About 250 seniors and their advocates gathered Friday to hear the latest on legislative issues and air their concerns at the 4th Annual Legislative Speak-Out at the County Center.
The event, sponsored by Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services and the Board of Legislators Committee on Generational, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity, was organized to stimulate discussion and educate local seniors about current events.
County Executive Robert P. Astorino opened the program by reassuring the crowd that he was doing everything he could to address the issue of high property taxes, which fall disproportionately on the elderly.
“Going forward I plan to build on our priorities from 2010: provide property tax relief, preserve essential services and promote economic growth,” he said. “Many of you live on fixed incomes while the cost of living in Westchester continues to rise. So when we lower taxes, you are among the biggest beneficiaries.”
He also stressed the importance of “bringing a new mindset to everything we do” and praised both seniors and advocates for looking for new ways to solve old problems.
“As you will hear from probably everyone who speaks this morning, we will probably be losing resources, not gaining them, so we must find ways to do a better job with less,” he said.
Other speakers expressed concern about possible federal and state cuts that would affect programs such as home-delivered meals and the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program.
DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter said government would be very shortsighted to cut such programs because they are less expensive than forcing seniors into health care facilities at taxpayer expense.
Also attending were Congresswoman Nita Lowey; Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz; John Cochran, assistant director of the New York State Office for the Aging; and county legislators Bernice Spreckman, Ken Jenkins (chair), Bill Burton, Jose Alvarado and Sheila Marcotte.
Carpenter told the attendees that they have a lot of work to do to get across to the elected officials why senior needs matter, and that attending the Speak-Out was a good way to start.
“By your presence here today, you are showing we are serious,” Carpenter said.