Stories from

Pat Burk reads Cat Morgan introduces himself by T.S. Eliot.

Burk is the executive director of Batavia Players and helped recruit members of Harvester 56 Theater to provide us these poetry readings.

April is National Poetry Month. 

T.S. Eliot is one of my favorite poets. In his classic, "The Waste Land," Eliot began with the observation, "April is the cruelest month."

Video: Palm Sunday message from Pastor Roula Alkhouri, Batavia First Presbyterian Church.

Press release:

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning. Happy Sunday. For those of you who celebrate Happy Palm Sunday. Happy Passover week for those who celebrate Passover. Thanks for taking the time to be with us today. We want to give you an update as to where we are.

The number of cases increase which is nothing new. It's happened every day since we've started this. It's been a long month. Something a little bit different in the data today. We're not really 100 percent sure yet what the significance is as we're feeling our way through this.

Number of people tested, 18,000. Positive cases are up 8,000, total of 122,000 cases. Number of patients discharged, total discharged is 12,000 - 1,700 discharged in one day. Number of deaths is up. That's the bad news. It's 44,159 and we pray for each for each and every one of them and their families and that is up and that is the worst news.

But the number of deaths over the past few days has been dropping for the first time. What is the significance of that? It's too early to tell. This is the impact by state. But as I said the interesting blip maybe in the data, or hopeful beginning of a shift in the data and the number of cases, total number of new hospitalizations is 574 which is obviously much lower than previous numbers. That's partially a function of more people being discharged but you see ICU admissions are also down. The daily intubations down slightly from where it was. Again, you can't do this day to day. You have to look at three or four days to see a pattern.

Discharge rate is way up and that's great news and the statewide balance of cases has been relatively stable for the past few days. There is a shift to Long Island. Upstate New York is basically flat and as Long Island grows the percentage of cases in New York City has reduced.

For those people who look at the data, you have all these projection models and what's been infuriating to me is the models are so different that it's very hard to plan when these models shift all the time. But there's also a difference of opinion on what happens at the apex. All the models say you go up until you go down - thank you very much. Then there's a difference of, is the apex a point or is the apex a plateau. In other words you go up, hit the high and the immediately drop, or do you go up and then there's a plateau where the number of cases stays high for a period of time and then drops? There's a difference of opinion.

So you have to think about that when you think about what you're seeing in the numbers because you could argue that you're seeing a slight plateauing in the data which obviously would be good news because it means you plateau for a period of time and then you start to come down and we're all feeling our way through this and we have the best minds in the country, literally on the globe, advising us because New York is the first. I also think it will be very helpful for the other states that follow. I was just talking to Dr. Zucker about codifying everything we're learning because when the next states start to go through this we hope that they can benefit from what we're going through.

But we're looking at this seriously now because by the data we could be either very near the apex or the apex could be a plateau and we could be on that plateau right now. We won't know until you see the next few days. Does it go up, does it go down, but that's what the statisticians will tell you today.

As we've said before, the coronavirus is truly vicious and effective at what the virus does. It's an effective killer. People who are very vulnerable must stay isolated and protected. I mean, that was the point from day one. That was the point with Matilda's Law, my mother. You have to isolate and protect those people. If a very vulnerable person gets infected with this virus, the probability of a quote unquote "cure" is very low. And that's what this has really been about from day one. That small percentage of the population that's very vulnerable. Major effort that has impacted everyone to save the lives of those people who are in the very vulnerable population. If you're not part of that vulnerable population, then you will get sick, 20 percent require hospitalization, but the hospital system is very effective and it makes a real difference. And that's why the highest number of people ever now being discharged, right.

So you're just seeing the evolution of this whole story. You're seeing the narrative unfold, right. We're all watching a movie, we're waiting to see what the next scene is, and as the movie unfolds you start to understand the story better and better. Rush of infection rate, rush of people into the hospital system, hospital system capacity explodes, more people are in, but, more people are coming out. 75 percent of those people who have now gone into the hospital system are coming out of the hospital system. It also helps with the capacity of the hospital system because obviously the more people who are coming out, it makes it easier to handle the large influx that's coming in.

Having said all of that, the operational challenge for the healthcare system is impossible. Because the system is over capacity, all across the board. It's just over capacity. So what we're basically saying to a system is you have to manage with the same resources that you have, same staff, an over-capacity situation. And that is putting a tremendous amount of stress on the healthcare system. You're asking a system to do more than it has ever done before, more than it was designed to do with less. I understand that. I get that. Day in and day out, the commissioner and everyone at this table deals with the healthcare system. I understand what they're dealing with. I understand they're being asked to do the impossible. And they are being asked to do the impossible. But, life is options and we do not have any other options. So you get to a situation and you do what you have to do in that situation. And that's where we are. The only operational plan that can work, right, because you know the system doesn't have the capacity, doesn't have the supplies, doesn't have the staff. So how do you handle this surge over capacity?

We call it, we have to surge and flex, which means you have to deal with, if you're an individual hospital or hospital network, yes, you're going to be over capacity. And the only way we can make this work is if we flex the system so that we take all hospitals, all hospital networks, some hospitals are in networks, and we work together as one system, which has never been done, right. We have public hospitals. We have private hospitals. We have Long Island hospitals. We have New York City hospitals. In totality, it's the health care system, the state manages, regulates the healthcare system, but they're all individual hospitals. And, or individual networks. And they are accustomed to just doing business and managing their own affairs. That doesn't work. We have to balance the patient load among all of these hospitals. So if one hospital starts to get high or has a protected high intake, we have to shift that patient load to other hospitals. That means some patients who show up at their neighborhood hospital may be asked, can we transport you to another hospital, which is not in your neighborhood, but actually has more capacity. So we have to adjust that patient load among all of the hospitals, which is a daily exercise and it's very, very difficult.

We're running short on supplies all across the board. Some hospitals happen to have a greater supply of one thing or another. One hospital has a greater supply of masks, one hospital has a greater supply of gowns. And when we're talking about supply, hospitals are accustomed to dealing with a 60-day supply, 90-day supply. We're talking about 2 or 3 or 4 day supply, which makes the entire hospital system uncomfortable, which I also understand because we're literally going day-to-day with our supplies, with out staff, et cetera. Which is counter-intuitive and counter-operational for the entire health care system and I understand that also.

The big operational shift will be Javits coming online if we get that up and running efficiently. That's 2,500 beds for people who test positive with the COVID virus. That is a major shift for the systems and at a time when we desperately need a relief valve for the system, Javits could do that. We're working very hard to get that up and running. That rolling deployment, that flexibility - there is no other way to do this on the state level. I can't say to a hospital, I will send you all the supplies you need. I will send you all the ventilators you need. We don't have it. We don't have them. It's not an exercise, it's not a drill. It's just a statement of reality. You're going to have to shift and deploy resources to different locations based on the need of that location. I think that's going to be true for the country. The federal government everyone says federal stockpile, federal stockpile. There's not enough in the federal stockpile to take care of New York and Illinois and Texas and Florida and California. It's not an option. The only option I see is there's a national deployment - everyone says this is wartime, it is a war and the virus is the enemy - where help New York today, thank you state of Oregon, we're dealing with this curve today and this intensity and then nationally, we shift the resources to the next place that is most impacted.

