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Thursday, May 9, 1991, p. 5.
OPINION
See related from Times Herald Record editorial

---

Anti-poverty agency funds London trip

By TOM RUE


The Sullivan County Community Action Commission to Help the Economy (CACHE) board of directors received an unusual request from agency executive director Ed Schmidt at a January 8th meeting in Liberty.

"I am not going to ask for a raise this year," Schmidt began dryly.

Instead, Schmidt recommended CACHE allocate him $2200 to travel to England from June 3 to July 4 as part of a program sponsored by Rockland County Community College. Called "London: The Making of a City," the program is slated to include such activities as "Art in London" and "Theatre in London," according to published sources.

CACHE is an anti-poverty umbrella agency which operates on monies earmarked for the low-income and people experiencing temporary difficulties -- monies from county, state and federal tax coffers. Public records indicate last years agency budget was $931,132 from a combination of grant sources, including the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, NYS Division of Economic Opportunity, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Sullivan County.

In 1991 Sullivan County is expected to contribute $74,000 to CACHE.
'Backs of the poor'
As a board member at the meeting when the travel-study proposal was made, I predicted the public's legitimate perception would be that Schmidt was taking the trip "on the backs of the poor people of Sullivan County."

Schmidt did not present a written proposal, offering only a cursory oral explanation about the overseas study prior to a board vote. The board voted affirmatively to fund the training, with just one "no" vote. Since it was not a roll call vote, some members may have abstained. Fourteen of the 22 board members were present.

Schmidt asserted that CACHE should pay for his trip so he can learn about the human services delivery system in a socialist country. An interesting topic no doubt, but should the taxpayers foot the bill? At a time of budgetary crisis, and from money earmarked to benefit the poor?

Does Schmidt believe the U.S. government is about to take a radical turn to the left for which CACHE needs to prepare?

Imagine! For about the same amount of money as could be used to buy a loaf of bread or a dozen eggs for every man, woman and child living in the Town of Highland, Schmidt can wing his way to Europe for five weeks of "training."

In 1989, CACHE's executive director was paid $30,000, raised to $35,000 in 1990. The agency's proposed 1991 budget includes a salary of $37,500 for Schmidt, according to a county official.

Schmidt holds a two-year college degree and a credential in alcoholism counseling.

Salary figures do not include all of Schmidt's income, such his anti-drug abuse clowning or magic routines. While Schmidt laudably donates some of his "No-Mo the Clown" or other acts to selected community causes in the name of CACHE, he also receives substantial pay for other performances.
Final decision denied
Despite the nearly unanimous vote by CACHE directors regarding the England trip only the week before, on January 19th the Times Herald-Record quoted Schmidt and then chairperson Thomas Gilmore as saying no final decisions had been made on the matter. Gilmore was also quoted as saying the board had not decided whether or not funding Schmidt's trip would mean he would forego a raise this year.

Some board members not at the January meeting have voiced personal opposition to the idea of Schmidt's trip. But to date, neither the CACHE board nor the county supervisors have taken any action to deauthorize the expenditure.

Gilmore represents Town of Mamakating supervisor Dennis Greenwald on the CACHE board. While there is no suggestion the two occurrences were related, Gilmore stepped down as chairperson shortly after Greenwald publicly voiced strong objections to Schmidt's proposed junket.
DSAS concerned over spending
Martin Ringer, regional director of the NYS Division of Substance Abuse Services (DSAS), recently wrote to CACHE expressing grave concern over the possibility of money designated for DSAS-funded programs being used to send Schmidt to Europe. In response, Schmidt pledged not to use public funds, or time on the agency budget, for out-of-country travel.

At a March board meeting, the idea was discussed of taking the money from a "discretionary fund" consisting of the administrative line item from a social service contract program. Viewed from one perspective, such monies may not strictly be "public funds" since CACHE is a private agency and some its resources may be spent at board discretion.

But this is a tenuous distinction.

The CACHE board has not yet made clear from which account, or from which funding source, it plays to pay for the England trip.
Better use
As an agency, CACHE offers a variety of fine, legitimate programs which enhance the quality of life of county residents. However, jetting the executive director to Europe for five weeks of wining, dining or "study" is not among the agency's finer or more legitimate functions! How will this expenditure help local people?

It would seem wiser and more fitting to use all or some of the $2200 allocated to the proposed overseas travel to directly benefit clients, or raise the salaries of CACHE's office staff, housing, nutrition, aging or weatherization specialists, parent aides, or other hard-working direct service providers; or by giving specialized training in their particular work areas. Even better, agency clients could benefit directly if the $2200 were applied as seed money for a new service or program.

For two years, my wife Carmen and I have served CACHE without pay, as voluntary board members, in hopes of seeing the agency's services expand and make even more meaningful contributions to the lives of Sullivan County residents. Carmen was appointed to represent United Way of Sullivan County on the CACHE board, while I represent The Salvation Army. There are others on the board who have served longer than either of us; but we will continue on the board, expressing dissenting views when appropriate, in any forum we consider necessary. Not to speak out -- in the board room and elsewhere -- when we see that something is wrong would be to abdicate a duty.

We are proud of what CACHE has accomplished and hope to see it grow.

Certainly no one should be expected to take a vow of poverty for a job like Schmidt's. But if he is to be voted another pay hike next year by the CACHE board, let him at least pay taxes on the full amount and pay for overseas junkets out of his own pocket, rather than padding an already hefty salary.

[The above is a minority "dissenting opinion" which does not reflect the position of the CACHE board, or any other group or organization with which the writer is affiliated.]