Letters

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“But so many struggling parents were never willing or able to return a call, come for a conference, respond to a note…So each year my young students and I created a musical. We made up our own words to familiar tunes. I noted that this happy occasion, where all children shined, was sometimes the only time a parent came to school...This reaffirmed my worldview that helping kids meant reaching families in whatever healthy way we could.

“I loved teaching reading and writing. I shared with children the power of communication: ‘You have an idea up here. [Denise points with a lively expression to her head.] And it travels from your brain, down your arm, and into your hand and fingers! When you write down what you are thinking, someone far away, who has never even met you, can understand [pointing to her head again], what you were thinking by reading your words! Writing clearly and legibly is magic!’”

Denise still teaches reading to incoming tutors in Marty Kaminsky’s Golden Opportunities (GO) after-school tutoring program and continues in the role of tutor. “I’ve tutored the same boy for 10 years. Now he’s a young man on the cusp of high school graduation. We worked together through the school year, over holidays and summers, and soon he’s about to take flight.”

Denise’s observations about the juggling act of work and family, including aging parents and young children, were empathetic, and colorful. “Longtime partner, Charlie Wilson of Wilson Engineering, and I have a grown daughter with two children. I am out-of-body ecstatic to be with my grandchildren. During the busy years of parenting and working, I somehow took the miracle of child development too much for granted…After years of observing the challenges so many children face, it feels like a miracle to see a healthy baby turn over, learn to walk, go off to school.

“When downtown business owners decry crime and drug use, I think of all those children passing through my life. I say ‘They were someone’s little child long ago. We have no idea what challenges they may have encountered.’”

Denise Gelberg, author, teacher, researcher will speak again with us soon. For now, read what Dr. Nancy Hopkins (the Amgen, Inc. Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences), featured in a Nova documentary “Picture a Scientist” about gender harassment in the sciences commented about Denise’s third novel:

“‘Lucky Girl’ is the profoundly moving story of a woman who with brilliance, passion, and support from an extraordinary family overcomes common barriers that long kept most women out of high-powered science. I had to stop several times and remind myself that this is a novel, not the biography of a flesh and blood scientist. A brilliant book. I wept and cheered for the heroine.” https:// www.amazon.com/author/denisegelberg

THE TALK AT

YOUR LETTERS

In support of a vaccine mandate

To prevent further spread of the coronavirus, we should require everyone to get fully vaccinated (including a possible third dose)--unless exempted by a sincerely held religious belief or medical condition. We should write to our legislators and executives at all levels of government.

-Alvin Blake, Ithaca, NY

Halloween in Ithaca

When I was a kid growing up in Ithaca, “they” used to have a Halloween Parade.

We were dressed in costumes, wearing (not COVID) masks. It was thrilling to be applauded as we walked by the crowds. It was more fun to go from door to door shouting, “Trick or treat.” I wonder if it’s done now. -Rev. Dr. Ronald S. Winchell, Ithaca, NY

*Editor’s Note: There does appear to be trick-or-treating and other Halloween fun

hosted by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance Oct. 29-30. Learn more: https://www.downtownithaca.com/event/halloween2021/.

Re: Myrick presents $84 million city budget

That “slightly lower tax rate” is not helpful enough since we taxpayers are still paying more in terms of dollars since property assessments have increased a lot during the past 4 years. Here are some facts according to https://www. cityofithaca.org/427/City-Budget • 2019 tax levy: $23,613,758 • 2020 tax levy: $24,443,600 • 2021 tax levy: $26,384,571 • 2022 proposed tax levy: $26,366,541

The good news is that 2022 taxes levy will only be _as_ bad as 2021. The bad news is that the 2021 taxes were already way too high. Mark my words -- once the end comes to all this free pandemic related relief money that municipalities are receiving from State and Federal governments, then our local tax levy will have to go way up to make up the difference if we want to keep all these public programs in place. To make matters worse, since the money supply has been so rapidly expanded recently, there will more upward pressure wages and consequently tax levies, even while businesses may have lower profits due to their own rising labor and supply chain costs. Thus taxes collected on profits might even be lower in future years.

Bottom line: Please cut spending since Ithaca Taxes Gorge Us... -Richard Ballantyne, via Ithaca.com

COUNTY BUDGET

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stated that this would delay the increase in the tax levy to a future year, and could have a compounding effect. In opposition to the amendment, Lane stated that “it’s the job of elected bodies to keep tax increases reasonably low,” adding that this doesn’t give a break to everyone, as many residents of Tompkins County are renters who wouldn’t get a property tax break from this proposal. The amended proposal recommending a limit of $1 million was estimated to result in a 1% increase to the levy before the consideration of further member-filed amendments.

