‘Plan B’ would keep Social Services in city

by John Mason
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
February 4, 2009

HUDSON — As county supervisors have been meeting regularly to decide which county departments will move to the new county office building planned for the former Ockawamick School, 21 county residents met to discuss ramifications of the move and to consider “Plan B.” The meeting was sponsored by the Bottom Line Party and hosted by Linda Mussmann and Supervisor Ed Cross, D-Hudson2.

Also present at the meeting were two other county supervisors, John Musall, D-Hudson1 and Bart Delaney, R-Hudson5, Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera, Aldermen Ellen Thurston, D-3rd Ward, Robert Donahue, D-5th Ward, and Carole Osterink, D-1st Ward, and local NAACP Chapter President Alan Skerritt [sic].

In 2008, the county purchased the 77,000-square-foot, $1.5-million school building on Route 217 in Claverack. At first it was intended to be the home of the Department of Social Services, but in the face of strong opposition to that, supervisors are now holding meetings aimed at deciding which departments will move there.

Under Plan B, which seemed to be favored by most of the attendees, a three-story, 38,000-square-foot building would be erected to house DSS on the northwestern corner of Fourth and Columbia streets. Across Fourth Street from that would be built a three-story parking garage with a 200-car capacity.

Behind the site of this new DSS building, across Long Alley, a new parking lot that would hold 60 vehicles is already being built.

Scalera said the building would cost about $7.5 million and the garage would be $3.6 million, making a total of about $11 million, which he said is a $4 million savings compared to the $15 million Ockawamick is predicted to cost after renovation.

In an e-mail, Supervisor William C. Hughes, D-Hudson4, suggested that, if Plan B were adopted, Ockawamick could be retrofited for non-service-based agencies like the county historian, the coroner and the Youth Bureau.

The reason attendees liked Plan B was their dissatisfaction with Plan A, and particularly with the fact that service-based agencies, such as DSS, Department of Health and Department of Mental Health would be strong candidates to move to the new site, six miles from the city of Hudson.

The mayor said the $100,000 a year the county is budgeting to transport people from Hudson to Ockawamick would add up to $3 million or $4 million over three or four decades.

Delaney said the transportation plan would cause more congestion from people sitting and waiting for their appointments, and Musall said the plan of seven trips a day could cause someone with a 15-minute appointment to be waiting for three or four hours.

“You get in the middle of something, and the light goes on, the bus is leaving, come back again tomorrow at 9 a.m.,” Cross said.

“To me, they have turned their back on Hudson and are trying, unconsciously or consciously, to decentralize the county seat,” Thurston said.

“We have individual pieces and we’re trying to make them fit,” Cross said. “It’s a tight squeeze. This fits here, this fits here — but not, how this will accommodate our consumers.”

Delaney stressed that it was not a Republican/Democrat divide, but a divide between Hudson supervisors and all the other supervisors.

“I think it’s a lack of understanding of what the county seat means and is,” he said.

Mussmann said the supervisors have been ignoring the issue of where transitional housing fits into the picture. For the past several years, the county has been housing homeless persons in motels in the area at a significant cost. It’s generally agreed that a transitional housing facility needs to be built, but no one is saying where.

Musall suggested transitional housing could be a playing card for the city in getting the county to keep the service providing agencies in Hudson.

“It’s not fair not to have [transitional housing] in the discussion,” Mussmann said.

There was also discussion of the economic impact of the move on Hudson.

“If you take 200 employees that’s going to have an economic impact,” said former Supervisor Gail Grandinetti. “They walk the streets, buy all the time. It will hurt people’s lunch [business].”

Delaney said he had done an informal survey and learned that many shops get the business of the county employees, and don’t want to see them go: “It might be the margin of profit these people need,” he said.

Sara Sterling said Hudson is already a “campus,” and wondered where employees would eat if they moved to Claverack.

Delaney recalled how, as he was marching down toward Front Street in the 2008 Flag Day Parade, an elderly woman with a cane came out and yelled at him, “How am I supposed to get to Ockawamick?”

“She doesn’t want to go out there,” he said.

Forum Tuesday to discuss county plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 26, 2009
For more information contact:
Linda Mussmann (518.209.7966)

The BOTTOM LINE will host a public meeting Tuesday, February 3, to explore and discuss the pending plan to move critical social service agencies from Hudson to Claverack. The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m., in the city of Hudson central firehouse, located at 77 North 7th Street.

The plan, as proposed by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, under the leadership of Chairman Art Baer (R-Hillsdale) and Minority Leader Doug McGivney (D-Kinderhook), calls for the relocation of vital human services away from the city and into the countryside, to the former Ockawamick School.