Just what we're doing in New York City and New York State on a microcosm, we shift resources from the Bronx to Brooklyn to Queens to Nassau. Shift national resources and state resources from New York to Florida to Illinois, whatever is next on the curve. We're going to do that in any event. We get through this, people have been so beautiful to us and it is the New York way. We're going to codify everything we've learned and when we get past this curve, whatever part of the country goes next, we will be there with equipment and personnel and however we can help.

Federal government is also deploying approximately 1,000 personnel to New York. That's doctors, that's nurses, that's respiratory technicians. The immediate priority is to deploy those people to help the New York City public hospitals. The New York City public hospital system, H&H, was a system that was under stress to begin with before any of this. So obviously, you add more stress to institutions that were under stress, it only makes the situation more difficult so we're going to deploy all the federal personnel who are coming in today, 325, to the New York City public hospital system.

I talk to the hospital administrators on a daily basis. We get them on a conference call and we do this shifting of supplies and balancing of patient load. I know that I'm asking them to do really difficult things, I get it. I don't enjoy being in this situation. I don't enjoy putting them in this position. I know their staff is all over burdened, but all I can say is thank you to the administration of this health care system and most importantly thank you to the frontline workers. These people, they are true heroes in the truest sense of the word, what they do day in and day out under very difficult circumstances, and we thank them all.

On a different and somewhat lighter note, there is an accompanying affliction to the coronavirus that we talked about early on. It is cabin fever. It is a real situation. Not medically diagnosed, I asked Dr. Zucker there is no medical diagnosis for cabin fever, but I believe it exists. It is a feeling of isolation. It is often accompanied by radical mood swings, resentment of people around you to varying degrees, for no reason whatsoever. Just an upwelling of resentment, especially toward people who are in apparent positions of authority in this situation which I've noticed. Irrational outbursts can come at any time, without any warning. Just an irrational outburst, frustration, anger, with no rational basis. Cabin fever, in many ways, also threatens the essence of our Constitution, which is premised on people sharing domestic tranquility and it can be disruptive to tranquility. I can attest to that. It is a real thing. Think about it. It has only been one month but it has been a long month.

Positive intervention for cabin fever, I am going to take up running again. I used to run in the normal days before this job. But I am going to start running again. My daughter Cara, we will run as a family and go out there. Cara has a head start. She is out there doing five miles every day. She thinks she can beat me. Give me a couple of weeks and I will be right there, right there. Fast like lightning. We are going to do it. We will make the dog come. The dog is also experiencing cabin fever. He's a little disrupted. The order of the pack has changed. Different people, he does not know where he fits. He has anxiety. He is going to run. Think of ways to deal with it. I don't have any great answer.

But a little perspective on the whole situation is important. I challenged my daughters, this is terrible, this is terrible, this is terrible. I have been saying this is terrible for society, the economy and personally. But, you know, let's look back at history, right? Generations have gone through terrible times. So, my challenge to them is you find me a generation that has had a better overall situation than where we are right now. Go back to World War I, World War II, Vietnam, 1918 flu pandemic, you find me a generation that has not had a challenge to deal with and we will are going to have that discussion. Keep in mind on perspective. This is going to be over. You can see the story developing. You can start to see how the story ends, right? They will have a vaccine. Will it be 12 months or 14 months or 18 months? There are a number of treatments that are being expedited and are being tested right now. Dr. Zucker of New York is working expeditiously and cooperatively with the FDA to try all new different treatments: convalescent plasma, receptor antibody treatments, we are working on the hydroxychloroquine - we are working on it aggressively. So, we are trying all these new treatments. Some of them show real promise. But, you can see where the story ends.

I think, this is opinion and not fact, I think you see the return to normalcy when we have an approved rapid testing program that can be brought to scale. We are now testing rapid testing programs. But, when you get to the point where you can do rapid testing, of scale, and people can start to go back to work because they know they are negative. We continue to protect the vulnerable population, which is what this was about, and we liberate, as my daughters would say they are seeking liberation. We liberate people who can go back to work because we know that they are not in the vulnerable category and they are negative. I think that is, it is under development now, the rapid testing, and we are part of it. That is going to be the answer, I believe. And we get through it because we are New York State tough. Thank you.

Submitted by Taylor Burr.

The executive order Gov. Andrew Cuomo said yesterday he was going to sign requiring Upstate hospitals to ship some of their ventilators and personal protective gear Downstate has caused a firestorm of opposition in Western New York.

Elected leaders and aspiring candidates have weighed in with their objections and social media posts have exploded in debates about the policy.

The rising consensus is that once again, Cuomo is putting the needs, desires, and priorities of urban Downstate residents over their rural fellow citizens.

The Batavian made multiple attempts to reach out to the governor's office to ask four questions we thought might help clarify things for readers:

• We want to know: Who determines and defines "excess"? Our public health director, Paul Pettit, said yesterday that between Orleans and Genesee Counties, there are 11 ventilators. While none are currently being used for COVID-19 patients, he doesn't know how many are being used to treat other respiratory illnesses. He is concerned that when the coronavirus outbreak reaches its peak here, local hospitals will need 100 ventilators. "That's why we don't feel we have an excess that we can offer up to Downstate," Pettit said.
• As for personal protective equipment (PPE), there are ongoing concerns about a shortage of gear in our own county (though another shipment arrived yesterday), so the same question applies: How and who determines if there is an excess of PPE in Genesee County?
• What guarantee can the governor offer that if ventilators are needed here, that there will be an immediate and timely backfill of any ventilators removed from our area?
• What is the calculation, has one been done, or what is the projection that we can rely on, that will assure us that Downstate's apex will subside before one in GLOW begins?

Late today, a member of the press office responded and pointed us to comments by Cuomo that he said should satisfy the first question.

To the first question, what defines "excess"? Today in his briefing Cuomo said, "So, what do we do? We find what equipment we have, we use it the best we can. If you ask hospitals today what ventilators do you have that are unused and available that they don’t need in the short term and take 20 percent of that number of available ventilators, that’s 500 ventilators."

To the overall scope of the questions, the aide pointed to Cuomo's discussion about Oregon assisting New York in its time of need.

The State of Oregon has lent us 140 ventilators. It was kind, it was smart, stop the virus here. It's better for the state of Oregon, it's better for the nation. Their curve comes after ours. We'll return their 140 ventilators, and there's never been a discussion, but frankly, I know New Yorkers and I know New Yorkers' generosity. We will turn it double fold because that's who we are and that's what we believe. So, stop the fire in New York, kind, generous, also smart.

The governor's office estimates that New York needs 17,000 ventilators total. It's unclear how many the federal government has or will send. There are efforts underway to hook up two patients at a time to a single ventilator. They are also efforts to use anesthesia machines and a machine called a BiPAP (similar to a CPAP used to treat sleep apnea but adjusts to the inhale and exhale of the person wearing the mask).

Also, Cuomo announced today that Joe Tsai and Clara Tsai and Jack Ma, co-owners of Alibaba (China's largest e-commerce company) have purchased 1,000 ventilators and are sending them to New York.

