Lobby Day Follow-up
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
and the remainder of this week, will be when critical conversations about
library funding are talking place in conference.
Library Supporters in Senator Saland and Senator Seward's districts are
highly encouraged to call their offices today:
Senator Saland - (518) 455-2411
Senator Seward - (518) 455-3131
You are asking that 1) they fight to keep the Senate's* proposed increase
for system funding, a total of $8 million and 2) to make the system funding
increase and the $14 million in construction funds permanent. (*The
Assembly's proposal is one-shot funding of $6million total for systems. The
construction money is also one-shot funding again in the Assembly's
proposal) If any questions come up during your call that you feel you can't
answer just refer the person you are talking to to me at 845.471.6060 x39.
Supporters in all other legislator's districts are encouraged to use the
NYLA Online Advocacy Tool to keep our message on the front burner for
legislators and their staff: http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=925
I'd like to thank everyone who made the trek to Albany yesterday (apologies
if anyone is missing from this list - it's a bit chaotic trying to keep
track of everyone!) It was a long day and many people hung in there for
meetings beyond those with just the legislators for their home districts -
we really appreciated that!:
Debra Kamecke, Director, Cairo Public Library
Dot True, Trustee, Cairo Public Library
Eileen Court, Trustee Cairo Public Library
Jessica Maisano, Director, Catskill Public Library
Maureen Forrester, Trustee, Cairo Public Library
Linda Deubert, Director, Heermance Memorial Library (Coxsackie)
Stephen Hanse, Trustee, Heermance Memorial Library (Coxsackie)
Ned Schneier, Trustee, Roeliff-Jansen Community Library (Hillsdale, Ancram,
Copake)
Greta Boeringer, Director, Hudson Area Association Library
Mary Bartolotta, Board President, Hudson Area Association Library
Bob Soto, Trustee, Hudson Area Association Library
Betsy Hamilton, Trustee, Hudson Area Association Library
Nancy Westbrook, Trustee, Hudson Area Association Library
Sue Dilhoff, Friend, Hudson Area Association Library
Greg Callahan, Director, Hyde Park Free Library
Julie Johnson, Director, Kinderhook Memorial Library
Patty Easton, Trustee, Kinderhook Memorial Library
Gary Spielmann, Trustee, Kinderhook Memorial Library
Bruce George, Director, Kingston Library
Al Ahlstrom, Board President, Kingston Library
Phil Cosme, Trustee, Kingston Library
Pat Kaufman, Director, Mahopac Library
Alice Walsh, Trustee, Mahopac Library
Jim Cosgrove, Director, Marlboro Free Library
Martin Miller, MHLS & Patterson Library Trustee
John Burweger, Trustee, Pawling Free Library
Verna Carey, Trustee, Pawling Free Library
Karen Adamson, Trustee, Plattekill Library
Lynn Ridgeway, Trustee, Plattekill Library
Valerie Smith, Trustee, Plattekill Library
Janet Carter, Trustee, Saugerties Public Library
Joy Moore, Trustee, Saugerties Public Library
Matt Pfisterer, Director, Grinnell Library Association (Wappingers Falls)
MHLS Staff:
Josh Cohen
Margaret Keefe
Kerstin Cruger
Me
-Rebekkah
-----Original Message-----
From: MHLS Libraries List Serv
[mailto:MHLS_L...@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM]On Behalf Of Rebekkah Smith
Aldrich
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 9:59 AM
To: MHLS_L...@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Subject: [MHLS-Main] FW: [NYLINE] NYLA Legislative Alert
[please excuse the cross-postings]
-----Original Message-----
From: NYLINE -- New York's Libraries Information Network
[mailto:NYL...@listserv.nysed.gov]On Behalf Of Michael Borges
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 8:53 AM
To: NYL...@listserv.nysed.gov
Subject: [NYLINE] NYLA Legislative Alert
Please excuse the cross posting of this message.
Dear Library Advocates,
NYLA Library Lobby Day was a great success and our advocacy efforts were
again very timely in the state budget negotiations process. Over 800
advocates attended Lobby Day (despite fatal tractor trailer accident on
Thruway) and 62 state legislators had their READ photos taken at the
Legislative Breakfast which also drew a record crowd. At the Rally in the
Well of the Legislative Office Building, the following spoke: Senator Hugh
Farley, past and current chairs of the Assembly Libraries Committee, Sandra
Galef, Patricia Eddington and Amy Paulin, plus NYC Councilman Vincent
Gentile, Chair of the Council Subcommittee on Libraries, Janet Welch, State
Librarian and incoming Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education Jeff
Cannell, Rachel Baum, NYLA President and Kathy Miller, Legislative Committee
Chair.
Thanks to NYLA and library advocates across the state, the Senate has
proposed a $5 million increase in Library Aid as well as making permanent
last year's $19.7 million increase. The Assembly has proposed a $3 million
increase in Library Aid. This is the second year in a row that the
Legislature has proposed increases in Library Aid, which has not happened in
over eight years.
Keeping the momentum going is key to obtaining the proposed increases and
making last year's increases permanent. Please contact your state
legislator either by phone ( see links
http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForm or
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/ or via NYLA's Online Advocacy Center at
www.nyla.org .
Today, the Joint Budget Conference Committees will start meeting to resolve
the differences between the Assembly and Senate proposals. Listed below are
the members of the Education Joint Budget Committee, you definitely should
contact them as well.
Senate Education Joint Budget Conference Committee
Stephen Saland
John Flanagan
Frank Padavan
George Winner
James Seward
Suzi Oppenheimer
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Assembly Education Joint Budget Conference Committee
Catherine Nolan
Joan Christensen
Darryl Towns
Adriano Espaillat
Amy Paulin
James Hayes
Rob Walker
Stay tuned. I will keep you informed of further developments. Special thanks
to Kathy Miller, Chair and the Legislative Committee for their efforts in
moving our 2007 Budget Priorities forward.
Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association
252 Hudson Avenue
Albany, New York 12210-1802
Tel. 518-432-6952, ext. 101
fax 518-427-1697
dire...@nyla.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Coordinator of Member Information
Mid-Hudson Library System
103 Market Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845.471.6060 x39
FX: 845.454.5940
http://midhudson.org