Published: May 12, 2008 12:00 am      

Area lawmakers dish out funds

The Laurens Fire District Emergency Squad needs a new ambulance. Foothills Performing Arts Center has lighting and other expenses to pay.

The Richfield Springs Veterans Club wants to erect a memorial. And the Sidney Center Improvement Group has plans to enhance the community's appearance and events.

The four organizations received help from their state lawmakers.

Sen. James Seward, R-Milford awarded three of those groups money through the 2008-09 state budget. Seward said his member items totaled about $2 million this year and he counts on his experience and seniority to ``go to bat very aggressively on behalf of my communities.''

Lawmakers designated $147 million in pork-barrel spending on 10,000 programs, agencies and charities in communities across the state, based on the political clout of a lawmaker, according to The Associated Press.

Under the member-item system, taxpayers statewide support gun clubs, abortion-rights groups, charities and other organizations in addition to health and social service programs. The projects were posted earlier this month at www.assembly.state.ny.us and www.senate.state.ny.us.

The awards went to fire departments, municipalities, veterans halls, community groups and cultural, historic and entertainment organizations.

Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, and Assemblymen Bill Magee, D-Nelson, Pete Lopez, R-Schoharie, and Clifford Crouch, R-Guilford, also have designated member-item awards. Locally, awards range from $1,000 for youth services in the village of Deposit to $75,000 each to Foothills Performing Arts Center and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta to $100,000 to Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown.

Crouch said his member items totaled about $116,000. The allocation of state money for member items isn't fair to lawmakers or to taxpayers, whose money is being spent, he said.

With 62 senators and 150 assemblymen, the argument could be sustained that senators represent more people than assemblymen, he said, but a more equitable method would be for lawmakers to have member-item funding based on a legislator's number of constituents.

Crouch said in making awards he considers fire departments and other organizations that provide services throughout communities. He has sent letters to recipients, but he may also announce some of the awards through media releases because he's heard ``if you don't toot your own horn, there's no music.''

Good-government groups have long criticized the member-item practice as a way for incumbents to buy votes, contributing to a better than 90 percent re-election rate, the AP reported. Lawmakers consider the grants a way to fund critical programs, often in health and education, by those who know best where money is needed.

Seward said some lawmakers have more money to distribute and others have less than he is designated, but he doesn't count on the awards to gain re-election. In a multi-billion dollar state budget, the member items are a relatively small portion, he said. Seward praised the increased transparency in recent years of the member-item process as a means to greater accountability of how public money is spent.

``If we did not have any member items at all, it wouldn't phase me,'' Seward said. The requests far outweigh the available funds, he said, and the final process of deciding awards is like putting 20 pounds of potatoes into a 5-pound sack.

``It is subjective, obviously. I utilize my best judgment,'' Seward said. ``I consider member items an opportunity for me to help make sure good things happen in our district.''

The Sidney Center Improvement Group received $2,000 from Bonacic, plus $1,000 from Lopez, said Joe Lally, chairman of the group's board. This year was the first time it was incorporated and could apply directly for funds, which amounted to about 10 percent of the request, he said.

The group's board will discuss how the funding will be spent within its proposed ``community improvements,'' including planting flowers and trees and supporting community activities,'' he said.

``We're very thankful for the amount we've gotten,'' Lally said.

Other recipients echoed appreciation for member-item awards.

The Laurens Fire District Emergency Squad will have a vote a week from today on whether to buy an ambulance to replace a 1998 vehicle, said Capt. Kimberly Pineau. The $10,000 member item will offset the estimated $170,000 to $180,000 cost, she said. The district recently contacted Seward about funding but found out it was late in the budget process, she said. But soon thereafter, Seward's office told them of the award.

``It's very important,'' she said.

Peter Macris, president of the Foothills Performing Arts Center, said Seward's awards are particularly helpful because they can be used for operating expenses. Often awards have restrictions to specific programs or construction, he said.

``We have pretty free rein in how we spend it _ that is very special,'' Macris said. Foothills has an annual operating budget of about $300,000, he said, and such support helps the organization meet its educational mission, he said.

Paris Cavic, legal counsel for the Richfield Veterans Club, said the $10,000 award from Seward will go toward materials to build a memorial, estimated to cost $15,000 to $20,000, not including labor, which will be donated. With the United States fighting overseas and the service of veterans, the memorial was considered a worthwhile project to show appreciation, he said.

The club ``is very grateful'' for the funding from Seward, Cavic said.

The club building also is used as a senior meals site and the organization previously received a member-item from Magee for repairs to the parking lot, Cavic said.