Local Race Relations in the Catskills: A Letter in Response by Sandra Cuellar Oxford

by Sandra Cuellar Oxford

soxford@ufcw888.org

Editor's Note: This letter is a response to an op-ed published last week inThe Writer's Workshop of Sullivan County and the New York Section of The Huffington Post by Steven Kurlander.  If you would like to continue a written dialogue of this sort on this topic, please feel free to contribute your words (try to keep them to between 500-750 words). - SK

Dear Steven:

I want to thank you for your vote of confidence and kind offer to assist the Sullivan County Branch of the NAACP.   I reposted your thoughtful op-ed letter on race relations, I believe it is worthy of a community-wide conversation.

The NAACP is the oldest Civil Rights organization in the United States; historically great leadership has been present throughout the continuum of the struggle for Human Rights for all Americans. The NAACP is a membership organization, annual dues are $30 per year, and our membership drives are on-going in order to meet the benchmarks put forth by the NAACP.

The work of our branch is clearly defined by NAACP National and theNYS NAACP's executive leadership. Each NAACP Branch must have 5 standing committees: 1. Economic Sustainability, 2.Education, 3. Health, 4. Public Safety and Criminal Justice and 5.Voting Rights and Political Representation.

The community is welcome to attend our January 8th meeting, 6:00 pm at the Ted Strobel Center in Monticello, NY.  

Our newly elected Board of Directors will be installed and we will be appointing committee Co-chairs from the membership to our five committees. I am joined by a remarkable group of neighbors who have made the commitment to serve on the Executive Committee.

First Chair-Sandra Johnson Fields is has raised her family for over a decade in Sullivan County. She has provided her unique brand of governance as a school administrator and is a constant voice of empowerment and encouragement to parents and students. 

Our new Treasurer-Gladys Walker is a treasure and recently retired after three decades of service and leadership of the largest anti-poverty, multi-service organization in Sullivan County.  Aside from the multitude of professional experiences, her family's rich history in Sullivan County is equally cherished.

Reelected Secretary-Elaine Williams brings a life time of civil rights activism, leadership and NAACP organizational experience to our executive board.  Her knowledge remains a constant driving force today as it has been throughout the various social movements she has contributed to. 

Lastly our Second Vice Chair-David Ryan lives between Sullivan and Chenango County, he is a civil engineer and offers diversity of experience and skills to our newly elected executive board.  

As the Sullivan County NAACP Branch proudly enters a new year; our county is in the midst of transformation.  It is essential to ensure to that our members and our community have a seat at the table.

I have never owned a copy of Saul Alinsky's  "Rules for Radicals" but I get your point about representation and diversity in our government, areas of employment and various community boards.  

The concept really should not be viewed as "radical" but "fair and just".  

A bird's eye view offers a glimpse into the disproportion and gap we see in Sullivan County.  A recent example brought to my attention is that it appears in the Monticello Government Center there is only one African American male employed in the entire building.  That in itself is stunning to me. And to add insult to injury it is not even a full-time position. 

Economic sustainability and access to stable employment should not be a privilege nor should political patronage ever play a part in deciding employment, but it does.  

Looking at the various agencies and offices in our County and Municipal Governments reveals a lot about the organizational culture of each one of those departments in Sullivan County.

If we are going to take pages from anyone's book let it be those departments, agencies or municipalities in Sullivan County who have made a sincere and honest attempt to build bridges across the racial and cultural divide.

On the surface without specific data it appears that local diversity and representation is stronger in Law Enforcement agencies locally than other governmental agencies.  Two examples are Sullivan County Sheriff's Department and Monticello PD both agencies have cultivated a cadre of law enforcement professionals from diverse backgrounds.

With the introduction of Casino Gambling into our local economy it will be imperative that this industry not mimic the failed employment practices of the past that limited or excluded diversity from the ranks of their leadership; this is an area I anticipate our Sullivan County Branch will be vigorously involved in.   

  

Steven, your observation about our local system of justice is not lost on me, I get it and in the spirit of diplomacy I believe a place to begin is with an examination and collection of information to tell our story of the impact of federal, state and local criminal justice system practices in Sullivan County.

If there is an overrepresentation of minorities among Sullivan County arrests, convictions, and sentences to state prison or other harsher treatment within the criminal justice continuum, locally our branch must be engaged and prepared to make recommendations for change.  