An amendment for a local match for capital improvements and deferred maintenance at Tompkins Cortland Community College totaling $310,000 was brought forth by legislators Dawson, Schill, and Lane and approved by a vote of 12-1, with Granison opposed and McBeanClairborne excused. Legislators remarked that this is an investment in the college which is a property shared by Tompkins and Cortland Counties. An amendment brought forth by Legislator Dawson to fund the second and third years of TC3’s workforce and career development pilot program totaling $220,500 was approved unanimously.

An amendment calling for $199,656 in funding to cover the first of three years of development of “Sunflower Houses” through Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Ultimate Reentry Opportunity, and Opportunities Alternatives and Resources was offered by legislators Robertson, Granison, Black, Schill, John, and Koreman. The funding will support capital improvements to affordable housing and programming expenses and operations to support those who are returning from incarceration. The amendment passed unanimously, 14-0.

Several legislators discussed the impending “Recovery Fund,” with some stating that requests like this would be better served through that fund once details are codified. According to Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Executive Director Johanna Anderson, the plan is for these housing units to be occupied starting December first of this year. Legislator Rich John, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, stated that New York State has a 65% failure rate for individuals on parole, indicating that this proposal would deliver value for those in need and reentering from incarceration. An amendment from Black to fund this now and leverage funds from the to-be-determined local “Recovery Fund” that would be decreased by this proposal’s amount passed unanimously, with years two and three set to come from fund balance following an amendment moved by Granison and approved 13-1 (McBean-Clairborne dissenting).

An amendment for $100,000 to run a county organization-wide compensation study was member-filed by legislators Dawson, McBean-Clairborne and Black. The amendment passed unanimously, 14-0. Legislators spoke to the fact that this has been planned for a few years but was delayed due to the pandemic.

John brought forth an amendment in support of a Career Pathways collaborative effort to address employment for those most marginalized in Tompkins County. Several agencies work together in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension to administer this program and support individuals. The amendment totals $85,000 and was passed 13-1 with Granison opposed.

An amendment in support of a resource navigator program addressing health equity in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension and other community partners was passed 10-2, with Granison and Dawson opposed (McBeanClairborne and McKenna were excused).

An amendment was proposed by Robertson, Granison and Koreman to initiate a study of county-wide code enforcement. The amendment passed 13-1, with Legislator Glenn Morey voting in opposition.

Additional amendments were passed to increase the stipend for the County Historian, funding for advisory board priorities, support for local emergency responder subscription to a service called “ES Chat” that would allow first responders’ cell phones to act as radio communications, and support for the County’s Poet Laureate.

A $70,000 amendment filed by Robertson restoring COVID-related funding to the Tompkins County Human Services Coalition was proposed and approved 13-0 with McBean-Clairborne excused. Executive Director of the Coalition Kathy Schlather joined to share the state of the organization and the increased demands on programs offered resulting in this ask for restored funding. Robertson and Dawson spoke highly of the work the Coalition does to serve Tompkins County residents.

Read more at ithaca.com

IN THE RUNNING

We talk to the candidates of the contested County Legislature races in next month’s election.

By Tanner Harding and Jaime Cone

The next election is slated for Nov. 2, so Ithaca Times spoke to County Legislature candidates for contested races. Not every candidate was able to be reached, so in those cases we have included bios of the candidate. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. on election day. For more information on polls, candidates in non-contested races or to see sample ballots, visit www.tompkinscountyny.gov/boe.

DISTRICT 1 (CITY OF ITHACA)

Travis Brooks and Christopher Hyer Jr. are running for District 1 Legislator. The winner will replace Leslyn McBeanClairborne, the current chair of the County Legislature who is retiring after 20 years as a legislator. Brooks represents both the Democratic and Working Families parties, while Hyer represents the Republican party. CHRISTOPHER HYER JR.

What do you think the most important issue facing the county is and how would you address it?

The biggest issue in the county is public safety. I want our families to be safe and to be able to go out and enjoy Tompkins County as it was 15 years ago, when you could let your kids run around in the park and on the streets and not have that fear. That’s my big thing. Public safety and addressing the violence on West Hill is a big issue as well. Within the last two weeks we’ve had five [editor’s note: there have since been two more] gun issues and then the two stabbings on State Street and at Walmart. We really need to look into public safety. It’s a big thing I want to look into because there’s a ton of children up on West Hill with the West Village apartments, Chestnut Apartments, Floral Avenue apartment complexes. On top of that we have a school right there, so we really need to address the violence that’s happening on West Hill. What experience do you have that you think will translate to County Legislature? I’ve been in public office as a volunteer firefighter and I’ve held roles as vice president in the fire department I was in, so I think that gives me a little advantage to knowing how we’re going to run, and we need to run as a team. We need to be on the same page and run as a team, and that’s how we did it when I was the vice president of the Spencer emergency squad.

