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The Official Campaign Website for Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt |
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The Issues ### “Enough is enough,” said Rabbitt.
“Intentional assault against our state’s seniors has no place in civilized society. I
support this bill because it would treat attacks on the elderly by young assailants in a separate category from existing hate
crime law. I hope criminals hear our message loud and clear: prey on the innocent and you will be punished
to the full measure of the law. I urge my Assembly colleagues to immediately deliver this important anti-crime
bill to Governor Paterson’s desk.” The legislation comes in response to the attacks on two Queens women last year, one of whom,
Rose Morat, a 101-year-old, was repeatedly punched and then knocked down by her attacker, a significantly younger man whose
brutal act was caught on a building’s security camera. “Granny’s Law” faces action
by the governor, in ten days or less, following delivery by the house of the state Legislature originally responsible for
passing it. ### RABBITT: BRING NY
GOVTS. OUT OF 19TH CENTURY
Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,C,I-Greenwood Lake) is encouraged by a recent report issued by the New York State Commission
on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness which made suggestions on how to lower property taxes by consolidating
some local government services and school districts. New
York State’s excessive property taxes are driving business and residents out of the state and making the dream of homeownership
harder to achieve for young families,” said Rabbitt. “One way to lower property taxes would
be to consolidate services provided by local governments and school districts, and I believe that this report lays out several
ways to do just that.” The report
calls for local governments to: Assemblywoman Rabbitt noted that many of these proposals will help to lower property taxes and make New York
State more competitive in our 21st century global economy.
While she agrees with the report that top-down reforms seldom work, especially in Albany, Rabbitt maintained
that unless the state stops imposing unfunded mandates on local governments and school districts, these reforms will do little
to help cash-strapped counties pay for the growing costs of Medicaid and other state programs, and school districts pay for
ever-increasing mandates and state required tests. “Unfunded
mandates are putting counties between a rock and a hard place, forcing them to either cut services or raise property taxes,
or both,” said Rabbitt. “Counties will only be able to implement the report’s suggestions
and save homeowners valuable tax dollars if the state stops imposing unfunded mandates on our local governments and school
districts.” ###
Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,C,I-Greenwood Lake) was acknowledged Wednesday evening at the 2008 Tribute to Women
of Achievement of Orange County dinner, held at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor. The legislator joined
her fellow recipients as the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson and YWCA Orange County honored those who have made a difference
in our community through professional or public service. Assemblywoman Rabbitt, the only elected official
among the slate of nine winners, received the Public Service award on behalf of her work for the 97th Assembly
District. “I am honored and humbled to be the
recipient of your Public Service Award today, and I congratulate the rest of this evening’s winners,” said Rabbitt.
“The YWCA and the Girl Scouts represent the very best of the empowerment spirit: to encourage independence of
mind and self-reliance rather than opposition and victimhood. I look forward to these two valuable organizations
continuing their important service in our community. “Since
joining my Assembly colleagues in 2004, I have fought hard on behalf of working families and their interests. Women’s
issues – in particular job training and domestic-violence reduction – have been a centerpiece of my legislative
agenda. I welcome the new roles women have defined for themselves. We are now wives and business leaders,
mothers and public servants, educators and students alike. As women continue to play an essential role in shaping the course
of this nation, I look forward to organizations such as this event’s sponsors shepherding the values and virtues which
American women will need as we continue our ascent through the business, political, and cultural worlds.” ### We
all recognize that health care costs, from doctor visits to prescription medications, have skyrocketed in the past twenty
years. However, this is not the only problem in our looming health care crisis. Many do not realize that
our state is also facing a crisis in the number of nurses we will have to take care of us in the future. If
left unattended, a protracted shortage would mean fewer health care professionals on call where they are needed most as well
as lower quality service for at-risk populations like seniors and the poor. Numerous health care advocacy groups, such as the Health Care Association of New York State (HANYS), have reported
New York’s shortage of nurses and the detrimental impact it has on patient care. A recent HANYS report
stated that four out of five hospitals in the state are facing a nursing shortage. The report also referenced
a federal study noting that New York could experience a shortage of approximately 37,000 nurses by 2015. Speak to any health care professional; they will tell you
that the nursing shortage crisis is real, and it shows no signs of slowing in New York State unless we act now to stop it.
My colleagues and I recognize that immediate attention is needed. Last week we proposed several
measures that would promote nurse education plus provide incentives to remain in the nursing field. Our
slate of bills attempt to deal with nursing recruitment and work-force issues and included measures which would: -more- The quality of health care in our state, and the morale of our nursing staffs, is diminished
each day we wait to pass these needed reforms. With five weeks of session remaining, I encourage my colleagues
in the Assembly to act immediately to address New York’s nursing shortage. Our future health depends
on it. ### ### Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,C,I-Greenwood Lake) today announced
a change in the law which will make it easier for parents and students to save for college by allowing relatives, employers
and others to contribute to state-approved college-savings accounts. The higher-education law, signed by
Governor Paterson last week, eases restrictions on third party contributions to college savings funds, called 529s, including
the New York State College Tuition Savings Program. This program began in 1998 and allows for tax-deductible contributions
and tax-free withdrawals for qualified college expenses. “Higher-education costs have risen faster than the rate of inflation in recent years,” said Rabbitt,
“leaving many families wondering how they will pay for their son’s or daughter’s college tuition.
