Sullivan County

Congressman Maurice Hinchey has a proven record of getting results for the communities he represents. Since 1995, he has delivered nearly $4 billion for the 22nd Congressional District, including $59 million for Sullivan County. In the last two years, Hinchey has secured more than $5.5 million for projects in the County.

These federal investments in our region have created jobs, helped communities provide the infrastructure for economic growth, have made low-cost capital available for business startups and expansion, strengthened our schools and health care systems, promoted our tourism industry and lured new businesses to the area.

Highlights from the 109th Congress included:

NYRI Power Line Proposal
Hinchey has been a vociferous opponent of New York Regional Interconnection's (NYRI) proposal to contruct a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line from Oneida County to Orange County. Immediately after the proposal was announced in May 2006, Hinchey wrote to the U.S. Department of Energy, calling on the agency to reject a request for a special federal designation for NYRI that could expedite and facilitate the construction. NYRI requested that the DOE designate a 200-mile corridor running from Marcy to New Windsor as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC), which could preempt New York State's authority over the review and approval of transmission lines, and would directly conflict with an existing federal mandate to preserve a scenic and environmentally important part of the state. Hinchey opposes this designation based on the fact that one of the two currently proposed routes for the transmission lines runs through the federally protected Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River corridor. The following month, the Department of Energy agreed and denied NYRI's request for an early designation. Hinchey also submitted testimony to the New York State Assembly's Standing Committee on Energy strongly opposing the NYRI proposal and highlighting how federal and state deregulation of the electricity industry has set the stage for this and other similar proposals.

Federal Highway Authorization Projects
Hinchey has fought to increase the federal government's investment in our transportation infrastructure, which improves public safety, increases economic development opportunities and alleviates the burden of expensive repairs on local taxpayers. Among the projects for which Hinchey secured funding in the 2005 reauthorization of the federal highway act are:

Interstate 86 Upgrades: The transportation authorization bill provides $12 million to complete the highway upgrades necessary to convert sections of Route 17 in Broome, Delaware, Orange and Sullivan counties to interstate standards. These earmarks are part of the more than $10 billion that New York State is expected to receive for highway projects as a result of this law. In April 2005, Hinchey also joined local officials in calling for the expansion of Route 17 to three lanes in each direction from Harriman to Monticello, in order to ease congestion and prepare for continued population and economic growth.
SCCC Road Improvements: Hinchey earmarked $1.1 million for the continued rehabilitation of the road serving the Sullivan County Community College campus in Loch Sheldrake. The federal funding will support the improvement of College Road from Route 52 to the Loop Road and improvements to the Loop Road and county-owned portion of Leroy Road. In addition, the existing parking areas will be rehabilitated and a new parking area for 100 vehicles on an acre of land inside the Loop Road near the campus buildings will be constructed. This new parking lot will be used primarily by those who are handicapped and others who need parking access close to the highly used theater and library.
Upper Delaware Visitors' Center: At Hinchey's request, the bill provides $600,000 for the design and construction of a visitors' center for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway at the site of the historic Cochecton Railroad Station. The goals of the center are to enhance the local economy by promoting local businesses and tourism, and to enable the traveling public to obtain educational and interpretive information. The public will also have ready access to restroom facilities at the center, which is located in the center of the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway.

Economic Development and Job Creation
Creating jobs and improving the economic conditions of the 22nd District are always Congressman Hinchey's top priorities, and he has worked to bring federal dollars to Sullivan County that improve the economic climate and the region's infrastructure. Key projects in the 109th Congress included:

Liberty Meat Processing Facility: The Sullivan County Agricultural Local Development Corporation was awarded a $175,000 grant for the construction of a meat processing plant in Liberty as part of funding earmarked for Rural Area Economic Partnership (REAP) Zones, a special economic development designation that Hinchey secured for the county in 1999. The 2500-square-foot facility, which will be the only USDA-approved slaughterhouse within a 50-mile radius, will cost a total of $270,000, with state grants and low-interest loans providing the remainder of the funds.
Sullivan County Bus Garage: Using his position on the House Appropriations Committee, Hinchey secured a $500,000 earmark to Sullivan County's Department of Transportation for the design and construction of a bus facility/garage and purchase of buses and related equipment.

