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Rensselaer County Taxpayers Association

November 1999                                                                                                                                                     Volume 4, Number 6

Is a time to be thankful for all our gifts and to have the freedom to express our gratitude to our heavenly Father for watching over us.

Another stroke of genius. A new County anti-tobacco proposal to ban retail store cigarette displays within easy reach. If our politicos were sincere, they would strive to totally eliminate the tobacco industry. But no, they want it both ways. The tax revenue is always welcome. These same "public servants" rarely mention our jails overflowing with criminals convicted of drug related crimes. Instead, they come up with pussy-foot laws against teen smoking in order to give the impression of "protecting" the public while at the same time creating the idea of doing something useful.

If they ever came up with a more efficient method of operating by eliminating the dead wood and reducing over-bloated taxes, they wouldn't have to spend all their waking hours trying to get credit for very little in the way of true accomplishment.

The November election is over. It is now time to look at the candidates for the school board election in the spring of the year. When comparing the tax rates paid by a homeowner on the home and to the school, one finds that the school tax rate is 34% higher. Further examination of tax bills indicates that school taxes routinely out pace the rate of annual inflation.

To further complicate this analysis is President Clinton's call for 100,000 more teachers in order to reduce class size. However, class sizes continue to reduce, but youngsters' grades remain the same as compared with others in their class. Is it time for a class size cost benefit analysis study to be accomplished nationwide by someone other than the educational establishment? It is so easy to spend taxpayers' money to reward the political constituency which led to a candidate's successful election. That's politics and your money.

Then there is the, "My child is an honor student at XYZ Middle School." What a paradox. Educators espouse the need for personal self-esteem yet have little concern for those bumper stickers, thereby, giving tacit approval. There still are some students who do not make the honor list. What happens to their self-esteem?

Finally, Volume 4, Number 5, of the Taxpayers News asked some important questions. What were the success and failure rates of those students enrolled in the summer remedial reading and math programs? Also, how many students as a percentage take the ACT exam, and what is their composite score? Silence is golden; however, it is also suspicious.

Do you really want to return to the East Greenbush Board of Education such big spenders as Debra Harding, Michelle LaClair, and John L. Sullivan? It is now time to examine their record of assuring accountability for your tax dollars. We need to start replacing these and other high spenders with individuals whom homeowners can afford.

Actually, we are better off than four years ago because some efforts were made to improve things. However, when there is a serious illness, radical surgery is the only sure cure. It so happens to be our lot, to be bogged down with more futile baggage (taxes) than we can carry successfully in the long run. Band-aid cures will not suffice. The problem starts with various entities: greedy politicians; pressure groups; entrenched unions; liberal do-gooders and the perpetually helpless.

Charity has its place and should be the choice of the giver not Government confiscation without recourse. When each of these avaricious groups stand around taking turns picking the pockets of the productive work' people, there is barely enough left to take care of families and ordinary needs of those who earned it.

The average saving of working people is at its lowest ebb in years. Personal debts are far too high. In addition to obvious taxes such as Real Estate taxes, school taxes, income taxes plus 100 and one fees and charges not so noticeable, there is our 8% sales tax. Our alert politicians waste an inordinate amount of time fighting over its "fair" distribution as between County, Cities, Towns, etc. Perhaps if the tax were eliminated, there would be less to squabble about. In turn at present, they all try to take credit for the new deal for "their" constituents. Reminds of a gang of train robbers fighting over the loot.

If in deed, this monster were eliminated altogether and commerce were allowed to flow a little more freely, it could be the beginning of a move toward solvency without the need to borrow. The politicians answer is, if we got rid of the sales tax, "they" would have to raise "other" taxes. This is not only an arrogant threat but an insult to the intelligence of the general public. This tax is sacrosanct to the entrenched politicians because it feeds the camp followers and non-essentials in made-for-the-purpose political jobs but assures continuing salary increases. A reduction in the number of County legislators may be the first order of business in bringing some order out of chaos.

Politics is not our game but we are more "anti-" when it comes to high taxes, bloated unneeded "services" and tragic waste, campaign wise or otherwise. We are on record as opposing the dumbing-down of our school children and excessive costs for poor results.