State law has not helped matters: New York is currently one of two states which does not permit third parties to make deposits into 529 college-tuition savings accounts.
I am proud to have voted yes on this important expansion of our program, and I believe that by opening up contributions
to relatives and employers we can transform 529s into the standard model for putting money away for college. This
is great news for students and their families.” While
the New York State College Tuition Savings Program has helped contributors pay for $8.3 million in college expenses, until
now it has only accepted contributions from the individuals who created the account, i.e., parents. Furthermore,
over $57 million in contributions have been rejected from other parties since 2003 because of this rule. The
revision will allow anyone, including family members, employers or a scholarship fund, to contribute. Contributions
from account-holders will remain tax-deductible.
### RABBITT BILL WOULD PREVENT WORKPLACE VIOLENCE A gruesome slaying leads lawmaker to sponsor change to notification rules
Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,C,I-Greenwood Lake) recently introduced Assembly bill 10980 (A.10980),
legislation which targets disgruntled employees who may intend to harm their former co-workers. The measure,
a response to the 2005 cold-blooded killing of Joanne O’Brien – a woman who was shot by an employee she had fired
18 months earlier, would notify employers responsible for helping to prosecute an individual when the former employee was
released from jail, broke his or her parole, or otherwise remained at-large. By notifying an employer
of a disgruntled ex-worker’s status, a workplace can take the necessary steps to protect itself from retaliatory acts
and dangerous behavior. A.10980 is a new bill and has Assemblywoman Rabbitt as its prime sponsor.
“The workplace used to be a safe zone, a place absent the risk of sudden violence,” said Rabbitt.
“However, recent high-profile office shootings have put the lie to this idealized notion of safety and order.
Job sites across New York State should not be subject to the dark impulses of maniacs; as a society we should stand
up and do what we can to provide employers with the tools necessary to protect themselves and ensure the well-being of their
workers. Joanne O’Brien’s tragic case illustrates how powerful knowledge of a convicted
felon’s legal status can be, and how powerless we become if violent individuals are allowed to target former employers
with impunity. I strongly urge my Assembly colleagues to bring A.10980 to a vote as soon as possible in
order to keep law-abiding citizens safe and workplaces free of criminal violence.”
Last Wednesday marked the anniversary of our Congress passing
the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, an act which officially gave women the right to vote.
Following congressional approval, a majority of state legislatures needed to ratify it in order for the amendment to
become law. In the end, Tennessee, in a crucial yes vote, tipped the balance among the 36 states.
The deciding vote was cast by twenty-four-year old Harry Burn, the youngest member of the Tennessee State Legislature
that year. The story
goes that before Burn made his fateful decision he was opening his mail and came across a letter written by his mother.
The letter read: “I have been watching to see how you stood but have noticed nothing yet….
Don't forget to be a good boy and … vote for suffrage.” And so Burn voted, giving
women across the country the right to vote after years of false starts and broken promises. Harry Burn
understood a simple but inescapable truth: sometimes it takes a mother to remind us of what’s right. Women have come a long way since the American suffrage movement reached its 1920 capstone
of permanent voting rights. We are now wives and Fortune 500 business leaders, mothers and public servants,
educators and students alike. Anyone who follows the news knows a woman recently came within 100 pledged
delegates and half a percentage of the popular vote of capturing the Democratic nomination for president. I
welcome the new roles women have defined for themselves, and look forward to see what we will do with the economic, cultural,
and political bequest suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton provided us. During my time serving as assemblywoman for the 97th
District, I have fought for women’s causes large and small, and favored legislation to strengthen women’s rights
and the rights of their families. I have voted in favor of paid family leave, greater protection for victims
of domestic violence, including expanding eligibility for orders of protection, and restructuring the law to extend orders
of protection against non-felony convicts. As both a wife and mother of police officers, I understand the importance of keeping
families safe, including preventing crimes against women. As a third-generation woman business owner, of O’Hare’s Pub in Greenwood Lake, I understand the evolving
set of pressures faced by women as they attempt to balance their multiple roles in the home and at the office.
That is why New York State needs legislation flexible enough to deal with these changing circumstances.
