Editorial of January 2, 2025
Resolution in the New Year
Well, it’s that time again—the new year is just around the corner (or the ball has already dropped, depending upon when you get your copy of the paper or read this online), and many of us are bandying about new year’s resolutions that, let’s face it, probably won’t make it through January.
Rather than those sorts of resolutions, here at Iron String Press we have opted instead to focus on things for which we would like to see resolutions in the coming year.
Following an overview on Sunday, December 29 of 25 hospital and emergency department closures across the U.S. in 2024, by “Becker’s Hospital Review,” we would like to see Bassett Healthcare Network resolve its financial difficulties so that our region can continue to receive quality medical services. Both hospitals and emergency departments nationwide have been forced to shut down due to circumstances such as high costs and shifts in care needs. The Thomasville (Alabama) Regional Medical Center has halted operations indefinitely amid staffing shortages. The Hicksville, Ohio-based Community Memorial Hospital permanently closed on August 31 after temporarily shutting down in May due to financial challenges. New England Sinai Hospital, a 182-bed rehabilitation hospital in Stoughton, Massachusetts, closed at the end of March, citing “chronic low reimbursement rates” for Medicare and Medicaid services. Bassett officials have already improved the network’s bottom line in 2023, but there are many more hurdles and tough choices ahead.
In the new year—sooner rather than later—we would like to see Town of Hartwick officials resolve their differences once and for all and come together for the good of the municipality and the residents they serve. The internal bickering has gone on far too long. The four town board members need to overcome their personal and political gripes and choose an interim supervisor. These fellows have shown us what not to do when conducting town business—now it’s time to resolve or resign.
While on the subject of municipal officials, we also hope in 2025 to see fewer officials leave office before their terms have expired. As we reported just prior to November’s General Election, this year’s Otsego County ballot included seven races in which a candidate was running unopposed, eight positions with no candidates, and 12 unexpired terms to be filled. We had reached out to both the Otsego County GOP and the Otsego County Dems to see if we could find out why recruiting efforts had failed, but received no response. Since then, bad behavior in the Town of Hartwick and the Town of Otsego leads us to believe that the thankless nature of public service in general—and the increasing decline in both respect and civility, in particular—are behind this trend. We hope this will be resolved moving forward.
Another situation desperately in need of resolution is the lack of affordable housing. In the City of Oneonta, Mayor Drnek and the Common Council struggled this past year with strong public push-back against the proposed Rehabilitation Support Services housing project at 27 Market Street. City officials contend that misinformation, disinformation and fear are driving that response.
“RSS ensures that neighbors in Oneonta and Otsego County have access to safe and stable housing with support and affordability. By ‘right-sizing’ rents to no more than 30 percent of household income, individuals and families can afford other essential needs, such as food, clothing, transportation, and healthcare, while building toward their financial futures. The provision of 24/7 supportive activities and collaborative service providers further contribute to the well-being of residents,” Christine Nealon, director of strategic partnerships for Rehabilitation Support Services, wrote in an op-ed piece published in March. “Unfortunately, amid discussions on the 27 Market Street project, there are voices spreading misinformation and generating fear, creating a climate that hinders community cohesion. Our interest is to work side by side with the community, engaging in honest dialogue and problem-solving. We want to continue to address any concerns that may arise during the development, building, or lease-up phases,” Nealon said.
No one seems to be arguing that affordable housing is not needed—in fact, most folks agree that lack of affordable housing in Otsego County has reached crisis levels. So, let’s resolve that.
Finally, recognizing that this has been a difficult 12 months with a very polarizing presidential election, we hope that folks will resolve their differences or, at the very least, move forward in a positive fashion. In a guest editorial published just before the election, Tom Pullyblank suggested that people show grace in victory, process emotions in a healthy way, and recognize that tens of millions of your fellow Americans disagree with your choice—whichever side of the aisle you’re on. Let’s resolve our differences to the best of our ability to ensure that 2025 is a good year for all.
Happy New Year!