Thomas Sowell, PhD, Stanford University in the Times Union, September 11th says "Texas Governor George W. Bush's first major policy speech argues against funding failure indefinitely. He advocates taking money away from those schools which constantly fail and giving it to parents to spend to take their children elsewhere. More important, he has the hard facts behind him to back up his ideas with his own educational record as Governor of Texas. Vice President Algore is still 200 percent behind the teachers, union and against allowing children to escape from even the worst schools in the nation.

Only if you think the public schools exist primarily to provide jobs for teachers union members does it make any sense to think that the money should stay after the students have gone.

The education establishment is crying out that putting emphasis on test scores will mean that schools will have to "Teach to test." In other words, the education system will no longer be able to indulge itself in fads and fetishes that strike its fancy, because there will be a day of reckoning. Most of us face a day of reckoning every day we go to work. The time is long overdue for the educational establishment to have to do the same! Some schools have been "test preparing" and little else for a long time.

President Clinton's veto of a GOP tax cut with the excuse that, "we cannot afford it" is symptomatic of a dangerous viewpoint that pervades the far left. Many liberals are actually convinced that the Government should control more of our daily lives and that the revenue generated by our taxes belongs to them to dispense as they see fit. According to our US Constitution, we are a Republic by which the people control the Government not the other way around. As Thomas Jefferson once said, "when the people fear the Government you have tyranny. When the Government fears the people you have freedom." Our founding fathers foresaw the culpability of future elected 'guardians' of our Country whose weakness of character could not be relied upon to act at all times as honorable, honest, moral and trustworthy officials whose singular purpose should be to carry out the mandate of their office without political manipulation.

In New York State, we are still engaged in a recovery from the previous Administration of extremely high taxes and an overburden of do-nothing Government employees. Business and manufacturing is still taxed higher than other states thus making it difficult to compete in commodities markets and overcome excessive record keeping. Taxes at this point are 50% of earnings for the average family. Thirty years ago they were at 24%. The Clinton Administration is worried about the economy of Russia yet at the same time, our last bicycle manufacturing plant at South Havington, Mississippi is closing its doors. Meanwhile the Ford Motor Car Company is investing American dollars in an auto manufacturing plant in Russia.

The next thing you know, some liberal politicians will be agitating for us to loan (give) money to the Russians to buy Ford cars. Did it ever occur to you that we as Americans are not acting in our own best interests but are being sabotaged by socialist predators and one worlders whose primary interests and goals still cling to Woodrow Wilson's wacky 14 points that most rational people have discarded? Our own politicians answer - Pay your over-bloated school taxes and be happy.

Minimum wage - bad idea! Do you remember Horatio Alger? He authored more than 50 books, mostly about young men who changed their rags for riches. All of the heroes became successful by using their native intelligence and hard work at whatever opportunities life afforded. Not one of them worried about the minimum wage or looked for government help. They worked for what they could earn, saved and looked for ways to better themselves. Many young people read these books and were inspired to do likewise.

Today the US (united socialist) government guarantees that a worker gets paid $5.25 per hour whether they earn it or not. The Congress is ready to debate an increase to $6.15 per hour over 2 years. The minimum wage law is another unfounded mandate. The Government tells employers to pick up the tab and pay this rate if you wish to stay in business.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that the employers must pass any increase in wages on to the consumer with a corresponding increase in overall inflation. The other alternative for the employer is to eliminate jobs and try to run business with fewer people. Do-it-yourself scanners at the grocery check out are already being tested, and many other electronic methods are being devised to replace wage earning humans.

If the government really wants to do something useful, they should lower the minimum wage a dollar a year until it is gone. This would cause a profound change in thinking in the mind of the average worker! How can I better myself to command a wage that provides a quality living? Workers would do a good job, business would be more efficient and the economy would prosper. Best of all the government would give us back some freedom. The Horatio Alger approach would become fashionable again.

Combined property taxes for the Town of Schodack and the Schodack Central School District are about $3,200 for $40,000 assessed valuation. I don't know what the comparable market value would be. If you do not pay the tax, your house will be taken away, regardless if you cannot afford to do so. During the Averill Park school budget debate the suggestion was actually put forth that those who could not afford to pay should sell their house and move away.

