November 29, 1971 Mr. Henry Parry, Chairman of the Legislature New County Office Building Goshen, New York Dear Mr. Party: ་ The Orange County Executive and the County Legislsture are presently considering cuts in the county budget. While not obting the distress and concern of the legislatura cer possible cuts in the welfare budget, it has become apparenc that very little review is being required of such budgets 25 that of the County Extension Service. The Extension Servi.., which is a major contributor to agribusiness while avoid its obligations to all of the people of rural Orange C espidly farmworkers, has once again failed to expl goals and priorities for the coming year to the people of Orange County. TAS organization (the Extension Service) which can be vien des nothing less than a direct welfare subsidy i suc...s.1 and lucrative agribusiness, has failed to 11 comp.chesive annual report. The Extension Service pr... lists cree county legislators among its board of direc and thu feels it unnecessary to respond to the law man such a report. Beyond the possibility of conflicts of dwvolved here, there is a serious question of public mys belament for simple private gain. As we commented at the Orange County Budget Hearings in October, it continues to be the position of Orange County Legal Services Project that the Orange County Extension Mr. Henry Parry Goshen, New York November 23, 1. 1 Service, an adjunct of the federal, state and county governments and Cornell University, must respond to these questions before receiving any public funds for their note year's operation. We call upon the legislature and executive to publicly demand such. Sincerely, Jeffrey L. Liddle JLL:CV cc; Mr. Louis V. Mills, County Executive STATEMENT PRESENTED TO ORANGE COUNTY December 3, 1971 Prepared and Presented by: JACK WEINER Orange County Legal Services Proje 6-10 Academy Avenue Middletown, New York 10940 Orange County Legal Services is opposed to the allocation of $186,486.00 of county funds to the Extension Service without first requiring that the Extension service file an annual report with the Legislature detailing its operations and revealing the identity of those individuals and organizations receiving monies from the county Extension Service, and the use to which those monies are being put. $186,486.00 is a very large sum of money, In a time of national recession, when all branches of government are tightening budgets and reducing expenditures, it is inconceivable that the elected representatives of Orange County would be willing to spend this sum without at least being given the opportunity to determine who is getting the money and what it is being spent for. Yet The County Extension Service, by its own charter and enabling legislation, is mandated to raise the standards of rural life and to work with all aspects of agriculture. in spite of these avowed goals, and in spite of the fact that the County Extension Service has over the last 10 years, received approximately $1,000,000 in county funds, the last 10 years has seen a marked rise in rural poverty, a severe decrease in the number of family-owned farms, and a general deterioration in the quality of rural life. It is the position of Legal Services that there is at least a possibility that this decline in the quality of rural life has occured because of the failure of the County Extension Service to fulfill its obligations under the law. It is the contention of Legal Services that the County Extension Service has ignored its responsibilities by concentrating its efforts on behalf of the large agribusiness establishments in Orange County, and at the same time disavowing any responsibility to care for the small farmer and farm laborer. Legal Services is not suggesting that the Legislature accept what we say as the last word. But before you spend $186,000, we ask you not to accept what the Extension Service tells you as the gospel. We ask you to investigate, by demanding that the Extension Service take the time and effort necessary to prepare a report of its activities and expenditures and submit that report to the Legislature before receiving anymore funds. Over the last 10 years the Extension Service has managed to dispose of about a $1,000,000 in county funds while during the same period, the coporate farmer has grown richer and the small farmer and migrant worker has grown poorer. In this light, requesting a report from the Extension Service explaining the reasons for these results must be deemed a very proper exercise of the Legislature's governmental powers. |