This plan will dismantle the county seat as it now exists, and will strike a blow to the most fragile of our community's population at the same time. While the impact on the City of Hudson will be the most profound, this is an issue of great concern for the entire county.

All discussions related to this plan and the purchase of the 77,000-square-foot former school building on Route 21C, were conducted by the Board of Supervisors largely away from public scrutiny. At the only public hearing (held in July 2008 at Montgomery C. Smith Middle School) not one person of the dozens who spoke – residents of Hudson and the county, alike – favored the move. Thereafter, public dialogue was cut short and the building purchase approved, despite clear community disapproval.

The Bottom Line's intention is to bring this discussion into the light of day – to make the public aware of the impact this proposal will have on their lives, and to initiate a genuine dialogue with the community on these issues.

The forum will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 3 at the City of Hudson central firehouse, 77 North 7th Street. We invite the public to attend, but we especially hope to hear from those directly effected by this ill-conceived plan, and encourage them to come forward and join in the conversation.

About the Bottom Line:
Founded in 2001, the Bottom Line Party focuses on issues that effect the health, safety and economic well-being of all Hudson residents, but especially for the working class and poor.

In the news

U.S. school segregation on the rise: report
Jan 14, 2009
By Matthew Bigg

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Black and Latino students are educated in U.S. schools that are increasingly segregated, said a report Wednesday that undercuts optimism about race in America surrounding the presidency of Barack Obama.

Blacks and Hispanics are more separate from white students than at any time since the civil rights movement and many of the schools they attend are struggling, said the report by the Civil Rights Project at the University of California.

A 2007 Supreme Court decision on voluntary desegregation is likely to intensify the trend because it reduces pressure on local authorities to promote school desegregation, said the report, which called on Obama to address the issue.

Obama, who will take the oath of office Tuesday, will be the county's first black president.

"It would be a tragedy if the country assumed from the Obama election that the problems of race have been solved, when many inequalities are actually deepening," said Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project.

Orfield said these trends were "the result of a systematic neglect of civil rights policy and related educational and community reforms for decades."

Part of the reason is demographic. As the percentage of white students shrinks -- they now make up 56 percent of the school population -- they are more integrated with students who are nonwhite.

Another factor is that residential segregation, on the rise in many parts of the country, increasingly determines the racial composition in schools in the absence of measures by education authorities to create and maintain integrated schools, Orfield said.

At the same time, Orfield said little had been done in recent years to prosecute violations of the Fair Housing Act, which forbids discrimination in the allocation of housing and was set up to foster equality in the housing market.

As a result of the trend, 39 percent of black students and 40 percent of students from the fast-growing Latino minority are increasingly isolated in schools in which there is little racial mixing, the report said.

Evidence that U.S. schools are becoming less racially integrated is politically charged because school integration was a basic goal of the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King in the 1950s and 1960s.

That movement was in part triggered by a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1954 that decreed school segregation in the South was inherently unequal, did irreversible harm to black students and violated the constitution.

The report also found that the average black and Latino student is now in a school that has nearly 60 percent of students from families who are near or below the poverty line.

Schools marked by racial segregation and poverty tend to have weaker teaching forces, more student instability and a higher percentage of students from homes where English is not spoken -- factors that militate against academic achievement.

(Editing by Tom Brown and David Wiessler)

In the news

Homicide statistics rise for black youth

NPR.org, December 29, 2008 · The number of homicides involving black youths — as victims and perpetrators — surged by more than 30 percent from 2002 to 2007, even as overall murder rates across the U.S. have been relatively stable, according to a study released Monday by researchers at Northeastern University.

The study showed that the number of black murder victims rose by more than 31 percent from 2000 to 2007. The number of murders involving young, black perpetrators rose by 43 percent over the same period, according to the study by criminal justice professors James Alan Fox and Marc Swatt.

The report also noted that guns were the weapon of choice in most of the killings.

Last year, 426 black males ages 14-17 died in gun crimes — 40 percent more than in 2000; nearly 1,000 young black males used guns to kill someone in 2007 — 38 percent higher than in 2000.

Fox said the homicide rate for blacks — especially teenagers — has risen steadily and across geographic regions. He said one reason could be the profound shift in priorities since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which means police departments have taken on homeland security duties — often at the expense of community policing.

"Now, I don't want to weigh one life against another, but when you look at it, many more people are murdered every single year in ordinary street violence than were killed on Sept. 11, 2001," Fox said.