Also very little local attention has been given to chronicle the overwhelming impact the criminal justice system has on individuals and communities most affected by crime.  Are we really putting resources back into these communities to repair those most distressed by crime?  

Sullivan County may have its fair share of "issues" we also have great strengths and assets that are unique and exclusive to our region.Sullivan County will 'break out from the bottom' of poor health indicators.  I am particularly optimistic in this area because of the leadership found on the frontlines of addressing these health disparities.  

As the Department of Family Services continues to address internal and external fraud and waste in the system, I believe that it is crucial to support courageous leadership and rank-and-file workers locally that are willing to confront, speak out and blow the whistle on the corruption.  

Backing good leadership is just as crucial as cultivating new leadership. Creating opportunities for emerging leaders in various capacities will be foremost in moving Sullivan County ahead.

A few personal comments on some of the cultural observations you have made regarding diversity and the absence of it as it relates to lack of African American DJ's on the air of our local commercial radio stations.  As a proud supporter of the work and inclusiveness of WJFF Radio in Jeffersonville, our NPR affiliate offers diverse locally produced programs which include African American hosts and some bilingual English/Spanish programming.  Because of the station's inclusiveness and commitment to promoting our area's diversity WJFF provides a local model for others radio stations to reflect upon. 

Another personal point I wish to address about diversity and our County Legislature is the fact that our County Legislature has a Latina who is bilingual and biliterate currently representing District 6.  Like me, she has a strong Colombian-American heritage and most Spanish speakers in Sullivan County know exactly who she is, because she never hesitates to reach out to constituents or residents in English or Spanish.  

In closing I appreciate your time spent in making recommendations and thank you again for sharing your views on these matters in your OP-ED piece.

Our NAACP in Sullivan County can become a State and National model...anything is possible.  Our strength is in on our membership and our members will move the agenda forward.

I am honored and humbled by the support I have received from so many friends and allies.  

I would like to invite everyone reading this to re-double your commitment and join us in creating a blueprint for uplifting Sullivan County in 2015, it is time to welcome our destiny.  

In Unity,

Sandy Cuellar Oxford

Local Race Relations in Sullivan County & the Catskills: A Letter to Sandra Cuellar Oxford

by Steven Kurlander

kurly@stevenkurlander.com

Dear Sandra:

As we discussed last week, I am writing this letter (ok, its really an op-ed) to not only congratulate you on becoming the new Sullivan County NAACP president, but also to offer you some of my insights on race relations here in Sullivan County

The purpose of this letter is not only to encourage you to increase the influence of more people of all races in our politics and community, but also to help preserve and grow toleration here.

The state of race relations in our country now centers these days on the divisions created by very unfortunate events in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City.  

In Sullivan County, I believe there are other immediate concerns to be addressed by you and the NAACP as well as police relations in our communities (which I believe are relatively good at this time).

First, messaging at this juncture is critical for the NAACP.

While I believe that we live in a very tolerant community, continuing problems and issues should be obviously highlighted. Just as important, what is good and positive already needs more emphasis in the press too.

For example: It sickened me recently to see Mayor Gordon Jenkins seize the headlines when he led a failed, truly insignificant demonstration against alleged local police brutality. The wrong message was again being sent about Monticello and Sullivan County by our Middletown daily looking to accentuate the negative in Sullivan County and sell papers.

At the same time, there was no reporting of a brilliant, ad hoc community Holiday dinner that was organized by spirited people of all faiths and color which drew hundreds of people and evoked community cooperation and spirit which made me and other proud to live in Monticello and Sullivan County.  

Second, a new effort should be spearheaded for more inclusion of minorities in our political system and as employees in our municipal halls and DPWs.

To the best of my knowledge, a minority has never sat in our County Legislature and very few have served on village and town boards.  Except for Judge Josephine Finn, how many minority judges have sat in our various village and town courts? 

The time is here to start incubating and encouraging minority candidates to run for these jobs.

Culturally, when was the last time you heard a Afro-American DJ on a local commercial radio station here or programing specifically for minority ethnic communities here in Sullivan County?  How many minorities are members of local community organizations boards that serve minority populations? Not enough.  

As we discussed, taking a page of Saul Alinsky's “Rules for Radicals,” its important at this juncture to place Sullivan County NAACP members on as many volunteer boards, political, religious, or not for profits, to promote inclusion and increase the say of the minority community in Sullivan County.

Third, while there’s concern over police relations, an examination of how the poor are represented in our local courts and how judges are meting out punishment toward them is long overdue here in Sullivan County.  

