New York State Catholic Conference - The Official Public Policy Voice of the Catholic Church in the Empire State

We have a tendency to complain too much. Not everyone, of course, but enough of us to allow me to generalize here. And I’ll include myself in the generalization. Those of us who do complain too much know we shouldn’t, but we do it because we feel justified in each individual moment, even if in the aggregate it seems excessive.

I’ll use the griping about New York State government as an example. When was the last time you heard someone say that New York State government is functioning properly? That the Legislature is doing its part to make New York a better place to live? That the state bureaucracy is operating smoothly and efficiently, keeping New Yorkers healthy, educated and productive? Not recently, right?

Compare that to things you do hear all the time: “Throw the bums out!” “I won’t vote for any incumbent!” “New York has the most dysfunctional Legislature in the whole country!” “I’m going to move to Tennessee (or Florida, North Carolina, etc.)."

We all hear the same things. And yet New Yorkers, just like everywhere else in this country, routinely return incumbents to office, and, by and large, choose to remain living here, despite our grumbling about it. We even express pride in our state, in our people, our geography, our products and our teams.

I started out writing this column to discuss how state government has functioned in the past year. I thought I should remind readers about the times that the state government and our elected officials have functioned very well, as well as reminding folks about the times when it hasn’t functioned well.

But then the earthquake struck Haiti, and I found myself at a loss. How insignificant what I had to say seemed. How can I justify any complaint I may have about where we live at this time when others are suffering so much? In the wake of this natural calamity and the unspeakable suffering that continues in its aftermath, I think we should simply focus on being grateful for everything we have here in New York State.

Let’s remind ourselves that the building codes that keep us secure in our homes, the safety net of programs that provide for the poor and vulnerable, the fire departments and police forces that keep us safe, are all functions of our government. So much of what we have come to enjoy in the quality of our lives is interwoven into this fabric of society in which our government plays so crucial a role.

Is our state government perfect? No, but we should thank God that we live here, even when that means we must at times be subject to human frailty. Should we ignore the faults of those who lead us, and accept every misguided policy? No, not at all, but let’s be insightful and selective when we complain and go about seeking change.

Finally, let’s all take a deep breath, give thanks to God for what we have, say another prayer for the people of Haiti, and then take a moment to thank our leaders and elected officials for the good they have done, and will continue to do, for us.

Make plans now to attend the New York State Catholic Conference's 2010 Public Policy Day, "Catholics at the Capitol," to be held on Tuesday, March 9, at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. Register HERE today.

Join with Archbishop Timothy Dolan and the Bishops of New York State to make your voices heard on important Catholic issues, including abortion, preserving Catholic schools, funding for services for the poor, health care for the elderly and disabled, and funding for re-entry programs for the formerly incarcerated.

There is no registration fee. Just fill out the form at the link provided and keep checking our Public Policy Day page for training materials, directions, the program for the day and other information. You will be contacted with further information regarding buses and local training sessions.

Workshop topics will include a primer on Catholic social teaching led by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, an update on Catholic Charities USA's anti-poverty campaign led by Father Larry Snyder, president of CCUSA, and how to create a parish public policy network. Many participants will meet with their legislators and everyone will participate in Mass with the Bishops. Lunch will be provided at no cost.

Please note, your registration is not complete until it is confirmed by your local diocesan coordinator. You will receive an e-mail message with contact information for that person if you do not hear from him or her first.

The Bishops of New York State have approved the Catholic Conference's Legislative Agenda for 2010. The agenda is largely the same as 2009, though there have been a few changes. Notably, issues related to the Rockefeller Drug Laws and Timothy's Law were removed because the Conference's goals were met in the last legislative session. Because of all of the renewed threats to the family to surface in recent years, the issue area formerly called Respect Life/Family Life has been broken into two areas, titled Respect Life and Marriage and Family. New issues include opposition to state funds being used to pay women for donating their eggs for research purposes, comprehensive care plans for all nursing home-eligible individuals and support for the development of victims awareness programs to aid crime victims in their healing process. You can read the entire Legislative Agenda here or download a printable PDF file here.

Governor David Paterson's executive budget once again has shortchanged Catholic schools and other religious and independent schools across the state. Continuing a trend begun in 2008, the governor is once again ignoring the statutory requirement to reimburse our schools for 100 percent of mandated services (that is, services that the state requires of our schools, such as standardized tests) or for the Comprehensive Attendance Policy (a safety and anti-truancy measure which requires schools to take and report attendance every time children move from one class to another).

The governor appropriated a total of $109 million for Mandated Services Reimbursement and CAP, which is $31 million short of what is needed. In addition, when you factor in shortfalls from previous years, a State Education Department accounting error related to CAP reimbursement, and the MTA payroll tax (for which public schools are being reimbursed but not independent and religious schools), our schools are legitimately entitled to an additional $243 million from the state.

At a time when Catholic schools are in crisis, it is critical that the state pays us what it owes us. When Catholic schools close, it not only hurts the parents and children in those schools, it hurts all taxpayers, because those student populations are largely absorbed into the already overcrowded public system. Parents of children in independent and religious schools save the state more than $8 billion every year by sending their kids to these schools instead of government schools. There is no legitimate excuse for the state to not pay our schools what they are owed.

Slow progress has been made in advancing the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act, which would extend worker protections and benefits to farmworkers enjoyed by other occupations, including overtime pay, collective bargaining and one day of rest per calendar week. The New York State Catholic Conference has long been a supporter of the bill, which does not grant special rights to farmworkers but instead allows them to access the same rights and privileges as other workers. In an attempt to address some of the concerns of some farmers, advocates made a number of concessions in an attempt to move forward. The bill now calls for overtime after 55 hours rather than 40, and collective bargaining for only the largest 4 percent of farms in the state. Advocates for the bill have received assurances that the bill would be voted on this session, though they were disappointed when the bill was diverted from the Codes Committee where it should have gone after being approved by the Labor Committee.The bill has been historically opposed by the New York Farm Bureau. Take action now to support passage of this bill.

On March 8, Albany will be host to one of 10 Centennial Summits being sponsored by Catholic Charities USA. The focus of the summit will be a celebration of one hundred years of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), its Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America and planning for continued efforts in the future. Father Larry Snyder, president and CEO of CCUSA, will be the keynote speaker. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan will offer remarks on the Centennial. Economist Trudi Renwick of the Census Bureau will provide context for understanding poverty in America. Kristin Proud, New York State deputy secretary for Human Services, Technology and Operations, will give a presentation on state efforts to reduce poverty.

Earlier this month, Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, was honored by CCUSA as one of its Centennial Award recipients for her work among the poor. At the March summit, Sister Maureen, who is battling cancer, will be presented with the Bishop Mugavero Award by the New York State Council of Catholic Charities Directors..

CCUSA and AmericanPoverty.org will produce a major photographic exhibit by award winning photographers for the summit.