project, the Greenridge plant and the blue-green algae problem. Experts and regulators like DEC and EPA should be asked to review and recommend but we should not abdicate to 'experts' where our environment is concerned. - JW

Little Stories Tell Bigger Stories

I woke up the other day being hit with local, national and international news stories that seemingly had great importance - a refugee and immigration crisis, presidential candidates insulting each other, themselves and the electorate, a Kentucky clerk refusing to do her job, people being arrested for blockading gates on Seneca Lake, a company refuting claims of a fire at their facility after smoke drifted for miles up the same lake. Lots to digest. Lots to think about.

But then, there it was. The report of a woman caught on surveillance tape stealing cans from a local recycling center. Police, the courts, the whole nine yards were involved in this event and capture. Obviously the local business can't have people taking items that they are collecting and processing but there is a bigger story in this little story on the police blotter. What kind of world and economy are we living in where people are even thinking about risking arrest for cans worth a nickel a piece? What kind of life is led by a person or family that supplements their income with money from recycled cans? What are we as a society offering when we see it happening? Is there an attempt to even find out what the bigger issue might be?

And then there's this. There are people in just about every community who go around, looking through trash cans, pulling out recyclables from municipal or private garbage. To some, including municipal authorities and police, they provide a service and have become fixtures in the street, accepted and protected. To others they are symbols of invaders and a part of society that are looked down upon. Some people even fight, yell and scream at these folks because they're making a mess of their trash, an interesting dilemma. But these trash pickers, panhandlers, collectors are just figuring out another way to survive and get the things they need or think they need. It could be anything. The things we may not approve of are always on the list - alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, lottery tickets, etc. But then there are other things - food, clothing, rent, the ability to go to a movie, etc. And in some cases it's done for the sheer joy and accomplishment of collecting.

As usual I don't have many answers but I do think this little story about an incident on our streets tells a bigger story that should make us think about what issues are facing others and what we can do to assist or accept.

Fences & Walls On Borders

No surprise I'm sure - I think fences and walls on borders are stupid and wrong. We've found plenty of other ways to discriminate against the race or nationality that turns us off at some moment in time through employment and housing practices, language, the legal system and plenty more. Fences and walls hurt the most vulnerable, the poor, the abused, political dissidents, the oppressed. The wealthy, including members of cartels, will always find ways around and through fences and walls.

Calling for walls makes great media theatre and there are those who just love to hear someone spouting off about their own bigotry. That's the show that we seem to be watching at this point. In Hungary there are barbed wire fences and thousands of Syrians are finding their way through them as they try to make their way to Germany for refuge from a regime that kills its own people. A huge wall or better fencing would keep them where they belong. Mexicans and others to our south continue to come to the US for a better life or to reunite with families. Our immigration system is flawed and can't keep up with desires and needs. A compromise on immigration was reached in the Senate but no one even thinks about it anymore. Walls and fences are a much easier approach.

As I write this, Mexican immigrants, documented or not, work the vineyards across the street from where I live in the last heat of the summer. They toil hard at work that others won't do. They sing and call to one another, laughing and waving at passers by. These people make me think about how hatred builds walls and fences, about how stupidity even calls for walls to the north. Perhaps a dome is the final solution once we get all of these walls built. But then what will we do about those pesky tunnels to and from China when we dig holes? Problems, problems, problems for those who want to keep the outsiders out.

I think I'll listen to Woody Gutherie:

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing"
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people
By the relief office I seen my people
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking that freedom highway
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me

The Shame of Katrina - 10 Years Later

Yes, it has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and most specifically and directly, the city of New Orleans. Levees failed and New Orleans was suddenly under water. Many of us watched and we saw all of the death and misery. People were standing on roofs pleading for help. We saw the flooding, the lack of planning, escape vehicles staged in areas under water. A stadium as a refuge but lacking food, water and infrastructure, filled with parents, children and grandparents for days. Hospitals becoming islands, again without necessary infrastructure and doctors and nurses being forced to make decisions about who would live and who would die. Nursing Homes and their operators unprepared for the emergency and people dying. Neighborhoods wiped out and homes floating by became a regular sight that we all shared. And through it all - no even before - government failed everyone, failed us all. It failed in the preparation, the planning and the response.

Ten years later, two Presidents arrive in New Orleans and celebrate what has been accomplished. Much I'm sure, but the reality is, people are still without their homes - 10 years later. This is the shame of Katrina. It's hard to imagine that people have continued to persevere, living in FEMA housing and waiting for decisions and work to take place. So government continues to fail and hardly anyone notices. The spin is on the success of the French Quarter, a resurgence in tourism and the turn around of local schools. All wonderful, but the slow response in the rebuilding of neighborhoods and homes should be unacceptable to everyone, including the two Presidents who paid a visit last week.