Some towns have implemented historical commissions and/or historical districts; other towns are considering doing so. Their role is to evaluate local properties as to their compliance with some arbitrary historic standard, determine what can and cannot be done to them, and force you to abide by their findings. A prime example of this is the Reformed Church in Nassau where the owners want to raze it and build a new one but the historical commission will not let them.

Many towns are in various stages of implementing a comprehensive plan for future development in the town. A basic starting point of all comprehensive plans is to make a list of the town's assets. A town has no assets other than those assets that the Town directly holds title to. What "list of the town's assets" actually means is a list of individual property owners' assets, also known as my property and your property. The comprehensive planners will then evaluate these "assets" and recommend to the town board what can and cannot be done with them. The town board, a small group of highly political, elected legislators, will then rule on the plan's implementation.

What can be done to preserve private ownership and control of your land?

1. Attend budget meetings. Read the budget and challenge the officials on the spending.
2. Stand against and vote against all budgets requiring a property tax rate increase greater than the rate of your take home pay.
3. Demand that historical commissions and districts not be allowed. If you feel strongly about historical preservation, buy the land yourself, or support a conservancy group that does.
4. Demand that all comprehensive plans be developed openly with full community participation and demand that the final plan be put before a town wide referendum.
5. Attend board meetings. Demand full disclosure and accountability.
6. Do not accept the argument that increased government spending and increased regulation is necessary to keep property values high.
7. Do not accept the argument that County, State, and Federal mandates are forcing local tax increases and new local regulations. Demand that the politician using this argument produce proof and if need be produce the higher legislator from the body responsible for this, to explain. Nearly all elected officials are part of one of the major political parties. Higher elected officials are members of the same party. They do not operate individually.
8. Join a political party and be active financially, mentally, and physically.
9. Insist that political candidates take a stand on tax and regulatory issues. Support only those whom you agree with.

Recently Bingo City 'in East Greenbush hit a snag causing its operators some legal troubles. Accord to The Times Union, October 16th, in a piece by Jay Jochnowitz, "Bingo proved to be a costly game for an operator when he was ordered to pay $40,000 Friday for his role in a scandal over his son's bingo hall. Originally expected to pay $50,000 for the offense, half of it as a fine, the other half as donations to charity. However, Assistant Attorney General Richard Earnst said that after working out the original plea, state lawyers decided there was no legal basis for such an arrangement and that a person could not be compelled to make a charitable contribution." Can we quote you on this, Assistant Attorney General?

If in the event, a person cannot legally be compelled to make charitable contributions, how is it that our citizens are taxed to the hilt and our generous politicians turn huge sums over to every imaginable charity - including the arts, religious groups, hospitals, school projects, social amenities, homeless shelters, some phony, some genuine and many with which the citizen disagrees and have proven to be rackets. Case in point the Bronx Museum in New York City - subject to wide criticism.

Charity should be at the option of the giver not liberal schemers. We have social welfare, corporate welfare and overseas welfare.

RCTA
PO Box 145
East Greenbush, NY 12061

The government statisticians have decided to raise the poverty level 33%, This means, according to the statisticians, you are living in poverty if the income for a family of four is $19,500 a year or less.

Suppose from that $19,500 the government takes back $2,000 for tax and social security leaving $17,500 to live on. This leaves $600 a month for rent $400 a month for food, and $200 per month for fuel, clothes and gas. The remaining $258 each month is left for miscellaneous, Only in the USA could poverty be so luxuriant.

The experts agree. Gun control works. - A. Hitler, F. Castro, M. Khadafy and J. Stalin.
Schodack Resident

October 18th, a presidential message to Congress demanding more money be taken from defense and Social Security and given to foreign aid. It shouldn't happen.
East Greenbush Resident

If we are going to widen routes 9 & 20 why not move East Greenbush over to 1-90 where we can get some peace and quiet?
Clinton Heights Resident

How is it that the United States has funds for a new radar system for Russia but not enough money for a tax cut?
East Greenbush Resident