Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Local 828 Donates to Area Veterans

For the second year the generosity of our Local came through with the delivery of shoes, socks, scarves, gloves, candy and more for the Rochester Veterans Transition Center (RVTC).  These items will be used as stocking stuffers to give out to Veterans who have been down on their luck and need a helping hand.  This year we engaged the retirees who are part of a knitting circle who worked tirelessly to make sure the Veterans were taken care of…a special thank you to Cris Zaffuto for leading the charge.    The RVTC is a federally funded program that provides necessary life-saving services for Veterans in the Rochester and Monroe County area.
Louis, Angela and Kathy - Photos by Bess Watts
Gifts were overflowing
Kathy, Angela and Bess 
Big props go to Local 828 Women's Committee Chair Angela Muscianese for her organizing efforts and to Kathy Begemann & Local President Bess Watts for their assistance in delivering the gifts and provisions.  A special shout out to the Public Defenders Office for going above and beyond with their donations.  

The generosity of CSEA members (and retirees) never ceases to amaze. And a big THANK YOU to all our generous units for making this effort a huge success!   
Angela-Chair of the Local Women's Committee


Saturday, December 10, 2016

This week in Albany

This Week in Albany

Week ending December 9, 2016

Economic Development
This week, Governor Cuomo announced over $700 million in “economic development” funding that will be distributed as part of the annual Regional Economic Development Council process.
While the State continues to spend billions on programs with a questionable return on investment, CSEA will continue to fight to ensure that New York properly funds the services that our communities depend on.
At a Glance
The State Senate and Assembly have been discussing the possibility of holding a special session next week to address a number of issues, including possibly the first pay raise for legislators since 1999. Governor Cuomo has publicly released a list of reforms he would like to see taken up if the legislature does hold a special session, but no session has been officially called yet.
Federal Update
Congress has been working to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded until April 28. The bill generally maintains current government funding, with additions including $872 million for healthcare measures and $170 million to deal with water contamination issues.
At the time of this writing, the bill had passed the House but faced a potential roadb
lock in the Senate. Several Senate Democrats have said that they will not vote for the bill unless it contains a longer-term extension of healthcare and retirement benefits for miners whose benefit fund is running out of money.
Current funding for the government expires on Saturday.
In other federal news, President-elect Donald Trump announced Andrew Puzder as his choice for secretary of Labor. Puzder, who is the CEO of a fast-food company that includes Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., has a long record of opposing provisions to help workers. Puzder is skeptical of raising the minimum wage, opposes the Obama administration’s efforts to expand eligibility for overtime pay, has criticized paid sick leave policies, and supports increased automation in his industry.
Constitutional Convention Poll
Please take a moment of your time to answer our quick poll regarding a state constitutional convention.
Click here to take the poll. It will only take a minute.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Student Loan Debt Relief Clinic

ATTENTION Rochester, NY/Monroe County residents: There will be a Student Loan Debt Relief Clinic on Saturday, December 10 in the Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Central Library - 9:30 -- 12. It is open to the public and free.   Please click on the link below for Registration Information.

https://goo.gl/forms/jHbWfT8yinfschSI2 or contact
Mildred Garcia at 518-257-1411 or mildred.garcia@cseainc.org


Monday, November 7, 2016

CSEA Region 6 Endorsed Candidates


In Monroe County please VOTE for Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, NY State Senators Rich Funke & Joe Robach.  For Assembly Mark Johns, Joe Morelle and Harry Bronson.  Finally, Monroe County Clerk Adam Bello.  Your vote matters.




Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Our Local Honors Congresswoman Louise Slaughter

CSEA Local 828 Monroe County honored Rep. Louise Slaughter with a certificate of appreciation for her service and dedication to the working families of Monroe County at the General Membership Meeting on October 27th.  Presenting the award is Bess Watts with Louise Slaughter at Red Fedele's Brook House.  Over a hundred members attended the Local meeting.   Photos by Ove Overmyer.


