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Officials will experience low-income side of life
BY EDWARD MUNGER JR. Gazette Reporter

    Two local state legislators will join other officials next month in an experiment of sorts that they hope will give them a taste of what it’s like to be poor.
    The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced that the “Walk-a-Mile” program will be coming to the state in January — an event that will pair lowincome families with a local legislator to give the politicians an opportunity to “walk a mile in their shoes.”
    Republican Assemblyman George Amedore Jr., who represents Montgomery County and part of Schenectady County, and Democratic Assemblyman Bob Reilly, who represents Clifton Park, Halfmoon and Colonie, are among 18 legislators who have agreed to meet with a family, conduct telephone meetings and share daily activities with their partners.
    Specific families will be chosen with the help of local assistance agencies, said Colleen Ryan, a spokeswoman at NYSERDA.
    Legislators will also be asked to live on a food stamp budget during the project’s duration — from Jan. 14 to Feb. 11 — according to NYSERDA.
    Reilly could not be reached for comment Friday. Amedore, a homebuilder turned politician, said Friday he sees the exercise as a means to help a family with whom he’s paired.
    “I do believe in mentoring and helping out. That’s what makes and should make communities or areas more successful,” Amedore said.
    “Being a public servant is ex- actly that, serving. That’s what an elected official should be, not just staying behind a desk,” he said.
    According to a description provided by NYSERDA, the program aims to foster a “deeper and fuller understanding of the issues and obstacles families face when living on public assistance.”
    At the same time, the program is expected to help low-income people “better understand the policy-making process and help identify solutions to address the issues they face.”
    Amedore said he sees the program as a way to teach participants “how to fish so they can go out and earn a living and have a means of sustainable income coming in.”
    “You’re teaching them how to do something instead of handing out something,” Amedore said.
    It’s possible during the exercise that the families could point out inefficiencies in government as well, Amedore said.
    “You don’t know unless you experience it yourself, really, what the individuals are going through. You always hear their side of the story. Now you’re going to be engaged in their side of the story, and be alongside them,” Amedore said.
    “Yes, I’m going to be able to see their process and or some of the struggles they’re going through. But everyone goes through struggles. As a state legislator I’m sure that there’s going to be things that we’re going to find,” Amedore said.
    State legislators in New York earn a base salary of $79,500. Reilly gives all of his salary to charity, according to his Web site.
    In the Amsterdam area covered by Amedore’s Assembly district, the most recent U.S. Census figures available put the median household income at $31,766.
    The project will end with a ceremony at the second annual Poverty Symposium sponsored by the New York State Community Action Association, according to NYSERDA.

They should also visit the low income seniors also who are having trouble living on a small Social Security check each month.

They make it sound that 'low income' is a disease. There have always been different economic classes. And I think this is a waste of taxpayers money. I don't have to live with or be in close proximity to someone who is considered 'low income' to know what it would be like. All I have to do is lower the amount of money I presently live on and I will know what it is like. I'm sorry to say that I just think this is a 'feel good political ploy'.
Gee, can I go and live with Donald Trump or Paris Hilton? I'm quite sure that I would leave feeling I was living as a 'low income' person. This is nonsense.

The politicians should also look at the lines at supermarket check cashing desks on the first of the month and then go to the lottery machine and see the lines there, oh watch them walk from the counter where the check was cashed to the lottery machine.

They should watch the rental centers on the first.  They could go to Time Warner and see the lines there.

Yes, they should live with a senior too, and watch them on the day the property tax bills arrive and watch them with bills on the desk and the check book and watch them trying to make a decision as to whether they will pay the tax bill or one of the others

Here is one better. There should be a mandate that the wealthy heads of all the companies should live with the employees that work for them with their low pay

Quoted from mikechristine1

The politicians should also look at the lines at supermarket check cashing desks on the first of the month and then go to the lottery machine and see the lines there, oh watch them walk from the counter where the check was cashed to the lottery machine.

They should watch the rental centers on the first.  They could go to Time Warner and see the lines there.

Yes, they should live with a senior too, and watch them on the day the property tax bills arrive and watch them with bills on the desk and the check book and watch them trying to make a decision as to whether they will pay the tax bill or one of the others

Wow, I couldn't have said this one any better!! You hit all of the above right on the nail!!! Good job!

Quoted from mikechristine1

The politicians should also look at the lines at supermarket check cashing desks on the first of the month and then go to the lottery machine and see the lines there, oh watch them walk from the counter where the check was cashed to the lottery machine.

They should watch the rental centers on the first.  They could go to Time Warner and see the lines there.

Yes, they should live with a senior too, and watch them on the day the property tax bills arrive and watch them with bills on the desk and the check book and watch them trying to make a decision as to whether they will pay the tax bill or one of the others

That is what ya call a state edumacation...