Also, while there’s a new effort to reduce welfare fraud, there’s no one talking for those locals unfairly discouraged from applying or questioning the true efficacy and cost of these harsh policies.

Monitors from the NAACP need to be appointed social service interviews and attend court sessions, both in County Court and local justice courts.  

Also, a commissioned study should be called for to see how bad the differentiation is between sentencing for those represented by Legal Aid and those by paid private attorneys and to calibrate the severity of sentencing on felonies of the poor.

Fourth, as one of the sickest communities in the US, Sullivan County is not doing enough to truly address nutritional concerns at the grassroots level.  

I would suggest the NAACP spearhead developing a program to ask grocery stores and convenience stores to sell less crap in the form of sugary caloric  sodas, snacks, and cakes.  Another suggestion: The development of community gardens in our “urban” areas, maybe through Cornell Cooperative, to teach our kids how to grow food and how good it is to consume can be explored.

Finally, and most importantly, building your membership in the various communities in Sullivan County is critical  

A NAACP with a strong voice that draws from all in the community guarantees more tolerance and understanding in Sullivan County.

In closing, I hope you use your stewardship of the local NAACP to build an organization that is not only effective in its work, but serves as a model for other communities in future race relations in our country.  

I believe that you have the skills and we have the right community to do so.  I am here to help.

Getting Rid of “Ghost” Structures: Perceiving the Catskills as a Place of Renewal, Not Decay

by Steven Kurlander

kurly@stevenkurlander.com

With or without the siting of one or two casino gaming destination resorts, it’s certain that the Catskills encompassing both Sullivan County and southern Ulster have turned the corner and are on their way back to economic viability.

It’s also certain that such a statement would be met with great skepticism and disdain from those who live here and  endured an unreasonable economic hardship for the last two or three decades.  

That negativity, which defines a common demoralization, in turn has fostered a lack of pride in our region in terms of aesthetics-in both how we preserve our landscape and how we enforce our building codes.

Last week, there were a number of photojournalistic articles published nationwide showcasing the rundown buildings and properties that “haunt” our region.  Reuters entitled their piece: “Catskills in Decline.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/17/life-idUSRTR4AM5N  A Hudson Valley Real Estate Blog posted: "Halloween Prep: Abandoned Catskills" http://upstater.net/halloween-prep-abandoned-catskills/.

This is not the first national display of our disregard to rid our landscape of decrepit structures.  Our own talented Rock Hill native Photographer Marissa Scheinfeld has made an art form in photographing abandoned hotels and displaying them - her most current exhibition is taking place at Yeshiva University entitled “Echoes of the Borscht Belt.” http://www.marisascheinfeld.com/Exhibitions-and-Lectures-/Current-and-Upcoming/1/

Perception is everything-and now is the time to start cleaning up our act and getting rid of the numerous eyesores that dot our landscape-and obviously now define where we live throughout the world. The resort industry’s death and their long standing ruins not only defines our cynicism and struggles, but now our economic viability in the near future

We are too accepting of them, our demoralized psyches allow them to blend into the scenery as we all drive to and from work or school everyday. Over time, we have been too oblivious to these eyesores.

Obviously, those coming from suburban and city landscapes see them and shake their heads, and reporters write articles about them.  

Even as we come back, our blighted landscape festering with abandoned buildings and decrepit bungalows ruins our image as a beautiful mountain destination to visit and a place to escape to live a better life.

It’s just not about planting flowers in our decaying villages and hamlets to make them look better anymore. It’s not enough.

The towns and county governments need to team up to begin cleaning up these eyesores by sending out crews to tear them down, or give tax breaks to their owners to rebuild them to their former architectural grandeur.  The DEC in New Paltz also needs to become part of this effort by loosening regulations that have stopped fire departments from going in and burning down these eyesores.  

The time is ripe for an initiative for our governments to start this concerted cleanup effort that also encompasses strict, no tolerance, code enforcement against absentee landowners, seasonal residents, and slumlords feeding off of lucrative, and decaying Section 8 housing.

The Catskills are coming back, and they need to be perceived now as a place of renewal, not decay.