Friday, October 14, 2016

CSEA Monroe County Employees Reject Contract Offer

CSEA MONROE COUNTY EMPLOYEES REJECT CONTRACT OFFER

cat-logoMessage from Jim D’Amico and the CSEA Monroe County Contract Action Team:
Dear Members:
On October 13, a majority of members of CSEA Unit 7400 (Local 828) voted to reject the terms and conditions of a new labor agreement that was tentatively signed on September 13. The official results are as follows– 377 voted yes and 463 members voted no.
The ratification vote was a mail-in secret ballot issued from September 22 to October 6. The contract vote was tallied this evening starting at 6:00 pm at the CSEA Rochester Satellite Office at Winton Place. Approximately 1,700 CSEA-represented workers have been working under the language of the previous four-year contract that expired in December 2013.
On behalf of myself and the Contract Action Team, we want to take a moment to assure you we are doing everything in our power to deliver on our promise of a fair contract. Although the tentative agreement did not pass this evening, we are moving in the right direction. Our first and next order of business will be to survey our members and document feedback to figure out the best path forward. Let me be perfectly clear– we are committed to reaching an agreement that is respectful to employees and taxpayers alike.
Any questions, comments or concerns about future negotiations with our employer can be directed to our CSEA Unit 7400 office located at 1354 Buffalo Road, Ste 6, Rochester, NY 14624. You can call mornings at 585-328-5250. For media inquiries, please contact Ove Overmyer at 585-354-1613.
Sincerely,
Jim D’Amico, CSEA Unit 7400 President

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Donald Trump and the real meaning of taxes

Donald Trump and the Real Meaning of Taxes
Rochester, NY-- Like many Americans, I physically recoiled when learning Donald Trump claimed almost a billion dollars in failed business dealings in 1995 and then bragged about the fact not paying taxes makes him “smart.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Not paying your fair share of taxes makes you a criminal in the eyes of most—just ask Wesley Snipes and Martha Stewart.
Despite all the spin from the political extremes, what gets overlooked every time we debate taxes is the real meaning behind why we pay them in the first place.
I reject the conservative arguments they tell about paying taxes. I abhor Donald Trump’s behavior and his view of the world. It reflects a chronic disconnection from our role as citizens; it is devoid of any civic meaning. The real meaning of taxes pays for the things that underpin our public life and connect us to one another through our communities, our states and our country.
Most things that require effort and sacrifice-- family, service, charity, and volunteerism-- have virtuous or at least redeeming meaning associated with them. That meaning helps us face life’s challenges with a larger sense of purpose that makes these acts worth the investment.
Donald Trump believes taxes are seen as merely depriving him of his individual property. If, on the other hand, we see ourselves as stewards of common good, as citizen managers of public systems and structures that secure the city, state and country we live in, then taxes are our contribution to something greater than our individual selves. This is a concept Donald Trump will never understand— and makes him disqualified and unfit to be President of the United States.
No matter what kind of place we call home-- rural, city, suburb-- our aspirations and expectations are inextricably linked with the public systems that provide for our quality of life. Public services pay for the collective basics of what we need to raise our families and to run successful businesses. The act of paying taxes gets a bad rap and we need to flip that notion on its head. Thank god for taxes-- it enables us to do things collectively we could never do on our own.
I would argue we all need to be telling a new and meaningful story about paying taxes that celebrates the concrete opportunity it offers “we the people.” The problem is, without the public systems and structures that taxes pay for, the America we know and love would cease to exist. The real meaning of taxes is what connects us all—a concept Donald Trump will never ever be able to comprehend.
-Ove Overmyer
AFSCME / CSEA NY Local 1000


Monday, August 22, 2016

CSEA Endorses Harry Bronson

CSEA Calls Harry Bronson a Champion for Working People

Photos by Ove Overmyer
Rochester— CSEA, New York’s leading union, has formally announced it is backing NYS Assembly member Harry Bronson in his primary re-election bid to keep his seat in the 138 Assembly District (Rochester, Henrietta, Chili). Harry has served the members extremely well since he was first was elected to the NYS legislature in 2010. Along with almost every other labor and civil rights organization in New York State, CSEA looks forward to continuing our partnership with Mr. Bronson.

