The Dalai Lama and Thomas Hodgkins in May of 2009 outside of the southern entrance to the NYS Capitol building.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Monday, February 4, 2019
Happy Birthday Denny!
Happy Birthday Denny! I wish you were still with us. You were a great person. I enjoyed working with you on the state's revenues. I also thoroughly enjoyed your stories about drag racing Frank Sinatra, driving a cab in Manhattan, the origin of the Earned Income Tax Credit, your daughter's swimming meets, and lunch with the Donald, among many others. You were always kind to everyone and generous with your time.
Herman D. Farrell Jr. with Thomas Hodgkins
Monday, January 14, 2019
Teach children about evils of gambling
The Daily Gazette printed my letter to the editor on January 14, 2019. They even added a snappy title:
Teach children about evils of gambling
The prohibitions on children participating in charitable
gaming, including bingo, are quite clear
in New York State law.
in New York State law.
According to General Municipal Law section 195-a,
“No person under the age of eighteen years shall be permitted to play any game or games of chance.”
“No person under the age of eighteen years shall be permitted to play any game or games of chance.”
The prohibition on children operating games of chance,
including bingo, are also as clear.
According to a 2006 OASAS (a state agency) survey, 10
percent of teens in New York
state experienced problem gambling in the past year. They also found that 20 percent
were at risk or already experiencing gambling problems.
state experienced problem gambling in the past year. They also found that 20 percent
were at risk or already experiencing gambling problems.
Researchers have also concluded that living within 10 miles
of a casino doubles the rate
of problem gambling.
of problem gambling.
Based on these scientific findings, one might logically
speculate that it’s possible that close
to 40 percent, or 553, of students in Niskayuna High School and 1,973 high school students
in Schenectady County, according to enrollment data from 2015-16, are at risk of or
already experiencing gambling problems.
to 40 percent, or 553, of students in Niskayuna High School and 1,973 high school students
in Schenectady County, according to enrollment data from 2015-16, are at risk of or
already experiencing gambling problems.
The Niskayuna Wild Turkeys, the summer recreation swim team,
led by Town Board
member Denise Murphy McGraw, has held a raffle ticket fund-raiser the past few
years. Children participate in the operation of and play this game of chance.
member Denise Murphy McGraw, has held a raffle ticket fund-raiser the past few
years. Children participate in the operation of and play this game of chance.
Rosendale Elementary School hosts a PTO raffle and bingo
fund-raiser for families.
Even if this event were only for adults, it would violate statutory provisions regarding
prize values.
Even if this event were only for adults, it would violate statutory provisions regarding
prize values.
Instead of fostering in children a love of games of chance
for material gain, we
should be educating them about the negative consequences of gambling.
should be educating them about the negative consequences of gambling.
Thomas Hodgkins
Niskayuna
NEW YORK STATE LAW : http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/navigate.cgi
General Municipal
Law
§ 479.
7. No
person except a bona fide member of any such organization shall
participate in the management or operation of
such game.
9. The
unauthorized conduct of a bingo game and any
wilful violation
of
any provision of any local law or
ordinance shall constitute and be
punishable as a misdemeanor.
§ 486.
Participation by persons under the age of eighteen. No person
under
the age of eighteen years shall be permitted to play any game
or
games of bingo
conducted pursuant to any
license issued under this
article. No person under the age of eighteen years shall be permitted to
conduct,
operate or assist in the conduct of any game of bingo conducted
pursuant to any license issued pursuant to
this article. Nothing in this
section shall prevent a person sixteen
years of age
or older from
performing ancillary non-gaming activities
conducted in conjunction with
any
game of bingo
conducted pursuant to any license pursuant to this
article.
§ 476.
13. "Ancillary non-gaming
activity" shall mean
any activity not
directly related to the conduct or outcome of
any game
of bingo, and
shall
include assisting at any food concession, cleaning, maintenance
and site preparation at the location where
games of bingo are conducted.
§ 195-a.
Participation by persons under eighteen. No
person under the
age of
eighteen years shall be permitted to play any game or
games of
chance conducted pursuant
to any license issued under this article.
Persons under the age of eighteen years may
be permitted to attend games
of chance at the discretion of the games of
chance licensee. No person
under the age of eighteen years shall be permitted to
operate any game
of
chance
conducted pursuant to any license issued under this article or
to assist therein.
Sources:
1.
New York Council on Problem Gambling, Inc.
Michelle Hadden, LMSW, CPP-G
Director of Prevention and Training
This is a photo of the Wild Turkey's Raffle Fundraiser.
Denise Murphy McGraw is seen pulling raffle tickets from prize cups.
Two swim coaches, the coach on the left graduated HS in 2018, assist her with operating the game of chance.
The kids sitting on the ground, my kids were there for a minute too until I pulled them
out, match the tickets they hold with the numbers being read by our Town Board Member.
Our current political and educational leaders need to stop encouraging our kids to
gamble for material gain. Instead they should be educating them about the mathematics
of gambling- they can never win in the long-term, and the addictive nature of this vice.