It's the Locals in Sullivan County that really have poor driving habits

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com "Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"    It's the Locals in Sullivan County that really have poor driving habits Stay Off the Roads in Sullivan County-If You Want To Live! Part II by Ruby Pixman One of the worst of these potential deathtraps is on Route 52 along the eastern approach to Jeffersonville In my previous column I questioned the safety of the pair of newly-installed traffic circles in Liberty.  I argued how the flawed design of these circles, not bad driving, invites traffic accidents. However, throughout the rest of Sullivan County, actual and potential accidents are clearly the result of poor driving habits.  One of my major peeves involves just plain laziness on behalf of drivers! The county, being both hilly and rural, has many two-lane roads that twist and turn, often providing treacherous sharp curves for motorists to traverse with their cars.  Its common practice here that as drivers approach such a bend, instead of cautiously hugging the outer rim of the road, they often veer toward the center, and sometimes cross over the solid dividing line and into the left lane-a danger to oncoming traffic.  Such drivers are just too lazy to stay on their side of the road.   Since this practice occurs year-round and not just during tourist season, I can only assume that these dangerous actions are largely performed by locals.  Since police can't be present at every dangerous curve, the best solution is the installation of traffic cones or other devices that prevent cars from entering into unwarranted territory. One of the worst of these potential deathtraps is on Route 52 along the eastern approach to Jeffersonville.  The road turns sharply to the right and blocks any view of oncoming traffic.  Along the right side of the road is a trench.  If a driver encounters another care in the wrong lane, he or she is forced to collide with the on-comer or sharply turn to his right.  That insures that he or she will end up in the trench, possibly with deadly consequences.  This blind curve is a perfect spot for installing traffic cones or even more permanent devices. Another major problem is the outright defiance of the laws banning drivers' cell phone usage.  One remedy is for the county to earn a reputation as a place where police frequently enforce the law.  The best place to catch such would-be felons is along Route 17, a wide road where it would be safe and easy for police vehicles to be parked for the purpose of surveillance.  I'm not a big fan of constant police presence, but once a few arrests are made and word gets out, the deadly practice of cell phone conversations will greatly decrease.  And speaking of Route 17, this is a situation that constantly baffles me.  There are signs posted along the roadway indicating that 55 mph is the state speed limit, which presumably means that driving above that limit is illegal in the entire state.  Yet within short distances of such signs are other postings that indicate the speed limit to be 65 mph!  Which one of the two contradictory posted limits is the actual number?  It seems to me that if someone is stopped for going above 55, he has a good court defense, since the 65mph limit is simultaneously posted on the same road! Sadly, this county has a long history of doing the best it can for getting nothing of a constructive nature accomplished. Probably none of these traffic situations I've pointed out will ever be addressed, unless possibly someone is seriously hurt or killed.  I'm still hopeful, however, that traffic safety will take precedence over costs and that solutions will be provided.  Such precautions can save many lives here in Sullivan County!                                                                          ##

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Do Traffic Circles in Sullivan County Make Driving More, Not Less Dangerous?

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com

"Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"

  

Do Traffic Circles in Sullivan County Make Driving More, Not Less Dangerous?

Stay Off the Roads in Sullivan County-If You Want To Live!

by Ruby Pixman

In other crowded areas of the nation, like New Jersey for instance, outdated circles have either been replaced with traffic lights and overpasses, or have undergone safety design improvements.

There was recently an article posted on hudsonvalley.ynn.com concerning a local dangerous intersection and its deadly consequences.  I was beat to the punch, for I was prepared to post a column dealing with similar driver-related problems in Sullivan County. 

The roads in Sullivan County can be very dangerous, particularly in the summer months.

A few years ago, two traffic circles were erected in Liberty, each separated by less than one mile. They were constructed in response to observations that many drivers were speeding dangerously through the town's main thoroughfare, State Route 52.

As reported in the local news, these circles were designed to slow down traffic by forcing drivers to be more cautious as they enter the circles. 

However, traffic circle intersections cause much confusion, mainly because drivers don't know who is supposed to yield to whom as the various spurs are encountered.  So, to avoid possible accidents, slowing down is a necessity. 

In other words, highly-dangerous traffic circles as envisioned by some town officials SHOULD be more dangerous to achieve the goal of getting drivers to slow down!  Never mind that there are alternate ways to achieve the same safety goal WITHOUT making the roads more dangerous.

One such tried and proven method is through the installation of traffic lights.  Being automatic and passive in nature they safely regulate traffic, almost entirely eliminating faulty decision-making by drivers, greatly reducing the probability of collisions.

Another proven method is to use police force to regulate traffic and issue citations when warranted.  When word of that approach becomes well-known drivers tend to slow down.