Flood Recovery
Sullivan County has been plagued with serious flood events over the past two years. Hinchey has worked to meet the immediate needs of residents and the long-term goal of flood mitigation for their communities, including:

Pine Kill Creek Repairs: In October 2004, Hinchey secured a $300,000 Natural Resources Conservation Service grant for the Town of Mamakating to make urgent repairs necessitated by the torrential rainfall of August 30, 2004. Severe flooding left many areas of the Pine Kill Creek in Westbrookville extremely eroded, threatening further damage to both private and public property.
April 2005 Flood Response: On April 4, Hinchey issued an urgent appeal to Governor Pataki to request a Major Disaster Declaration from President Bush after a week of heavy rains caused severe damage in Livingston Manor, Loch Sheldrake and at sites across the 22nd Congressional District. Bush approved flood aid on April 20. In addition, Hinchey worked with the U.S.D.A. to secure $68,000 in emergency farm aid from the federal Farm Service Agency's Emergency Conservation Program to help farmers recover from the early April floods.
Flood Prevention for Livingston Manor: In the 2006 fiscal year's Energy and Water Appropriations bill, Hinchey inserted language instructing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to give priority to flood prevention efforts in the Upper Delaware River Watershed, specifically along the Little Beaverkill Creek in Livingston Manor in the Town of Rockland. This language has directed $100,000 to the Army Corps to begin flood mitigation studies. Hinchey is continuing to work to earmark additional funding to complete this study, which would allow for federal resources to be used for subsequent construction and flood mitigation work.
Callicoon Creek Flood Prevention: At Hinchey's request, the House approved $250,000 in May 2006 for a comprehensive federal study to examine ways to reduce flooding of Callicoon Creek. Hinchey used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to secure the funding as part of the Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2007.
June 2006 Flood Response: As heavy rains continued to fall on June 28, 2006, Hinchey urgently appealed to Governor Pataki to immediately request a Major Disaster Declaration from President Bush, which clears the way for emergency federal funding. The next day, he led the New York congressional delegation in calling on President Bush to immediately send federal aid and support to the 13 counties severely affected by the severe floods. When the president failed to designate all of the affected communities as federal disaster areas, thereby limiting the aid available, Hinchey successfully pushed the Administration to expand its declaration. Hinchey has also worked to help New York's farmers recover from the flooding, announcing $2.25 million in federal farm aid in August and working for additional funding for the Emergency Watershed Program, which relieves imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. Following the floods, Hinchey, along with federal agency representatives, visited flood impacted areas of Sullivan County to assess the unmet need of the County.
Long-Term Flood Solutions for Delaware River Basin: In July 2006, in an effort to bring long-term solutions to local flood disasters, Hinchey and 11 of his colleagues called on a House panel to hold special congressional field hearings in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to identify ways in which the federal government can assist with flood prevention in the Delaware and Susquehanna River Basins. In their letter to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Hinchey and his colleagues noted how a federal investment in flood prevention measures now will save lives, property, and hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs and aid in the future. Approximately $213 million in National Flood Insurance claims have been paid in the last two years for damages in the two river basins.

Swinging Bridge Dam
Since a sinkhole formed in the earthen dam at Swinging Bridge Reservoir as a result of severe flooding in April 2005, Hinchey has been working with the community association and the surrounding towns to ensure that the dam repairs are completed quickly, that the water level in the reservoir be restored and that the safety of downstream communities be assured in the event of future flooding. Hinchey has repeatedly pressed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which has oversight responsibility for the dam, to hold the dam's owners, Mirant NY-GEN, accountable for the repairs before the company can surrender its license.

In March, when Mirant indicated its intention to sell the dam and surrender its FERC license, Hinchey immediately wrote to the federal agency, urging FERC to mandate that Mirant first repair the dam and restore the water level of the reservoir to full capacity in a timely manner. Hinchey followed up with a meeting with FERC representatives the following week, at which he was assured that the repairs would be completed and the water levels restored before the end of 2006, a deadline that was later confirmed in writing to Hinchey. Additionally, he hosted two town meetings for Mirant to explain the work that needed to be done and its timeline for repairs to community residents.
Yukiguni Maitake Mushroom Plant
During the environmental and site plan review process for the Yukiguni facility in the Town of Mamakating, Hinchey expressed his opposition to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) variances and final site plan approval for the controversial facility after the concerns voiced by the community and Hinchey were not addressed during that process. Hinchey wrote to both the ZBA and Planning Board highlighting his concerns about the facility's water usage, impacts on the Town's water resources, the negative impacts of the facility on Mamakating's scenic and historical resources, and the potential degradation of the area's quality of life.
Casinos
Hinchey believes that Sullivan County residents should decide how many, if any, Indian gaming facilities should be developed in the county and that Sullivan County and the adjoining communities should be fully informed of the economic, transportation and environmental impact such development would have. When Governor Pataki proposed in December 2004 to allow the establishment of five casinos in the Catskills, without giving the county any say in the matter, Hinchey worked to kill the federal legislation that would have made Pataki's plan possible. Hinchey later expressed support for a one-casino proposal, passed by the NYS Assembly and eventually supported by Governor Pataki, which would settle the St. Regis Mohawk's land claim and allow the establishment of one casino in the Town of Thompson. Hinchey praised the more moderate approach, which would allow the community to determine its impacts.

