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Rensselaer County Taxpayers Association

July 2002                                                                                                                                                     Volume 7,  Number 4

Is a special day of which we can be proud. It’s our birthday. As a nation, there is something special about it that sets it apart from all other holidays. No other country can make this statement

The Rensselaer County Taxpayers Association, in order to continue its work, needs interested new members. A beginning for you may be involvement and financial support of this creditable group of spirited citizens. RCTA’s goals are to enlighten the public on questionable decisions that relate to your pocketbook, and demand accountability when public officials make expenditures. It’s your money and we all foot the bill. This includes property owners, renters, businesses, and consumers of all products. Please join us today.

The state education dept. is now caught in a dilemma of its own making. For a good many years, solid, true educators who believed in America, its past history, its people and the freedoms so dearly won, have been shunted aside for a more "progressive approach". Political correctness, multiculturalism, new horizons, social equity and a revised updated version of our history based on a more sensitive approach. The basics of actual learning were diminished in favor of self-esteem. In pursuing this wrongful path, the chickens have come home to roost. Mother hen, Commissioner Mills, is beside himself (maybe a clone), and has been caught with the evidence. It seems the Regents exams have been sanitized by the elite, and the literary works of the greatest authors have changed passages and descriptive words so as not to offend anyone. Just who, they never say. Apparently they are attempting to make the reader accept substitutions and classics revised. An abomination. These "experts" would have you believe they could substitute water for gasoline and then come up with theories about why the vehicle does not run. RE: TU editorial June 4, Jeanne Heifetz, a Brooklyn mother of a high school senior was alert enough to suspect that something was very wrong. She turned out to be right. Some of the best works of this and past generations have been revised by test writers who have taken political correctness to the point of absurdity. In just one excerpt from Ernesto Galarza, "Barrio Boy", a gringo lady becomes and American lady and a fat boy becomes a heavy boy. There are of course many, many more examples of tampering. These astonishing revelations should enforce a public demand for a thorough housecleaning top to bottom, both at the state level and follow along to the local school district lap dogs who consider their employment nothing more than a job. Just follow the leader and finagle a big raise before retiring.

Are school district contracts with superintendents justifiable? The current salary, not total compensation, levels being paid to individual suburban county superintendents range from $102,000 to $141,279, according to Mr. Hennigan, president of the East Greenbush Central School District. Hennigan, in a letter to the editor of The Advertiser, responding to recent negotiations and subsequent increases for Mr. Brewer, his superintendent, states their agreement is fair and equitable.

Hennigan states that superintendents are leaving the profession in large numbers, no citation provided, and no indication as to where they find other employment. Additional justification for the board’s actions follows: ten years of service in the district; supervision of 793 employees who serve 5,353 students in seven schools; oversight to date of $73,700,00 in grants and special legislative member items during his ten years of employment. A germane question is, "Where did these grant funds come from?" Private enterprise or government?

In contrast, a United States military officer with the top rank of four stars receives a salary between $102,226 and $140,816 annually, according to the 2002 World Almanac. These persons as an example command field armies consisting between 200,000 and 400,000 soldiers as cited in the Officers Guide. Four stars have awesome responsibility and assistance from staff and field grade officers. Similarly, as compared with the military, the assistant superintendents, principals and their assistants, department heads, quasi department heads, personnel directors, guidance counselors, teachers aids, coaches, DARE police officers, etc., have responsibilities delegated by the school superintendent, by state mandate, or board policy to carry out specific duties. Based upon the populations managed in some areas of the state, it appears that administrators are overpaid.

This "keeping up with the crowd" must stop. Individual differences must be recognized as they do exist. Ever spiraling increases must not exceed the consumer price index (inflation). Readers of the RCTA news should understand that the "ripple" effect of a significant increase in the superintendent’s salary would lead to across the board increases for all other professional and ancillary staff.