The news about the number of ventilators Cuomo plans to transfer from Upstate to Downstate and the gifts from Oregon and China is a level of detail not part of Cuomo's announcement yesterday to take ventilators from Upstate.

Cuomo's statement on Friday:

I'm not going to get into a situation where we're running out of ventilators and people are dying because there are no ventilators but there are hospitals in other parts of the state that have ventilators that they're not using. I'm just not going to allow us to go there. I think it would be wholly irresponsible. I'm going to sign an executive order that says the state can take ventilators and PPE from institutions that don't need them now and redeploy them to other parts of the state and other hospitals that do need them. Those institutions will either get their ventilator back or they will be reimbursed and paid for their ventilator so they can buy a new ventilator.

That caused alarm bells in some quarters. Even Paul Pettit, in his mild-mannered way, expressed concern.

"Obviously, taking and removing any level of our ventilators or taking and removing any of our PPE that we have from our region or any region in our state is something that we have grave concerns about," Pettit said, sharing that Dan Ireland at UMMC shared his concern.

Noting that with COVID-19 cases are on the rise locally, our community needs its emergency supplies and staff.

"The last thing we want to do is get in a situation where our availability of PPE, our availability of respirators, any of those things, are not available for us when our peak, when our apex comes in the next two or three weeks," Pettit said. "I understand what the governor is trying to accomplish, that they have a need down there right now but I don’t want our communities to be in a very precarious and unfortunate situation that when ours comes we don’t have the type and level of respirators and PPE we need to respond effectively to help keep our folks, our residents in our counties safe. So, it is a big concern."

We asked Ireland to comment and said UMMC is working to ensure the hospital remains ready for whatever may come.

Rochester Regional Health, including UMMC, is working collaboratively with local, regional and state agencies to ensure that necessary resources are available where and when they are needed to care for all patients who require hospital care. At this time, UMMC has not been asked to divert equipment or resources Downstate and we stand ready to serve our community as we have been for over 100 years. We are grateful that the residents of our community are flattening the curve by staying home so that, together, we can stop the spread of the virus and keep our community at-large in good health.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley yesterday, blasted Cuomo's order.

"It’s the worst possible management of this crisis I have seen thus far, and I am asking the governor to rescind his Executive Order," Hawley said. "Upstate and Western New York lives matter.”

All of the Republican candidates for the NY-27's congressional race chimed in.

Most notably, Chris Jacobs, who is currently a state senator and the GOP-endorsed candidate in the special election to replace convicted criminal Chris Collins (the special election has been moved from April to June 23, the same date as the GOP primary), put out a tweet yesterday that claimed Buffalo General Hospital had already been forced to surrender 30 ventilators.

The tweet was later deleted.

Kaleida Health issued the following statement about "social media rumors."

Michael P. Hughes, chief of staff, Kaleida Health said, “The rumors that have circulated on social media are completely false. The National Guard was not at Buffalo General Medical Center or any of our other hospitals. Nor were ventilators or supplies taken from us. This type of misinformation only causes further panic and chaos in a time of great uncertainty. That said, we still vehemently oppose the Governor's executive order to take 20 percent of Upstate hospitals' equipment and supplies. We will continue to fight this in an effort to protect our patients as well as our physicians, nurses, and staff during this pandemic."

Stefan Mychajliw, one of the candidates challenging Jacobs in the GOP primary put out a press release attacking Jacobs over the tweet.

“People are scared," Mychajliw said. "Our community is panicking. Young and old are fearful of dying. Many people lost their jobs. The last thing we need is someone falsely fanning the flames of discord just to score a few cheap political points in the middle of a campaign. Chris Jacobs must apologize for this false, reckless and irresponsible claim.”

The Batavian emailed the Jacob's campaign about the tweet, at a time when we were still trying to confirm it (as the screenshot above shows, we did find the original tweet) but did not get a response.

Jacobs had earlier put out a press release about the governor's executive order.

“The Governor has made it very clear that NYC is the starting point for COVID-19, but that a wave could very well travel across our state and hit Western New York," Jacobs said. "By taking away our vital medical supplies, the Governor is directly putting all Western New Yorkers at risk. When we don’t have the resources to fight COVID-19 here, we will lose Western New York lives.”

Beth Parlato, also a GOP challenger in the primary, responded to the governor's executive order by launching an online petition at wnylivesmatter.com/.

“Governor Cuomo issued an executive order that he is taking ventilators from Upstate New York to bring to New York City," Parlato said. "He is deploying the National Guard to remove essential supplies from our hospitals to take Downstate. We need these ventilators in Western New York to fight COVID-19! WNY medical professionals have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks, and they are running out of supplies. It is critical that our needs are considered."

With all of the announced GOP candidates for the NY-27 weighing in on the executive order, we sought a comment from Nate McMurray, the endorsed Democratic candidate in the special election and did not get a response.

While many of Cuomo's long-standing critics in WNY lined up to call Cuomo dictatorial, it hasn't been a sentiment that has been universally shared among conservative WNYers.

Republican operative and former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo, for example, has posted several tweets supporting Cuomo's order.

We rely upon local pols to defend our rights and resources. With their focus, we will have the ventilators we need, when we need them. Leaving them in closets while Downstaters die is a disgusting alternative.

I'm as anti-Cuomo and anti-NYC as they come. I won't stoke this.

— Michael R. Caputo (@MichaelRCaputo) April 3, 2020

I trust WNY local leaders to assure we have the health resources we need, when we need them. Denying Downstate critical cases our resources, which are sitting in closets, is disgustingly inhumane. This statement from Erie County GOP leaders shows they are on top of it. pic.twitter.com/sJXXBKq6xD

— Michael R. Caputo (@MichaelRCaputo) April 3, 2020

UPDATE 12:21 a.m.: McMurray provided the following statement:

The order reads, “from institutions that don't currently need them and redeploy the equipment to other hospitals with the highest need.” Some have tried to use scare tactics, to divide us, saying this means the governor will try to raid hospitals with ventilators already in use. My opponent, Chris Jacobs, lied saying Buffalo General Hospital was already raided, but later deleted his comment.

This is a time for bravery and cooperation, not scare tactics. Oregon sent ventilators to NYC, yet officials in Western New York are reluctant. It makes no sense. We are in this together. New York City’s fight is our fight. We need to try and stop the fire there before it spreads here. It’s one state, one country, and within our means, we must assist with the hope that Albany and New York will share other resources later. We do not want to go this alone, nor can we.

The real issue is our national response. Our President tells us we have enough tests and ventilators every day. Clearly we do not. It’s sad that it’s state vs. state, county vs. county because we have no national plan or vision.

Press release:

he Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received three more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has two new cases and Genesee has one. There is currently no further information to release on ages and locations. Mapping will be updated on Monday after the press the daily press briefing.

Contact tracing has been initiated.

The residents of Redfield Parkway came together and raised money to cater meals to the employees of Tops Market in Batavia from T.F. Brown's and Los Compadres. 

Video shot by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service; edited by Howard Owens.

Staff at UMMC received a free lunch paid for by community donations organized by Ben Macdonald to thank them for "strength, courage, and service" during this difficult time.

Macdonald started a GoFundMe campaign last week with the goal of reading $2,000. The community contributed $3,325.

