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Rensselaer County Taxpayers Association

March 1997                                                                                                                                                     Volume 2, Number 2

Time to report. Our organization is doing well. Membership is increasing and the public is becoming more aware of the need to shine the light of truth into the dark corners and recesses where none has shone before.

It is understandable that many taxpayers are frustrated and are not sure which way to turn. Be patient, many are in the same boat. Justice will prevail. In the meantime, trust your better instincts and join with those who oppose wrong doing and unprincipled behavior wherever it occurs.

According to Rick Karlin, (Times Union 2/11/97) "The South Colonie Central School District’s use of a public relations firm in last months successful $10.9 million bond issue vote was criticized by taxpayer organizations as an abuse of government power."

"It’s been a local and statewide problem," said Pete Sepp, spokesman for The National Taxpayer’s Union. "This is probably the ultimate irony." Sepp said. "To say you are issuing debt in the interest of children, is like saying you are giving an alcoholic an extra bottle of booze."

In the same paper, Terry Anderson states "According to George Bush’s former Education Secretary Lamar Alexander, ‘What is really needed is ending teacher tenure and, especially, giving parents education vouchers, so they can send their kids to public or private schools as they choose’ " - A bad scenario, the failure of our local academics to act in a responsible manner by exercising authority commensurate with proper dignity and decorum and assisted and abetted by a compliant school board creates a dismal situation fraught with serious consequences.

For our academics to be constantly overwrought by "money problems" to the abandonment of the business at hand, is ridiculous and should not be allowed. Our hard pressed public must wake up.

Before the last general election, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), through the influence of President Clinton, formalized a loan of $10.6 billion to post-communist Russia. This is the largest loan on record. What did President Yeltsin promise in return? Surprise! Russia is going to import more chicken from the U.S. Where are these exports coming from? From Arkansas, of course. This is the same president who stood before an education conference and stated, "We cannot ask the public to spend more money on public education than we are now spending, without demanding higher standards and better results. Teachers must be made accountable" and so on - blah-blah-blah.

This occurred prior to the November election. In the January Presidential Inaugural Address, this same re-elected president said, "We must make our public education a priority and in my budget, I have included an item of fifty one billion dollars for public education." Is this not a blatant double talking, meretricious disregard of the people of this country?

The little starving chickens pecking around in the barnyard of academic obfuscation are at last relieved in knowing the head rooster will protect them from the vicious, mean spirited, intrusive outsiders who are wondering what is happening to their hard earned money and why they must relinquish half of their income and have enough left to put eggs on their dinner table. Perhaps President Yeltsin will send us a few - then again?

The Times Union on February 14, 1997, reported the action of the East Greenbush Town Board. Of significance was the designation of Michael Van Voris as delegate and Mark McDonald as alternate to the Association of Towns annual meeting on February 16 to 19 in New York City. Also authorized to attend were Jay Amodeo, Bob Angelini, Kate Bennett, Toni Murphy, Pete Partak, Catherine Cholakis, Ginny O’Brien, Brian Hart, Pat Maney, and Melinda Lockwood.

As this trip required official action by the Town Board, is it safe to assume that town funds were used for expenses of both delegates AND the 10 witnesses? Three nights and four days in the "Big Apple" are expensive. The following questions are pertinent: Were public funds used, and if so, how much? Were members of both political persuasion attending? If not, why not? Finally, if the Town functioned flawlessly on 2/17-2/19 without our elected leaders, is it time to downsize town government?

A response from those involved may be "The action taken by the Town Board is in keeping with past practices." Elected officials today, however, should know the past is history. The old adage, "It’s easy to spend someone else’s money" is also too old. Hard pressed taxpayers, especially those on fixed incomes, expect and deserve better! Letting the official delegates report to town employees about the meeting would have been both practical and cost effective. The funds saved by such action could be put to much better use.

We thought Evita’s 1992-93 Health Finance Scam was dead. Not so. The Clinton administration has just announced a plan to reintroduce it, step by step, instead of at one time. This is the old despots trick. Look at Karl Marx’s "Manifesto." It would never have been accepted by the American people as it was written, but we have adopted it, piece by piece in our laws over the past 60 years.

The federal government tells us how much we must pay employees (minimum wage), how much time off we must give them (family leave), to whom we must rent property, whom we must employ, what we must, or must not teach in our schools, etc., etc.

The latest scam is to give $400 million to N.Y. hospitals to not train new doctors. Part of Evita’s scheme empowered the government to regulate the number of doctors.

How do we save money by paying hospitals to not train doctors? That is simple. As the population increases as the result of people living longer and the number of doctors is reduced, the elderly who need care will not be able to get it and will just die. That is that.

We will have a situation such as they have in Canada and other socialized medicine countries. You may be able to get emergency case such as it will be, but elective or non-life threatening care will have to wait. Our northern hospitals are catering more and more to Canadians who are faced with years of delays in their system.

President Clinton claims that this will lower the cost of health care. How will paying hospitals to not train doctors lower our costs? Nothing short of clearing government out of our lives will lower our costs.