Bess Watts, CSEA Monroe County Local President and a member of the CSEA Monroe County Political Action Team says you couldn’t ask for a better partner in government. “All public officials should strive to be as hard working, talented, diplomatic and dedicated as Harry Bronson. He understands exactly what his constituents need—and we should know. CSEA has thousands of members who live in his district. They tell me how results driven he is—and I know firsthand by personally working with him on several public policy initiatives. He has proven himself to be a problem solver unlike others who attempt to unseat him.”

CSEA Western Region President Florence Tripi also praised the Bronson endorsement. “Harry Bronson is a man of integrity and a true champion for working people. No one we know works harder than Harry—and gets proven results. We are thrilled to support and partner with an elected official that respects and understands the value of public employees and worker rights. We will do everything in our power to make sure he keeps his seat in the Assembly,” she said.



Sunday, August 14, 2016

Monroe County Contract Rally

Hundreds of people turned out for a rally for a fair contract in front of the Monroe County Legislature building on August 9th.  It is time to bargain in good faith and get back to the table.  Several members spoke at the County Legislature meeting after the rally including Flo Tripi CSEA Region 6; President, Bess Watts CSEA Local 828 President and Jim D'Amico, Unit President.   
You could feel the energy and solidarity!  



Members were out in full force rallying for a fair contract

Members packed the Monroe County Legislative chamber

Bess' speech to the Monroe County Legislative body

Good Evening, my name is Bess Watts, President of Monroe County Civil Service Employees Association Local 828.  For over 50 years CSEA has represented the county’s  workers to insure that they are fairly compensated for the valuable services they provide the public.  For most of those years the relationship between labor & the elected County administration was positive and respectful and led to smoothly negotiated contracts quickly put in place so workers and management could resume their focus on the work they do….

Today however the climate is adversarial toward dedicated, skilled and hard-working employees  and contract negotiations drag on unsettled for years. Who benefits from the years of wasted effort? Not workers, not managers, not the public in need of services… only the outsourced legal consultants, the high priced private law firm Harris Beach, major donors to the Republican party, benefits from every billable hour they spend thwarting a fair contract settlement.    

For several years these negotiators have demonstrated an overt disregard for the value and skill of professional and paraprofessional workers who are employed by Monroe County.  County administrators have taken measures to hide the true cost of tax dollars spent on the law firm Harris Beach.  Much like the inscrutable dealings of the County with their use of LDC contracts, the County employs lack of transparency and intentional accounting obfuscation when one questions the true cost and value of outsourcing legal work that the well-staffed internal County legal department would do. 

After the LDC fiasco please don’t ask County taxpayers to “trust” that their money is being used wisely…  It is valid to ask why the county retains a firm that cannot seem to successfully negotiate contracts despite the huge sums it is paid…   Negotiate in good faith to insure the operations of the County run smoothly & county workers have the support and resources necessary to deliver the high quality services our county residents deserve. Thank you.





Friday, June 17, 2016

CSEA Responds to Orlando Massacre



Here is a statement by CSEA President Danny Donohue on the Orlando massacre:
Events of this past weekend in Orlando, Fla. are more evidence that we still live in a world with too much hate, intolerance and violence. Our polarizing politics contribute to it, and it is time to stop. It begins with each us, in our heart. Gandhi said it best when he urged people to be the change you seek.

Monday, May 23, 2016

CSEA Local 828 Scholarship Award Presentations

Webster, N.Y.—On Monday, May 23, CSEA Monroe County Local 828 Executive Board, Local 828 Scholarship Committee hosted the 23nd Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner at Liberty Lodge at Finn Park, 850 Maple Dr., Webster, N.Y. Many members from the Retirees Local 912 also served on the Scholarship Committee as well.

At the picnic supper, Local officers formally announced the winners of the CSEA Local 828 George M. Growney Memorial Scholarships and Unit 7400 Scholarship Awards for 2016. This year, $10,000.00 was awarded to deserving area students whose parents or caregivers are members in good standing of CSEA Monroe County Local 828.

