Re Jan. 31 editorial, “Stay open to alternatives to Rotterdam ambulance”: I have respect and appreciate Rotterdam’s ambulance service. However, I do believe it is time to privatize this service. It does not seem fiscally responsible to form a tax base for a service that already exists in the private sector. Providers, in this case Mohawk Ambulance Service, can be held to strict standards of response time. We don’t need to have a long-term contract or commitment. And with the town’s oversight, poor performance can dissolve a contract at any time. Most people today have medical insurance that will pay a portion, if not all, of a person’s cost for ambulance service. Also, I don’t know the stats, but I would believe that private services have much higher collection ratios than the public sector. Mohawk Ambulance is willing to purchase the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services facility and equipment, and hire Rotterdam’s EMTs at no cost to the taxpayers. That seems like a positive plan that should seriously be considered.
OK, I have a few things which I was about to post before I got kicked out of IE due to my computer just being old. Anyway, the one speaker who both Channels 6 and 13 stated was "emotional" tonight was my sister, Caryn March. She was a volunteer for the ambulance squad for 10 years. That's right, volunteer, no paycheck and she did it anyway. She was in favor of this. She was on both channels tonight.
I applaud Mr. Tommasone for looking very carefully into the budget to see where the money could come from. He is showing his concern for the town and it's residents, even if I disagree with his point of view on this. After the committee met and discussed raises through the town, which may or may not have been a good idea, he decided that although it sounded good, the finances couldn't be worked out now, so he did not include these in this year's budget.
$30 a year is not much...especially considering the 14.7% increase that I saw again this year in taxes. Maybe my sister who was in favor of this will decide to pay the $30 for me.
My sister did tell me in a separate conversation that Rotterdam EMS has been missing out on a bit of money that they could have had coming in due to the way that they were billing. Essentially, they have only been billing for the ambulance rides, when they could have, in fact, also been billing insurance companies and patients for the times when the paramedics show up. They have only been charging BLS rates to the insurance companies, where the paramedics would be an ALS rate. Once they turn around and do this, it could be a significant amount of money coming in to the corps.
I am a bit upset about this entire thing going down tonight, though. I do remember that I knew that I wasn't going to be at this meeting prior to it happening. The thing is that I expected tonight to be a meeting about what they planned on doing, possibly setting up a public hearing at the next official town board hearing at the normally scheduled time, Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. I do know that there were robo-calls going out regarding this meeting tonight, however, I don't know where they were coming from.
Pg, for your information, and papa, so you can take your crystal ball in and tell them that it's malfunctioning, the vote was actually unanimous, 4-0 tonight.
Damn, Mertz flip-flops so much- even my crystal ball doesn't work. I really thought that Mertz was a true Conservative and would fight for the tax payers over here....
Editorial sounded like it was written by Mohawk Ambulance
Your Jan. 31 editorial, “Stay open to alternatives to Rotterdam ambulance,” appears to a lean heavily in favor of Mohawk Ambulance’s recent proposal to the town of Rotterdam. The first paragraph certainly gives the editorial a negative tone. You use the phrase, “at a time local government everywhere is struggling to make ends meet,” as if the current situation is unique. The town of Rotterdam has never been flush, it has always struggled. You repeated Mohawk’s assertion that its service would be at no cost to taxpayers. I beg to differ. The people who must avail themselves of the ambulance service are, by definition, town residents and thus taxpayers. Any payment for the ambulance service, whether from insurance or directly from patients, represents a cost to a Rotterdam taxpayer. Over the past 25 years, due to many pressures, ambulance service for Rotterdam evolved from three all-volunteer squads to a single service (Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services Inc., a notfor-profit corporation) with paid operational personnel. The “hometown” fl avor still exists because most ambulance personnel live in Rotterdam and care deeply about their friends and neighbors. In the early days, simple fund-raising handled the financial needs of ambulance squads. It is now quite clear that fundraising cannot provide any significant amounts. Some years ago, the town board considered the problem of ambulance consolidation and financial support. It approved consolidation and gave one shot of financial aid, but provided no ongoing financial help. The lack of financial help, during the necessarily long transition period, was the primary cause of REMS’ financial problems today. There are inherent cost differences that favor a “nonprofit” ambulance service. [While] most of the variable and fixed business costs would be about the same, the “for profit” would have costs due to a layer of paid management, whereas the “nonprofit” is managed by an unpaid volunteer board. The “for profit” service would also have to pay many taxes, none of which would affect the “nonprofit” service. Borrowing would also be more expensive for the “for profit.” My guess is that the net result would be charges at least 20 percent higher than what a “nonprofit” service would need. Sooner or later, after the “lowball” price period is over, Mohawk would have to increase the price of its service. My understanding is that the town board has decided that basic life support ambulance service is to be made available to all residents of Rotterdam. It would be good if The Daily Gazette could support the board’s decision.
