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March 2004

Craig Mongeau - March 2004

 

If telling your elected officials how you feel about lack of CHIPS funding sounds like time well spent, then you’ll want to take advantage of Advocacy Day.

In an interview with Bill Nichols, executive secretary/treasurer, of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways Inc., he explained how superintendents across NYS can participate:

On March 10, 2004, two associations — the aforementioned NYS town superintendent association and the New York State County Highway Association — will join forces for the second straight year in an effort to restore funding to the CHIPS program. Advocacy Day so far is expected to involve approximately 200 to 250 county and town highway superintendents who will lobby state assembly reps and state senators for this cause.

“We’re hoping to get 10 percent over two years for everybody — for both town and county,” said Bill. Last year, we were able to get $34 million restored for the county superintendents. This year, though, when the governor submitted his budget, that money was gone again, so we’re going to try to get that money back again. We also hope to get an increase for the towns because there hasn’t been an increase for seven years.”

Advocacy Day will start the morning of March 10 at the Holiday Inn Turf on Wolf Road where, according to Bill, buses will begin departing at 8:45 a.m. and should arrive at the Capitol at approximately 9:15 a.m. or 9:30 a.m.

According to Nichols, most of you already should have received a registration form to attend, but if you didn’t and you want to attend, there’s still hope. You can call Bill at 585/365-9380 to obtain one or to ask any question. Also, Bill mentioned that you must make your own reservation at The Holiday Inn; their number is 585/365-9382.

Bill hopes most of you can attend this very important event because, in his words, “What we see is that we have a lot of support, a lot of sympathy, but no money.” A strong, loud, unified voice in Albany could change this. P