Since 1993, CSEA Local 828 has awarded over $145,000 in scholarship prize money. In 1993, the Monroe County Employees Unit 7400, the largest Unit in the Local, created their own scholarship program and have distributed more than $25,000.

Mr. Growney was a long time local labor leader and activist. He was employed as a probation officer with Monroe County. He served as local president for nearly two decades before his retirement in 1995. George had a passion for kids to succeed, and would be proud that his union brothers and sisters have carried on his legacy of love and commitment to youth. George M. Growney died on August 10, 1997. The scholarship program was named in his honor in 1998—one year after his passing.

“This is one of the best things we do as union activists,” said Bess Watts, President of Local 828. She added, “It’s very rewarding to know we are helping our young people succeed in life and it is my favorite event of the year.”

CSEA Local 828 Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors whose parents and caregivers are members or agency shop fee payers of Monroe County Local 828. The scholarship committees have reviewed thousands of applications in the past 23 years, which demonstrates the significant need of financial resources for young adults continuing their formal education. Scholarships applicants are judged on academic achievement, a written essay, financial need and potential.

Here are the winners:

A special thank you to the Scholarship committee for all their hard work!



Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Village of Brockport Dissolution: My view from here


A Main Street shop owner sweeps up the sidewalk near her storefront on a spring afternoon.
Photo by Ove Overmyer, ©2016
Guest Essay by Ove Overmyer

Brockport, NY-- As Election Day approaches May 24, I have some thoughts I want to share with you. First of all, I was born many years ago at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, NY. I am from a very large family and I'm sure most residents who have lived in the area will recognize the family name. I attended High School there and I still have plenty of family and friends who I care deeply about who still call this historic Victorian canal town home.

I mention this only because I want to squash any impression that I don’t have a horse in this race— in fact, I do and so do you no matter where you call home. Anytime there is a threat to one’s quality of life, folks need to speak up and take a stand for each other. This is because it’s not just a fight for Brockport residents to keep their village whole-- this is about something much bigger. It’s a threat and attack on the existence of government itself. Government is a positive social and civil contract that attempts to improve people's lives and hold everyone accountable. Government gets a bad rap and I'm here to defend it.

By virtue of full disclosure, I must also state that I work for a union who represents the DPW workers who are employed by the Village of Brockport. That being said, this makes my resolve all the more meaningful.

I personally consider putting a vote to village dissolution an act that threatens our personal safety and risks our financial security— and it will inevitably diminish everyone’s way of life. While I know some people think local governments are dysfunctional, I respectfully disagree. After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding this particular village dissolution vote in Brockport, I’m pretty sure you will come to same conclusion that I did. The residents of the Village of Brockport, a high-profile SUNY college town at that, will have a better quality of life and a more efficient delivery of services if they vote NO on May 24.  

Dissolution is devoid of any civic meaning

If you believe the dissolution argument, the conservative and libertarian arguments, then you probably believe Americans are cast as victims of a vast corrupt system. As the narrative goes, we are just taxpayers bearing up under the obligation to pay into federal, state and local coffers. Some are stoic in the face of the inevitability of “death and taxes,” while others burn with resentment like the old Tea Party folks.

Here is the problem. What is missing from this picture is any sense of a larger meaning in the act of paying taxes in the first place. Most other things that require effort and sacrifice-- family, service, charity, and volunteerism-- have virtuous or at least redeeming value associated with them. That meaning helps us face life’s collective challenges with a larger sense of purpose that makes these acts worth the investment.

When we lose sight of this, taxes and government are seen as merely depriving us of our individual property. If, on the other hand, we see ourselves as government stewards of common good, as citizen managers of public systems and structures that secure the village, city, state and country we live in, then taxes are our contribution to something bigger than our individual selves.