We no longer have a free capitalist government, the government style which made us the greatest country in the world. We now have a socialist government. Socialism and its brother communism have failed all over the world. In those countries, such as Sweden, where socialism seemed to succeed, it was the capitalist activities which kept the socialism alive. Eventually those money sources were drained of their life’s blood, their profits, and they died. So has Sweden’s socialism.

Apparently, the only people who don’t understand that commusocioliberalism does not work are those who have not lived under it long enough. They who have, have learned. We, evidently still need further lessons. God, help us.

The SRCTA supports Governor Patacki’s proposed budget regarding Charter Schools. If implemented properly, Charter Schools can be a dramatic improvement in public schools to a limited number of families. This is a big ‘If.’ Many meaningful changes have been proposed in the past, only to become impotent through botched implementation.

Regarding the "Report Card," it was supposed to cut through the hyperbole that many school administrations espouse, and present the facts regarding a school’s efficiency. By giving responsibility for development and distribution of the Report Card to the State Education Department it’s effectiveness has been compromised.

Hopefully, our political leaders will adopt Governor Patacki’s plans to establish Charter Schools this year as one of many possible avenues toward re-establishing excellence in our public schools. The SRCTA considers Charter Schools a step in the right direction, albeit a baby step.

Predictably, members of our vast education bureaucracy are opposed to the idea. NEA/NY president Greg Nash has stated our efforts should be directed toward: rebuilding school infrastructure; expanding Pre-K; providing computers in every classroom; meting the growing needs of students with special education needs; addressing overflowing classrooms; and much more, all of which translates to more money. We’ve been there and done that. Whenever the taxpayers have dug deeper to meet these financial demands, precedence has been given to inflating teacher salaries and benefits to the point where they now account for 75-80% of a school district’s budget. Inasmuch as teacher unions, with the benefit of tenure laws, and the Triborough Amendment, enjoy a funding monopoly and control how the vast majority of the budget is spent, they will win the tug of war as to how new allocations are distributed.

Under Governor Patacki’s plan, Charter Schools would be sponsored by local boards of education, the Regents, the New York City schools chancellor and the State or City Universities of New York. It is understood that Commissioner Mills has assured us that should the Legislature approve Charter Schools, his department would "do it right." Let us hope that we don’t wind up with a rabid fox in charge of the hen house.

Congratulations are extended to the East Greenbush Town Board with respect to banning political signs on public property. How about letting residents know what is the definition of a political sign? Does the definition include general notices of upcoming elections or apply solely to candidates and political parties? Whom does one contact when infractions of the law are noted? The town police? Who will be penalized, the political party, the entity, or the person? Removing and keeping these eyesores off public property will enhance the community image immensely.

It’s next to impossible to hire anyone to shovel snow around here. Cutting grass in the summer, same problem.
Albany Country Estates

The local radio stations have performed a great public service they hadn’t counted on. Their morning programs are so dull, that drivers are encouraged to turn their radios off and concentrate on their driving.
South Troy against the world

What happened to the East Greenbush school budget? What are they hiding? Will it be the last minute surprise?
Schodack Resident

After years of providing welfare, President Clinton now states, "We have to have 1 million jobs." Who is the we and why must they be awarded government do-nothing jobs that add to our taxes?
Averill Park Resident

The head of the Department of Education, Mr. Reilly, should realize that feeding oats to a dead horse is an exercise in futility.
Clinton Heights Resident

Received in mail: A clipping from the Times Union says, "Math teacher gave report on her year long professional leave during which she studied ‘gender equity.’ " I find this outrageous, a $65,000 East Greenbush math teacher studies ‘gender equity’ for one year. If this was at taxpayers expense, a formal investigation should be initiated. Maybe there are more cases like this one? I hope you might be able to look into this.
Luther Road Resident

I read recently about plans to widen Columbia Turnpike from the K-Mart through to Schodack. Has anyone thought how many businesses would close because of a loss of parking spaces or from being too close to the road? How many parcels will be taken off of the tax rolls because the state will purchase them? What need would there be for this proposed turning lane if the businesses are no longer there?
Clinton Heights Resident

We have followed the political career of Ms. Virginia O’Brien for many years. It is this writer’s observation and opinion that she has in the past proposed many items as a minority member of the County Legislature and Town Board. Such proposals often received visibility in the news media such as The Advertiser, etc. Minority proposals make for great press, but result in little action.

Ms. O’Brien has been in the majority of the East Greenbush Town Board where she can bring about positive action. The writer suggests she do a population density study which culminates in the provision for playgrounds which are easily accessible to all town children. Is she aware that on some streets, children play in the road because playground facilities are too

• School board elections are coming up.
• A study of local taxes and expenses, volunteers welcome.
• Next meeting, Tuesday, March 11, Town Hall, East Greenbush
• Annual dues are due (this is not a tax)
  

far removed? Thank heaven for caring motorists that no children are injured.

Additionally, Greenwood Drive leading from Horizon View Drive to Routes 9 & 20 is ripe for an accident to happen. Pedestrians must walk in the road. Sidewalks are sorely needed, especially during the cold weather months when driving westward, down hill, can be a motorist’s challenge. As an aside, the town does a good job on snow removal.

For Ms. O’Brien, please remember the old saw, "Actions speak louder than words." Also, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time." How about some tangible positive action?