This is AMERICA...they dont eat pasta at my house and I dont eat pasta at their house and that is okay......GET OFF MY BACK AND EVERYONE ELSE'S....their walk is their talk and their personal life is a book.....

in the Bible if your own home is not in order, you dont get to direct someone else's....are you perfect, no.....but if you fall-just walk away and pass the torch

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CAPITAL REGION
Lawmakers try low-income life Assemblymen learn to count pennies
BY JESSICA HARDING Gazette Reporter

    Assemblyman Bob Reilly has never lived on food stamps or had to worry about how much money he spent for lunch, but for the next few weeks he’ll be counting pennies and stretching every dollar.
    Reilly, a Democrat who represents the 109th Assembly District, which includes Colonie, Clifton Park and Halfmoon, is participating in the “Walk-a-Mile” program. The national program was brought to the state through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and is designed to give policy-makers the chance to see how low-income families live.
    “Even today, I brought a banana and pretzels for lunch and I had to think about what this is costing me,” Reilly said Friday. “I’ve never concerned myself with what I’m spending on lunch.”
    Reilly is joining newcomer Assemblyman George Amedore, a Republican representing the 105th Assembly District, which includes all of Montgomery County and parts of Schenectady County.
    Both legislators, who are among 18 other legislators across the state, view this program as a chance to be engaged in their communities and see first hand how their actions affect others.
    Reilly has been paired with 50-year-old Debra Hines of Albany, who is raising her three young grandchildren, ages 6, 4 and 2, by herself. Reilly said Hines does not have a job and is terrified of going on welfare. Also, her daughter is expecting another child.
    Amedore said his partner, Debra Turner, a mother of two grown children who is in her mid-40s and lives in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood of Schenectady, is “a bright, kind and caring person, but opportunities have not come her way.”
    Reilly and Amedore are supposed to meet with their partners throughout the length of the program, which runs through Feb. 11.
    Reilly said his biggest challenge is scheduling time to meet with Hines.
    “I told her that I’m really busy and I have about 20 meetings a day,” Reilly said. “She told me that she is really busy too. It was an eye opening response because of course someone raising three young children is just as busy as someone who has 20 meetings a day.”
    Amedore’s largest challenge is contacting Turner because she does not have a phone. Among Turner’s many challenges are utility bills that are higher than her rent. Turner also doesn’t have a car and lives on food stamps.
    Reilly believes that this experience is going to affect his policymaking in the future. He pointed out that a person like Hines can’t work and take care of three children because child care costs are too expensive.
    “She is looking at about $25,000 per year on child care and she can probably only aspire to make $25,000 per year,” Reilly said. “It’s easy to criticize people when they are economically depressed, but look at the numbers she faces. How can she raise three young kids by herself?”
    Amedore said he is learning about government inefficiencies through this process.
    “I want to make sure that every dollar we spend is getting back to the right people,” he said.

How come these people aren't eligible for HEAP or some other NYS program to help with heating costs.

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Amedore said he is learning about government inefficiencies through this process.
    “I want to make sure that every dollar we spend is getting back to the right people,” he said.

Mr.Amedore's statement is kind of in line with your's, shadow. I mean with all of the taxes that we pay in this state and with all of the government programs available, NO ONE should be without anything! I mean really.We have HEAP, food stamps, section 8, child heath care, medicaid, SSI, NYS disability, health clinics, subsidized housing, WICK, employment training and I know that if you qualify, the phone companies offer a discount on phone service. I know some people who are on one, some or all of these programs.

Perhaps our Social Service employees aren't telling these people ALL that they are entitled to. Gee, they can even get a college education!

Where is all of these services and money going? I think that Mr.Amedore will find our Social Services system broken. Some people who really need the help are clearly not getting it. And the ones that don't seem to know how to get everything!

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Lawmakers don’t need to live like constituents

    I read with disdain the Jan. 19 article about our lawmakers relinquishing their normal, comfortable lifestyles in order to better apprehend those less fortunate by pairing with persons on welfare, for example.
    Dare I take this patronizing, over-thetop and otherwise symbolic empathy to its ultimate manifestation and suggest that those who crave better insight into, say, the African-American culture wear blackface so that they, too, can be discriminated against. We do not walk in each other’s shoes, they are ours and ours alone, however ill-suited and unwanted. So please, lawmakers, stop grandstanding; feel the pain in your own hearts and just do what’s right for a change, sans the publicity.
    Next time I’d like to read an article titled, “Lawmakers try high-moral life.”
    RALPH E. DETURK
    Fultonville

Although I think that for officials to so called, 'experience or live like the less fortunate' is rediculous, I also think that Ralph, the author of the article above got a bit off topic. These politicians were doing this for 'economic' purposes only. It clearly has nothing to do with discrimination. However wrong and unjust discrimination may be, there always was, still is and always will be discrimination in some form.

Discrimination is a mind thought that no single person or government or law can change. It's when that mind thought becomes 'behavioral' and is 'acted out' is when it becomes an issue.

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Next time I’d like to read an article titled, “Lawmakers try high-moral life.”

ZING!!!!

Inasmuch as many living on goverment assistance mis-use the money, i.e., those items I said, it is true that the ones who are not blowing their money are having a tough of it.

So, with this experience, let's just see what the legislators, these in particular, do in terms of a vote on an their pay increase.  Let's see if they sit there thinking about the experience of watching people try to manage to get just the necessities or will they just think, "I'm voting yes on the raise, I need to fund my cruise," or whatever luxury they want with the raise