Your Opinions

Take stock of your values

I recently took a day off to rest. Well, it turned out I was about to rest for good. As I pondered on these “mishaps,” I ran into a friend’s letter describing his experience during his holiday outings with his family. The title says it all, “What do you value in 2017?” A few of his words just resonated with what I was feeling, for example: Family, health, freedom, spirituality and adventure. Realizing that there are a few that will stop at nothing to test you, rob you or tempt you into giving up one or all of these values.

In evaluating these, I come short of one: Family. Why? I asked. In my spiritual journey I set that as my foundation, even though I may not always be consistent in practice. However, circumstances are such that I find myself like a tree having to do without a “branch/ limb.” Instead of compromising the whole body or tree, I chose to be without. Eventually a healthy tree will function and give fruit without that branch.

Why do I share this? Because when I first came to this town I knew no one. Now I have relationships with lots of people from all walks of life that sustained me for the past 12 years. I could NOT ask for more. And foremost, my interest goes to those who for some reason have had some missteps and are having a difficult time getting up and moving on without that limb or branch. Granted, it takes time to heal and courage to accept some suffering. But you always come back stronger, resilient and with resolve to do better.

Again, it is like GOD took me by the hand through experiences and revealed the beauty of these towns for the last 12 years I lived in this beautiful part of the country, Central New York.

Happy New Year.

Alzheimer’s fight not over

As we enter the start of a new Congress and a new Administration, I will be looking for leaders on Capitol Hill to maintain our progress in the fight to end Alzheimer’s because we cannot afford to lose any ground.

According to an election eve survey conducted by Lake Research Partners, 89 percent of respondents favored or strongly favored “increasing federal investments in medical research for Alzheimer’s disease.” Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America, costing an estimated $236 billion in 2016 – with more than half of that coming from Medicare and Medicaid. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, by midcentury, the number of people with the disease is set to nearly triple, and the costs of Alzheimer’s disease are projected to more than quadruple to $1.1 trillion.

Despite the sobering statistics, I feel a great deal of hope in our battle against this disease. The fight against Alzheimer’s has been a source of unity among Democrats and Republicans. Congress came together to pass the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act of 2014 and, in 2015, Congress passed a $350 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Importantly, a $400 million increase was pending before the 114th Congress for FY17, and will now need action by the 115th Congress. That’s a great place for Democrats and Republicans to come together to start the new year with hope and optimism for the millions of Americans living with and affected by this disease.

I encourage Rep. Claudia Tenney and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer to prioritize this action on Alzheimer’s disease and I encourage my fellow New Yorkers to remind President Trump and Congress of their commitment to continue the progress we’ve made against this disease.