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Legislator Suhrada Proposes Extending Paramedic
Coverage to Duanesburg, Pricnetown
Webster's defines leadership as "the ability to lead".
I have never found the word "followship" in the dictionary.
When a community elects an official to the County Legislature,
they expect leadership, especially when lives are on the line.
At the March County Legislature meeting, I proposed legislation
that would clear the way for advanced life-support, quick response
paramedic service in the towns of Duanesburg and Princetown.
After several attempts to silence me, I spoke at the end of
the meeting
I explained that for less than two dollars per county household,
we could extend service to the hill towns through a cooperative
agreement. I outlined how Rotterdam already has the best paramedic
force in place, right next door. We can put that crew into Duanesburg
and Princetown for a fraction of what it will cost the county
to build a new force, as I am not interested in creating more
county patronage. My plan avoids that, and it also bolsters
Rotterdam's paramedic force and covers Rotterdam taxpayers for
the entire cost.
When I explained my plan, I was told that former
Republican and current Democrat Judy Dagostino was collecting
data, and that we would have to wait for her to move on it.
I have the data and it seems that the difference between saving
lives and playing politics comes down to party enrollment. When
my father suffered cardiac arrest 12 years ago, I was glad our
paramedic force in Rotterdam didn't need to take time "looking
into it." They were there instantly to save his life.
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It strikes me odd that when the Legislature gets the urge to
spend a million dollars on the Gillette House, or a boat dock,
rock walls, art programs for Hamilton Hill, welfare programs,
"drug courts", "youth courts" and a gang of
other programs that should come after saving lives, we never hear
about how we need to "wait for numbers." The Downtown-driven
majority never has a problem "jumping into things" like
that, and their Democrat associates from District Four always
vote in lockstep to spend those millions and support them.
All too often they vote for programs, which are dubious at best,
just because some consultant or staff member says to. I've watched
the taxpayer dollar spent like Monopoly money on "obesity-prevention"
programs, diversity t-shirts, tickets to the Altamont Fair, and
buying property on speculation. It would be nice if we had unlimited
resources and money, but it now comes down to priorities.
We need to extend advanced life support paramedic patrols into
the hill towns now. I stand by my figure of $125,000 for the first
year and $100,000 or less, thereafter annually- and if it is a
fraction more or less, then we make adjustments to our budget.
All I ask is that we allow our professionals and civic leaders
to come before the legislature to explain the need, the costs,
and benefits. And I want that opportunity earlier, rather than
closer to the re-election campaign of the Democratic members.
Strokes, poisoning, heart attacks, and fires can strike anyone
at any age, and they don't check whether you are a Democrat or
Republican. In a county that is spending tens of millions on library
expansions for Downtown, movie theaters, social programs and streetscapes
we should find $125,000 for advanced life support paramedics for
residents in the western part of the county. And we should do
it without concern for party politics, who gets the credit, or
election-year timing.
Letter to the Schdy Gazette Editor, March 2004
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