What are your thoughts on the rising property taxes in Tompkins County, and what do you think is the best way to combat them?

Our taxes are high, where are we spending that money? It’s not coming back to us, the people. We need to see where we can eliminate and what we can put back into the county. We need to see what we can cut without making our budget bad. We need a good budget so we can look into things like, why is this house assessed at $350,000 but it’s condemned? If it’s assessed there the homeowner is still paying that assessment. We need to look into that, need to look into getting these roads repaired and putting more of our taxes into that. We’re driving down these roads constantly with tons of potholes and we need to get every one of them fixed.

Chrostopher Hyer Jr.

TRAVIS BROOKS

Brooks was unable to be reached in time for publication, but did answer similar questions in the Ithaca Times preview for the Democratic primary in June. Visit https://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/meet-the-county-legislature-candidates/article_bec072d2-ce2f-11eb-be6343610c040403.html for his answers.

From Brooks’ website: Twenty-two years ago as the new Youth Program Coordinator at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), Travis says his life found new meaning, responsibility, and awareness. He felt blessed to be in a position to serve and give back to the community. His goal was to create a space for individuals to have second, third, fourth and so on chances to become who they were meant to be. More importantly, Travis felt that he could now be at the table, build the table, and bring people to the table to better the lives of the entire Greater Ithaca Community.

With more than 30 years of living in this community, and 22 of those years devoted to serving the District 1 community, Travis looks forward to tackling the challenges the district faces regarding affordable housing, living wage, access to community programs to support strong families, accessible & affordable child care, and opportunities for solid employment & growth.

He has gained valuable experience in bringing diverse stakeholders to collaborate to solve the problems in his work as Deputy Director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Director of My Brother’s Keeper, and as member of Ithaca’s Municipal Drug Policy Committee. He played a key role in securing a grant that will enable Ithaca to employ progressive solutions

to the problems of crime and addiction. “I pledge to focus my efforts on economic recovery (helping small businesses to rebuild), improving the quality of life for marginalized West Hill residents, building coalitions dedicated to social justice, and improving the lives of all our citizens but particularly those that have been underrepresented.” Brooks lives on 5th St and raised his five children right here in Ithaca. “As a father, I raised six kids into adulthood. I have been a single dad, a married dad, and a single divorced dad. I have begged, borrowed, and have utilized system support to help get to the next day. I lived in pubTravis Brooks lic housing before eventually becoming a homeowner. I bought my home across the street from my old home in the housing projects so my community could see there is hope after all. DISTRICT 8 (TOWN OF NEWFIELD AND A PORTION OF ENFIELD) Vanessa Greenlee and Randy Brown are running for District 8 representative. The winner will replace outgoing legislator David McKenna, who decided not to run again. Robert Lynch will also be named on the ballot as an Independent. He lost the Democratic primary to Greenlee and suspended his campaign, however did not remove his name from the ballot because it “would have insulted the 151 Enfield and Newfield citizens who chose to sign my petitions.” However, his website states he has no further plans to succeed McKenna. Greenlee is representing the Democratic and Working Families parties, while Brown is representing the Republican and Rural Issues parties. VANESSA GREENLEE What do you think are the most important issues facing the county are and how would you address them? Economic recovery is the critical shortterm challenge. We know that access to childcare is a key recovery need for working families, but right now for every 3.5 children of childcare age in Tompkins County, there is only childcare space for one. The Child Development Council needs staffing to amplify the impact of federal pro-

vider grants at scale, using tactics such as grouping childcare providers for benefits and supporting providers through the application process for state awards. Longer term, our county’s grand challenges are climate adaptation and social justice — same as everywhere else — but that’s a much longer answer.

What experience do you have that you think will translate to County Legislature?

My professional background is in instructional design, and my current role is in communications and training on a U.S. Department of Agriculture food security project. There are so many county priorities where I can add value, including green workforce development, food systems infrastructure, and federal awards management. On an interpersonal level, as a young person I came of age in a time of cross-cultural collision, and I’ve made a life goal of learning to communicate across differences. I see this as an essential skill for public service in the current moment.

What are your thoughts on the rising property taxes in Tompkins County, and what do you think is the best way to combat them? The property tax levy is set to increase 1.61%, meaning the median-size homeowner will pay $22.46 more overall in 2022. But price increases for goods and services are rising much more steeply than that, as we saw with the 5.4% increase in the Consumer Price Index this September. So to me, the real question is: how can the county apply funds in ways that help residents realize savings continuously year-over-year? An example would offer landlord incentives to refit our housing stock with greener heating and cooling technologies so we can reduce utility costs for renters. It’s a long term environmental and economic win-win. RANDY BROWN

What do you think the most important issues facing the county are and how would you address them?