Fox also said communities' complacency because of the overall decrease in crime may also be a factor. The study found the number of police officers in major cities has dropped more than 8 percent, and funding for crime prevention programs is down.

Fox said funding cuts disproportionately affect black communities, which suffer from broken families, bad schools and active gangs.

"I know people want their tax rebates and stimuli checks, but you know, a few extra dollars in your pocket is of little consolation if you're staring down the wrong end of a gun," Fox said.

Not all criminologists agree on the difference federal funding could make, but Fox said he hopes the Obama administration will increase funding. Vice President-elect Joe Biden was a driving force behind legislation that put 100,000 cops on the streets in the mid-1990s.

In response to 'Trouble'

To the Editor [of the Register-Star]:

We would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few points in response to, "Trouble at local NAACP chapter" (Dec. 10).

The Columbia-Greene Branch of the NAACP was established 41 years ago. To our knowledge, participation by Greene County residents has always been encouraged, but the majority of members have come from Columbia County. At the present time, we welcome participation by all those who support our mission, and encourage those individuals to join us, regardless of which county they call home.

Despite our small number, the C-GNAACP was actively engaged in community outreach during the past year:

• Scholarships were awarded to 15 young Hudson women to travel to Albany for an evening with the renowned African American writer and scholar Maya Angelou.
• We co-sponsored Hudson's first annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March.Members participated in Operation Unite's Hudson Black Arts and Cultural Festival and Parade.
• We went online. "The Hudson Journal" established a Web presence and online communications hub for the branch that includes local and national news, links and a community calendar.

The branch now meets on a monthly -- sometimes weekly -- basis, where we provide an informal open forum for discussion of various issues, such as education, social justice, job discrimination, etc. We are currently in the process of planning two major events -- a spring fundraiser/membership drive and a day-long community forum.

Building membership remains our first priority. The struggle for membership is not unique to our branch, it is a national concern, as well. The current challenge for all civil rights organizations is to find ways to engage individuals and maintain relevance in the community.

It is worth noting that while differences of opinion exist within most organizations those disagreements rarely become headline news. While we would not presume to tell a publisher and editor what is newsworthy, we find it disconcerting that a disgruntled individual motivated by malicious intent was so easily abetted by the Register-Star. The paper's failure to scrutinize the basic truthfulness of the statements made by that individual was irresponsible, and a simple point/counterpoint story does not neutralize the harm done to our organization. It is a great disappointment that given its role as the community's paper of record, the Register-Star takes so little care when vetting its stories.

Sincerely,

Alan Skerrett
President
Columbia-Greene NAACP
518.758.8132
naacp2008@gmail.com
Visit us on the Web at: http://columbiagreenenaacp.blogspot.com

Trouble at local NAACP chapter

By Andrew Amelinckx and John Mason
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

COLUMBIA COUNTY — The county chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is working to up its membership. President Alan Skerrett said he was told by Regional Director Anne Pope in 2006 that the chapter must bring its enrollment to a viable number in order to continue to operate.

Currently, membership is at 27; Skerrett’s goal is to bring it up to 50, while the national organization would like to see it at 100. Annual membership dues are $30.

His focus on that goal makes some people impatient. James White, who served as acting vice-president for a period, stepped down in November, claiming, in a recent visit to the Register-Star, that “this chapter is dead.”

Despite his title, White was not a member of the chapter or the larger NAACP organization.

The NAACP is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the country and works to “ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination,” according to the organization’s Web site.

White said that problems between himself and “a few other members,” including Skerrett and chapter Treasurer Carrie Waterhouse, led to his stepping down.

“We’ve got in-house fighting,” complained White. “We’re not on the same page.”

One area of contention is what White perceives as a limited view of the chapter’s goals.

He said when he took the position of vice-president he had several goals he believed the organization should focus on, including working to improve area education, encouraging students to graduate from high school, assisting residents with job training, improving housing and others.

“The things he talked about are things we talked about doing once we become a viable chapter,” Skerrett said. “You don’t beat the drums until you have the substance behind you. The national organization prioritizes membership.”

White said the other members had limited ideas and personal agendas.

“They’re targeting DSS,” he said. The proposed move of the Department of Social Services from the city of Hudson to the former Ockawamick School in Claverack has been controversial.

“The issue came up during a meeting that we should collaborate with other people who are resisting the Ockawamick move,” Skerrett said. “People are interested in intervening in the process to voice our collective thoughts about the move to Ockawamick and the hardships it will create for the people it would serve. That’s one of the issues we’ve addressed.

“But the major issue is: We have 27 members, when we’re supposed to have 50,” he said. “He [White] hasn’t brought one member into the fold.”

