Candidate: McMahon’s stimulus plan does not invest enough in residents (Your Letters)

To the Editor:

This letter is in response to Onondaga County Government Ryan McMahon’s State of the County address. He outlined a $142 million stimulus plan for the county within the speech that he stated would “spend money on our residents.” A big portion of the funding from the stimulus plan goes to tourism, round $38 million. This plan features a $25 million sports activities stadium, $5 million for the OnCenter, $3 million for tourism advertising, and different initiatives. This $3 million for tourism advertising alone is greater than the measly $2 million deliberate to spend money on a males’s shelter to assist with homelessness. There’s a weak plan for transportation for less than 350 residents by way of a CNY VANPool Program when extra environment friendly and obtainable transportation is badly wanted.

McMahon stated nothing about investing in inexpensive housing for individuals to reside in, even after the current revelations about horrible housing circumstances within the Skyline Apartments. Many housing models are unfit. The Skyline Flats reveal a a lot deeper disaster of inexpensive, secure housing in Onondaga County.

Additional, McMahon stated little about restoring the cuts to human providers. Finances cuts have led to departments just like the Department of Child and Family Services being understaffed and placing kids in Onondaga County in danger. McMahon solely briefly talked about shoring up county departments. He went on to say, “Extra {dollars} had been sought from our fund stability to revive positions within the Human Service departments. We didn’t disagree with this aim, however solely with the timing and the place the cash was coming from.” McMahon disagreed with utilizing our “wet day” fund for these actual kinds of conditions. He additionally opposed the timing of restoring positions once we wanted them most throughout a horrible well being disaster.

As Covid-19 stays a problem, unemployment soars, meals help wants skyrocket, and a housing disaster is across the nook, we should genuinely spend money on residents to repair these issues. We do that by investing way more in our well being providers, social providers, inexpensive housing and transportation.

Joe Bennett

Candidate for Onondaga County legislator, District 15

Syracuse

Associated:

McMahon’s stimulus plan is a start, let’s aim higher (Editorial)

County should spend $142M windfall on things that last for generations (Your Letters)