The stories we hear about government dissolution and paying less tax reflect a chronic disconnection from our role as citizens; they are devoid of any civic meaning. The real meaning of local government and taxes pays for the things that underpin our public life and connect us to one another through our villages, our communities, our states and our country. The fact remains, no one can predict what will happen if the village dissolves. Your taxes might even go up. Every village dissolution process is different—and yields unintended consequences every time. To compare other jurisdictions that have dissolved to what might happen in Brockport is like comparing apples to oranges.

Three words motivate the dissolution movement: power, profit and greed.

First of all, there are many national right-wing think tanks that provide tool kits and playbooks for dissolutionists to use as reference. The fundamental question is, does such an extreme "outsider" ideology have a place in determining your future when it comes to delivering vital village public services? Only you the voter can answer that question. 

It should be important for everyone to know what motivates the few families who are pushing this dissolution vote in Brockport— and someone needs to openly shed a light on what’s really going on here. It’s no secret the dissolutionists inordinately own most of the real estate rental property in the village and want to stick their bony finger in the eye of village government. After all, village officials are the only stop-gap measure in preserving your property values and the historic landmarks that dot each village street. 

The landlords selfishly think eliminating village government, code enforcement and public safety officers will remove all barriers yielding an increase in their business profit margin— all at your expense. This is really about greed folks—plain and simple. Is this the way a civil community responds to such critical issues of the day? Voting to dissolve their village? I think not. As it is, this landlord group continues to badmouth those who politely disagree with them and thumb their nose at their neighbors while at the same time, they decimate the housing stock in one of New York State’s most historically vibrant communities. It would be a travesty if voters allow them to get away with it.

On Election Day, please remember our local village government keeps you safe like nobody else can. Your government educates your children. Your government provides you and your community vital services you cannot do on your own.

Your government also creates ladders of opportunity so citizens can create their own personalized version of the American Dream. I know firsthand how extraordinary local government can be— I worked in a public library system for 18 years and witnessed how it can transform lives.

We all need to be telling a new and meaningful story about the positive aspects of government and taxes that celebrate the concrete opportunity it offers we the people. Please vote NO on May 24. 




Monday, May 2, 2016

CSEA Monroe County employees delcare contract impasse

CSEA Declares Contract Impasse with Monroe County
 
Rochester— The Civil Service Employees Association Monroe County Unit 7400, Monroe County’s largest public service union, has declared a contract impasse today with its employer. Impasse was declared with the New York State Public Employment Relations Board after the negotiating team polled members and determined that a final contract could not be reached without assistance from a mediator. CSEA hopes the intervention of a neutral third party will be able to break the county’s refusal to negotiate in good faith and bring both sides to a fair and equitable agreement.

CSEA’s collective bargaining agreement with Monroe County expired on December 31, 2013 at midnight. The county has refused to honor its meeting requirements and have told workers that their position on contract details have not changed since the Brooks administration. The last negotiation meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 21. Union leaders got a call late afternoon on Thursday, March 17 only to find out county officials unilaterally canceled the meeting with no just cause. Currently, one out of eight full time bargaining units has a valid negotiated contract with the county.

"We are very disappointed that the county chose not to meet with us. With respect to terms and conditions of employment, county officials and their outsourced law firm are dictating-- not negotiating a fair and equitable deal," said Jim D’Amico, Unit President for the county workers.

In the past 8 years, county workers have only received a 2 percent cost of living adjustment, well below the threshold for the consumer price index and rates of inflation. During the same time period, some top county management officials have garnered a 21 percent wage increase during the same time period.

D’Amico added, "In our last contract, workers made big concessions and got nothing in return. Morale is at an all-time low. However, we are ready, willing and able to get back to the table and hammer out a fair contract. Unfortunately, in my opinion the county is more concerned about keeping an outsourced law firm on retainer than making sure county workers have the support and resources necessary to deliver the high quality services our county residents have come to know, love and respect. Our members decided that impasse was the best course of action."