Denise Murphy McGraw is seen pulling raffle tickets from prize cups.
Two swim coaches, the coach on the left graduated HS in 2018, assist her with operating the game of chance.
The kids sitting on the ground, my kids were there for a minute too until I pulled them
out, match the tickets they hold with the numbers being read by our Town Board Member.
Our current political and educational leaders need to stop encouraging our kids to
gamble for material gain. Instead they should be educating them about the mathematics
of gambling- they can never win in the long-term, and the addictive nature of this vice.
January 22, 2019 ----UPDATE:
I commend charitable giving. However, charitable giving while potentially breaking the law should not be condoned. One of the reasons why our society forbids children from gambling is that the more a person engages in gambling the more likely they are to become problem gamblers. This has been proven by social scientists. See: "Bingo playing and problem gambling: A review of our current knowledge" at http://youthgambling.mcgill.ca/en/PDF/Publications/2010/BingoPlaying.pdf
If the Niskayuna Wild Turkeys, and their leader Denise Murphy McGraw, truly wanted to instill a sense of service and volunteering in kids, then an event solely focused on service and volunteering should be planned. My kids attended the 'Swim-A-Thon" in 2018, and I doubt that any of them realized that 'volunteering' was a component of this event. They were however enraptured by their Town Council member picking winning numbers and handing out fun and valuable prizes.
The following letter was published in the Daily Gazette today:
Nisky pool raffle has done a lot of good
We read with interest Thomas Hodgkins’ Jan. 14 letter, “Teach children about evils of gambling,” which criticizes the Niskayuna Town Pool’s annual raffle for introducing children to gambling.
Thirteen years ago, we helped to launch that raffle as part of the pool’s annual Swim-a-Thon fund-raiser for the Donna M. Crandall Foundation, a local charity that supports cystic fibrosis patients.
While Mr. Hodgkins implies we should feel shame for introducing children to gambling, we feel nothing but pride for getting them excited about volunteering.
Today, the raffle and Swim-a-Thon are run by kids we taught to swim over a decade ago. It’s become a fun annual tradition, supported by businesses in the community, children, teens, their parents and even grandparents, during the summer swim season.
At the event, in addition to the raffle, kids swim laps, play games, and enjoy pizza and ice cream.
We’re proud to have helped build something that makes young people excited about giving back to their community and to have kick-started a program that’s donated thousands to the Donna M. Crandall foundation over the years.
Mr. Hodgkins is concerned about a “game of chance,” but our raffle supports those who sadly play the “game of chance” every day as they bravely battle with cystic fibrosis.
Elizabeth Held
Michael Held
Adam Evans
Niskayuna
The writers are former Niskayuna town pool Lifeguards.
;;;;;;;;;;;;
Perhaps the following letter writer has reading comprehension short comings, but it seems likely that there are intentional distortions of what I wrote, but this is the nature of political attacks in Niskayuna organized by the entrenched Democratic Machine.
https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/02/03/your-niskayuna-letters-to-the-editor-for-feb-1-to-feb-7
I have been a part of the Niskayuna Town Pool community as an athlete, coach, lifeguard and pool manager since I was in elementary school. I grew up at the pool, and it has contributed to my work ethic, spirit of cooperation, commitment to voluntarism and appreciation of community.
Elizabeth Held
Michael Held
Adam Evans
Niskayuna
The writers are former Niskayuna town pool Lifeguards.
;;;;;;;;;;;;
Perhaps the following letter writer has reading comprehension short comings, but it seems likely that there are intentional distortions of what I wrote, but this is the nature of political attacks in Niskayuna organized by the entrenched Democratic Machine.
https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/02/03/your-niskayuna-letters-to-the-editor-for-feb-1-to-feb-7
McGraw, fundraiser deserve much praise
I was surprised to read Thomas Hodgkins’ Jan. 14 letter criticizing the Niskayuna Town Pool’s Wild Turkeys Swim and Dive team’s annual efforts to raise funds for the Donna M. Crandall Foundation that serves those living with cystic fibrosis, a devastating and life-threatening disease.
Specifically, the letter attacked the team’s volunteer parent coordinator, Denise Murphy McGraw.
Mrs. McGraw’s volunteer work is largely responsible for the positive influence the pool has had on my life and lives of so many others.
Certainly, her guidance while organizing the swim-a-thon has made me realize the power in community-based action for effecting change.
Today, I’m a scientist working towards my Ph.D. in Neuroscience focusing on the biochemical mechanisms of psychiatric disorders with a particular interest in substance abuse disorders. I know my career path has been shaped by my experiences working for the benefit of others, experiences I may not have had were it not for the town pool, swim-a-thon and Mrs. McGraw’s guidance.
The swim-a-thon is the highlight of the summer for dozens of Niskayuna children, and it should not be misinterpreted and attacked.
Even more assuredly, the volunteer who makes it possible should not be attacked; she should be celebrated.
ANDREW STEWART Niskayuna
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