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JAMESTOWN – Democratic Congressional candidate Tracy Mitrano (D – Penn Yan) was in Jamestown on Friday to announce a series of upcoming listening sessions and to also point out that residents in the 23rd Congressional District and neighboring counties will see more than $500,000 in medical debt disappear, thanks to the help of two physicians – including one who lives in Chautauqua County.

Jamestown area physician Dr. Ralph Walton listens as Democratic candidate for congress Tracy Mitrano tears up a medical bill after announcing an effort to whip out $500,000 of medical debt for residents in and near the New York 23rd Congressional District.

Mitrano’s announcement came during a press conference at the James Prendergast Library late Friday morning to highlight a unique partnership helping district residents out from under crushing medical debt.

Mitrano said that Working with the non profit group RIP Medical Debt, Chautauqua County physician Ralph Walton and Tompkins County physician Dr. Marguerite Uphoff announced that they and other area doctors would help eliminate more than $500,000 of medical debt.

“$5,000 of the contributions of Dr. Walton and Dr. Uphoff have extinguished nearly a half-a-million dollars of medical debt. With their donations we were able to expire $500,000 of commodified medical debt for the people in the 23rd district and surrounding counties,” Mitrano said.

Dr. Walton joined Mitrano and said he donated his own personal money to help remove the debt because he wanted to help struggling families while also drawing attention to the country’s ongoing healthcare crisis…. adding tht the United States might have the most expensive healthcare system in the world, but that doesn’t make it the best.

“We have the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Tragically, that does not translate into the best healthcare. We are currently 28th when it comes to longevity. In other words, 27 nations have better longevity statistics than the United States. We’re 31st when it comes to infant mortality. This absolutely should not be happening,” Dr. Walton said.

Mitrano said that the indebtedness many Americans face due to healthcare is something current Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) refuses to do anything about. She illustrated her point by saying that Reed for years was connected to a medial debt collection agency and also voted against the affordable care act and other types of legislation that would ease the debt burden.

“Tom Reed’s company profited from our nation’s most vulnerable people – people who are up to their ears, if not drowning, in medical debt. And why is that a conflict of interest? Over 70 times in the almost 10 years he has represented this district he has voted against affordable healthcare coming from, and still have an interest in, medical debt collection, “Mitrano said. “He consistently demonstrates that his greatest concern is with himself with no recognition of the real need of the people in this district. Enough is enough. It’s time to get Tom Reed out of office.”

Also as part of the press conference, Mitrano announced she is launching a five-city healthcare listening tour beginning today in Dunkirk, with a second meeting scheduled on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown, 1255 Prendergast Avenue.

Upon the conclusion of the five-day healthcare listening tour, Mitrano will issue a plan to address healthcare costs and work on a non-partisan basis to bring about a real solution to the crisis.

Mitrano is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination as a candidate in the 2020 election against Tom Reed, who’s also already announced his intention to run for reelection. Mitrano also ran as the Democratic candidate in the 2018 race and lost to Reed by a margin of 54 to 44 percent of the the vote.

So far only one other Democrat has come forward to seek the party’s nomination as candidate in this year’s congressional race and that is Dr. Scott Noren of Ithaca.

Dr. Sherri Mason of SUNY Fredonia addresses the Chautauqua County Legislature, calling for its support of Great Lake Funding, during the legislator’s March 2017 meeting.

MAYVILLE – Several residents were on hand at the Chautauqua County Legislature meeting Wednesday night to speak out against a cut in President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget and its impact on the health and preservation of the Great Lakes. In addition, others also showed up to voice their opposition to a proposed motion in support of the Collins Amendment in the proposed American Health Care Act – which would remove the local cost of Medicaid from county governments.

The comments were the result of two motions the legisalture was scheduled to act on later in the meeting.

• MOTION 1: Support of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
• MOTION 2: Support of Chris Collins Amendment

CONCERN OVER GREAT LAKES FUNDING CUTS

Last week, President Trump released his proposed federal budget, which increases military spending while at the same time slashing or eliminating dozens of domestic programs and initiatives.

Trump proposes cutting the Environmental Protection Agency budget by 31 percent, from $8.3 billion in fiscal year 2017 to $5.7 billion in fiscal year 2018. As part of those EPA cuts, the Trump budget eliminates the $300 million in annual funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which finances environmental projects all over the region.

Among those who voiced concern for the possible Great Lakes funding cuts was Dr. Sherri Mason of SUNY Fredonia, who’s research on the impact of plastic microbeads on the great lakes ecosystem resulted in a local ban in Chautauqua County, and has received national attention.

“We are respectfully asking the legislature to pass a motion opposing the budget cuts, because of the impact that they will most definitely have on the Great Lakes,” Mason said. “Many of us remember that not too long ago, back in the 60s and 70s, when the rivers of the Great Lakes would regularly catch on fire, when the algal blooms were so bad, and when the Great Lakes were basically considered dead. Because of the things like the EPA, the Sea Grant agencies, the Clean Water Act, and various environmental initiatives that have taken place within the past 30 years that the Great Lakes have come back to this current state.”

COLLINS AMENDMENT RECEIVES PUBLIC CRITICISM

Former Chautauqua County Mental Health Commissioner Ralph Walton speaks during the legislature’s March 2017 meeting.

The legislature also considered a motion that would show support for the Collins Amendment, which is part of the American Health Care Act being considered by Congress and is named for its sponsor, Rep. Chris Collins (R-Clarence, NY 23). Collins amendment calls for the local cost of Medicaid to be eliminated, shifting it to the state level. While its an amendment to a federal bill, it would only impact counties in upstate New York and Long Island. According to state officials, the cost of such a shift would be $2.3 billion in lost Medicaid payments from local governments, if and when it takes effect in 2020, assuming of course the legislation passes both houses of Congress in its current form.

Speaking out against the Collins Amendment, both Bemus Point Resident Phyllis Caloren and Chautauqua resident John Brysacz explained to lawmakers that eliminating the local cost of Medicaid would have an adverse impact on local hospitals and nursing homes, as well as thousands of residents within the county. In addition, former Chautauqua County Mental Health Commissioner Ralph Walton also spoke to the legislature, explaining the negative impact the GOP-sponsored healthcare plan would have on drug addiction and other mental health services currently offered in the region.

Later in the meeting, the legislature unanimously approved the two motions of support.

Legislator George Borrello (R-Irving) offered comment prior to each vote, explaining that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has not only provided environmental benefits, but also infrastructure, commerce, and industrial benefits as well. He also explained the support for the Collins Amendment, saying New York State has the largest Medicaid spending of any state in the nation, and the amendment will go a long way in changing policy in Albany, in order to bring down that spending and making it more similar to what the rest of the nation is spending.