Support for Education and Job Training
Hinchey has taken advantage of his position as a member of the House Appropriations Committee to increase the federal government's investment in Sullivan County's education and job training facilities, including:

Center for Discovery: In the 2005 fiscal year's health and education funding bill, Hinchey successfully earmarked $200,000 for the Center for Discovery in Harris. The funding for the Carrus Institute provides support to the parents of children with severe or multiple disabilities.
Delaware Valley Job Corps: Hinchey worked with the U.S. Department of Labor to secure a $5.78 million grant for needed renovations to the Delaware Valley Job Corps Center in Callicoon. The grant funds needed interior renovations and the installation of a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system in its four-story classroom facility in Callicoon. The DVJC provides job training courses for nearly 400 students from Sullivan, Orange and southern Delaware counties.
BOCES Videoconferencing: Hinchey helped secure a $446,232 federal grant for the Sullivan County Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to install videoconferencing equipment at the BOCES site and nine county schools across five school districts. Once the teleconferencing equipment is in place, BOCES will be able to implement a wide array of distance learning activities to provide increased access to educational content, professional development for teachers, and expanded access to technology and adult education/vocational training for Sullivan residents. All sites will use videoconferencing, connecting rural schools together as well as allowing them to work with hub sites that provide expertise in the area of professional development.
Sullivan County BOCES: Hinchey supported and helped secure a nearly $1 million federal grant to BOCES for the continuation of professional development programs for American History teachers. The "Frontiers of American History" grant, awarded through the U.S. Department of Education will fund a professional development program for 100 history teachers that serve rural, high-needs students in grades K-12. This program includes multi-day professional development programs, after-school seminars and institutes, internet-based learning tools, on-site study in Washington, DC and opportunities to attend American history education conferences.

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It is a privilege and our great good fortune - to be members of your constituency. Your courage and conviction regarding basic human and democratic issues are inspiring and heartening, as expressed in your great letter of March 19. With your leadership we dare to hope and believe: we and those cherished principles will survive. Thank you!
Roy & Amy Godes

Keep up the good work. I appreciate your honesty, integrity and courage.
Karen & Peter Goertzel

Thanks for your work for peace!
Bill McCabe

Thank you for being one of the few congressmen to speak out against this illegal and criminal war.
Harriet & Ed Nadel

Thank you for having the courage to vote against this invasion.
Gloria Phillips

Your stance in opposition to this war, to the attack on our civil liberties, and the other acts of the Bush administration that you have outlined, make us feel truly represented. We are horrified that this Congress has surrendered its prerogatives and powers. We are proud that you have had the courage to support our constitution, our democracy and have opposed "preemptive" war.
Bernard & Elizabeth Rosen

Thank you for your tireless efforts to unseat Bush and bring back sanity and responsibility to the White House. Help us reverse the course the President has chosen.
Dorothy Ross

It is such a relief to hear from a politician what we know to be true of the Bush administration. Please, please continue to speak the truth in these dark days. We need you.
Nancy & Polly Piore

I can barely express the relief I feel in the midst of a government turning inside out - to have my very own representative who behaves like an educated man and understands something of the chaos the administration has invited the whole world to share. Thank you.
Marguerite Matthews

Thanks for your outstanding position on the war!
Ross & Lucille Pattison

This gift is a direct consequence of Mr. Hinchey's courageous stand against Bush's dirty little war in Iraq.
John Hussey

You are one of the few voices of reason in this world of chaos - Please shout if that is what it takes to be heard.
Judith & Robert Schneller

It was wonderfully refreshing to hear you speak out against the recent policies of the Bush Administration. It is a message that needs to go out to the entire public. Thank you for your courage. Please continue speaking out.
Cheryl Papa

Hinchey Rocks!
Nora Edison

The letter enclosed is truly masterful. I'm sending it to many people - it sums up what should have been done and what we must do in the future to prevent further destruction of what our country has always stood for. Best of luck to all of us.
Jean Cinader

Thanks for saying, "Dissent is the Essence of Democracy"!!!
Ruth Blizard

Keep up your great work. You are a beacon of hope and light in these most difficult and dark days. You display tremendous courage speaking out against the madness of this war, and your voice rings out on behalf of working families who want peace.
Charles Vogel

