OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO
You should know that one more time, our senior citizens are been used as pawns in the political games being played by New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Is important for you to know that in his Budget, Governor Cuomo is proposing the elimination of seventeen million dollars ($17,000.000) to the City of New York, that the City uses to fund Senior Citizens Centers.
If the Governor gets away with it, 65 Senior Centers will be closed affecting 6,000 senior citizens on a daily basis, forcing the Mayor of the City of New York to eliminate necessary services for our most vulnerable community.
It is very shameful that the senior citizen are been used in this war of power between the Governor and the Mayor.
Enclosed is a letter that I sent to the Governor regarding this intention to use our Senior Citizens as a bargaining tool and putting our seniors in a terrifying and scary situation, when we are supposed to be sending them a message that their services will be protected at all costs.
January 25, 2017
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Executive Chamber
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Cuomo:
We write today to express our deep concern regarding a proposal included in your 2017-2018 Executive Budget. Under your plan, $17 million in Title XX funding would be stripped from centers which help vulnerable senior citizens. The loss of these funds would lead to the closure of 65 facilities which currently help 6,000 vulnerable senior citizen who rely on them to receive essential nutrition, socialization and health promotions activities.
We must not pit vulnerable populations against each other or cut from one group of New Yorkers in need to attempt to help a different group. Instead, we should ensure that the State Budget allocates resources fairly and that our actions do not lead to undo suffering by New Yorkers who rely on the services our budget funds.
There is a limited amount of resources in the State Budget, and we believe they must be utilized to assist New Yorkers in need and every tax dollar should be spent with that goal in mind. We hope you will join us in ensuring that the 2017-2018 State Budget is crafted with the intention of helping struggling New Yorkers, because the residents of our state are looking to us all for leadership and support in these difficult times.
Sincerely,
Senator Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District