Julian Bond - A Good and Decent Man

I remember watching the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and being excited about the young man being nominated as Vice President that year. The young man was Julian Bond. Julian Bond passed away this past week. He lived a great life and was a good and decent man. He was a major force and leader in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, a civil rights leader, an elected official, a past president of the NAACP and a class act in general.

This past May, I saw Julian Bond along with many other people who had been involved in the peace movement at the conference Vietnam, The Power of Protest in Washington, DC. Today, Democracy Now, posted a video of one of Mr. Bond's last speeches that was given that weekend. We had all marched to the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial to celebrate what people had accomplished over the years and to renew our commitment to peace and social change.

During a break at the conference,  Julian Bond and Rennie Davis (Chicago 7) were saying hello, reminiscing and trying to figure out how to take a selfie of themselves. I asked if I could help by taking the photo. I took Julian's phone and snapped a couple of pictures for them. Here is a picture of me with Julian Bond in the background just before I helped him get the picture he wanted.

I was privileged to meet and have a brief encounter with him. He had influenced me greatly and I looked up to him and what he stood for and how he had responded to adversity in his life. Here is the video of Julian Bond's speech that day at the King Memorial with an intro by Danny Glover. Thanks to Democracy Now for sharing it with all of us. Take a minute to hear Julian's story from his own mouth and listen to his message about continuing the struggle.

Julian Bond's Speech

A good and decent man. A man who knew the power of protest and who acted on it.

How We Treat Marginalized & Devalued People

The New York Times has published an investigative report about the treatment, or more correctly, the mistreatment of prisoners that occurred after the escape of two inmates that clearly embarrassed the NYS Department of Corrections, Correction Officers and Governor Andrew Cuomo. The article reports on allegations by prisoners of beatings, threats and the use of solitary confinement, all used to try to solicit information on the escape. The full article can be viewed here and should be read to get a better understanding of how power and control works.

Sadly this is only one example. We can view pictures of the Watts uprising, Ferguson, read the report on what happened at Attica or review the history of the mistreatment and abuse of people with developmental disabilities from Willowbrook to today. The examples are everywhere and are international in scope. The common theme through all of this are the victims themselves. They are all people who are marginalized and devalued by people in power. Sadly, the people in power seem to believe they are unseen and unaccountable and in many cases are their own victims of abuse, bullying, etc.

Prisoners don't tend to generate large amounts of sympathy. There's an assumption that if you're behind bars, you're not only guilty but probably violent, bad and the symbol of evil. The Correction Officer's Union is currently responding by asking the question "you're going to believe convicted felons?".

Then there are those whose lot or place in our world is established by chance more than anything else. These are people of color, the poor, people with disabilities and many others. They have had no choice in their life circumstances and yet people treat them as inferior or worse. Why would we believe them?

Many of us are naive about the treatment of the people I'm speaking about. We need stories like the one that appears in the NY Times or a TV report showing actual abuse and mistreatment. Perhaps a historic video from 50 years ago in Watts showing the police response alongside a current nightly news broadcast of policing in Ferguson, Mo. The juxtaposition of these scenes may help some understand the frustration and yes the rage that people in those circumstances feel as they continue to seek justice. Old broadcasts of people with developmental disabilities at Willowbrook State School could educate some people about how society reacts to hidden and devalued populations.

I am not naive. I have experienced and seen the control, the power and the abuse and mistreatment. I have been arrested and incarcerated in local and federal prisons as a civil rights and anti war activist. It's amazing what happens when doors close behind you. There are good people and some very, very bad people who work in prisons and other institutional settings. Sometimes when doors close, accountability is left on the other side. Too often these are closed systems. People are given control over other human beings. People are able to shred you of every sense of privacy or dignity from body searches to open bathrooms and showers. Mail and visitations are monitored and information used to punish and intimidate. Solitary confinement is an easily used punishment along with holding back clothing, food or contact. Physical abuse can and does happen in corners and shadows. Psychological abuse can be rampant and extremely harmful.

We've moved to community settings vs institutional settings for people with developmental disabilities. I helped develop some of these settings and supports and yet even now things don't always work out in the best interest of the person supported. The constant in all of this are some of the people who want to control others and who seem to be comfortable with abuse and mistreatment.

