In a previous blog entitled I wrote: "Things are so bad that our County government doesn't even know what its deficit is. Vanderhoef says its about $50 million while the legislature has asked Albany for about $80 million. All of this reminds me of Will Rodgers' observation that: A government's budget is like a mythical bean bag. The politicians vote mythical beans into it, then reach in and try to pull real ones out."
Well who could imagine that it continues to get worse? According to the March 20, 2012 issue of the Journal News:
"Rockland County does not have a Finance Director. It is muddling along appointing a temporary one every 6 months. This is giving rise to issues of confidence, competence and continuity".
And how is this for political doublespeak?
"Vanderhoef said he wanted to maintain options when it came to the finance post. He said he might want to conduct a broader search for a permanent commissioner while simultaneously praising DeGroat’s work over the past year. “We’re still in a learning curve at a very critical time,” Vanderhoef said. “I want to retain flexibility where we need to. “He’s doing a satisfactory job. We may at some point want to go out and broaden the look and he may be the one. We just haven't had time to look.”
We just haven't had time to look?
Vanderhoef and the County Legislature have racked up an $80 million deficit and they are still on a learning curve and haven't had the time to find someone who has competency in finance!
H. Jackson Brown, author of 'Life's Little Instruction Book', which was a New York Times bestseller (1991–1994), remarked:
"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein."
But then paraphrasing Lloyd Bentsen's comment at the 1988 Vice-presidential debate - Vanderhoef is no Thomas Jefferson!
Who can disagree?
