Another Yoke on Our Neck
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
For all the talk about “supporting
local journalism,”
it appears New York State
government isn’t all that
interested in doing so.
It’s no secret that the journalism
business — the only industry protected
by the Constitution, as John
F. Kennedy once said — is under
siege by a barrage of fi nancial complications
that predate the pandemic
itself. At this point, no company
can afford additional burdens that
stand in the way of producing quality,
essential journalism to keep the
public informed.
Yet the state legislature seems
hellbent on throwing another yoke
onto the neck of our oxen with the
➤ OGLESBY, from p.18
at my having disciplined him for a
professional shortcoming on the job,
took it upon himself to seek revenge
by spreading this ugly lie about me.
The upshot of the investigation resulted
in my being totally cleared
of any charge and the staff member
terminated from his position. Even
so, guilty or innocent, it was felt that
my “image” had been damaged beyond
repair and that my ability to
hold a senior position compromised.
My Bhutan assignment was
ended prematurely and I was
transferred to UNDP headquarters
for my fi nal UNDP posting. My career
and any further advancement
were effectively dead in the water.
I was not guilty of anything, but I
was still tarnished by an evil, mendacious
rumor.
Are there lessons to be learned
from my sad, career-crushing experience?
One lesson, for sure, is
that “vulnerable” people, and gay
people were indeed vulnerable 35
years ago, were at high risk in positions
of authority when they had
to exercise their power in what
were often punitive situations —
disciplining somebody who might
lash back.
There is no question, back in
the day, that gay people were
more subject to revenge than their
straight colleagues. How “squeaky
Extended Producer Liability Act.
The legislation has an aim that
doesn’t sound so bad on paper:
making product producers responsible
for recycling their products
after use. But if passed, it will have
the unintended consequence of
driving another nail into the local
journalism coffi n.
The bill mandates that any company
that produces “product packaging,
plastic wrappers and bottles
and paper products” — such as
brochures, fl yers, catalogs, booklets,
telephone directories and, you
guessed it, newspapers and magazines
— bears the fi nancial burden
of paying to have unused or undistributed
materials to be recycled.
For full disclosure: Our company,
Schneps Media, has more than
clean” does one have to be as a
boss who metes out both punishment
and reward? Hopefully, that
was a bad old world that no longer
exists, but I fear being a gay boss
today still carries vulnerabilities
not common to straight supervisors.
Nearly 40 years after my sad experience,
it is good to see that LGBTQ
people in the UN are no longer
as alone and helpless as they were
when I fi rst joined the organization.
Founded in the 1990s, UNGLOBE
is a UN employees’ association that
is active and supportive in giving
LGBTQ staff members voice and
greater hope for equality.
Now there is another more recent
issue crucial to our fi nancial
survival. My case is currently
before the UN Secretary-General
and the UN General Assembly to
approve pension benefi ts for my
husband should I pre-decease
him. Let’s hope that the UN will
do the right thing in this case,
remembering that the UN Declaration
on Human Rights states
that “all people have the right to
marry and to equal rights as to
marriage.”
Sam Oglesby is a longtime Contributor
to Gay City News and lives
in the Bronx. He is an 81 year-old
award-winning journalist who focuses
on LGBTQ issues as they relate
to older people.
70 different newspapers and magazines
circulated across New York
City daily, weekly and monthly.
You can imagine the kind of devastating
impact this act would have
should the legislature pass it, and
should Governor Andrew Cuomo
sign it into law.
It is utterly ridiculous that newspaper
companies are not exempt
from this law. To say nothing about
the vital services we provide, the
journalism industry already takes
great pains to be eco-friendly.
As Michelle Rea, New York Press
Association president, recently
pointed out, newsprint accounts
for less than 7% of all solid waste
in a community. The printing industry
has committed to using
more recycled newsprint in its
P E R S P E C T I V E
products, and the materials themselves
— including non-toxic ink
— are biodegradable.
Newspapers should be exempt
from the Extended Producer Liability
Act. The legislation further
endangers an already stressed industry
that needs more relief, not
more restrictions, to deliver the
news and essential information
you need every day.
Long Island state Senator Todd
Kaminsky is the main sponsor of
the bill. Reach out to his offi ce by
calling 518-455-3401 and let him
know that this bill is bad for New
York journalism.
And please call your local state
assemblymember or state Senator
and tell them to give your local
newspaper a break!
SAM OGLESBY
Sam Oglesby near his home in the Bronx.
GayCityNews.com | APRIL 8 - APRIL 21, 2021 19
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