CSCS: Council of Senior Centers and Services of NYC, Inc.

NY1 The Call Blog

Advocates Vow To "Fight Like Hell" To Save Senior Centers

Friday, March 11, 2011

By NY1 News

Publication & Publisher: NY1

Listen to "The Call" last Friday

It's an absolute disgrace that anyone is even toying with the idea of closing senior centers. Instead of kicking elderly New Yorkers to the curb, the City and State governments should get rid of expensive consulting contracts and cut their own bloated bureaucracies. I'm sure that would save us far more than $25 million, and our seniors would keep their food, friends, medical checkups, socialization, education and more. If the City and State are still short on cash, I say it's way past time to ask the predators on Wall Street to pay up. They got us into this mess; they must help us out of it.

Oh, I also agree with Katherine, who points out closing the centers will end up costing taxpayers more in the long run. Politicians love to say, "We can't keep kicking the can down the road," but that's exactly what they're doing -- and in the process, they're costing seniors their health -- and possibly their lives. Shame.

Council members and seniors rallied at City Hall to urge Albany to restore proposed cuts that would close 105 senior centers. Lawmakers said the closures could be life-threatening for thousands of seniors who rely on the facilities for meals, medical check-ups and educational programs. Some suggested Albany extend the tax surcharge on wealthy New Yorkers to keep the centers open. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo want to let the tax expire.

In Queens, residents held a bittersweet reopening ceremony for the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center, which is among those on the chopping block despite $25,000 in taxpayer-funded renovations. Organizers called on residents to pressure lawmakers to keep their facility open.

Have you taken part in a rally or signed a petition to keep a senior center open? How would the closures affect your community? Should Albany look to rich New Yorkers for help?

I was at the rally today. It was very obvious by the sheer number of people -- SENIORS -- this is one area of the budget that should not be cut. Not only to for the basic idea of keeping community centers open that 'work' for the seniors but more so for the overall common-sense reason that we need to maintain and continue to build a society that values our most important resources -- PEOPLE. Starting with children up to caring for our elderly, this is how human beings should be. It's THAT simple.

When we see cuts across the board, to all persons in all fields (and this includes that 'talent' on Wall Street), then we can entertain cuts to the care of our Seniors and teachers. Until then, it's the beginning of the great divide in this country and we have only ourselves to blame.

We need to reconnect to what's right -- ALL THE TIME. Period.

Amy
IPN Senior Center in Tribeca

New Yorkers should support members of the New York City Council's 'Progressive Caucus' in their plan for the income tax surcharge.

And beyond this, we need to support a sensible tax system that brings accountability to bear upon the ultra-rich. A better tax system would have more brackets so that the super-rich pay higher rates.

A super-majority of citizens could support an agenda of progressive reforms - reforms that would finally subdue the heedless, anti-social, plutocratic class.

Please read the article, "Soak The Very, Very Rich", by James Surowiecki, from the August 16, 2010 edition of 'The New Yorker'.

Julie
Manhattan

I object to the cuts for our seniors at Clearview Senior Center. They need to have a place to enjoy friends and be active. Without this, they will become very depressed and that can lead to illness. Please find other solutions for this terrible problem.

Thank you.
Catherine
Flushing

I am a senior in Bayside and go five days a week to the Clearview Self Help Senior Center.
I'm there to not be isolated in my community.
I meet many people, i'm not lonely any more...people reach out to one another.
There are many functions that we have fun at...parties, trips, discussion groups, current events, art classes with wonderful art
teachers, health discussions, etc.
We have social workers who are always there for us ... for people who need help with food stamps, EPIC, alone ... they can always reach
out to our center and they get help.
The Clearview Self Help Senior Center is our home away from home.

Gladys

WE"RE NOT DEAD YET!!!!!!-but the city and state are trying to put the nails in the coffins of senior citizens!

$25 million is not that hard to find in the size of the New York State budget, whether it be from a millionaire's tax, uncovering mismanagement of funds, unnecessary programs, dishonesty of elected officials. or sitting down to do some creative thinking about how to continue funding of senior citizen centers.

These centers are vital to the mental and physical health, the ability to socialize, the avenue for continued learning, and the sustenance of older people, who have spent many years of their lives, in addition to adding to the tax rolls, in helping to keep this city going.