I learned many years ago that it is absolutely imperative that we learn to share in the experiences of the poor and those who are treated unjustly. If we don't, our solutions, our answers, our assistance and support will be next to useless. Much of what I learned came from people like Dorothy Day. Dorothy knew the importance of sharing poverty and injustice. She also knew that the experience itself would assist in speaking up and taking action against the things that were wrong. Here is a link to an article that explains much better then I why these beliefs and actions are so important - Where Are The Missing Mystics Of The Revolution?

Many people try to make a difference in the lives of the poor, the imprisoned, people with disabilities and so many more but it's important to realize that there are others who want to treat these people poorly and who are quite willing to abuse and mistreat. It begins with a joke, some disrespect and ultimately control over decision making. Good people need to be on the alert, share the stories and share the experiences of people who may not be seen as important. Systems like filling out forms, checking boxes, etc. become bureaucratic responses that become ineffective quickly. Real solutions come from the heart, come from experiences and come from people not tolerating mistreatment.

Ultimately though it is a recognition of our common humanity, our value as equals that we need to focus on. We can all find ourselves in circumstances that are uncomfortable and unjust. We can all find ways to help people who are in those circumstances now. How we treat marginalized and devalued people is really important to all of us.

Chasing Helicopters On Seneca Lake

Yesterday I went out on Seneca Lake, partly to calm down, get away from other thoughts and to just enjoy the beauty of this great body of water. During the week especially, the lake seems pretty quiet. Fewer boaters, water skiers and personal water craft. Although I have a motor boat, I like to go out into the middle of the lake or into an isolated cove, turn off the motor and just sit, drift and think. Sometimes it's the closest thing to meditation that I get to. Listening to ripples of water, watching Osprey, Great Blue Herons or Seagulls brings a certain peace. Every once in a while I'll fish, just to cast the line and reel it in, never really counting on catching anything and I seldom do.

The peace that I speak of above was broken by the constant drone of a helicopter. For a number of years I've seen this event taking place on the lake. Helicopters arrive, do some flyovers and then settle in on a specific area and hover for long periods 100-200 feet above the surface of the lake. I've seen them continue this type of operation for two to three hours at a time. There are times that they may drop something about the size of a 55 gallon drum from a cable and let it settle in the depth of the water while they continue to hover, later lifting the item back into the copter.

I've tried over the years to find out what this is all about with no success. There are lots of theories but no real answers. I've contacted my Congressman, the FAA, and the media. No answers, nobody's talking. Now I don't think it's a deep, dark military secret. My own theory is that it's testing of both the helicopter and sonar. There have been Helicopter facilities in the Southern Tier area for many years and I'm sure officials see this big body of water as an ideal place to do their testing. But yesterday I was angry and frustrated so I decided to take a little action. I saw the Helicopter in the distance on the east side of the lake fairly close to shore doing what it always does, hovering above the water creating little water spouts and swirls of waves splashing. I approached from the northwest and began aiming for the area east of the aircraft close to the eastern shore. As I moved in that direction I noticed the Helicopter moving toward the center of the lake while still hovering. I kept up my movement, now going to the center and coming in from behind the copter. Clearly we were engaged. As I got closer the aircraft suddenly rose, moved forward to the north and turned toward me. Now I was being buzzed. He came in low and got a good look at his stalker, rose again and flew off over the eastern hillside, gone for the day.

I felt like a Greenpeace activist for a moment. I had chased a Helicopter away from an otherwise peaceful place. I remembered a few Februaries ago when one of these aircraft disrupted a flock of a thousand or more Snow Geese. This is for you geese, I thought to myself. Many see the Snow Geese as an invasive species and a nuisance. I feel the same way about the aircraft. It's only one day and one Helicopter but it's a start and I feel better. What's that sound off in the distance? Ah, more work to do.

Almost Missed This Anniversary

A great day in music history and I almost missed it. On July 28th in 1973, the concert known as Summer Jam was held outside of Watkins Glen, New York at what is now Warkins Glen International race track. Many were there including The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead and The Band. They say over 600,000 rock fans attended. Many historians claimed the event was the largest gathering of people in the history of the United States. 150,000 tickets were sold for $10 each, but for all the other people it was a free concert. The crowd was so huge that a large part of the audience was not able to see the stage. People left cars and walked miles to the event. At the time I lived in Spencer, NY about 25 miles from Watkins Glen. Traffic was lined up and we invited fans to set up tents in the yard. Everyone was well behaved. There were problems at The Glen but the number of people just overwhelmed all of the infrastructure at the time. Great music came from the event and it made real history. More Pictures & Info Here!