My main concern is Newfield and Enfield, but other towns have experienced the same issues for decades without much improvement. There is a systemic disconnect between the county, our schools and rural towns when it comes to our youth and seniors and it has caused people to lose faith that things will ever improve for their families or children. The county must proactively collaborate with each community to identify needs and then invest in programs that will improve family health and opportunities for our youth. I will work to make family and children the county’s first priority.

What experience do you have that you think will translate to the County Legislature?

Being a sixth-generation resident of this district gives me a unique understanding and commitment to Enfield and Newfield. My nine years on Newfield’s School Board and eight years on the planning board will make for an easy transition to issues before the County Legislature. I’ve done jobs from haying, janitorial, warehousing and construction laborer early in my life to 14 years in banking managing purchasing, facilities, security and real estate. I’ve also managed and been the president of two local companies, Ongweoweh Corp and Cortland Line Co. In these positions I managed over 100 people and worked closely with employees to build strong morale, teamwork and success. I learned to lead by example and to do the hard work with them no matter the task. These skills will be utilized when working with the Legislature and County Departments.

What are your thoughts on the rising property taxes in Tompkins County, and what do you think is the best way to combat them?

During this campaign I visited over 1,200 homes and high taxes and assessments due to recent home sales are a concern. The tax burden on people with fixed incomes is not sustainable and it is causing people to forgo basic needs, home maintenance and home ownership. There is no simple answer on how to reduce taxes as governments rarely reduce spending, but I will focus on county expenses. First, I think we need to focus on reducing daily expenses of residents from food, energy, cable and internet. These critical services are expensive and the revenue does not stay in our County. We must look at other revenue streams like rental car and hotel occupancy taxes to offset real estate taxes. I do think we need to understand why Cornell is contributing so little to the community and ask them to double their contribution now.

I also think we should offer tax reduction incentives to residents that donate time and funds to their towns programs. This could be capped at some dollar amount and the tax reduction could be a percentage of the donation. This could be a win-win for everyone as community programs need funds. DISTRICT 14 (EASTERN PORTION OF DRYDEN)

Incumbent Mike Lane will be running for re-election against Thomas Corey. Lane has been a legislator for six terms, from 1994-2005 and 2009 to now. He is representing the Democratic party while Corey is representing the Republican party. MIKE LANE

What do you think the most important issues facing the county are and how would you address them?

The most important thing is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. That has to be our top priority — getting people back to work, holding down transmissions of the virus, and getting schools and businesses reopened safely. That is our primary and most important topic. We also have to be vigilant with public safety. We have to support our sheriff’s road patrol. They need funding for equipment and personnel and for training to even better defuse stressful situations. I do not support defunding police. We have to keep taxes reasonably low, and I think we’ve done that with the proposed budget and amendments. We’re holding down the tax levy to less than a 2% increase and we’re using some of the Amer-

ican Rescue Plan Act money to replace revenues in the county, and allow us to use some of that in a recovery fund which will help agencies and other entities to be able to apply for funding to help them recover from some of the issues of COVID-19. We need to continue to support our green initiatives, including trying to get our county buildings carbon neutral by 2035. And we need to support our county infrastructure, especially the airport, bus services and the Route 13 corridor. What experience do you have that you think will translate to County Legislature? I’ve been on County Legislature for a while and I chaired it for four years and I’ve chaired many of the standing committees and special committees over the years. I’m the liaison to our college Board of Trustees and I used to be the chair of [Tompkins County International Development Agency]. I think I have a lot of experience working with a lot of people and doing my best to represent the people of my district and the people of the county as a whole. Doing the job and giving me that experience lets me look at issues that come up with both the history and planning concept of them so we can make better decisions. What are your thoughts on the rising Vanessa Greenlee property taxes in Tompkins County, and what do you think is the best way to combat them? We have to work across party lines to find solutions that are less expensive, and I think we did that in the budget process. The budget was moved forward unanimously. We were able to add some funding for things that were lost since the pandemic started, including more capital for TC3 and for trying to leverage state funding for capital improvements such as classroom upgrades and parking and erosion control. I think you have to look at each program and each thing that you do and understand how it helps people and how it impacts the budget. If it’s too much of a tax increase you have to say no sometimes or find another way to do it. THOMAS COREY Corey was unable to be reached by the Ithaca Times. He also does not appear to have a website or social media pages for his campaign.

Randy Brown Mike Lane