Don't let us fade away alone cooped up in apartments or homes with nothing to wake up for every morning! We are still vital citizens in the city of New York. KEEP OUR CENTERS OPEN!!!

Anita
Bayside/Whitestone

It's absolutely frightening that the City is proposing closing Senior Centers! How can it be expected that seniors will be expected to "navigate" to other places than those they are accustomed to? The City aught to be ashamed if such a proposal comes to pass.

Annette

New York, NY 10014

Seniors, like most folks, can be resourceful if their senior center closes due to city budget constraints. Seniors (of which I'm one) can meet in their apartments.
As for medical check-ups and care, they have health insurance: Medicare and/or Medicaid.
Uncertain if the center offers free meals but what about Meals-on-Wheels?
Taxing high income earners only chases them out of state. They can and do vote with their feet.
My advice: Don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg; don't eat your seed corn.

Hepzibah, Murray Hill

I think a surcharge for wealthy New Yorkers, is money well spent! Our senior centers are very important, not only for senior interaction and socialization but for extending lives. These centers enrich the lives of past pioneers, the stories and lives of some of the seniors are extraordinary. What a better place to share history!

Keith, Hollis NY

City Hall needs to get there act together...how can you kick seniors to the curb!

Josie
Kips Bay

These Wall Street so-and-so's have no shame. They will never do the right thing willingly and sponsor or cover the shortfall of funds needed for the social services that keep NYC a unified, humane and safe place to live.
I wonder of the Governor has what it takes to strong arm them into doing what it takes to pay to keep NYC and New York State once again among the best places to live? The funds needed seem large, but to them it is chump change.

Peace, Nick
Hell's K.

No I have not signed any petition to prevent the closing of many Senior Centers, because I have not seen anyone with a petition. I might get a petition and get seniors to sign them.
The closing of many of these centers would certainly hurt many of those seniors who rely on them for their food and other.
There are many seniors who the Senior Center Lunch is there main meal.
If they are looking for more revenues let them tax Alcohol, Cigarettes, and expensive jewelry.
Don't take it out on the Seniors who need these centers, which without them they would be hungry and lonely.

Linda
Upper East Side

Thanks for featuring this story about our demonstration today at City Hall. Many members of the City Council and a couple of our State legislators spoke to us and vowed to keep the pressure on to save all the senior centers in New York City.
Not only is it the mark of a civilized society to provide such needed services and programs, but it makes sense from a monetary point of view! While we use our centers to socialize we also provide each other with a support network and access to social services when we face crises in our lives. The end result is that we all stay healthier, mentally and physically. And that will cost us all less money in the long run. You do the math. Pay now or pay later.

Katherine in Brooklyn

This spineless gang of thieves we have representing us in the NY Government is "from hunger" as my 93 year old mother would say. We can only hope that Mr Cuomo gets some steel in his spine and makes the wealthy pay until the economy that they destroyed, recovers. May my dear old Mom live to see it happen.

Bill, NYC

Another Bloomberg ploy to strip critical services from the working class people of NYC -- we see it now in ever state in the country. Senior centers are chump change for the millionaires & billionaires of Wall St. and corporations who don't pay their fair share.

Watch out though, we will fight back too, like in Madison, WI and Tahrir Sq., Cairo. We won't go down easy.

Gretchen Berger
UWS

Closing the Senior Citizens is a disgrace to humanity. Seniors are the backbone of this city and country. Many attend these places because it is an outlet for them to "belong" to an extended family. Economically, this city and country is suffering, but let every "millionaire and billionaire" in this country "donate" $500,000.00 each in the county they reside. Surely, that will keep many of our much needed centers open to one of our most precious assets: Senior Citizens!

Liz
Rosedale

Senior centers provide a community for the people of the neighborhoods of New York City. For a beginning the Mayor should cut by 50% the budgets of the five Offices of the Borough Presidents. This Office of NYC Government provides no real value in terms of service delivery for the people of NYC with the exception of political patronage. Let's move the discussion beyond taxing the wealthy and really examine this wasteful office. The Borough Presidents don't warrant a $150,000 annual salary and such large payroll budgets for very little service in return. These Borough Presidents seem to use the Office as a primer to run for the Office of the Mayor of NYC.