Catholic Workers Arrested Defending Seneca Lake

Today members of the Catholic Worker community in Ithaca, NY stood with other defenders of Seneca Lake at the gates of Crestwood Midstream's gas storage facility just north of Watkins Glen, NY. They read from Pope Francis' encyclical, "Laudato Si! On Care For Our Common Home". They brought a seven and a half foot replica of the encyclical with its picture of Francis. As they were arrested, they were told to drop their reading materials and replica and then were transported to the local sheriff's office and processed.

These folks were arrested in the tradition of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, co-founders of the Catholic Worker movement in the 1930's. Over her lifetime, Dorothy stood with the poor, the destitute, the disenfranchised, farm workers, peacemakers, women, the imprisoned and so many more. She spoke of social justice constantly and she got angry with the Church and those in power. She was quoted as saying, "Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system." She sometimes disputed the exact wording of the quote but her meaning was clear. Peter believed in the riches of the environment and what agriculture and hard work could do to pull people together. An environmentalist before the term was even coined.

The tradition of civil disobedience is strong within the Catholic Worker communities around the world. The people arrested today on Seneca Lake continue that tradition helping to bring attention to a plan that calls for the storage of 88 million gallons of LP gas in salt caverns along the shores of Seneca as well as the transport of that gas to areas throughout the northeast.

The following quote from Peter Maurin seems appropriate in relation to Crestwood's plans and today's actions by Catholic Workers and others:  "If we are crazy, then it is because we refuse to be crazy in the same way that the world has gone crazy."

Watch arrest Here. "Get this thing and move it!"

Memories of A Summer Vacation Long Ago

This piece was inspired by a friend who recently contacted me about some health challenges he's having. For whatever reason his news and contact stirred up memories of a vacation long ago. Perhaps its related to thoughts of my own mortality but it is funny how memories appear and sometimes disappear. File cabinets in our brains hold so much information, sorted and resorted to be reviewed every now and again.

My story starts with an explanation or two. My family, like most, has some, shall we say oddities here and there. They appear in our lineage and we have passed them down through the generations. My father had his set of oddities that revolved around family, success, and new gadgets. He had to get his hands on newly marketed items from cars to cameras to high fidelity radios. He had to be the first in his neighborhood, his circles or his family to have these things. He was a salesman and marketer at heart so it was easy for him to be sold too. In addition, he came through and from the depression and made a success of himself.

It was probably the late forties or early fifties when our entire family - four kids and mom and dad, took a trip out west by car. We would travel to Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and God knows where else. As I remember, we had a new station wagon that made my father very proud. The back seat folded up and down and allowed us kids to sit looking out the back window seeing where we'd been rather than where we were going.

Somewhere along the way, my father realized there was a flaw in the plan for this trip. The heat in the west was brutal in the summer months. Even with windows rolled down nothing but warm, no hot, air blew through the car. My mother was cranky and hot, four kids were cranky and hot and my father was trying to keep everything in order but he was hot too.

My father made a great discovery in some hot and dusty place. Cars were obviously without what we know of as air conditioning today but there was a solution that had just come on the market - car air coolers - specifically, the Thermidor Swamp Cooler. The theory was simple. The cooler hung on the outside of the passenger window. It was filled with water. A fan in the front of the unit was turned by the air flow as the car moved, cooling and evaporating water that created a cool flow of moist air through louvers coming into the passenger window. Voila! Cool air floating through the car making everyone happy. Here is a picture of an actual Swamp Cooler lest you think I jest.

There it is in all of its glory - the Swamp Cooler - ready to do its job, taking the crankiness out of everyone. A few minor details: the cooler needed a somewhat consistent supply of water and the person sitting in the passenger seat (mother) may be a bit inconvenienced by the lack of a view while touring the wonderful landscape of the country. In addition, there would be a constant flow of moist air on the passenger's neck along with a constant whir that joined the rattle of the cooler on the window. The water problem was solved by the salesman adding four good sized water bags to the transaction. The others traveled with us on our tour of the western United States.

My father convinced my mother to give it a try. She could control the air flow with a string attached to the louvers and at least the kids would quiet down. He promised to stop at various sites so she could get out and see the beauty of the west. That would help us kids too since we were just seeing highway we had just traveled over from the back seat.

So we traveled through the Painted Dessert, the Petrified Forest and stopped at the Grand Canyon. Filling our water bags at every stop. We stopped at Rodeos and at roadside stands set up by Native Americans selling pottery and jewelry to us and other tourists. We yelled and screamed about the noise the cooler was making and that the salesman was "a no good lier because it was still hot".

