Tedisco to Governor: “Do the Right Thing” for St. Clare’s Pensioners

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C,I,REF-Glenville) today is continuing his efforts to bring justice for the 1,100 former St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady retirees whose pensions were significantly reduced or outright eliminated.

Tedisco has again written Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to request his intervention in this crisis that’s affected the lives of many of his constituents. Yesterday, the Governor said he was not familiar with the plight of the 1,100 St. Clare's pensioners and would “look into it.” 

The Senator is requesting that the Governor, through the state Health Department, assist the Attorney General’s investigation of what happened to the pension funds.  Once that review is complete, Tedisco is asking the Governor to help mitigate this for the St. Clare’s retirees and help to make them whole by considering the use of the state’s Health Care Transformation Fundas a way to shield taxpayers from any further obligation. This Fund was created by the proceeds from the sale of the Catholic Church-affiliated Fidelis Care and currently has about $524 million in its account. Given St. Clare’s connection with the Church, using the Health Care Transformation Fund and the monies seized from the Diocese to save the retirements of the St. Clare’s pensioners makes sense. According to the law, the state budget director has the authority to direct how the funds are spent on health care related matters.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the dedicated and hard-working 1,100 St. Clare’s Hospital pensioners deserve justice for what happened to them.  When the Governor says he’s going to ‘look into’ this I hope he is being sincere and actually helps to find out what happened to the money that was promised the retirees and then takes positive action to try and make them whole. The legislative session might be over, but I and many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are not going away on this issue and will continue to stand up and speak out until the powerful elements of our state government do the right thing!” said Senator Jim Tedisco.