On the issues of taxes, young people and elderly care, Onondaga County Legislature candidate Chris Ryan calls for cutting costs.
Ryan, 38, is the Democratic candidate for the District 8 seat in the Onondaga County Legislature in November’s election. He is running against Republican Larry Corso. District 8 is in the center of Onondaga County, including a portion of Solvay, a portion of Geddes, and the northwestern corner of the city of Syracuse. The election is Nov. 8.
Democracywise posed three questions on key issues to candidates in the contested open-seat races for the county legislature. Here are the responses from Chris Ryan:
Taxes
Q: What, if anything, do you think should be done about county taxes? How would you get the money required to provide public services? Raise taxes? Increase fees for services? What, if any, specific services or programs would you cut to balance the county budget?
A: “I do not want to increase taxes,” said Ryan. “There are some things we could do more efficiently in the sheriff’s department. I’m trying to initiate a discussion, to possibly do arraignment through video teleconferencing, so that we would not have to transport people who are arrested back and forth through towns and villages. “ Video teleconferencing, Ryan said, “would reduce overall costs and it’s an issue with the safety of the jailers transporting the accused.” In addition, he said, “We always say cut, cut, cut. We’ve got to look for ways to initiate business growth and ways we can raise revenue also.”
Young People
Q: Keeping and attracting young people is a long-standing concern for our region. What, specifically, do you think the Onondaga County government should do make the area more attractive to young workers and their families?
A: “Young people want to go where there’s activity, where there are professionals, an opportunity to make a living. Everybody’s going to have student loans. You have to attract some businesses. People are going to have to want to come here. The expansion of Syracuse University, going down into the city, that’s been good for the city. If it’s good for the city, it’s good for the county. If you don’t have people willing to locate to a vibrant city of Syracuse — with nightlife, restaurants, bars, culture, arts, a symphony, shows — you’re just not going to have a surrounding county.”
Van Duyn Home and Long-Term Care for the Elderly:
The county-owned Van Duyn nursing home provides long-term care to many of the county’s elderly. But Van Duyn is in deep financial trouble. Last year, taxpayers absorbed about $5.7 million of Van Duyn’s costs and taxpayers are expected to absorb another $3 million this year. As of March 1, 2011, the state also cut off Medicare and Medicaid payments for new admissions to the nursing home, citing unsafe conditions there. And since March, county officials and Upstate Medical University have been negotiating for Upstate to take over the home. But Upstate has not yet agreed, citing concerns about whether the state can subsidize Van Duyn. If the home closes, it’s unclear what will become of Van Duyn’s residents. At the same time, the county’s population — like the rest of the nation’s — is aging and many will need long-term care.
Q: What if anything do you think the county government can or should do to keep Van Duyn from closing? What else, if anything, can or should the county government do to meet the long-term care needs of our aging population?
A: “I know that Van Duyn is barely making it, or it’s not. There’s been discussion about privatization. It’s sort of a double-edged sword. A lot of people use that facility and we have to care for our elderly, especially those who can’t care for themselves,” said Ryan. “There’s certain things that we have to do: fix our roads, fix our bridges, pick up garbage, plow our streets. We have to look at ways to keep those facilities open. When you privatize it and the company goes bankrupt, they’ll just close their doors. That’s somewhat of a bad proposition, but then we also have a lot of other open facilities that are privately owned.” Said Ryan: “I don’t want to just say we’re losing money and throw our hands up.”
(Eric Vilas-Boas is a senior with dual majors in magazine journalism and English and textual studies.)
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