Workers were served lunches from food trucks for Center Street Smoke House and Public Coffee Hub.

Social distancing was maintained throughout the food service.

The briefing is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

New Cases

• As of 2 p.m. today:
  • Genesee County received 4 new positive case of COVID-19 for a total of 21 positive cases;
  • One under the age of 65 residing in the central part of Genesee County;
  • Three under the age of 65 residing in the eastern part of Genesee County;
  • In Genesee County, the four positive cases were previously under mandatory quarantine and have tested positive. They are now under mandatory isolation at home;
  • Orleans County: three new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of nine;
  • All reside in the central part of Orleans County, one is over 65 and two are under 65;
  • One of the three is under isolation at the hospital and the other two are under mandatory isolation at home;
  • None of the Orleans positive cases were under precautionary or mandatory quarantine when they became symptomatic.
• Contact tracing has been initiated for all new cases. Known contacts have already been placed under mandatory quarantine and will be swabbed if indicated (if symptoms become present).
• If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated. Limited information is provided to the public in compliance with HIPAA regulations and out of the respect of those impacted by this virus.
• When, and if, there is a situation where potential contact is made in a public location where contact tracing doesn’t have actual names we will send out a media announcement to help seek contacts

Cumulative Data

New mapping platform – will be updating daily during the week. Link will be available on our web sites. Monitor both and individual county or both along with current and total numbers

• Healthcare providers are advising patients undergoing swabbing that are symptomatic (based on availability and screening for high-risk) for COVID-19 to self-isolate until test results are received and COVID-19 is ruled out. Follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
• Due to test kit availability, we are not providing community testing at this time. We will be announcing further information on this as local capacity increases.

OPERATIONAL UPDATES

• Be on the lookout for "GO Health Minutes." These short video clips will feature different guests within the health departments as well as legislative members, businesses, organizations and some of our neighbors to highlight important information pertaining to COVID-19. We will frequently be releasing new videos so be sure you are subscribed to our GO Health NY YouTube channel and check our websites and our social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
• Social distancing must be practiced in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. This means canceling events such as parties, celebrations, and neighborhood gatherings where people congregate together.
• This also means that children and adults should not play contact sports.
• These are temporary requests that will help stop the spread of the virus so that we can resume normal activities.
• If you must go to the store, always maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and other people and wash hands frequently.
  • Stores are not to be utilized as a social event. It is important people limit their trips to the store, choose a designated shopper and if at all possible leave the children home. Keep a 6 foot distance between other shoppers.
  • Take out / food trucks are not a gathering place. Keep 6’ space between other customers.
• Please remain home if ill, even if a person has a negative COVID-19 result it is important to continue to limit physical contact. Flu and COVID-19 are still transmittable and people should continue to remain home and limiting contact with others.
• If you work with a vulnerable population, self-monitor prior to going to work, if you become sick while at work, contact your supervisor immediately and leave the premises to decrease the risk of contact with others. When not working, follow social distancing and limit time in public.
• Medical Concerns: If you feel you may have COVID-19, call your primary care provider or healthcare facility ahead of time. DO NOT GO DIRECTLY THERE, CALL AHEAD TO GET GUIDANCE. Swabbing will be based on those who are in higher risk categories – elderly and immune compromised and those with underlying health issues.
  • Swab sample results are coming back slower than expected – some are over a week or more. With more testing, we expect this will continue. Whenever anyone is swabbed for potential COVID-19, self-isolation is advised until the test result is back
• Older Adults:  Be alert for scams, including government grant scams. What to look for:
  • Do not accept unsolicited phone calls or e-mails from someone claiming to be an official from the Federal Grants Administration, which does not exist, or a nonprofit organization like the National Residential Improvement Association offering grands or funding for repairs.
  • Don’t click on social media messages or posts from people excited to share thousands of dollars, free grants, etc.
  • The scammers may try using utility companies to access your information. Contact the utility using the number you have on your monthly bill not what the potential scammers have given you.
  • Let calls you don’t recognize go to voice mail, most scams won’t leave a message, however, don’t return unsolicited calls.  Write down the number and check online or have someone check for you to make sure it is legitimate. If you are unsure, or if it sounds too good to be true, ignore it and talk with a family member, the Office for the Aging, the Better Business Bureau or your local police.

Asking that folks be respectful and accommodating of health care workers and responders. They are doing their job to protect you and our community. 

• Anxiety, Depression, Fear: If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, fear about this outbreak call the Care + Crisis Helpline at 585-283-5200, text 741741 or call the NYS COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 884-863-9314, they have trained listeners available 24/7 to help you through this.

We're talking with Jason Barrett, founder, and president of Black Button. Black Button, a distillery, is making hand sanitizer and recently donated a batch to the Genesee County heriff's Office.

Here's the link to the GoFundMe page for Black Button's hand sanitizer distribution program.

As discussed in the interview, Black Button is producing the hand sanitizer and making it available to governmental organizations and those nonprofits that can afford it at cost; however, the GoFundMe fundraising effort is to help defray the cost of distributing the hand sanitizer to organizations that can't afford to pay for it.

Press release:

Today, NY-27th congressional candidate Nate McMurray voiced his opposition to a delayed sentence and potential pardon for former GOP Representative Chris Collins.

Yesterday, a federal judge granted a two-month delay for the prison surrender of Collins, who in January was sentenced to serve 26 months in prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and lying to the FBI. Collins’ lawyers argued that he has a high risk of contracting the coronavirus.

“No average citizen would be allowed this preferential treatment over and over again," McMurray said. "Collins’ high-priced lawyers bought him another two months of freedom. Chris Collins broke the law numerous times and disgraced Western New York and he has left this region without a leader during an unprecedented crisis.

“Collins’ legal team is attempting to seek a pardon for after the June 23rd election. My opponents Chris Jacobs, Stefan Mychajliw and Beth Parlato must stand up and say this is wrong. All three of them were either silent when Chris Collins ran or openly campaigned for him. Such behavior has to end now.”

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced highlights of the FY2021 Enacted Budget, which advances the Governor's Making Progress Happen agenda. The budget is balanced, includes no new taxes, continues to phase in tax cuts for the middle class, enacts the strongest Paid Sick Leave program in the nation, and advances other progressive priorities including the legalization of gestational surrogacy.

The Budget also enacts the "Josef Neumann Hate Crimes Domestic Terrorism Act" — named in memory of the Monsey stabbing victim who passed away this past Monday — defining hate-fueled murder with the intent to cause mass casualties as an act of domestic terrorism with penalties equivalent to other acts of terrorism.

The Budget closes a loophole to prohibit individuals who commit serious offenses in other states from obtaining a gun license in New York. It also allows judges to ban high-risk sexual offenders and those who assault MTA employees from accessing the MTA subway, bus and rail systems.

The Budget promotes public health by banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and capping insulin co-payments at $100 per month.

The Budget also prohibits gender-based pricing discrimination by eliminating the "pink tax."

The enacted budget will also permanently ban hydrofracking in state law to ensure we protect our natural resources.

