Where are our priorities? Do Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature consider the entertainment industry more important than our most vulnerable citizens? In tough financial times, they have decided to balance the state budget by cutting programs for the developmentally disabled while providing $420 million in tax credits to film production companies, $54 million to renovate a football stadium, and $500,000 for the New York Racing Association director. The reason given for cuts to nonprofit providers is alleged widespread administrative waste. I am in a position to tell you that this is not true.
I am the mother of a severely disabled daughter and an active member of the board of the ARC of Rensselaer County. Our nonprofit agency neither overspends nor is wasteful. Only 6.5 percent of ARC's $27 million annual budget is for administrative costs. We have always been committed to the quality of programs rather than excessive salaries. Our executive director's salary is well below the $199,000 cap set by the governor for nonprofit executives or the salary of the Office of People With Developmental Disabilities commissioner.
The governor claims the 4.5 percent cut will apply only to administrative expenses, not direct services. There is absolutely no way cuts of this magnitude can be supported when the administrative budget is already less than 10 percent of the overall budget. If the ARC of Rensselaer County is required to implement the governor's additional 4.5 percent cut, programs providing necessary and vital support to vulnerable people like my daughter will be severely affected.
If the state's priorities were properly ordered, there would be enough money for local nonprofits to continue to provide quality services to the developmentally disabled.
Sally Dunbar
Troy