At some point we noticed that my mother wasn't talking to my father anymore. Her head was being held up by her left hand and she was staring straight ahead into the dusty road ahead. There are a few pictures of that trip but oddly none of us. My father focused on the horses, steers and buffalo at the rodeos. No pictures of us all standing next to the wagon with the cooler on the side. No pictures of everyone hauling water for the cooler. No pictures of a smiling mother and four lovely children on the rim of the Grand Canyon.

In the end it all worked out but we never took a long trip like that again and nobody knows what happened to the Thermidor Swamp Cooler.

Memories - they're great things and can bring a smile to your face as they all get refiled and sorted out.

Choices We Make For Economic Development

People come to or move to areas for many different reasons and many times think or believe that they need to bring changes with them. It happens over time. Sometimes it's for the good and sometimes it's what makes a place worse. In the end, it's all a matter of opinion. People move to a peaceful, quiet bit of paradise. They enjoy it and want to share it. So they spread the word and little by little the peacefulness changes. The local coffee shop isn't just right. It would be great if they did this or did that. What if they offered more baked goods, different papers, etc. So it goes, so it goes....

Now there has to be a balance between staying the same and stagnating and planned growth. Sustainability, competitiveness and all of what comes with keeping communities alive and vibrant are critical issues to be faced.

I happen to live in one of those peaceful and beautiful places. Broadly it's defined as the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. It's filled with the beauty and tranquility of the lakes themselves along with waterfalls, vineyards and fertile farmland. Communities struggle to deal with growth, taxes, the call for more services, better schools, housing options, etc.  What were once small family cottages have been replaced in many cases by huge McMansions where people can get lost in oversized space with views from every window or panel of windows.

Planning boards, economic developers and local legislative bodies struggle with the balance and the change. Chambers of Commerce do their jobs and sell the area and businesses more and more. They sell the small town feel and soon are faced with large corporate interests wanting a piece of the action.

All of this requires choices along the way and sometimes people pay a big price for choices that have been made by previous players or by people who have some huge vested interest. The compromise demanded by the choice making can be difficult. People and entities can be pitted against each other for years to come.

It seems to me that a clear mission and vision for a community or region is necessary before choices start to be made. There is also the issue of community ethics relative to change and choices. Are stakeholders always and truly a part of planning and development processes? Are people prepared for the economic payoffs or losses related to decisions that are made? Is the information about these economic factors widely shared?

There are those who still long for manufacturing jobs that will most likely never return due to the global economy and technological advances. Our industrial revolution that created the manufacturing sector transitioned to the technological revolution in the blink of an eye and some people missed or refused to see the transition.

So where does this all leave us in the Finger Lakes Region? Well, we've already made choices about wineries and they certainly bring an influx of tourists. They continue to expand along with craft breweries and distilleries. With all of these come many positives along with a few liabilities that can include large buses, rowdy visitations and a few dangerous encounters on area roads when designated drivers seem to have fallen off the wagon. The newest choice for the tourism buck and traffic will offer Casinos in all of their glory to the north and to the east. This choice is fueled by a governor's hope to garner some regional & upstate support. We will see how successful these choices are for the area. To the south we have pipelines and a planned LP Gas storage and transportation hub for the northeast in salt caverns along Seneca Lake. A Texas firm is enticing local officials with payments that are most likely way too small when one considers the potential risk to the community and the environment. So it goes, so it goes.....

I sit and contemplate all of these choices and their impact on the area we call the Finger Lakes. I sip my coffee and watch for the eagles that float above in the sky. I see an osprey carrying a fish back to its nest and a blue heron flying past the dock on this bit of paradise, hoping that it can continue for a little longer but realizing that hoping does little. We all need to make choices about our environment.

Hating the Hatred

This week we're in the process of burying, memorializing, grieving and celebrating the people who were shot and killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, So. Carolina. We've been debating a symbol, the Confederate flag, and ignoring for the most part, the issue of guns and access to them.

It seems Dylann Roof was filled with hate. Hate that he said came from the Trayvon Martin case and research he conducted about black on white crime on the internet. There are literally millions of people who have reviewed and seen the same information and they've been able to handle it without shooting up a sanctuary in a church.

It is easy, simple, to hate Dylann Roof. He has made it easy for everyone to hate him and everything he stands for and represents. The families of the people killed and wounded in his attack have done something much more difficult. They have forced us to think about peace, nonviolence and reconciliation. Yes, of course they are hurting, but they've shown us that hurting is not a natural leap to hatred. Dylann Roof has strong beliefs but so do these families and friends of the people shot.