I suspect that neither of these sensible approaches were adopted because it costs money to install and maintain traffic lights and police patrols have to be paid. 

Traffic circles, by comparison, once installed may bear little in maintenance costs. It therefore seems evident that saving money, rather than lives was the main reason for installing those monstrosities!

In other crowded areas of the nation, like New Jersey for instance, outdated circles have either been replaced with traffic lights and overpasses, or have undergone safety design improvements.

Yet, in Liberty, the national trend toward eliminating circles was ignored, leaving drivers with new versions of traffic circle deathtraps. 

Sure, one of the circles, the nearest to the Route 17 intersections looks pretty with its enclosed lawn and colorful flags, but that's no consolation for drivers who are involved in serious accidents due to traffic circles' built-in confusion factor.

The other Liberty circle, closer to the downtown area forces the approaching driver to stop before entering, then look left for oncoming traffic, and then look right for cars entering at the next intersection. 

Need to traverse 180 degrees to the opposite side of the circle?  

Watch out because just before you get there, a sidewalk juts out into the road, forcing you to veer sharply to the left to avoid driving up and onto the pedestrian walkway. Instantly watch out for oncoming traffic approaching you from the left lane, appearing as though you're about to be hit you head-on! 

It was a stupid decision to save money by installing the Liberty traffic circles and they should be removed before someone gets killed!

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Enough: No More Cutting the Public Sector in Sullivan County

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"Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"  

No More Cutting the Public Sector in Sullivan County

The Resentment of Success, a Growing Problem in Government

by Ruby Pixman

Sullivan County has not been immune from the relentless assaults on its public workforce.

With the election of Ronald Reagan, who declared that government is not the solution, but rather the problem, resentment against those in government service would soon became a national obsession.

Using this Reagan mantra, there's been a relentless set of attacks against effective services that helped the U.S. to maintain its status as a strong and compassionate nation.

Within Reagan's two terms, he and his legislative allies began the first full-scale assault on such formerly untouchable federal programs, such as unemployment benefits, social security disability, food stamps, and even the government's ability to tax corporations and wealthier citizens. 

Reagan became the first president to destroy a labor union, specifically the one representing air traffic controllers who initially supported his election. Their brief strike wasn't even about pay raises, but rather about improving working conditions in order to make air travel safer.

When Reagan departed office, he left his stamp on succeeding administrations, be they Republican or Democratic. 

The G.O.P. used Reagan's popularity to further their openly pro-Big Business, anti-worker agenda, and Democrats lowered their expectations for better wages and benefits in both the public and private sectors. 

As workers rights diminished in the private sector, government employees voted for union representation and struggled to gain many benefits, making public-sector jobs more desirable.

In the meantime, emboldened corporations shipped their manufacturing operations overseas in order to avoid paying U.S.-mandated wages and benefits, resulting in closed U.S. company plants and shrunken union membership. 

Yet in the public sector unions were able to hold their own, if not outright flourish. 

Over the years private-sector worker incomes began to stagnate.  The cost of living rose, but incomes declined.  Many began to believe that workers in the public sector were living high-on-the-hog on the taxes paid by private-sector workers. 

It wasn't long before the idea took hold of doing away with government-sponsored programs and jobs, if only to get back at those piggish public workers. 

Instead of blaming the real culprits, the greedy corporations and their doting, mostly Republican politicos, many cheered on as their programs were either drastically shrunk or eliminated.  "After all," many thought, "if I can't have a decent job with good benefits and pay, why should those damn government workers is so lucky?"

Sullivan County has not been immune from the relentless assaults on its public workforce. 

The previous County Legislature demanded and got union concessions leading to downsizing through attrition, no raises, pay cuts, and layoffs.

The present County Legislature has continued cutting. They have been struggling with trying to deliver on expensive state-mandated programs, while cutting costs and avoiding tax increases. 

Yet the prospect looms that as Big Business continues to consolidate its grip on every aspect of American society, our county legislators will, if they haven't already, eye the next bunch of government workers for the chopping block. 

And the results will be the same: more unemployment, lower quality of government services leading to a much lower standard of living for the vast majority.

The solution lies in recognizing that public workers are like the rest of us. 

They have families to feed, rents to pay, and aspirations for their offspring. 

Their presence makes our lives better.  They and the government are not the problem.  Instead of resenting public workers, we should support them and turn our attention to the real problem causers:  greedy corporations and the politicians they control. 

Once we recognize who are the real sources of our woes, it will become easier to go after them and win!

 

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