A trio of state legislators fielded some difficult questions from audience members during Friday morning's Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast.
In attendance were state Assemblyman Joe Giglio, R-Ind-Con-Gowanda, state Sen. Cathy Young, R-Ind-Con-Olean, and state Assemblyman Bill Parment, D-North Harmony.
Questions submitted by the audience sought the trio's opinion on a variety of issues ranging from the so-called Farm Bill, Gov. David Paterson's proposal to close at least two local state parks and a proposal to allow grocery stores to sell wine.
Here are the highlights from Friday's question-and-answer session. Answers given are verbatim.
Question: What is your position on the Farm Workers Bill of Rights. Do you believe some version of the bill will pass both the Senate and the Assembly?
Parment: I doubt it will pass this year. I supported the bill and I did so for several reasons but principally because I think everyone has the right to organize. Under state labor law today, state farm workers are not afforded the statutory protections they could get by organizing. The state constitution specifically gives them the right to organize, so it's not a new idea, but there are no statutory protections for people who want to do that. It just seems to me that people should have the right to organize. We have also had pretty egregious abuse of farm labor in this state over the years. I know it isn't a popular position ... but I think it's a matter of human rights and human decency that the state step up and protect this vulnerable population.
Sen. Young: I have to strongly disagree. This farm labor bill would be devastating to our state's economy. Agriculture pumps $4.4 billion a year into the state's economy and agriculture is extremely important in Chautauqua County. This bill would put farms out of business and if you do that, you put a lot of companies out of business and people out of work. It would increase overtime and unemployment costs, which would hit the farmers hard. It would provide collective bargaining with no restriction on striking. I will fight to my last breath to block this bill. It hurts my district and it hurts the state economy.
Giglio: I voted no against this bill. The sponsors of this bill include every union from New York City that doesn't have a clue what it takes to earn a living on a farm. This isn't about helping farm workers, it's about unionizing - pure and simple. This is about unions that just want more union members to bully state of New York to do what they want. Take the emotion out of the argument and look at where this bill comes from and why the sponsors want it. It's not to help farm workers.
Question: What is being done to look at ways to keep our state parks - specifically Long Point - open? Is privatization being discussed and is it an option for Long Point?
Sen. Young: The governor's proposal to close Long Point would save $43,000. That's all. He also wants to close the Quaker Lake area of Allegheny State Park to save $171,000. Well, Allegeny State Park draws over 1 million visitors each year. Think about what that means to our economy. These are wrongheaded ideas that are penny wise and pound foolish. We are working to stop them and I feel optimistic that we can do that. I'm also going to be writing a letter to the governor this week. I want to point out to him that both those parks have in the past received federal funding. Well, that funding comes with some strings attached - if you accept it, you can never close or, if you do, you have to open a new park of equivalent size.
Parment: Basically I have asked if we can find ways to make Long Point to become cost neutral and remain open. To say we couldn't somehow generate $43,000 in revenue or cuts to keep that park open is incredulous. I think we can. I propose that we work with the state commissioner of parks and find a way to keep it open. It's possible.
Giglio did not answer.
Question: Wine sold in grocery stores would benefit grape growers in Chautauqua County and would generate $20 billion in excise tax revenue for the state. That money could offset budget deficits in the future and could be used to provide state aid for school districts. What is your position on wine sales in stores?
Sen. Young: I do have some concerns about the proposal that's on the table. Unless you have a plan, what could end up happening is that every single wine - the cheaper wines - would get on store shelves and New York wines may not be able to do so. Then you'd lose the smaller liquor stores where many of our wines start out and get into the system. I have deep concerns. I strongly support growth of wine and grape industry, but three of the wineries in my district oppose the current proposal. They're concerned about being shut out of the market. We have to be very careful of what we do.
Parment and Giglio did not answer.