John, Oakwood

I believed that with such economical chaos this city is going thru, there has to be a balance and prioritization when it comes to budget cuts. I agreed that senior citizens after giving so much, so many years of their life to the city, should have such recreational centers, However, if it comes down to investing less in these centers, and more in education, such as keeping our teachers, and head start programs, which is investing in our future generations, we should definitely go for it.
seniors citizens for the most part have families and friends that can look out, but our future generation, should be prepared for the future. and education resources and opportunity for our kids shouldn't be questionable, senior citizens centers are optional.

Melissa

To close senior centers is just plain wrong! None of us would be where we are without the sacrifices that seniors have made for us. Good, law-abiding seniors, former taxpayers, are being treated like step children and second class citizens in their twilight years. Not to take away from suffering people in other countries, but, it seems like there is plenty of money and compassion for people all over the world and none for those that built this country from the ground up. Plus, many people are in favor of providing college education to undocumented students so what is so wrong with taking care of the documented senior "citizens?" Let's be fair who knows how long the seniors will have to enjoy being active and engaged. The seniors won't drain the budget any more than the cost of housing the criminals in our prisons. They are getting 3 squares a day and don't have to work for a living. Seniors are cutting their prescriptions in half and eating catfood to keep from going hungry, but, not the criminals...they have medical care and 3 squares a day. Something is truly wrong with this picture! If this country has money for bombs and wars seems like they could afford to care for the most vulnerable citizens.

Like Rodney Dangerfield used to say "I just can't get no respect" and neither can our seniors!

One last sad comment regarding the plight of the senior centers closing. I have a dog and love her dearly. You see tons of commercials on tv begging viewers to send money to end animal abuse. Save the the malnurished cows, horses, dogs and cats. Yes it is heart-wrenching. When was the last time that anyone saw a commercial of a glassy-eyed senior, sipping tea and using and reusing old tea bags to save money. No one shows the seniors sleeping in their winter coats indoor to keep warm...maybe we should make commercials like this to drum up some compassion and some money to shame the politicians to do the right thing. The commercial should end with the closing comment "would you treat your own mother or father like this? Or for those that dress their pets in coats, sweaters, jewelry, and feed them better food than seniors. Maybe they should show a senior at a kitchen table with a bowl of soup or eating cat food and then pan to a cat eating out of a crystal goblet eating Fancy Feast cat food....this is just plain wrong !

Kathy from Throggs Neck da bronx

I support some form of tax surcharge to wealthy New Yorkers to keep our Senior Centers open.
Rally or Petition, I am all for it. I have had conversation with my City Council Member Daniel Dromm about lending my support to help keep the LeFrak City Senior Center open.
No more lip service about standing up our elderly population.

George
LeFrak City

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN - MUCH IS EXPECTED. If you are doing well - give, give and give a bit more. Shame on Cuomo. Has he forgotten the working class roots of his family. As another second generation Italian-American who has benefited from this country - I am ashamed of him. As for Bloomberg. He is beyond contempt.

A.J.
Hudson Heights

Dear bluberg You must do somteing beter in our five boros to keep our hospitals open and senors center to i would like to tell you my feelings how i feel about our center closeing i feel that is treatfull for evryone of us becuse we need hospitals and luthern famialy helth center to stay open in bay ridge becuse we have a lot of doctors and senors to and we need our doctors to be close to our naibhood anyway and also we have sick pepole and chilren to and what we going to do if a lot of hospitals are closeing that is not good ida and i could also see a lot of clinics are closeing to that is not fare from you what are you doing i strongly disseagree with you plans and its about hospitals and you should take more taxes on junck foods and beers to and also soda becuse sooda is hight in sugar and beer is makeing a lot of pepole drung and drives a lot of familes crzy i'm a voulunteer in senor center and i work for lutheran that is located on 91 st and shre road bildig nuber 9000

my name is almedina i'm from brooklyn bayridge

Look every one has to pay their share of taxes!

Who are the Mayor and the Governor to wave this obligation for the rich.

Why are we supporting the rich???

It is ironic that our republic was forged on the issue of taxes and the reluctance of the rich to pay their share!

Mark my words this short of privilege will be the undoing of this republic, our state and our city!

DW Qns.

Temporally raise real estate tax on NYC landlords

henry