The budget also authorizes a reduction in spending by $10 billion to account for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a moment in history unlike any other, and government needs to function and deliver results for the people of this state now more than ever — and that's exactly what we did with this budget," Governor Cuomo said. "That the legislature and the Executive got this budget done with all of these policy initiatives is an extraordinary feat, and I praise Speaker Heastie, Leader Stewart-Cousins and every member of the legislature.

"It would have been very easy to say, 'Oh, this is an extraordinary year; let's just do the bare minimum and go home.' We did the opposite. We said there is a lot of need and there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and we stepped up to the plate and we got it done. That it was done this year is really extraordinary."

2021 MAKING PROGRESS HAPPEN ENACTED BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Working New Yorkers: To further empower New York's workers and protect all consumers in the State, the FY 2021 Enacted Budget enacts a paid sick leave program for working New Yorkers. Businesses with five to 99 employees will provide their employees at least five days of job-protected paid sick leave per year and businesses with 100 employees or more will provide at least seven days of paid sick leave per year. Smaller businesses, with four or fewer employees, will guarantee five days of job-protected unpaid sick leave to their employees every year. Small businesses already providing paid sick leave will be able to so.

Legalizing Gestational Surrogacy in New York State: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget legalizes gestational surrogacy in New York State once and for all, helping LGBTQ couples and couples struggling with infertility. The legislation will also establish criteria for surrogacy contracts that provide the strongest protections in the nation for parents and surrogates, ensuring all parties provide informed consent at every step of the process, and will create a Surrogates' Bill of Rights, which would ensure the unfettered right of surrogates to make their own healthcare decisions, including whether to terminate or continue a pregnancy and that surrogates have access to comprehensive health insurance and independent legal counsel of their choosing, all paid for by the intended parents. The legislation included in the Budget will also create a streamlined process for establishing parenthood when one of the individuals is a non-biological parent, a process known as "second-parent adoption."

Passing the "New York Hate Crime Anti-Terrorism Act": The FY 20201 Budget establishes a "domestic act of terrorism motivated by hate" crime as a new A-1 class felony punishable by up to life in prison without parole.

Closing the Out-of-State Gun Loophole: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget includes legislation to prohibit individuals from obtaining a gun license who commit serious offenses out-of-state that would disqualify them from obtaining a gun license if committed in New York. This will provide greater consistency in New York's licensing scheme and ensure individuals who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm are not able to do so. The Enacted Budget also includes legislation to require all state and local law enforcement agencies in the state to opt in to the ATF's crime gun trace data sharing program and submit crime guns recovered through the ATF's eTrace system. Additionally, the Enacted Budget includes legislation to amend the Mental Hygiene Law to allow New York to share reports of individuals who are a danger to themselves or others with other states.

Housing and Services for People who are Homeless, Including Those with Mental Illness: New York's homeless community and those with mental illness are among the hardest populations to help. The FY 2021 Enacted Budget includes an aggressive strategy and additional support to provide housing and services to these vulnerable populations.

Enact a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policy. Governor Cuomo has taken unprecedented steps to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers by combatting the use of harmful tobacco and nicotine products. The Enacted Budget prohibits the sale or distribution of e-cigarettes or vapor products that have a characterizing flavor unless approved as part of an FDA pre-market approval; prohibits the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, in all pharmacies; restricts the delivery of e-liquid products only to NYS-licensed vapor retailers; restricts the public display of tobacco and vapor products near schools; requires manufacturers of vapor products to disclose to the DOH Commissioner and the public, information regarding the ingredients, by-products, or contaminants in vapor products, whether intentional or unintentionally added; bans certain carrier oils if they are determined to be harmful; bans coupons and manufacturer discounts and displays in shops; and increases penalties for illegally selling tobacco products to minors.

Prescription Drugs: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget includes a three-part plan to lower prescription drug costs for all New Yorkers. The Budget caps insulin co-payments at $100 per month for insured patients to help address the rising cost of insulin that has resulted in diabetes patients rationing, skipping doses and not filling prescriptions. Finally, the Enacted Budget establishes a commission of experts to study the feasibility and benefits of a Canadian drug importation program and submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for review.

Banning the "Pink Tax":The FY 2021 Enacted Budget prohibits gender-based pricing discrimination for substantially similar or like kind goods and services. The legislation would require certain service providers to provide price lists for standard services upon request and notice that gender-based price discrimination is prohibited under state law. Businesses that violate the law would be subject to civil penalties.

Authorized the creation of a $3 Billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act: The Budget authorizes the creation of a Bond Act to fund critical environmental restoration and climate mitigation projects in every corner of the state to ensure New York is able to adapt to the intensifying impacts of climate change, and reduce emissions, while creating jobs and local economic development. As part of the larger Restore Mother Nature Initiative, the Bond Act will be a key source of funding for projects focused on reducing flood risk, investing in resilient infrastructure, restoring freshwater and tidal wetlands, preserving open space, conserving forest areas, and reducing pollution from agricultural and storm water runoff. It will also fund up to $700 million in projects to fight climate change, including green buildings. It also aims to spend 35 percent of the funds on projects to benefit underserved areas of the state. The Budget Director will assess the state's finances and the economic outlook later this year and make a determination as to whether to move forward with the Bond Act.

Permanently Banning Hydrofracking: The Enacted Budget codifies Governor Cuomo's ban on the Department of Environmental Conservation approving permits that would authorize an applicant to drill, deepen, plug back or convert wells that use high-volume hydraulic fracturing as a means to complete or recomplete a well. In addition, it places a moratorium on future gelled propane hydrofracking applications until the Department can conduct an analysis of the impacts of this completion method. This will protect the health of New Yorkers and ensuring permanently that our environment is not harmed by this practice.

Continuing Middle-Class Tax Cuts: This year's Enacted Budget continues to lower Personal Income Tax rates for middle-class New Yorkers. In 2020, the third year of the multi-year tax cuts enacted in 2016, income tax rates have been lowered from 6.85 percent to 6.09 percent for taxpayers in the $43,000-$161,550 income bracket, and to 6.41 percent in the $161,550-$323,200 income bracket. These cuts are expected to save 4.7 million New Yorkers over $1.8 billion this year. Furthermore, income tax rates will continue to drop to 5.5 percent for taxpayers in the $27,900-$161,550 tax bracket and 6 percent in the $161,550-$323,200 bracket. When the cuts are fully phased in, middle class taxpayers will have received an income tax rate cut up to 20 percent, amounting to a projected $4.2 billion in annual savings for six million filers by 2025. As the new rates phase in, they will be the State's lowest middle-class tax rates in more than 70 years.

Increasing and Modernizing Emergency Response Capacity: Over 60 percent of New York counties have been flooded twice in the past 10 years. We must be ready to handle these increasing, life-threatening, emergency situations. It is a new and growing challenge for our state operations. The FY 2021 Enacted Budget sustains $12 million in capital funding to increase and update the State's emergency response capacity so our brave women and men have the right equipment to do their jobs.

Addressing Veteran and Law Enforcement Suicides: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget invests $1 million to partner with organizations to help veterans, law enforcement and first responders with suicide prevention efforts. The Budget also directs state agencies to expand suicide prevention strategies for veterans, law enforcement, correctional officers and first responders, including a new campaign by the Office of Mental Health to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Additionally, the State will convene a panel of stakeholders and experts at its annual Suicide Prevention Conference to develop and implement strategies for preventing suicide among these special populations.