Thank you for your letter of the 19th of March. It expresses exactly my opinion. Our invasion of Iraq, without endorsement by the UN is contrary to International Law and has created widespread hate against the U.S. among many nations. But in spite of my opposition to this policy, I also fully support our men and women in the field.
Dr. Hans A. Bethe

In this depressing and alarming time, it gives us hope to read a letter from our representative that we wholeheartedly support. Please keep up your strong and courageous work.
Paul & Harriet Tomasko

I feel relief that there is at least one voice of sanity in Congress - someone who cares about our country, our civil rights, our responsibilities as citizens of the world. It is hard and depressing to see our government controlled by bullies who appear to care only about power and increased wealth for their cronies. May you succeed in your public service.
Sally Jennings

Congratulations on your courageous critique of Bush's war in Iraq and his administration's misplaced domestic priorities.
Sanford Gutman

Thank you for being one of the few elected officials who has maintained his integrity!
Diane Brown

Thank you Maurice for being brave and honest enough to take a stand on Bush's destruction of environmental, economic and global diplomacy policies that have served Americans well - until now.
Patricia Adams

I received a copy of your March 19 letter from my daughter. Although I am not a constituent, it is a joy to make a contribution to the campaign treasury. Please add my name to your mailing list.
Sally Baughman

How on earth did the American public have their attention switched from Osama bin Laden, the 9/11 alleged mastermind, to Saddam Hussain? It is one of the greatest scams ever pulled on a people, it is disturbing to see so many fell for this stunt. Thank you for keeping some sanity in this conflict.
Trudy Weber

I'm proud to support a legislator like you. Bush and his administration is destroying our international relations, our environment and our economy. You have a tough job but fight on and encourage your fellow congressmen to do the same.
Bob Schumann

Thank you for standing up and speaking out when so few do. Please keep me on your mailing list.
Prof. Patricia Hunt-Perry

Thank you for your correct and courageous stand against the U.S. attack on Iraq. We have no right or legitimate reason to invade and conquer.
Dooley Kiefer

Bravo for the action that you took in the House of Representatives. I am hopeful that the president will take the recommendation seriously.
Jacquelyn Efram

Good work, Maurice. Thank you!
Nancy Gabriel

Maurice is my hero.
Betty H. Eickler

THANK YOU, MAURICE!
LINDA BIEMER

Thank you, Congressman, you have always kept faith with the Constitution.
Anne McCabe

BRAVO Maurice!
Your courage is so remarkable.
Tara and Ned Sullivan

Well, let me tell you something. This is the first step of a new majority in this Congress taking the right kind of action on the basis of our obligations and responsibilities under the Constitution to stand up to the actions of this administration and to put this country back on the right track. Not just in the case of what is going on in Iraq, even though that is so terribly disastrous, but the consequences here in our own country, the intimidation of people, the internal spying, the elimination of habeas corpus, all of the impingements on the American Constitution, based upon the culture of fear cultivated purposely by this administration for their own personal and political objectives. No one in the previous leadership, no one in the previous majority, stood up to this administration in any kind of a constructive way.
~Rusted View Blog

I am proud to call you my Representative. I have not heard any national politician to date publicly state the case for the Iraq tragedy as boldly and honestly as you did tonight. Although I have heard you speak about Iraq often here in the Hudson Valley, seeing and hearing you speak about Iraq on the floor of the House gave it much more importance and prominence. You summed up by emphasizing that this resolution of no confidence was only a first step in bringing this terribly misbegotten military adventure to an end. Please continue to use your position and influence to bring as wise and early an end to this war as possible.
Dick Ernenwein

By now, I am no longer surprised at the incisiveness and clarity with which Congressman Hinchey tackles the awesome problems facing our nation. His hearkening back to Bush's infamous State of the Union address which propelled us into this gruesome war stimulated the following version of the old miners' song, "Sixteen Tons":

He spoke sixteen words and what did we get?

A war in Iraq and deeper in debt.

St. Peter, don't you call me -- I've still got work --

Gotta rid TV of that self-satisfied smirk.

Henry Foner

Both Sally Luther and I are thrilled with Maurice's wonderful work he is doing in Congress.
John Neumaier

Thanks, Maurice, for continuing to stand up to the evil in the White House.
Roberta Wallitt

Thank you, Rep. Hinchey for speaking out about this. We are fortunate to have you as our Representative in Congress!
Janice Viola

Hinchey for President
Rokki Carr