GARY J. BONK Rotterdam The writer is a fire commissioner for the Carmen Fire Department.
I KNOW BECAUSE I talked with people in the know and what they told me about last night is that Tommosaone and Surhad want to make this a profit making thing for themselves and charge the taxpayers instead of creating this district where it can have a union and run itself without charging people. Worst yet is that johhnie boy Mertze wants to put them into being a profit maker like mohawk and charge all of the seniors who cant afford it. We have good people to beat these losers now thank god. Maddone when the people find what it costs to do this scheme to make the repubs rich they will throw a fit and vote them all out finally
If Mohawk was willing to buy REM, employ it's people, cover all calls, at no cost to the taxpayer AND give the town $80,000/year of it's profits.....what the heck were the powers that be thinking? So now we will have yet another government run entity. ANYTHING government run DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!!! This is not the time to expand government. Now is the time toencourage private business! This decision is usually made by the lib/dems. To see reps follow those same steps is not a good thing. But then again the reps endorsed Denny....so nothing should surprise us I guess!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I support the continuance of REMS. I am generally opposed to the creation of tax districts but wouldn't necessarily rule it out either because at least the service would have a dedicated revenue stream to pay for operation. However, as it currently stands, I wholeheartedly support REMS being funded through the general fund.
Why? Because put very simply, in the mind of the average resident, they BELIEVE they pay taxes in part for basic safety services. Mohawk's offer makes me wary - if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. I just don't believe they have a real stake in it like REMS. I understand the appearance of the numbers and I agree it seems to make sense...in the short-term. What about the long-term? I'd much rather take a crack at getting REMS back on solid footing first...and I think the general fund is the best way to manage it.
On an aside, I was greatly impressed by the Supervisor throwing part of his salary toward the commitment. Some say it was just a political ploy but I disagree. It speaks to his true belief and commitment to help REMS.
As far as finding so much necessary money available in the budget...I'm not surprised. I didn't like the adopted budget and said so at the time. If it was all really that necessary, how could we carve that much out of it just a mere couple of weeks later to support REMS? My point is that there is plenty enough fat in the budget our current tax dollars support that I don't think we need a new taxing district. We need to get our priorities in order, be more efficient with our tax dollar, and I believe we can pay for the needs of our community...whether it's a critical service like REMS provides or the host of other important needs I've written about elsewhere.
I don't think it matters much on exactly 'where' the monies comes from for REMS. A new taxing district or the general fund is still our tax money. In my opinion, it is still not necessary for the government to be in the ambulance business. At a time where government is so large now, I don't see a NEED to make it even larger. It is just another arm of government that is NOT NEEDED.
As far as Mr. Tommasone donating his $2,000 is not impressing me. Nor was it necessary. If he wanted to contribute to the 'cause', he could have just donated $2,000 'privately'. Although it may have been a sincere gesture, it would appear to some as political bandstanding.
As far as service in this town, we have what is 'needed'. We don't NEED a taxpaid ambulance service.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Concerning the editorial on the Rotterdam REMS [Jan. 31 Gazette], this is one of those times when you really better back off, because I believe you have no idea what’s really going on. Speaking for myself, and quite a few others I've talked to, we have absolutely no desire to see Mohawk, or any other medical teams, in our town. Cost or no cost, I for one am willing to pay what it takes. I'm sure there's going to be a solution in the making soon. Whatever, whenever, leave well enough alone to Rotterdam.
