Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to a letter from Kevin O'Neill of West Babylon, in which he claims I am cutting funding to the Gerald Ryan Outreach Center at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Wyandanch from $50,000 to zero. This is not the case.

Every program that was submitted in the 2008 Executive budget retained its funding in 2009, along with a small cost of living increase. On the other hand, one-shot grants to various agencies are just what they seem, one shot that should not be considered part of an agency's base that will be re-funded in the following year.

The Executive budget regularly gives large amounts of money to agencies such as Catholic Charities, Family Service League, and Pederson- Krag mental health programs. These and hundreds of other not-for-profit groups received funding in 2008 and an increase in that base line for 2009.

In addition to the base line monies, each year the Legislature provides one shot member item funding at the discretion of the local Legislator. For instance, a Legislator may have provided $25,000 for a little league scoreboard in 2008. The youth program is provided written notice that they should not consider it a recurring revenue to be placed into the base of operations. It is disingenuous to suggest that if you don't get a $25,000 scoreboard next year as-well, your agency has been cut.

Last year, the Gerald Ryan Foundation received a one shot infusion of $50,000 from the Legislature. It was made quite clear that this was a one time infusion. Were an Executive to have to consider these hundreds of one shots that are sprinkled throughout the budget as part of an agency's base that must be repeated the following year, member item spending would explode out of control. The whole concept of one time grants will be turned on its head.

I was able to freeze taxes this year and maintain all of our bus routes, health centers, and contract agencies for the poor. While the state is slashing programs for the impoverished in response to the fiscal crisis, we in Suffolk have not. We have held the line on taxes and simultaneously retained all of the same services that were in the 2008 Executive budget.

Steve Levy, County Executive, Suffolk