The Challenges of the County Budget
Some of you may have read about the ongoing saga of the County budget crisis. The short story is that even with a 30 percent property tax increase; a proposed 3/8th of one percent sales tax increase; proposed hotel tax; and proposed cell phone tax, our County budget is still in the proverbial toilet. In addition to that, it has also been proposed to bond our deficit to the tune of $80 million!
I have publicly challenged some of the numbers being bandied about because in my view, they are designed more to avoid the necessary hard decisions instead of actually fixing the problems in County government.
This financial crisis, while about four years in the making, took off to full speed a scant 16 months ago when the County Executive rolled out an idea lacking either forethought or a business plan – the sale of the Summit Park Hospital and Nursing facility as a Public Benefit Corporation. To support this notion, he urged the Legislature to borrow an $18 million note to fill an operational deficit in the 2011 budget. Despite my (and some others') impassioned pleas not to do this, the deficit note passed by the minimum nine votes.
The rest is history – the sale was not realized, shorting us $18 million for this year. Another $10 million in unexpected losses in the hospital were uncovered, as was a transfer of $11 million from a leave account by the administration. Additional shortfalls started to add up fast, and so here we are.
During my Minority address in February 2008, I said of the budget that it “fully ignores the economic indicators that lead many financial experts to believe that we are in a recession or will soon enter one. In layman’s terms, these matters could very well be percolating as we speak tonight, and does not bode well for our County.”
One year later, during my Minority address in February 2009, I said “The economy, and how we here in Rockland handle it, is hands down the most compelling issue we face today. With crisis comes opportunity; with challenge comes the ability and need for leadership. While the recognition of the crisis is now clear, the challenge is how we respond to permanently change the way we in Rockland government do business from here on in."
It is sad to say this counsel went unheeded, so here we are years later on the precipice of a financial abyss. And the best the “experts” have now is to make an issue of whether we are in horrible shape or just terrible shape! To further that “strategy” they circle the wagons and come after me. To be honest, this is not a problem because unlike many politicians, I have been in really tough spots in my life and had the fortitude to stick it out for a calling of service. That has not, and will NEVER change.
But the best part of all is to see letters and blogs that see the obvious sham, and that support from my neighbors is a special part of my life. To be honest, our neighbors say it better than me, and one such blog by Nanuet resident Jack Moolick was published today on Patch!
http://nanuet.patch.com/blog_posts/rockland-county-faces-a-real-crisis
In its simplest terms - We are in trouble and we need leadership to get us back on the road to being the great County we know we are. Be assured that I will not pause, waver, or fall. I will continue to make judgments in service to this community, not political interests. After all, this is your money we are talking about, along with your children’s future.
Contact information:
www.facebook.com/edwin.j.day1- and make sure you "Like" us!
Contact - "LegislatorDay@yahoo.com"
www.edday.us
Michael N. Hull
6:48 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
The philosopher Hegel observed that resolution comes at the point of maximum conflict. Unfortunately, Mr Day, while I admire your integrity and knowledge, you and the minority legislators have no power to create any degree of opposition to the majority party and so you are doomed to continue to spit into the wind as you are doing in this article.
I attended the meeting at which the $80 MM bond issue was approved and the dynamics I observed were symptomatic of a seriously sick and incompetent organization. In my management career one could always tell the health of an organization by the quality of the complaints. If people were complaining about the size of their desks, or the food in the cafeteria etc you could be guaranteed that not too much was ever going to be achieved to meet the goals of the organization and that the organization was sick. However, when people complained that if they could get a doubling of the research budget they could increase sales by 10 times within 5 years and provided data to back that up, the organization was vibrantly healthy.
What I saw in observing the legislature deliberate on the bond issue was a seriously sick body. For example one legislator berated another legislator for talking to the press and several legislators went back and forward as to who called who in the State government first.