Adding E Pluribus Unum to the State Coat of Arms: Our founding fathers said clearly that the idea of unity was the key to America's future. In 1782, on the first seal of the United States, they said it in three simple words - E pluribus unum, out of many one. This federal government and our nation seem to have forgotten that essential American principle. In this time of turmoil, New York State will remind the nation of who we are by adding E pluribus unum to the State's coat of arms as part of the FY 2021 Enacted Budget, proclaiming at this ugly time the simple truth that without unity we are nothing.

GREEN ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT

Accelerating Renewable Energy Projects and Driving Economic Growth as Part of Nation-Leading Climate Agenda: The Enacted Budget includes the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, which will dramatically speed up the permitting and construction of renewable energy projects, combat climate change and grow the state's green economy. The State will also accelerate renewable transmission delivery. The Act will create a new Office of Renewable Energy Permitting to improve and streamline the process for environmentally responsible and cost-effective siting of large-scale renewable energy projects across New York while delivering significant benefits to local communities. "Build Ready" sites will be pre-approved, permitted and auctioned to developers to prioritize the re-use of abandoned commercial sites, brownfields, landfills, former industrial sites, and otherwise underutilized sites. These actions will accelerate progress towards Governor Cuomo's nation-leading clean energy and climate goals - including the mandate to obtain 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources - as identified under the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

Banning the Distribution and Use of Styrofoam: The Enacted Budget prohibits the distribution and use of expanded polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, single-use food containers. It also bans the sale of expanded polystyrene packaging materials known as packing peanuts. This is the strongest statewide ban in the United States and will go into effect by January 1, 2022.

Enacting Comprehensive E-Bike and E-Scooter Legislation: To get more people out of cars, the FY 2021 Enacted Budget includes comprehensive legislation to legalize and expand the e-bike and e-scooter network without compromising on public safety.

Green Economy Tax Credit: The budget creates a new refundable, discretionary Green Jobs Tax Credit totaling up to 7.5 percent of wages for each net new job created fostering the expansion of green economy businesses and position New York State to further capitalize on significant projected green economic growth. The State will also create a refundable, discretionary Green Investment Tax Credit totaling up to 5 percent of qualifying new capital investments in connection with qualifying green economy projects and increasing to up to 8 percent of eligible investment for research and development in qualifying green economy projects.

BUILDING A NEW NY

Reimagining the Erie Canal: Building on the findings of the Reimagine the Canal Task Force, the New York Power Authority, which now oversees the Canal Corporation as a subsidiary, will invest $300 million over the next five years to integrate the Empire State Trail and Erie Canal through a new program that will stimulate tourism and economic development, address environmental challenges unknown a century ago, and create an asset that will improve the quality of life in communities along the 360-mile spine of the Erie Canal. A first phase of funding will start this year that will have two parts: a $100 million economic development fund to invest in communities along the Canal and a separate $65 million investment in solutions that will help prevent ice jams and related flooding in the Schenectady area. The remaining $135 million of the plan's funding will subsequently be allocated to research recommended by the Reimagine Task Force, as well as to solutions related to flood mitigation, invasive species prevention and ecosystem restoration.

Developing an Innovative Strategy to Build High-Speed Rail in New York: Governor Cuomo will convene a team of forward-thinking experts and engineers to reexamine past high-speed rail plans, question and rethink every assumption and method and recommend a new plan for how to build faster, greener, more reliable high-speed rail in New York.

Investing in Roads and Bridges: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget supports $6 billion for the Department of Transportation capital plan in FY 2021, including $2.6 billion for Upstate roads and bridges.

Regional Targeted Investments

Transferring Pier 76 Tow Pound to Hudson River Park for Reuse: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget requires the long-deferred transfer of Pier 76 from its use as a tow pound for the NYPD to the operational control of the Hudson River Park Trust to integrate into the park complex, maximizing green space, recreation and community access and market potential. As part of the legislation, the NYPD must vacate Pier 76 by the end of 2020.

Transforming Buffalo's North Aud Block: Supported by the FY 2021 Enacted Budget, the State will develop Buffalo Canalside's North Aud Block and improve access to the city's waterfront, featuring mixed-use residential and commercial buildings and a piazza for public use, based on community and stakeholder input. This also includes the rail station that is forthcoming in Buffalo and its coordination with the new North Aud Block neighborhood.

Creating the State's First Comprehensive Education and Training Center in Syracuse: To meet the emerging science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics demands in Syracuse, the FY 2021 Enacted Budget supports the creation of the State's first regional Comprehensive Education and Workforce Training Center in Central New York. Administered by the Syracuse City School District in partnership with SUNY Empire State College and other local colleges and universities, the Center will provide specialized educational opportunities and state of the art workforce training programs in advanced technologies to students and residents throughout the region. The State will reimburse 98 percent, or $71.4 million, of the cost to renovate the building that will house the Center. The Syracuse Comprehensive Education and Workforce Training Center is scheduled to open in 2021 and will serve ultimately 1,000 students, as well as residents of the community.

Expanding High Technology Companies in Rochester: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget supports the expansion of three industry-leading high technology companies in the City of Rochester that will further grow the Finger Lakes regional economy as part of the Governor's continued commitment to growing the high-tech ecosystem in and around Rochester's Downtown Innovation Zone. The expansion of these companies will create more than 700 jobs in and near Rochester's Downtown Innovation Zone.

Job Training for the Future: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget supports first-in-the-nation Future of Work Centers that will build on the success of the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo and establish two nation-leading Future of Work Centers. These Future of Work Centers will partner with the private sector, community organizations and SUNY/CUNY to create new short-term, non-degree credential and micro-credential programs to quickly address employer skill needs, both for existing workers as well as new workers.

COMBATING DIVISION AND ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY

Banning high-risk sexual offenders from accessing the MTA subway, bus and rail systems: The Budget includes a new measure authorizing a judge to prohibit individuals who engage in unlawful sexual conduct against an MTA passenger or employee or a crime involving assault against an MTA employee from using MTA transportation services for up to three years, or as long as on probation if less. Anyone who violates that condition can have contempt sanctions brought against them. The Governor proposed this measure in response to a number of recent MTA incidents involving repeat sex offenders.

Funding for State Police Hate Crimes Task Force: The State Police Hate Crimes Task Force was established by the Governor in 2018 to address the increase in bias-motivated threats, harassment and violence throughout New York State. The FY 2021 Enacted Budget includes $2 million to support the Task Force's ongoing work and to bolster the monitoring of digital media which promotes violence, intolerance, selling of illicit substances and terrorism.

Removing Guns from Domestic Abusers: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget authorize law enforcement to remove guns from the scene of a domestic violence incident. It would also establish a domestic violence misdemeanor to ensure abusers lose access to firearms immediately upon conviction. Further, it would authorize law enforcement officers to seize weapons from the home of an individual who becomes subject to a protective order arising out of a domestic dispute.