I'm trying to figure out where this 21 year old really did come up with all of this hate. Only by understanding where it came from can we attempt to do something about it relative to others. Was it something he grew up with? Were there experiences that impacted him? Was he recruited or radicalized intentionally? These are just a few of the questions I'm asking and so far very few answers are coming up.

There's one thing I've concluded however, and it has to do with our response to hateful acts like this. To me it's clear, we need to hate the hate. We need to hate it and do something about it by finding solutions and methods to change it. We need to stand with those families in Charleston.

Some Tests Are A Pain But Necessary

Yup, they are, and the one most of us dread and unfortunately sometimes put off is the colonoscopy. I had missed a couple of years until last year when my cancer was found. So I've been having quarterly blood tests and had another (1 year later) colonoscopy a few days ago. All is well. As a matter of fact the results were great and my Dr. & Surgeon said 5 years is fine for the next one. He was happy and so was I.

It's interesting the conversations that take place in the pre-op area as people wait for their turn. People sharing fears, discomfort from the prep or eagerness of sorts to get things done. Sometimes stories of early detection like mine, surgeries and family histories. Bad jokes and references to body parts and bodily functions creep in along with nervous laughs. People of all ages, talking to each other, family members, nurses and Drs. Some people are there for the first time and others, like me, are seasoned participants. As always, great nurses make a world of difference and they always seem to be there.

When its over and people are still a bit woozy, pie-eyed, etc. first timers become more confident and everyone anticipates the results and report from the Dr. In most cases reports are fine. A polyp here, a polyp there, removed and sent off for testing. But there are different results. The ones where the Dr. tells the patient that there's something that really doesn't look good. That was my result last year although it was even more blunt. It was stated pretty confidently that there was a cancerous tumor on my colon. But yesterday was different, for me anyway. My Dr.'s euphoria, thumbs up and big smile was a welcome site. Me? I was still enjoying the drug induced state and so looking forward to a nice lunch.

The real point though is, these little inconveniences are important and necessary. When you consider the potential consequences of doing nothing or putting it off for a little longer, the prep, the conversations, the procedure itself are really not that big a deal. So get it done when its due. It really can save your life.

An Important Anniversary

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my colon cancer surgery and next week I'm scheduled for a complete review (colonoscopy) of how things are doing. I've been having regular blood tests and Dr. visits throughout the past year and everything has been fine so far.

But anniversaries like this are significant, sometimes scary and yet also a time to celebrate. It was in May of last year that my cancer was discovered and the surgery was scheduled quickly with various tests, pictures and preparations made. I had a good expierience at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, NY. Great doctors and nurses and lots of support from family and friends.

What have I learned and experienced since? Well, the obvious things have been to try to take better care of myself through diet, exercise and moderation in lots of things. I've also spent a lot of time thinking about friends, colleagues and family. Memories have become more significant, relationships more important. I've also tried to inhale life a bit more intensely over the past year and yet I'm feeling the limits of age. I've learned to really respect and honor others who have struggled and fought the battle with cancer.

I lost a good part of the summer last year in various stages of recuperation. I wasn't able to do outside work, get out on the lake, etc. So far I've been making up for it this year and plan on continuing.

Anyway, that's an update and my own reminder of an important anniversary that I remember mostly from a hospital bed in a haze of medicine in early June of 2014.

The Stupidity of War

Memorial Day just passed and we are in the very beginnings of the 2016 Presidential campaign. Both of these events present many opportunities for some people to wrap themselves in the American flag and promote war as a solution to complicated world issues. It's sad really and worse, dangerous.

Glib, emotionally based statements about nuking people and countries out of existence cross just about every moral and political line there is to cross. Sadly, there will always be those who are attracted to these kinds of statements. They imply a quick solution to some of the problems the world faces. Most of the hawks and war sellers have never fought in a war or paid any kind of price relative to the violence of war. Yet they spout about what they would do as Commander In Chief as if they have all of the expierience in the world. Boots on the ground - a few thousand here, a few thousand there - more bombs, more drones. We report and seem to celebrate the death of 10,000 ISIS fighters without questioning how many people end up being radicalized or recruited by these deaths. All of this is an acceptance of old concepts of war that over the centuries have been proven to be incorrect - and in the end we just keep repeating the mantra.

