Ulster County Sportsmen
Want Taxpayers Money!
Wildlife Watch/C.A.S.H. and local activists speak against county funding
for the local Sportsman’s Association.
Unbeknownst to almost all county taxpayers, the Ulster County Sportsmen’s
Club, a private club, had been getting thousands of dollars of funding from
the county over the years. Thanks to the heads-up from newly elected Ulster
County Legislator, Brian Shapiro, this outrage has been uncovered. Wildlife
Watch obtained the full County Budget and discovered that the funds were
being allocated in spite of the fact that libraries, social services, and
some children’s programs were being cut outright from the budget. It was
outrageous.
Thanks to certain new, strong legislators (Hector Rodriguez, Susan Zimet,
Brian Shapiro, and others) who were appalled by the fact that social
services were being cut for this, we believe that this may be the last year
that the sportsmen will be able to get away this “theft.” Clearly, political
friends are what counts. All of our friends voted to either eliminate or
control this funding, and all of their friends voted to give them free
reign. This balance has got to change.
Anne Muller of Wildlife Watch presented the following at the
legislature:
We ask the legislature to consider that sadly the Ulster Literacy
Association has been cut to $2,000. The Catskill Ballet Theater Co., certain
historical societies, the Unison Arts and Learning Center have all been cut
to $500. The Daniel Pierce Library, the Town of Crawford Free Library, the
Workers Rights Law Center, are all getting ZERO this year from Ulster
County.
So, it’s most childish and ungrateful of the hunters to cry about
restrictions on the outrageous amount of $7,000 that they ARE getting.
Let’s take a look at just what these other “Outside agencies” are to the
County. We know that libraries educate our children so that they can have
better lives in the future; the arts provide spiritual uplift and allow us
to see beyond ourselves; social services offer good work for members of the
community by giving food, shelter and clothing to those who need it; but
what in the world are the hunters doing for the county that they should be
given $7,000 of our taxes?
You don’t have to be an animal rights activist to be outraged by this.
You simply have to be a social service recipient or employee; you have to be
a parent who wants your child to have library access, or a child who wants
to use the library; or a librarian who wants to help the community, you
simply have to be a cultural center employee who wants to offer something
joyful to the community, or an artist who wants his or her works displayed
to the public. How must those who depend on literacy programs feel to see
money that could have gone to them go to the raising of pheasants and
rabbits for pleasure killing by a few hunters.
We urge that this allocation of $7,000 not be repeated in the future.
That the grand total of zero be the future reward of the hunters, that
restrictions be presently placed on the money with regard to breeding
animals for killing as is the prerogative of this legislature.
A member of our organization, Wildlife Watch, asked that I suggest that
the $7,000 be used to buy bird food. She said the birds are hungry.
