Having served as member of the New York State Assembly for over 15 years, I certainly understand the need for the state to pass a balanced budget. At the same time, there are some services that we simply cannot afford to lose and must find a way to pay for. Senior centers fall squarely in that category.
Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed cuts that would lead to the closing of 80 to 110 senior centers, which are lifelines for thousands of New Yorkers.
Social workers in senior centers help seniors to access Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, and other critical benefits. Senior centers’ programming creates social interaction that helps keep seniors mentally healthy. They serve over 5,000 meals per day, sometimes to seniors who would otherwise go hungry.
Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, New York City Department for the Aging, has stated that about 90 percent of people who visit senior centers are poor. The proposed cut would literally hit the most vulnerable New Yorkers at a time when so many are already struggling because of the recession. Closing senior centers is an abominable way to balance the state budget.
Mark S. Weprin
Councilmember
