THE HUDSON VALLEY'S NEWEST OLD NEWSPAPER
ELLENVILLE, NEW YORK
12428
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2007
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Editorial
Trick Or Treat�

On Halloween, Ulster County's Department of Social Services commissioner Roberto Rodriguez raised the possibility of bringing a full time, fully staffed office to serve the greater Ellenville area for one year as a pilot program. What he got in response was a lot of hand wringing from DSS employees and Ulster County Legislators who, once again, showed that they are more interested in the areas they represent than the health of the county as a whole.

So often has the casual citizen and the local politician lamented the fact that the land south of Rochester is treated as a "no man's land" where Ulster County representatives only go when there is an election to be won or taxes to be collected. Indeed, the recent discussion about a joint economic officer that would be funded by village and town resources is a direct result of the feeling that Ulster County economic development resources have developed a sort of institutional amnesia when it comes to the needs and concerns of residents in the Ellenville-Wawarsing area.

And while it is understandable that DSS workers would be less than delighted to turn their 10-minute commutes into an hour, especially at today's gas prices, the legislature must weigh the benefits to Ellenville area taxpayers who pay for services that they have a hard time receiving.

In a recent study of the area, it has been estimated that 25% of Ellenville residents do not possess cars. It seems reasonable that those people lacking cars would coincide with those who might need the services of DSS. Yet DSS employees say that there is a mass transit system, Ulster County Area Transportation, which provides a way for people without cars throughout the county to get to DSS.

However, it is an open secret that very few people, particularly within the greater Ellenville area, are satisfied with UCAT's service. This dissatisfaction extends from the poorest segments of our population to the local legislators that represent them.

So, now that it is apparent that Ulster County's Kingston-centric government will remain so, what can the citizens of our area do? Contact your local representatives. Make your newly elected and re-elected public servants work for you by telling them that you want to see county services � any county services � brought to Ellenville. Ultimately, it seems paradoxical that so many have complained so much about having to drive out of town to go shopping � something you choose to pay for. Yet, with regards to our government (something we have already paid for) so few have voiced any concerns.

What else do you do with a person who's hard of hearing? You speak up.


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