Banning Fentanyl Analogs: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget explicitly designates certain fentanyl analogs as controlled substances in New York State. This gives police and law enforcement the authority to prosecute the manufacturing, sale and distribution of these drugs to the fullest extent of the law. The measure also gives the State Department of Health Commissioner the authority to add additional analogs to the list of controlled substances, enabling the State to stay in front of these deadly substances as they appear on the market.

Adjustments to 2019 Criminal Justice Reform Law: The budget also makes adjustments to the 2019 bail reform law that addressed inequities in the criminal justice system. The budget clarifies the 2019 law to make sure judges know all the options available to them with respect to non-monetary conditions for release; enhances the options upon which a judge can condition release, including mental health referrals and requirements to attend counseling; and it adds several offenses that can be bail eligible, including sex trafficking offenses, money laundering in support of terrorism in the 3rd and 4th degree, child pornography offenses, repeat offenders, and those who commit crimes resulting in death.

PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY AND BUILDING TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

Requiring Automatic Manual Recounts in Close Elections: To fortify confidence in the integrity of election results in every race around the state, the FY 2021 Enacted Budget includes legislation establishing statewide standards for when automatic ballot recounts are triggered and the process for how such recounts will be carried out. The legislation requires automatic, manual recounts in all statewide elections in which the margin of victory for a candidate or ballot proposition is 0.2 percent of all votes cast in the contest. It also requires an automatic manual recount in all other elections in which the margin of victory for a candidate or ballot proposition is 0.5 percent of all votes cast.

Counting Every New Yorker in the 2020 Census: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget provides additional funding to ensure a fair and complete count of every New Yorker in the upcoming 2020 census. This funding builds on the statewide campaign to inform the public about the Census, encourage residents to complete the questionnaire and reach hard-to-count communities.

Strengthening Disclosure Laws: In June 2016, amid an increased lack of transparency in politics, Governor Cuomo advanced ethics reform legislation to address the landmark Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision that resulted in strengthened campaign finance regulations. Upon passage of ethics reform bills by both the Senate and the Assembly, the Governor signed New York Executive Law § 172, requiring disclosures of political relationships and behaviors widely recognized to be influential but which operate without exposure. The FY 2021 Enacted Budget Governor Cuomo strengthens this law by streamlining the reporting process for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations.

PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH

Establishing the SUNY Curing Alzheimer's Health Consortium. The Consortium will work to identify genes that predict an increased risk for developing Alzheimer's and collaborate with public and private research institutions on projects and studies to identify opportunities to develop new therapeutic treatment and cures for Alzheimer's. The goal of the Consortium will be to map the genetics of 1 million people, suffering from or at-risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, over 5 years. This new wealth of data will support researchers as they work towards developing new treatments and cures for the disease.

Medical Transparency Website Increasing Transparency in Healthcare Costs to Empower Patients: To enable consumers to more easily search for healthcare services, the FY 2021 Enacted Budget supports the creation of a consumer-friendly, one-stop website, called NYHealthcareCompare, where New Yorkers can easily compare the cost and quality of healthcare procedures at hospitals around the state. The website will be created by the Department of Health, the Department of Financial Services and the New York State Digital and Media Services Center.

Student Mental Health Program: The Budget provides $10 million in funding for grants to school districts to address student mental health in light of recent school closures. These grants are intended to improve student access to mental health resources and assist students who have experienced trauma that negatively affects their educational experience. This program will be administered by the Office of Mental Health and developed in consultation with the State Education Department.

INVESTING IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND PROTECTING STUDENT BORROWERS

Investing in Opportunity Programs: More than just developing programs to assist with tuition, the Governor supported and created additional programs to address the cost of attendance and help students with unique educational challenges. This includes a significant increase in opportunity programs in Open Educational Resources to reduce or eliminate some of the costs of textbooks and expanding food pantries at SUNY and CUNY. The FY 2021 Enacted Budget will make $213 million available for higher education opportunity programs and training centers, a 57 percent increase since FY 2012.

Requiring Transparency and Accountability for For-Profit Colleges: The FY 2021 Enacted budget includes for-profit college accountability initiative that is focused on transparency and outcomes to ensure that our students are well served in these schools. Numerous studies have found that for-profit colleges correlate to negative outcomes for students, especially low-income, minority and female students. For the $45 million in taxpayer funds going to these institutions, we need a higher level of accountability and transparency. The Budget will require for-profit schools to demonstrate positive outcomes for their students and include basic disclosure of funding and financing, including compensation packages of senior leadership and ownership, including any relevant bonuses and incentives. In addition, to further protect New York's veterans from unscrupulous schools that target them for their education benefits, the Governor will work with the Department of Veteran Services to bring more transparency to for-profit schools, identify opportunities to clarify state and federal commitments to education and ensure New York State's veterans will be protected in the for-profit education space.

Expanding College Student Enrollment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits: The Governor has acted to reduce food insecurity among college students, so they are better able to focus on their studies and successfully graduate. To continue these efforts, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance will establish policy to make more community college students eligible for essential SNAP benefits by establishing a state policy that community college students engaged at least half-time in career and technical education courses of study are exempt from the requirement to work 20 hours weekly to qualify for SNAP. This policy change will increase the participation of low-income college students in SNAP, providing them with essential nutritional benefits so they are more likely to obtain their college certification or degree.

Stopping Abusive and Deceptive Practices from Student Loan Debt Relief Companies: Governor Cuomo has championed financial assistance and debt relief for New York students, establishing the Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program—the nation's only state-sponsored need-based loan forgiveness program and enacting regulations prescribing standards of conduct for student loan servicing companies. However, additional protections are needed to protect New Yorkers from student debt relief companies that have had a poor record of serving their customers. These companies typically charge student loan borrowers substantial upfront fees and promise to assist them with consolidating multiple student loans into a single loan or alternative repayment arrangements. Borrowers, however, can often achieve the same results through free government programs. The Budget includes legislation setting standards for the student loan debt relief industry in New York.

CONTINUING OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIAL PROGRESS

Prevailing Wage: Requires that workers on private projects receiving a significant public subsidy will be paid a prevailing wage. Private projects larger than $5 million where at least 30 percent of construction expenses are supported by public grants, tax credits, or certain other incentives will be required to pay prevailing wage, extending important worker protections to even more components of New York's largest-in-the-nation building program.

Making the "New York Buy American" Act Permanent: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget makes the Buy American Act, which is set to expire in April 2020, a permanent fixture in New York State. The Buy American Act requires State agencies to use high-quality American-made structural iron and steel, continuing to support the State's steel and iron industry, create union jobs and ensure our infrastructure projects will last long into the future.

Expanding Access to Safe and Affordable Banking Services, Credit and Financial Education: The FY 2021 Enacted Budget invests $25 million in new funding over five years to support New York's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI). CDFIs are often the sole providers of banking services in low-income areas and underserved communities across the state. CDFIs will leverage this funding to an aggregate $30 million in targeted investment in these communities. This funding is part of the Governor's sweeping financial access and inclusion agenda that builds on the work his administration has done to expand access to safe and affordable banking services, credit and financial education. The Budget also creates a statewide Office of Financial Inclusion and Empowerment, based at the Department of Financial Services, to meet the financial services needs of low- and middle- income New Yorkers across the state.

