“Be The 1 To Save Someone’s Life” by County Executive Ed Day

Published

6 years ago

September 6, 2018

Rockland Report Editor

“Be The 1 To Save Someone’s Life” by County Executive Ed Day

In 2016 there were nearly 45,000 suicides in the United States, that is more than twice the number of homicides, making it the 10th leading cause of death according to the CDC. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54. As a parent and longtime youth sports coach these statistics are particularly troubling.

Earlier this year I took part in the “Be The 1 To” awareness campaign. In addition to raising awareness it illustrated how easily you can be there for those in need. Be The 1 To: ask tough questions; be there without passing judgement; help them connect to a support system; Be The 1 To save someone’s life. You can watch the #BeThe1To PSA on our Rocklandgov.com website.

Loss through suicide is not isolated to people with pre-existing mental illness or substance use disorders. It affects all age groups, all ethnic groups and all religious groups. 54 percent of the people who killed themselves didn’t have a previously known mental health issue. Instead, these people were suffering from other issues such as relationship problems, substance misuse, physical health problems, job or financial problems, and recent crises or things that were coming up in their lives that they were anticipating.

Loss by suicide has a lasting impact on the friends and family left behind. It is not a solution to anyone’s problems but simply a cause of great pain to all around. Screening for suicide and awareness of the warning signs, along with knowledge of community resources is important for all of us. Much more needs to be done to tackle this growing problem. Every conversation we have helps erase the stigma, helps make it a little bit easier for someone dealing with a problem to talk about it.

September is National Suicide Awareness month and the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Rockland, run through the Rockland County Department of Mental Health, in conjunction with area provider agencies and advocate groups is hosting numerous events throughout the month.

NAMI of Rockland is hosting a viewing on September 26 at the Regal Cinema in Nanuet of “Suicide: The Ripple Effect.” The film highlights the journey of Kevin Hines, who at age 19, attempted to take his life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Today Kevin is a world-renowned mental health advocate and motivational speaker who travels the globe spreading a message of hope, recovery and wellness.

The film chronicles Kevin’s personal journey and the ripple effect it has on those who have been impacted by his suicide attempt and his life’s work since. There will be a panel discussion afterward for anyone who needs help processing the film. I urge you to attend this or one of the other events happening this month to help change the perception of suicide. It’s a serious problem, but it’s one we can get through together.

(Photo credit National Suicide Prevention Hotline)

Häagen-Dazs “Free Cone Day” from 4 – 8 pm

Published

6 years ago

May 14, 2019

Rockland Report Editor

Find a location near you

Rockland Store

HÄAGEN-DAZS SHOP- Palisades Center
1000 Palisades Center Drive
West Nyack, NY 10994

“We Want a Contract!” By County Executive Ed Day

Published

6 years ago

March 2, 2019

Rockland Report Editor

“We Want a Contract!” By County Executive Ed Day

It’s time to settle. I am actively working with my administrative teams to review the 2019 financials and look for any financial opportunities that may result in potential modest increases on the base and/or lump sum payments to avoid contracts remaining unsettled.

I wanted to communicate and ensure transparency regarding union negotiations and where they stand to date. Most of our union contracts were expired as of 2017 and some as early as 2010. Understanding the magnitude of having outstanding contracts and the impact on the employees, I put aside $4 million in the 2018 budget to try and settle some of these union contracts.

In 2018 our Department of Personnel, on average, met monthly with union negotiators and offered operational proposals with monetary increases and lump sum payments. Not only did the Personnel Department meet with them repeatedly but so did I; it was that important to me. Some of the union contracts settled based on these offers. Other unions, despite being offered increases on their base pay and lump sum payments, left these offers on the table and some
did not even present these offers to the membership.

Since those offers were given, some unions have declared impasse and the New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) mediator made detailed mediator recommendations with lump sum payments to membership. Those recommended offers were all declined leaving unsettled contracts for another year. In all cases, these lump sum payments were significant and would also have counted towards pensionable earnings. To state or imply that either my
administration or I have not negotiated in good faith is pure fiction.

I have once again included money in this year’s budget (an additional $1.5 million) to go towards contract settlements but need to ensure fiscal responsibility is achieved at the same time; it is a balance. We finally have a positive fund balance but the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommends
that the General Fund maintain an unrestricted fund balance of no less than 2 months of operating expenditures to be truly financially healthy. That’s between $50 and $90 million in the bank, nowhere near the $6.3 million we currently have. While these are positive signs, we still have a long way to go until we reach full
financial strength.

That said, I want to ensure that our hard-working and dedicated employees receive a fair contract. They have been critical to the modernization of County government and serving the public. But we will not spend money we do not have and will remain fiscally responsible. That has been the credo of this administration and as much as I want to see our employees get the raises they deserve I will not jeopardize our financial progress.

I want to do right by our employees, but there must be a balance between their needs and the need to safeguard taxpayer dollars. I sincerely hope that we can soon reach agreements with all of Rockland’s unions, and I look forward with working with them on fair settlements.