-30-

CSEA is New York State’s leading union, representing employees of New York State and its counties, towns, villages, school districts, library systems, authorities and public corporations. Together with a growing population of private sector members and retirees, CSEA forms a union 300,000 strong. It is also the largest affiliate (and Local 1000) of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) which, in turn, is one of the largest affiliates of the AFL-CIO.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

CSEA Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety & Health


Lake Placid, NY—Several hundred CSEA leaders and occupational safety and health activists attended the union’s Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health in Lake Placid, NY from April 15 – 17. The theme “Never Quit” prevailed throughout the conference which featured numerous safety and health training programs. The weekend was highlighted by several events, including:
Judy Johnson, Debbie Ake & Tom Pollizi
Photos by Bess Watts

a rousing welcome by President Danny Donohue: “I hope that you feel inspired and ready to bring home new practices and new awareness to better tackle the health and safety issues in your worksite".

A Sunday morning plenary program highlighted member engagement and the value of our Union in guaranteeing a safe, fair and just working environment.

Sunday morning closing session 
Attendees remembered fallen workers at a Workers Memorial Day ceremony, particularly 6 CSEA members who have passed away on the job over the past two years.



     Several local businesses displayed their support for CSEA in their windows. CSEA supports the local economy with conferences like this...good for workers and the community at large. 



CSEA Canary with members from CSEA Local 828






Sunday, April 10, 2016

Hillary Rally at MCC

Photo by Bess Watts
On April 8th Hillary Clinton made a stop at Monroe Community College where CSEA showed up in force to stand in support!  A great rally and a great day.   Pictured above is Ove Overmyer, MCC Unit President Thomas Pollizi, Tim Finnigan and Debbie Ake.
Photo by Bess Watts
Members stood behind Secretary Clinton while she spoke in support of education, unions and jobs!
Photo by Ove Overmyer

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Guest Essay: Government and taxes are not the problem

Ove Overmyer
By Ove Overmyer
Rochester— For many decades, well before the Ronald Reagan administration, conservatives and libertarians in the United States have been demonizing and attacking government and I believe not enough has been done to defend its reputation. So, listen up my Conservative, Republican and social media friends. I have some thoughts I want to share with you.
Most sane people recognize that despite its problems, government plays an essential and vital role in promoting a quality of life we could never afford on our own. While pundits bicker over cause and consequence, one question remains, “How do we right size our priorities?”
Let me begin by saying when we recklessly ridicule, reduce and under-fund America’s great democratic experiment like most conservative talking heads do on a daily basis, we are hampering our ability to transform people’s lives, solve problems and to effectively address our most pressing social, economic and environmental concerns.
To see what is at stake in this battle over government and the size of it, we need only consider how efforts to limit government and to privatize public institutions in this country have caused us to fall behind many other advanced democracies in providing a basic standard of living. Most western European countries, for instance, have larger public sectors and do much better in a wide variety of areas, including happiness quotients, retirement security, poverty reduction, child care availability, affordable higher education, pollution control, limiting workplace injuries, creating affordable housing, crime control, infrastructure investment, healthcare access and much more. If American history has taught us anything, when we invest in public services everyone flourishes—even rich people.
Moreover, it certainly doesn’t help local communities prosper when your local television news station irrationally propagates an anti-government narrative every night at the dinner hour. WHEC-TV 10 series, “NY Exposed” is nothing more but the same rhetoric we hear from corporate America—a free market economy will fix everything, any tax is a bad tax, unionized workers are worthless and your state legislators are corrupt, lazy or incompetent. The Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., parent company of the NBC affiliate in Rochester, is subscribing to the worst common denominator by appealing to your most primitive emotions—mainly promoting anger, fear and resentment at your neighbors while at the same time telling you they-- "the media" are on your side. Let’s get something straight—this media company is motivated by two things only— find an identity in our market and drive up revenue for its investors. It's major concern is to turn a profit for its ownership at any cost even if it has to skirt FCC regulations in the process and divide our community along political, racial and socioeconomic schisms. They do not report the news-- they manufacture it.
While national GOP leaders foolishly continue to tell their constituents that “big government” is the problem, you should have expected an outsider like Donald Trump to fill that void. This is why the national GOP Party is imploding—the old Ronald Reagan talking point “government is too big” and “government is the problem” accounts for the rise of a “non-politician” like Donald Trump—and now the self-destructive GOP is in virtual collapse which puts all of us at risk. And by the way, the "government" didn’t poison the residents of Flint, Michigan—Governor Rick Snyder’s austerity budget and the move to privatize the delivery of water did.