But war is stupid, really stupid and many times, as we've seen, a mistake. What do we do about those mistakes after the fact, after thousands are killed. They are no more. Their future and our future is affected by the loss. People we knew, didn't know or who now we have no chance of knowing. That is the real tragedy and stupidity of war.

As people talk about 'boots on the ground', perhaps as few as 3000 (a few unless you're one of them), we really need to remember and contemplate the mistakes and lessons that should have been learned from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Wars are terribly stupid and tragic ways to find peace and many of us know it.

Hey Governor, It Takes Money!

How do we or the 'state' value work supporting vulnerable people - people with disabilities, the elderly, infants and children? Most of these groups of vulnerable people are supported by either the state itself or by private, nonprofit organizations who are paid by the state to take on that responsibility.

The people who take on this mission are hard working people, mostly young, mostly women, many people of color. They go by different titles, Nurses Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Teacher Aides, Instructors, Direct Support Professionals, etc. They perform tasks that range from personal care like bathing, toileting and feeding to more complex support around behavioral issues, employment training, community inclusion and independent living. The work is hard both physically and mentally. Sometimes care and support is total and other times the work entails helping someone learning to do things on their own, or teaching new skills. Then there's the paperwork, every 15 minutes to an hour - documentation, documentation, documentation. The people paying the bills want to be sure of course that the money is being spent correctly and wisely. In addition, due to issues of the potential for abuse or neglect, there is monitoring and reporting that might result in lengthy investigations, loss of pay or even in the loss of employment.

So back to the original question, how do we value this work? We tend to talk a good game. We make sure these people are talked about as wonderful, committed and special people, doing God's work, etc., etc. None of it pays the bills however. In the nonprofit sector, these employees make anywhere from $9 to $12 an hour on average. Their benefits vary based on the organization they work for. The state of NY, like other states, also continues to have employees who perform some of these tasks. Salaries tend to be higher in the government sector, sometimes close to twice as much as the employees of the organizations that the state contracts with. What a way to show value!

So now we have Governor Andrew Cuomo identifying one sector, the food service industry, as needing a review relative to a minimum wage increase. He has painted the industry as piggish with CEO's income in some cases exceeding $20M. No one on his staff has seemed to remind him, that people who he is responsible for funding, through contracts and reimbursement rates to nonprofit entities, are making barely more than current fast food industry employees. As a matter of fact, these agencies have in some cases fallen behind the food industry. Right or wrong, that is the reality.

So again, how do we value these hard working people in NYS who are supporting vulnerable people? It seems not much or to put it more crassly, obviously not as much as the value of a burger or southwest salad. How would you feel if you were treated this way? How would you feel if your economic stress was ignored while expectations kept increasing? The answer seems pretty obvious wouldn't you say?

A number of years ago and as a result of news articles about excessive salaries of CEO's at a few nonprofit agencies, Governor Cuomo tried to blame low salaries of direct support professionals on the high salaries of executives and administrators. As a result, he and the legislature capped CEO salaries in the nonprofit sector. That card has been played. It can't be played again Governor. The real issue is and always has been money and the direct level of reimbursement to agencies that government hires to do it's work. Priorities need to reflect that. Representatives of human service organizations and those advocating for them need to begin speaking up quickly and firmly, letting the Governor and the legislature know that these workforce issues need to be dealt with head on and that we all need to truly value the work of supporting vulnerable people. This has become an issue of economic justice for a sector of the workforce that needs more then just a good word.

Seneca Lake Protests & Arrests Continue

If anyone thought things had quieted down at the Crestwood Midstream proposed LP and Methane gas storage site on Seneca Lake, north of the village of Watkins Glen, let it be known, they haven't. After a period of no protests and no arrests, within the past few weeks, the human blockades of the gates at Crestwood have started up again, along with new arrests. The District Attorney and the protesters have been arguing about who broke a supposed deal that would have put a halt to the civil disobedience and arrests at the site - at least that's according to the DA. The protesters on the other hand had read statements at their court appearances that indicated that they continued to be committed to civil disobedience if necessary.

The most significant activity though occurred on May 13th when a group of 21 more people were arrested for blocking the site. Among those arrested was Josh Fox, the Director of the 2010 movie Gasland. The movie was nominated for an Oscar and is a documentary about hydraulic drilling known commonly as fracking.

Prior to his arrest and protest, Fox produced a short video which is presented as a call to action on Seneca Lake. Sandra Steingraber, one of the organizers of the group 'We Are Seneca Lake', participates in the video with Fox and helps describe the issues related to the gas storage in abandoned salt caverns beneath Seneca Lake. I'd encourage people to view the video here,  Josh Fox Seneca Lake Call To Action Video.