Michael N. Hull
6:49 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
Continued: At one point Alex Gromack became an object of blame and ridicule though how his performance has anything to do with the problems facing Rockland County is a mystery to me. Most of the legislators did not seem to have a clue about the numbers that were being thrown about but felt they had to say something to appear intelligent. For example "this is not a solution it is a first step". With platitudes like that one can understand how the legislator that I referred to as the 'white rabbit' at the Mad Hatters' Tea Party
http://newcity.patch.com/articles/county-legislature-approves-request-for-bonds-from-state
led all of you down this rabbit hole and into Wonderland! You are now all scurrying around because the hounds of NY State may be about to enter this rabbit patch and clear your warrens out.
If Mr Sparaco had anything between his ears he would lead a minority delegation up to Albany and bring their dogs down here to take over the County before it goes bankrupt. That action would raise this issue to its point of maximum conflict and is the only hope I see to put the white rabbit into his place before his Napoleonic complex dooms all of us. Unfortunately, Sparaco's main contribution to the meeting appeared to involve the contents of his bladder and not the contents
Michael N. Hull
6:53 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
Continued: of his brains! Sadly, the taxpayers as usual are the ones who will have to pay for this incompetence!
I look forward to others adding their own views to this discussion and I hope to hear some high quality complaints!
Watchdog
8:12 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
Michael, the Democrats in the Northern part of the County have controlled County government since John Grant was elected its first CE. Things are no different now. Vinny Reda who heads the Republcan Party, IMO colludes with the Democrats to get the best "deals" for him and his supporters. With Vinny supporting St Lawrence and Sparaco supporting Gromack, the Republican Party is a Sham. Ditto the so-called Conservative Party. All of these politicians are "serving" their own self interest. Ed Day is the lone voice speaking out against this travesty. Personally, I feel we are doomed as a County as long as this continues and we can almost be assured that it will, under the current leadership. I Woud also like to see a State takeover but I doubt it wil happen. The last ray of hope will then be Ed Day as the elected County Executive. Under his leadership, we would at least get honest numbers in the budget which we could address with some sense of sanity.
Michael N. Hull
9:07 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
Watchdog, it is a sad situation. Wasn't Reda in the news some time ago as allegedly being unable to properly return a garment to Macys?
As for Sparaco's support of Gromack that's another circular love fest. Here is a circle of connections!
Former Town Attorney Coopersmith was Chair of the Independence Party and allegedly provided the Democrats that election line.
Debra Ortutay, the mother-in-law of Legislator Sparaco, ousted Marsha Coopersmith as chair of the Independence Party and allegedly supplied the line to the Democrats.
Ortutay resigned under indictment for perjury and fraud.
Coopersmith, who could no longer provide a party line, was removed by Gromack and her work on tax certiorari matters outsourced to Jay Savino, who has zero experience in these matters, at an annual 'retainer fee' of $87,000.
http://newcity.patch.com/articles/search-for-tax-cert-firm-was-limited
Savino, who 'claims' to reside in Westchester, is the Bronx Republican Party Chairman. He contributed financially in 2011 to the Independence Party of Rockland headed by Ortutay.
Ortutay hired Savino as her defense attorney.
IMHO the whole of our local politics is incestuous. That's why principled individuals like Day need to step out of this cess pool and do something radical to bring this destruction of democracy to a halt. Otherwise he is just part of a Republican sham party.
Whining in a Patch blog is not going to cut it!
Watchdog
9:41 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
I was aware of all that. I agree that it is a sad situation however, utilizing the Press to inform and motivate citizens particularly in this day and age of social networking is to be commended and not condemned. As you correctly indicated there is little Day can do especially when members of his own party seem to go their own way. While your comments are spot on I would be interested in hearing your solution or at least a sense of direction. What would you do if you were in Ed Days place? He has already called for NYS action but to no avail. Keep in mind that the easiest thing for Mr. Day to do is remain quiet and let the chips fall where they may. He would still be re-elected. Instead, he battles on and unfortunately the lack of concern on the part of the electorate is the biggest issue he faces. It does not seem that enough people care and I wish you would direct your criticism against them and not against the lone wolf who does care and is brave enough to be vocal about it.