Death, taxes and citizenship 

If you believe conservative and libertarian arguments, then you probably believe Americans are cast as victims of a corrupt system. As the narrative goes, we are taxpayers bearing up under the obligation to pay into federal and state coffers. Some are stoic in the face of the inevitability of “death and taxes,” while others burn with resentment like the old Tea Party folks. We dread the task of hauling out that folder of receipts and calculating just how much of our income we have to hand over to Uncle Sam.

Here is the problem. What is missing from this picture is any sense of a larger meaning in the act of paying taxes in the first place. Most other things that require effort and sacrifice-- family, service, charity, and volunteerism-- have virtuous, or at least redeeming value associated with them. That meaning helps us face life’s challenges with a larger sense of purpose that makes these acts worth the investment.
The stories we tell about not paying taxes reflect a chronic disconnection from our role as citizens; they are devoid of any civic meaning. The real meaning of taxes pays for the things that underpin our public life and connect us to one another through our communities, our states and our country.
When we lose sight of this, taxes and government are seen as merely depriving us of our individual property. If, on the other hand, we see ourselves as government stewards of a common good, as citizen managers of public systems and structures that secure the city, state and country we live in, then taxes are our contribution to something bigger than our individual selves.
I believe with all my heart that government is one of the best inventions known to civil societies. It keeps America safe and should create ladders of opportunity and frameworks where the American people can succeed and create their own version of the American Dream. I know this first hand—I worked in a public library for 18 years and I saw how it can transform a person’s life. If government is given the tools necessary to allow all Americans the opportunities they deserve, we’re all going to be better off. That doesn’t restrict people’s freedoms as conservative talking heads would suggest—it will enhance it.
We all need to be telling a new and meaningful story about the positive aspects of government that celebrate the concrete opportunity it offers “we the people.” The problem is, without good government practices and the public systems and structures that taxes pay for, the America we know and love would cease to exist-- even for rich folk, advocacy journalists and to my most ardent conservative friends on the other end of the political continuum.

Image by Ove Overmyer, ©2011.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

CSEA Local 828 Scholarship Deadline April 15


Since 1993, CSEA Monroe County Local 828 and its major Units have awarded over $100,000 in scholarship prize money. In 1994, the Monroe County Employees Unit 7400, the largest Unit in the Local, created their own scholarship program and has distributed more than $22,000. 
Mr. Growney was a long time labor leader and activist who was employed as a probation officer with Monroe County. He served as local president for nearly two decades before his retirement in 1995. George had a passion for kids to succeed, and would be proud that his union brothers and sisters have carried on his legacy of love and commitment to youth. George M. Growney died on August 10, 1997. The scholarship program was named in his honor the following year after his death.

The scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors whose parents and caregivers are members or agency shop fee payers of Monroe County Local 828. Scholarship applicants are judged on academic achievement, a written essay, financial need and potential.

George M. Growney Memorial Scholarships Local 828 & Unit 7400


“This is one of the best things we do as union activists,” said Bess Watts, President of Local 828. She added, “It’s very rewarding to know we are helping our young people succeed in life as well as giving back to our community.”

CSEA Local 828 Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors whose parents and caregivers are members or agency shop fee payers of Monroe County Local 828. The scholarship committees have reviewed thousands of applications in the past 23 years, demonstrating a significant need of financial resources for young adults continuing their formal education. Scholarship applicants are judged on academic achievement, a written essay, financial need and potential.
Applications are available by contacting your workplace CSEA representative. For more scholarship information, you can go to our Voice Reporter Scholarship page or call Barbara at HQ 585-328-5250.  Click here for a link to the PDF to post.