Going back a few years, I was shocked to see that I was the
only member of the public at the 2009 Budget Hearing. That Budget called for a $1.1 million tax
increase (+16.1%) spread across all funds.
I honestly don’t think the Board Members were aware of the combined magnitude
of the increases as, to a person, they appeared stunned when I disclosed it
(none of the current Board Members were on that Board).
Back to the present - there have been people coming to Town
Board Meetings over the past eight months who may never have been in Town Hall
before – at least not for Town Board Meetings!
Speaking out on numerous issues and concerns – not just the casino.
Hopefully this high level of interest and involvement will
continue – Town governance will be the better for it. Vox populi!
Witness this past Wednesday (12/17/14) - townsfolk actually
challenged the Board, not only on the proposed Sewer Rate increases, but for voting on those increases the same night as the
Public Hearing, arguing that the Board Members had already made up their minds
and nothing the public could say would sway them. The proposed Sewer Rates (and Water Rates)
were defeated (at the 12/11/14 Pre-Board Meeting, Councilpersons Mangold and
Matters expressed reluctance to adopt them now). Good stuff!
The Sewer and Water Rate questions have been turned over to
the Citizens Fiscal Advisory Committee for review and recommendation. CFAC is also charged with developing internal
controls. More good stuff!
Tom Grant (the Elder) frequently reminds us that transparent process
is important – so true!
Wednesday evening a gentleman showed me a quote that
I’d posted online a few years back. He was so taken by it that he’d actually stored it in his cell phone! The quote was President Lincoln speaking in Albany on his way to his inauguration:
“Citizens may swear allegiance to
one party or the other and believe with all their might that they are right,
but once an election is passed, and until the next election, they should be one
people.”
We should now become “one people” with unified eyes on East
Greenbush and its future.
Pete Stenson
Great post Pete! You've always been such a gentleman and on our local political scene that's not an easy task. I like the perspective that the town won by seeing so many people come out and get involved. People need to be heard whether they were for the casino or against it. I think civility is the key to all of this and one model for me was the conversation you and I had at Stewart's right after the announcement was made that we might get a casino. We were both at the start of processing our feelings on the issue and I walked away knowing a lot more than I did when we started. If I don't see you, have a great holiday season and much good fortune in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteJack and Pete; THANK YOU both for keeping it "real" over the past few months.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you both and your families !
Thanks jack and 'Whistlin'
ReplyDeletePeople too often conflate disagree and disrespect.
Disagreement is fine, especially when it results in the sharing of ideas, viewpoints and information.
Disrespect is never fruitful.
Pete Stenson
Pete,
ReplyDeleteWell put!!
All the best,
Tom
The annual Organizational meeting is Friday the 2nd of January.
ReplyDeleteLets all sit back and see of MAM is truly up for good government. If she wants a prayers chance of being remembered for her good deeds, she will show her constituency that SWF was in fact a JOKE.
Maryann can correct ALOT of the damage caused a year ago by Defruscio/Langley/Gilbert/Crist by simply doing whats correct.
Lets all see how this plays out.
And the winner is - Langley and Defruscio. Many~many of you will be thoroughly disappointed in the Organizational meeting results.
ReplyDeleteApparently MAM sold out to SWF yet again.
A sad day for the taxpayers and VOTERS of East Greenbush .
Don't tell me its another "Corellis year at that DPW garage." Nasty and Nastier working up there!!
ReplyDeleteYUP....we're stuck with incompetence and dumb stupid morons for another year ! Our Court will once again be staffed by CHUMPLEE because MAM doesn't really have the guts to actually stand up to the men who constantly demean her and threaten her and have called her every name in the book.
DeleteYet she bowed to them once again !
I'd say that MAM needs Mangold and Malone to unseat DeF. Looks like they are apparently going along with Langley then, right?
DeleteOn the contrary, MAM is siding back with Putz and Chumplee - supposedly.
DeleteThis should give the gadflies the shitz on January 2nd. They were so quick to jump on her bandwagon . She has proved that she's Langleys girl after all.
Like the Chump Defruscio said to her , "welcome home" .
Phil and Sue are NOT siding with PUTZ on anything....ever !
No doubt that the Chump and the Putz blew sunshine up her *** to get her to save their little game so they can screw the people one more year.
DeleteSad thing is - she fell for it !
What MaM doesn't understand is no matter what she gave them, there's going to be a price to pay for it. They'll screw her over within the year; and she'll wish she went with the Dems. She's alot like Cristo; whichever way the wind blows and was good for him, is the way he went. She'll learn; may be too late like it was for him; but she'll learn the hard way.
ReplyDelete