It is once more requested that employees tell employers the specifics of their actions. Even a slight amount of "spin" is uncalled for. Resident voters in the district are the employers of 793 employees, which provide services to 5,353 students. It is educationally and fiscally valid to have specific full disclosure on employee compensation and accountability of the academic outcomes.

Did Mr. Brewer receive a handsome job offer from another district? If so, why did he not accept it?

Should be a priority of our lawmakers.

It is now estimated that the eight million illegal aliens residing in the USA cost us taxpayers 24 billion dollars per year. Our generous congress can’t wait to provide them with more goodies. Congress has OK’d food stamps for five years. Congress is now considering a bill that would pay for their medical services. To let your congressman or Hillary know you are against spending your tax money for such items does not mean you are a racist. It means you are a clear thinking American. And if you contact your congressperson you might also ask them to vote to make English the official language. If the aliens live here the least they could do is to learn to talk to the rest of us.

Former presidential candidate Algore was highly incensed very recently when he was searched and his luggage examined in detail by inspectors at an airport terminal. Being an ordinary citizen does not go well with the special people who are not used to obeying the laws they pass and compel the general public to obey. Even though he shaved off his scraggly beard, he was not exempt from the gruff unionized federal employees he and others of the political left forced upon us. It would be fun to be present to watch Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton submit to a search and baggage inspection at an airport terminal. No reporters and no pictures, please.

Our RCTA has long contended that the main reason so many young people "go bad" is because our schools have failed them. Among other things such as poor reading skills and math, the history of our country has been distorted and changed so that pupils get a wrongful picture and a repressed vision of the great people who founded this nation. Worst of all, our educators have catered to pressure groups who would deny facts and truths as they exist. Our forefathers in their time went all out to create a civilization and a formula for a better way of life as evidenced by the Declaration of Independence and our U. S. Constitution that has survived for over 200 years. In this month of July, especially, our freedoms are not to be treated casually.

In TU May 24, historian Stephen E. Ambrose, "perhaps best known for his best seller D-Day has put a World War II project on hold in favor of a new book depicting his own transformation from a left wing demonstrator to a super patriot. ‘ I want to correct all the mistakes I made…when I would tell my history classes that dropping the bomb on Hiroshima was a crime, that the Mexican-American War was nothing but a land grab and that people like Henry Ford and J. D. Rockefeller got into philanthropy to buy their way into heaven’, Ambrose said in an interview from his Bay St. Louis, Miss. Home. ‘I want to tell all the things that are right about America’". Our school "officials" don’t like to hear the truth but we are going to continue telling it like it is. Perhaps a lot of our parents have a more realistic view of right and wrong, especially when their children are involved. Overly generous raises produce nothing.

It is rather curious that those who oppose certain issues yet support others that are before the state legislature are in a strange position. They have a habit of voting for the very ultra-liberal lawmakers that they now oppose and castigate. In particular, are the women’s health bill and a proposed reform of the Rockefeller drug laws.

As usual, the legislators are checking the political winds and would rather end this session without stepping on too many toes. What is left out of the equation is the general public that faces higher and higher taxes that are the direct result of the fumbles and foibles of these people’s representatives. There is an open question. Does the female population really want the government telling them what to do on personal matters? There has never been a government bill passed yet that does not have strings attached to it. Why not simply reduce taxes and let everyone handle their own affairs without the government and their lackeys looking over their shoulders? To many ordinary citizens these are personal medical situations and nobody else’s business.

On the Rockefeller Drug Laws, this is one of the best laws Rocky ever put on the books. It has taken thousands of criminals off the streets and thus reduced the incidents of crime, rather than what it would have been otherwise.

The liberals who favor the felon over their victim are off the beam. Let’s put these items on the public ballot and justice will be served. In order to properly combat illegal drugs we must go to the point of origin. We have to turn the spotlight on our negligent public schools and irresponsible parents. The entertainment industry also shares some of the blame for the proliferation of illegal drugs. Check the wording of the so-called popular "songs". This is a billion-dollar industry? The Rockefeller law is a good law. Those in opposition are the problem.