When I speak with women they often mention issues like financial freedom and independence, but we also focus on peace
of mind during times of economic uncertainty. The current middle-class squeeze faced by New Yorkers –
inflated fuel, food, and health care costs, to give just three examples – also means that breadwinners and heads of
households, increasingly women, must manage budgets in which tough financial choices often mean the difference between putting
money away for a child’s college fund and buying enough groceries for the week. As women inevitably progress, we shouldn’t
lose sight of the profound contributions of those who have made these gains possible. The civil rights
activists who helped to pass our Constitution’s 19th Amendment started as a social movement to effect political
change. Today, despite a society infinitely less misogynistic than 1920, women continue to face obstacles
which will require the same can-do spirit Anthony and Stanton displayed over a century ago, and from our leaders the kind
of political courage demonstrated by one state legislator from Tennessee – with a little help from his mother, of course. ### Nurses
are the fulcrum on which most of our health-care industry turns. Registered and practical nurses serve
as patient caregivers, support staff, and aides to long-term-care residents; they are truly the workhorses of the medical
profession, filling a variety of roles and occupational needs. The ongoing nursing shortage in New York
State, however, is forcing many of these valuable health professionals to work long, demanding hours in hospitals and nursing
homes across our state. Patients at these facilities need their caregivers to be focused and well-rested,
not sleep-deprived after excessive overtime shifts. Assembly bill 11711, legislation which I co-sponsored,
passed the state Legislature this month and represents a victory for nurses, patients, and New York State’s health-care
delivery system. Mandatory overtime at state hospitals and nursing homes compromised our quality of care;
with the passage and eventual enactment of Assembly bill 11711 into law, I believe New York will benefit from the services
of a talented and reinvigorated nursing profession.
I have long been a proponent of nursing-education aid and reform, most recently involving legislation to enhance our
nurse work force through recruitment and retention. The New York State Nursing Shortage Correction Act,
for example, provides for the reimbursement of student loans if a person is a registered and licensed nurse. I
also have favored the Regents Nursing Professional's Loan Forgiveness Program for applicants who agree to engage in employment
as nurses in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice centers, reducing the financial burden on nurses and keeping talented professionals
in the state.
For years, inflexible labor laws have hamstrung registered nurses in hospitals, forcing them to work long, grueling
hours in environments demanding split-second decision-making and allowing little margin for error. Mandatory
overtime in these cases increases the likelihood of fatalities and medical-malpractice lawsuits. Likewise,
nursing-home care requires personal attention to patients that is often threatened by working too late or too long.
The chance of error followed by legal action has acted as a negative incentive for too many years, leaving us with
understaffed hospitals and long-term-care facilities.
To be sure, nothing in Assembly bill 11711 precludes a nurse from voluntarily putting in overtime
hours. However, the purpose of our labor laws ought to be to treat New York’s various professions
with equal occupational standards, not place special burdens on an already demanding profession. By leveling
the playing field for registered nurses and other classes, we can bring the nursing profession into line with existing labor
standards, attract new applicants to the state’s nursing schools, and retain our best nurses in hospitals and nursing
homes. This measure provides for these goals while granting employers flexibility in times of crisis or
natural disaster, when demand for nurse-administered acute care would be at a premium. I
was proud to have contributed to the passage of Assembly bill 11711, and I look forward to reducing some of the burden on
our nursing population as well as encouraging young women and men to enter the health care profession on terms equal to those
of other occupations. New Yorkers’ quality of health care, and the morale of its nurses, have found
a boost in this overdue reform. ###
Governor David Paterson pushed the panic button this week, telling New Yorkers that we are indeed in an economic recession
and now is the time for drastic action to rein in unsustainable state spending. A financial crisis had
been looming for a long time. My hope is that special interests and legislative leaders will finally recognize
that the crisis is here, and heed this urgent wake-up call by acting immediately. Families and businesses struggling
to make ends meet do not need to be reminded of the daily economic hardships they face in the form of soaring fuel costs,
sky-high property taxes, and painful health care premiums. Although state spending has grown over the last
decade by 71 percent, revenues have declined steadily, pushing us further into debt, and creating an annual deficit of more
than $6 billion. For far too long, this state has attempted to balance its budget on the backs of the middle-class
taxpayer and push fiscal woes onto future generations. This simply cannot continue. For years, my colleagues and I have been calling on New York
to spend, tax, and borrow less. We have advocated accountability standards in the budget and restraint
in spending. These pleas fell on deaf ears. During budget negotiations earlier this
year, we reiterated that first the proposed, then the enacted, budget would not sustain this state through the year.
Critics called the accusation alarmist; unfortunately, we were right. The problems New York faces are
not unique. Thirteen states have already taken action to reduce their budgetary spending this year as a
result of the national economic downturn. The Empire State must follow suit. We can
guide this ship through the storm only by making some tough decisions, reining in state profligacy and easing the economic
burden on families and businesses. Only then can we begin to grow our economy and increase revenues for
future years.
I applaud the governor for calling a special emergency economic session of the Legislature on August 19, but we should
have reconvened earlier. We will need to revisit this year’s enacted budget and do what should have
been done a long time ago – indeed, what our constituents elected us to do: lead New York out of fiscal crisis.
While doing this, we must not pass on the opportunity to advance comprehensive property tax reform and other measures
that will make New York State more affordable for those who call it home. Rest assured, I will continue
my fight to put New York back on track to a prosperous economy. That is what people expect from their elected
representatives and it is what they deserve. The time to act is now. ### |
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