Ron Capullo apparently thinks those who don't agree with him should stay out of this. The "others" he's spoken with are probably the same people in the minority comprised of the interested parties. Of course they don't want Mohawk or anyone else in town - they don't want any supervision or accountability while they spend public money. And the Town Board, caving to politics, has recklessly granted them a 10 month contract with no conditions whatsoever - no oversight, no financial reports, no response or activity records - nothing. No rational resident unaffiliated with a public employee union with any knowledge whatsoever on this matter would go along with this insanity. Capullo would probably love for everyone to leave "well enough alone" -trouble is, the situation is never, and has never been "well" at all. The more facts that come out, the more residents favor a private service.
I think they are just holding onto a life boat......the bigger gears in motion will push us where we 'need' to be......well beyond our local yocals.....JMHO
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Posted on: 02/18/09 Jackie Sher email: news@spotlightnews.com
Rotterdam EMS is making repairs and updating its system as it prepares to re-enter a contract with the Town of Rotterdam.
“There’s a lot of paperwork that’s going on in the background,” said Joe Vanderworker, president of the board of directors for Rotterdam EMS. “All they want is an ambulance to appear on their door step, and I’m just trying to get through all the paperwork to make sure that happens.”
Rotterdam EMS is updating the computer system to make things more efficient, and working on the final contract that will be signed by the organization and the Town of Rotterdam.
Terry Hannigan, lawyer for Rotterdam EMS, said he is “thrilled” that Rotterdam EMS will continue serving the town, which selected REMS as the primary emergency provider at the Thursday, Feb. 5, Town Board meeting.
“From my standpoint, I’m very excited that this day is upon us — that the town is now going to invest capital into the ambulance service,” said Hannigan.
“It’s been a long time coming — it can only mean stability and growth and the continuation of the service that they’ve provided over the last 60 years,” said Hannigan.
REMS had been experiencing some financial problems because, for several months, Medicare reimbursement checks were not coming in. Vanderworker said the reason for that was a “snafu in paperwork and numbers and whatnot,” but REMS’ biller has managed to “straighten everything out.”
“We went from November until a few weeks ago with a couple of Medicare checks, and they were building up and building up, and we just received a check close to five figures,” said Vanderworker. “We paid off a bunch of bills, and we still have money in our account to make payroll.”
With the influx of much-needed funds, REMS was able to put another ambulance on call on Friday nights. Vanderworker said he hopes that it is just the beginning.
“We’re polling our staff to find what people that will want to work a 12-hour day on Saturday and Sunday because we want to work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday because those are critical hours,” said Vanderworker.
He said they miss a lot of calls during these times because they don’t have enough coverage. When REMS can’t answer a call, it goes to the next service on a list that includes, in order of priority, Western Turnpike, Altamont Rescue, Greater Amsterdam Volunteer Ambulance Incorporated and Mohawk Ambulance.
“I don’t know if it’s extended hours going to start this week or not, but it probably will start next week,” said Vanderworker.
Eventually, he said, he would like to have one ambulance running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with an additional ambulance on for 12-hour shifts during the weekends.
Rotterdam Ambulance merged with White Eagle five years ago to form Rotterdam EMS, which caused some hiccups in how the organization was run.
“There were a lot of things that got dropped; one of the biggest things was the federal 501c for not for profit organizations,” said Vanderworker, who said federal authorization as a not for profit is required before an organization can apply for grants, many of which provide critical materials, such as new ambulances.
“We wanted to file for a couple of grants; ambulance replacements, oxygen generators so we can make our own oxygen, and I can’t file for any of those grants yet until the 501c is filed,” said Vanderworker.
Plans to file are in the works, said Vanderworker, and things should be completed in two to three weeks.
“Another thing that fell through the cracks was that we never got our New York State tax exemption status,” said Vanderworker.
He said that those are the things that “are hurting us along the way.”
Plans are in the works to file the needed tax paperwork, as well.
Rotterdam EMS is also working to put in place License Event Notification Service, or LENS, a program through New York State DMV. If a Rotterdam EMS employee gets a DWI, his or her license is automatically suspended, but Rotterdam EMS has no way of knowing unless it hears about it. With the LENS program, an organization is notified immediately.
“They can’t come in and say, ‘I still have a license and I can still drive,’” said Vanderworker. “We have all these programs on hold right now, but eventually we’ll get them up and going.”
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