There ought to be a law against trees on our highways jumping in front of speeding cars and pickup trucks causing serious injuries and death. "Out of nowhere I remember this giant tree looming up in front of me". Drinking a few beverages or downing a few happy pills is always to blame. How about the road builders who always build dangerous curves at the wrong spot? How about the police who chase innocent drivers and force them to go at very fast speeds? It’s not fair, we have our rights. A couple of beers never hurt anyone. Why do old fogies keep asking us for birth certificates and other IDs? We’re not criminals, we went thru drivers educashon. Don’t that account for nothin? Why do cops keep giving us the fishy eye? Tell ‘em to get off our backs.

It is unusual these days to hear of any school district where things run smoothly and there is no necessity for large sums required for disciplinary reasons such as installing monitors, a police department office on the premises and even State Police units (now in 63 school districts). In the old days prior to WWII such measures were never heard of. The school officials had the authority and they used it with discretion and deference. The students were respectful and felt they had an obligation to obey the rules and act in concert with those placed in authority. Tantrums were promptly dealt with and never got beyond the principal’s office. Students worked together with the school people and could even cater to their most generous nature.

Today however, the reverse is true. We see school moguls cater to the good will and unreliable whims and demands of pupils and some parents who have developed a wrongful sense of purpose as to why they are there, and how can I get through this or that, get a diploma and a driver’s license? There are many exceptions of course, and the successful ones with truly responsible parents seem to have achieved their goals. They have done this in spite of the travail of public schools rather than because of it. They would have succeeded under any conditions.

Our politicians are now coming up with strict laws controlling junior licenses. A good idea. These are being acted upon because the public demands it, not for any other reason. They will be looking for "credit" prior to the next election.

1. We are reaching a stage where there could be a blood shortage. Your local Red Cross welcomes all donors. Think about it.
2. As we enter the vacation season and school is out, all drivers must be especially careful and pay attention to speed laws and traffic regulations.
3. The people of Troy are again to be congratulated for having a Flag Day deemed the best and largest in the nation. A real display of patriotism.
4. Congress for the past ten years has failed to protect the investing public from fraudulent brokers and accounting firms that go beyond the regulations.
5. To those who are very concerned about millions of illegal aliens in the country there is a congressman who speaks out unequivocally about this issue. He is tom Tancredo, R – Colorado. Just write to him c/o US House of Representatives, Washington DC 12015. This is a serious problem and getting worse.
6. Speaking about parades, the Memorial Day parade in East Greenbush with the Veterans of Foreign Wars as hosts and the American Legion Post as co-hosts was one of the largest in memory. Everyone paid high compliments.
7. The new dollar coin is a dud. The only place you see them are in coin machines in isolated placed. Susan B. Anthony didn’t make it either.

Some property owners on Columbia Tpk. say the improvement crews have dug up their frontage 7 times or more.
Clinton Heights Resident

Freedom is not a right, it is a privilege.
North Greenbush Resident

Observed at 7:45 AM, May 23, occupants of a school bus threw coffee cartons and trash onto the driveway of Stewarts on Rte. 9 & 20. In the future I will provide the bus number.
East Greenbush Resident

What we need are more public parks, more parking lots for state workers and higher taxes to pay for it all.
Rensselaer Resident

They could improve only by a city manager form of government and eliminate the cronyism, bickering and waste of the people’s money. The people owe the present office holders nothing. It’s the other way around.
Troy Resident

Back issues of the Taxpayers News are available at:

10 year old Calvin McCarter of Jenison Michigan won the National Geography Spelling Bee. Calvin was home schooled.
Nassau Resident

Bumper sticker – I am an American American. Nothing else.
Schodack Resident

Castleton’s new Boy’s and Girl’s club is a great improvement.
Castleton Resident

$5.00 to get into the new Schodack Island State Park, just to walk around. What a rip-off.
Schodack Resident