“[Skerrett] doesn’t give a d— about the other side of the river,” said White. “It’s important to bridge the two sides of the river.”

White said he was responsible for having the chapter include Greene County in the organization, but that it was represented in name only.

The current charter for the chapter is just for Columbia County. Skerrett told White, who is from Catskill, that if he could bring members in from Greene County, they could apply for a charter that would include both counties. He said he appointed him interim vice-president with this in mind.

“James’s mission in joining the NAACP is no different from ours,” Skerrett said, “except that we have to focus on membership right now. How can we advocate without a valid chapter?

”White said the other area the chapter has focussed on was alleged discrimination in the Hudson City School District.

He said he felt that Waterhouse was using the organization to “intimidate” the school district administration. Waterhouse has two children in the district.

“Carrie has never used the NAACP at any event where she has spoken with school administrators or teachers,” Skerrett said. “She has had her personal issues with the school district, and deals with them at a personal level, but doesn’t bring the NAACP into the mix. His accusation — this is a very serious allegation — is untrue.”

White said there were also conflicts concerning his attempt to market the chapter. He said the chapter had a mandate from the national organization to increase membership.

“James does music,” Skerrett said. “He wants us to have events where he can do the music and get paid for it, so he’s angry at me.”

White said he wanted to “bring and put in place ways to ... attract membership.”

“They want to use a p.o. box to communicate,” he said. “I’m talking about telecommunicating.”

Skerrett responded that a landline telephone is an unjustified expense given the chapter’s current situation.

White felt that one problem he had with the group involved a different approach to problem solving.

“I deal with things straight up,” said the former U.S. Marine and New York City EMS member.

He said that the rest of the chapter’s leadership was too laid back to achieve much.

“Their laid back way of working doesn’t work,” he said.

Skerrett said he was ready to retire this year, but the hard work of members such as Waterhouse, Lynn Sloneker and Maija Reed, who he said White was paranoid about, convinced him to stay. Dan and Mary Udell of Taghkanic recently joined and helped the organization pick up a little steam, he said.“

James has done nothing, except say apply for grants,” he said. “We don’t need no ... grant. He has a different slant on the community: He blames them for their own problems.

“We want to educate people with information, see if we can get parents involved, and work to firm the ground up to solve the problems we have,” Skerrett said. “The NAACP is not the voice of the community in Hudson. We’re interested in cooperating with other organizations who want to participate with us to address issues on a more systemic level.”

The Struggle to Fight HIV/AIDS Must Continue

On the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, the NAACP reminds all that every 12 seconds someone contracts HIV. Every 16 seconds someone dies from AIDS. Since its onset, more than 2 million worldwide have died. These alarming figures take on greater significance as the disease disproportionately impacts blacks above all other groups. “It is vitally important that African Americans unify to eradicate the spread of HIV/AIDS and advocate for policies that assist those most impacted,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous.

“We must stand together to keep the issue of AIDS at the top of the political agenda and demand funding for treatment, education and prevention at home and abroad. Furthermore, we must make the commitment to change the behaviors that continue to put our community at the greatest risk.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) the proportion of HIV/AIDS infections in the African American community approximately doubled between 1985 and 2006, with black women representing 67 percent of female AIDS cases and black teens making up two-thirds of new infections in their age group. Once testing positive, African Americans are seven times more likely to die from the disease than whites.

On the international front, the AIDS epidemic continues to rage on in Africa. According to the World Health Organization, the continent of Africa is home to approximately 11 percent of the world’s population but has approximately 60 percent of all of the world’s people living with HIV infection.

Recognizing the need to address this crisis, the NAACP has worked to break the silence surrounding HIV/AIDS in the Black community. These efforts include holding marches, producing educational films, reports, public testing of NAACP leaders as well as training by an array of experts in the field. Internationally, the NAACP has worked to shed light on the vicious use of rape as a tool of war in the Congo. Since 1997 the NAACP has passed several resolutions that call for eliminating racial disparities in our nation’s approach to the AIDS epidemic in order to abolish the disproportionate incidences and deaths of African Americans.

“Black America must eliminate the homophobia from our culture that is perhaps the single greatest barrier to our ability to talk about AIDS,” said Willis Edwards, NAACP National Board member and vice chair of the HIV/AIDS subcommittee of the NAACP Health Committee. “Everyone in the African American community must be educated and get tested, no matter who they are or what they think. We call on all leaders and activists to stand up against this virus that is killing us in our silence and complacency.”

Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day, observed annually on Dec. 1, serves to focus global attention on the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.