FY 2021 ENACTED BUDGET FACT SHEET

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented negative impact on the global economy, the Enacted Budget maintains vital services and programs, while ensuring sustainability to weather this downtown, authorizes a reduction in spending by $10 billion and empowers the State Budget Director to develop a plan for across the board reductions and implement that plan as necessary over the course of the year. The budget also puts in place mechanisms to control spending through the year if revenues fall even further, and raise spending if either revenues come in higher than expected or the federal government delivers support that offsets the state's revenue losses. All funds spending is estimated to total approximately $177 billion and state operating spending is authorized up to $105.8 billion, however, in the absence of additional federal assistance or a faster than anticipated economic recovery, spending will initially total $95.8 billion.

Realigning School Aid

Due to the extraordinary challenges from our COVID-19 health crisis, creating a $10 billion loss in revenue to the State, support for schools will remain nearly flat for a total of $27.9 billion in school aid.

Redesigning Medicaid and Health Care

The FY 2021 Enacted Budget advances reforms to the Medicaid program that will ensure it remains financially viable for the future so it can continue to provide high-quality care to more than six million New Yorkers.

Medicaid spending will increase by 3 percent, or about $500 million ensuring continuing high-quality care for 30 percent of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid for health care. Spending growth is now back in line with targets established by the Governor in 2012 that kept New York State's Medicaid spending growth to less than half the national average, saving taxpayers more than $19 billion.

Many of these reforms were developed and unanimously endorsed by the Medicaid Redesign Team II, a cross-section of health care providers, labor, local government and other industry stakeholders. They were tasked with reforming the system, and their recommendations stuck to the Governor's guidelines that they must have zero impact on local government and zero impact on beneficiaries.

The reforms included in the FY 2021 Enacted Budget include a transformation of the hospital reimbursement structure to better support services to the uninsured, increases investments in primary care to avoid more costly hospitalizations and new requirements that enhance oversight of managed care and transportation.

Mooney's Sports & Bar Grill in Le Roy, which in 2019 went through a pubic health crisis that forced it to close for awhile and is now, like all restaurants, forced to reduce services because of another public health crisis, has announced on its own sign that it is for sale.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Press release from Chris Jacobs, NY-27 Republican Congressional candidate:

“For decades China has been able to conduct itself without recourse or responsibility. Their actions have threatened the economic stability of the world numerous times, and their manipulating has caused weakened global security; all while continuously committing human rights atrocities. Their handling of the COVID-19, lying and covering it up, has directly resulted in the death and suffering of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

"I applaud Rep. Stefanik for her leadership in introducing legislation to finally hold China accountable for their atrocities, and I urge every member of Congress to join her in supporting this measure. We need to send a loud and clear message that China’s actions will no longer be tolerated, and I plan on joining my future colleagues in Congress in supporting similar future measures. This is a matter of global security.”

Briefing.

Tonight The Batavian is hosting a live poetry reading featuring three Western New York poets, Scott W. Williams, Maria Sebastian, and Christopher M. Waide.

Scott Roblee, guitarist of Audibull plays "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Village of Le Roy. Scott said he wanted to “boost everyone’s morale“ during these difficult times because “we only have this one life, and we need to cherish every second."

Dozens of townsfolk came to watch live, and a video was also streamed on Facebook live.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Press release:

A moment of crisis says a lot about a person and a community. Faced with stress, uncertainty and fear, we all react in different ways. What your United Way team has witnessed over the past few weeks, in the face of the COVID-19 health crisis, has been inspirational. So many in our community have shown impressive leadership, selfless acts, and sincere caring.

In response to the health crisis and in adherence with recommendations of state and local Departments of Health, we have postponed the May 13^th Day of Caring until further notice.

We know you might want to help now. You can reach out to the United Way of Genesee County office to learn of volunteer and in-kind donation needs of our local nonprofits.

As our community moves from responding to this crisis to recovery, we know that nonprofits are going to need our community’s support more than ever. We hope to reschedule the Day of Caring to best support local nonprofits as they begin to rebuild their operations. Stay tuned for more information and thank you for standing United. 

Together we can make a difference.

Take care and stay safe,
Tammy, Susie and Jane

Press release:

New Cases

• As of 2 p.m. today:
  • Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19 for a total of 17 positive cases
  • One under the age of 65 residing in the central part of Genesee County
  • Orleans County: Has no new cases and is at a total of six positive cases
  • The new positive case was not under precautionary or mandatory quarantine when they became symptomatic.
• Contact tracing has been initiated for all new cases. Known contacts have already been placed under mandatory quarantine and will be swabbed if indicated (if symptoms become present). If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated. Limited information is provided to the public in compliance with HIPAA regulations and out of the respect of those impacted by this virus. When, and if, there is a situation where potential contact is made in a public location where contact tracing doesn’t have actual names we will send out a media announcement to help seek contacts

Cumulative Data

• Healthcare providers are advising patients undergoing swabbing that are symptomatic (based on availability and screening for high-risk) for COVID-19 to self-isolate until test results are received and COVID-19 is ruled out. Follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
• We are not providing community testing at this time. We will be announcing further information on this as local capacity increases.

OPERATIONAL UPDATES

• Social distancing must be practiced in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. This means canceling events such as parties, celebrations, and neighborhood gatherings where people congregate together. This also means that children and adults should not play contact sports. These are temporary requests that will help stop the spread of the virus so that we can resume normal activities. If you must go to the store, always maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and other people.
• Please remain home if ill, even if a person has a negative COVID-19 result it is important to continue to limit physical contact. Flu and COVID-19 are still transmittable and people should continue to remain home and limiting contact with others. If you work with a vulnerable population, self-monitor prior to going to work, if you become sick while at work, contact your supervisor immediately and leave the premises to decrease the risk of contact with others. When not working, follow social distancing and limit time in public.
• Medical Concerns: If you feel you may have COVID-19, call your primary care provider or healthcare facility ahead of time. DO NOT GO DIRECTLY THERE, CALL AHEAD TO GET GUIDANCE. Swabbing will be based on those who are in higher risk categories – elderly and immune compromised and those with underlying health issues.
  • Swab sample results are coming back slower than expected. With more testing, we expect this will continue. Whenever anyone is swabbed for potential COVID-19, self-isolation is advised until the test result is received.
• Older Adults: The Office for the Aging in both counties continues to operate. They are still providing meals to their residents and are working with their vendors to provide the potential increase in meals to the residents they serve.
  • For Genesee County: NYConnects / Office for the Aging call (585) 343-1611 Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • For Orleans County: Older Adults in Orleans County can contact Arc of Genesee Orleans Nutrition Program at 589-5424 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Office for the Aging staff members are coordinating with Meals on Wheels to ensure meal delivery to seniors in need. The staff are keeping their spirits up to stay safe and still deliver smiles with nutrition. There is a suggested donation for meal delivery, but do not let cost get in the way of asking for this help. If you have concerns about not having enough food call NY Connects/Office for the Aging at 589-3191.
• Anxiety, Depression, Fear: If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, fear about this outbreak call the Care + Crisis Helpline at 585-283-5200, text 741741 or call the NYS COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 884-863-9314, they have trained listeners available 24/7 to help you through this.