One of the major criticisms by local authorities, and in some cases the media, relative to the ongoing protests at Seneca Lake, has been that the participants are not local residents. Local is the key word here. It seems this is a tactic to pit residents against the protesters. Historically this is an argument that tends to be used by people in power when protests occur anywhere. Suddenly geography becomes the main criteria for protest. Outsiders, troublemakers, etc. is a way of minimizing and devaluing the people who are questioning authority at the time. I was reminded recently how Martin Luther King, Jr. was identified as an outsider, a communist, etc. In addition, he was told to stay in his lane when he began to question the Vietnam war.

In this particular case, playing the geography card doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, since the issue is the protection of drinking water for over 100,000 people in an area that includes many municipalities and multiple counties surrounding Seneca Lake. In addition, the continued use, storage and transport of LP and Methane gas in huge quantities is frankly a national and international, yes global issue. No one should be surprised about people from all over being concerned about this issue and Fox's call to action is bound to increase awareness and participation by people legitimately concerned about the environment from many parts of the country and possibly the world.

I certainly don't understand the logic of New York State banning fracking but then allowing the storage of fracked gas and the creation of a storage hub under a magnificent lake and in one of the centers of upstate tourism. The dots are very hard to connect. Much more to come I'm sure, perhaps at a theatre near you.

Gov. Cuomo Makes A Joke of Wage Issue

Governor Andrew Cuomo loves to be the first out of the gate. He seems to think speed equals being correct on progressive issues. Being first seems to be more important then being correct or truly leading.

Today he tried to get out front on the issue of a living wage. This is a huge issue and one that has to be addressed by political leaders on every level. He stood in NYC in front of unions and union members wagging his finger and belittling and shaming the fast food and restaurant industry about the paltry wages they offer to their employees in comparison to company CEO's. And of course he's right. There are CEO's at some of those companies making up to $23million a year. And yes, the average fast food employee may make about $16K per year. One of the Governor's arguments and where he showed real anger was when he discussed the fact that many of these employees had to take advantage of state and federal programs like Medicaid, food subsidies, etc. He was outraged that the state, yes government, was subsidizing these businesses by providing these benefits. So far he sounds pretty progressive, right? Standing up for the little guy. Beating up on those corporate scoundrels who are always taking advantage.

Cuomo has tried to get the NYS Legislature to act on increasing the minimum wage to a meaningful level but they've resisted. So he's trying to find a new way to accomplish it or to create the atmosphere for negotiations with the other branch of government. He announced that he's creating a wage board to review the issue of a wage increase for employees in the food industry. It will report, recommend and potentially act on a new wage structure for those employees in three months.

First, let's be clear. Those employees that the Governor identified and was talking about today do deserve better - much better - from all of us. But so do a lot of other people and the last thing we need, especially from a supposed progressive, is to create classes of employees. Those who get a living wage and those don't, etc., etc. Who'll referee that scenario.

In addition, the Governor should think and get some facts before he wags his finger at other people. There's a whole other group of employees that are possibly in worse shape than employees in the food industry and they are in that situation because of policies and funding issues developed and supported by the Governor and his administrative and executive staff. These people also, sometimes have to depend on benefits provided by the government and taxpayers. There are many, but let me identify some specifically. They're called Direct Support Professionals. They support some of the state's most vulnerable and important citizens - some of the people they support are pretty independent but some need total support. They support people with many different types of disabilities, some physical, some developmental and some behavioral. These support staff are hired by nonprofit agencies who are paid by NYS (the Governor) to provide these services. In most cases the rates the agencies receive are inadequate to cover the costs of care and support. In most cases these agencies and the supports they provide have been routinely reduced, transformed and cut. These are good people, the employees and the agencies, who deserve better from their corporate leader.

To add insult to injury, the Governor created a well intentioned investigative unit called the Justice Center that can force an agency and one of their employees to be out of work, unpaid for days or months while they try to figure out how to investigate charges of abuse and neglect. The bureaucracy that was created does less to control abuse it seems, but certainly helps people decide about their career choice.

Good intentions are nice. They help us align values. But more is needed then good intentions. If Governor Cuomo wants CEO's of private companies to step up, if he wants the Legislature to step up, if he wants non profits to step up, he needs to look in the mirror and step up himself. He needs to put his money where his mouth is. He needs to recognize that the state of NY has to provide resources to pay people a decent and living wage especially when they are supporting people and doing work that the state has a responsibility to provide.