Michael N. Hull
10:53 pm on Monday, February 20, 2012
Watchdog:
<<<Utilizing the Press to inform and motivate citizens is to be commended and not condemned>>>
Quite the contrary I am not condemning Day. I am commending him but urging him to escalate his actions and raise the public's consiousness!
<<< I would be interested in hearing your solution or at least a sense of direction. What would you do if you were in Ed Days place?>>>
In the situation that he is in at the present he is impotent. Therefore he should resign and use the press coverage of his resignation to raise the issues of what is wrong with the County government. If you stay in a barrel of rotting fish you will be tainted with the smell. If, as you suggest, he would make an excellent CE, he should get out now, declare his candidacy, and begin to campaign.
<<<Lack of concern on the part of the electorate is the biggest issue he faces. It does not seem that enough people care>>>>
Absolutely correct ...you write to my comments on Sparaco, Ortutay, Coopersmith and Savino ..... "I was aware of all of that" .... but the point is that the general public is not. They are ill informed. That's why one needs to say things repeatedly .... eventually they will get it. I'm not communicating just with you but with everyone who reads this discussion.
Day needs to start informing the public today and every day as to why he would make a good CE so they know what he stands for on election day.
And the two of us are cheering him on!
Watchdog
8:15 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Mr. Day was elected by his constituents and he can do more from within the government than as an outsider. I am curious as to where you feel the County Government has gone astray.
I would suggest that Rockand County is already Bankrupt, not being able to pay their debts as they fall due, piling up one deficit year on another so now we have an $80 million hole, and it is probably going to be over $100 million in the final analysis. The answer is simple. The County is in the service business since it neithet manufactures or sells any products. Quite simply, we have too many departments and too many people working and getting benefits not available in the private sector. For example, do we really need a Tourism Dept at a cost of over $500,000 a year staffed with cronies? Should County employees continue with their gilt edge medical plans? Should the County be streamlined to provide essential services to try and eliminate it as a patronage bin? Should the Transportation Department and other Departments be privatized so the County can provide minimal essential services? At the minimum, this is what we should be discussing and since we agree more than disagree, not be squabbling amongst ourselves. I would appreciate any ideas you may have about cutting the outlandish budget and choosing the candidates necessary to accomplish these goal.
Michael N. Hull
9:44 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
<<<Mr. Day was elected by his constituents and he can do more from within the government than as an outsider>>>
Agree but only if he is in government in a leadership position as County Executive where he could use the power of veto. We need to get people of principle, regardless of party, into the key positions of power. Vanderhoef is a 'seat warmer'. He wanted to leave for Albany but arrogance got him blindsided by a smart, young guy (Carlucci). Same thing happened to Orangetown Supervisor Whalen who lost to my friend, Andy Stewart.
As a minority legislator Day is no more than a Eunuch singing a high-pitched song on Patch. Wouldn't he be better off as the Emperor?
Michael N. Hull
9:45 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
<<<I am curious as to where you feel the County Government has gone astray. The County is in the service business ......>>>
Reading your comments I can add nothing more .... you are preaching to my choir! I don't think there is daylight between the two of us. We have too many people in government. In Rockland County with a population of about 300 Thousand we have one County Executive and Five Supervisors with salaries and benefits in excess of one million dollars while a single person, the President of the USA governs 300 million people at one half that cost. Go down the list ... consider the number of Town attorneys, assistant Town attorneys etc we are paying for in RC and yet we still have to oursource legal work at $87K per year to 'inexperienced' people like Savino and have a Clarkstown attorney tell us about his hiring: “If it is criticized, so be it”. She "wasn't worried" he has no experience in representing Towns in tax certiorari cases and “she is not concerned about criticism the Town has hired a person with political clout”.
Some service! So be it!
Mike Hirsch
11:12 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Give em he'll, Ed. I read Jack Moolick's comments on Nanuet Patch, and totally agree. hopefully your courage will inspire some of our newest, younger politicians. You are a great example of a politician with principles and without a personal agenda.