The distortions of the facts:
#1 - that somehow the ONE ambulance promised to be in the town would NOT be a cut in service when
       REMS has  FOUR ambulances in the town  --- the FACT is that is a CUT in service
#2 - that somehow only Mohawk could reimburse the town for ALS services  --- the FACT is that the town
       could sign contracts with AS MANY ambulances services as it wanted including REMS to get
       reimbursed for ALS services
#3 - the assertion that folks who favored the ambulance tax district were socialists and were promoting
       national healthcare and a whole sordid assortment of socialist programs  --- the FACT is that we who
       supported the ambulance tax district were only voicing our support for EMS to be provided by an
       IN TOWN operation
#4 - that somehow an extra $15 to $25 a year tax per average property owner would be too great an
       imposition --- the FACT is there are services and programs that the property tax payers pay for that
       are NOT necessary and vital to our public safety --- yet we are forced to pay for them every year.
#5 - that somehow the ambulance tax was going to be used to pay salaries and benefits -- the FACT is that
       it clearly stated in the proposal that salaries and benefits would be paid for by the ambulance fees
       paid either by the person being served or by their insurance company
#5 - that somehow only REMS' costs to provide service could or would increase over time ... the FACT is that
       ANY ambulance provider could or would see their operating costs rise over time.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The distortions of the facts:
#1 - that somehow the ONE ambulance promised to be in the town would NOT be a cut in service when
       REMS has  FOUR ambulances in the town  --- the FACT is that is a CUT in service
#2 - that somehow only Mohawk could reimburse the town for ALS services  --- the FACT is that the town
       could sign contracts with AS MANY ambulances services as it wanted including REMS to get
       reimbursed for ALS services
#3 - the assertion that folks who favored the ambulance tax district were socialists and were promoting
       national healthcare and a whole sordid assortment of socialist programs  --- the FACT is that we who
       supported the ambulance tax district were only voicing our support for EMS to be provided by an
       IN TOWN operation
#4 - that somehow an extra $15 to $25 a year tax per average property owner would be too great an
       imposition --- the FACT is there are services and programs that the property tax payers pay for that
       are NOT necessary and vital to our public safety --- yet we are forced to pay for them every year.
#5 - that somehow the ambulance tax was going to be used to pay salaries and benefits -- the FACT is that
       it clearly stated in the proposal that salaries and benefits would be paid for by the ambulance fees
       paid either by the person being served or by their insurance company
#5 - that somehow only REMS' costs to provide service could or would increase over time ... the FACT is that
       ANY ambulance provider could or would see their operating costs rise over time.

1 - There is no cut in paid service, only free service.

2 - No one said that REMS couldn't bill for ALS...they only started doing it when they needed cash...but REMS did it without the
     required contract... REMS can't KEEP the money...Tommasone had no authority to tell REMS they could keep it and he knows
     it...and that's why Tommasone slipped the 120G into the budget on his way out last year...he knew they would no longer be
     able to retain ALS funds through the wink and nod method.

3 - Socialists favor government control wherever possible...a socialized ambulance is no exception.

4 - It is not for you to decide what is too much an imposition for anyone else. You just don't get the fact that taxpayers understand
     the tax was unnecessary and that it will only rise like any other tax. You're right about other taxes for other "social" programs
     that are unnecessary or way too big...and taxpayers would say no to those taxes too if they got to vote on them.

5 - REMS claimed that insurance and patient payments would cover their salaries and benefits...but their history of billing and
     collection lends no credence to such claims...and it would be no surprise if the cost of their rapidly growing work force would
     quickly surpass their insurance collections.

6 - Everyone understands that operating costs of ems will rise steadily for any ems provider...it was one of the many valid arguments
     against the tax. The difference is that the private provider covers their own rising expenses while the socialized REMS would have
     passed the increases on to taxpayers.

7 - You misnumbered your "distortions".

8 - No one said any of the things you claim.

the contraction of the economy is a very difficult thing to judge

our area almost always experiences a delay in economic contraction and expansion compared major cities along the east coast (9 to 6 months)

maybe the save REMs crowd thought they could beat the tide

risks are taken for good and bad

the key is how to learn from the loss

proper management, hard billing and a credit card reader on a cell phone could be the triad that lifts REMs from the loss and we as a town are better from it

a smart business finds the voids and profits

Going from FOUR ambulances to ONE ambulance is a CUT in service  ...  even a child in elementary
school can tell you that.


Hint to KR ---  4 is a bigger number than 1

If she can't figure that out -- why bother listening to the rest of her drooling.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Going from FOUR ambulances to ONE ambulance is a CUT in service  ...  even a child in elementary
school can tell you that.


Hint to KR ---  4 is a bigger number than 1

If she can't figure that out -- why bother listening to the rest of her drooling.

Speaking of children in elementary school...you're whining again Ron.

Mohawk has a fleet of 30 other ambulances from which others may be dispatched when needed.

Hint to Ron-the-tax-cheerleader...30 is a bigger number than 4.

If you weren't listening to my "drooling" you wouldn't be making these pathetic attempts to respond.

Quoted Text

Tax hikes routed
Marv Cermak

Hey, how about the folks out in Rotterdam who apparently have had their fill of never-ending property tax increases?

In the same week, they overwhelmingly rejected a $43.4 million capital construction plan for the Mohonasen Central School District and scuttled a proposal creating a tax to support the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services ambulances.

On a $100,000 assessed property, the Mohonasen project would have increased the annual school tax bill by $40 and the ambulance plan would have jacked the town bill up 10 bucks.

Both proposals weren't just defeated -- they were blown away by about a 2-to-1 vote.

While the increases would have been relatively minor, it appears as though property owners are realizing they're getting nickel and dimed to death by across-the-board endless taxation.

Officials for the school district and the medical services said they believe their proposals were defeated because of the sagging economy. That may be part of the problem, but the overall tax bite is taking a big chunk out of people's wallets.

While property taxes are the biggest cumulative drain on take home pay for many, there are taxes on most everything you touch. Did you ever notice the number of tax lines on a phone bill?

I look at market receipts, but until the other day I hadn't noticed toothpaste and toilet paper -- seemingly necessities -- were among the taxable items. Granted, it's only pennies more, but add all these pesky taxes to the huge income and property taxes and you're talking big bucks.

Many years ago, somebody coined the phrase about "death and taxes'' being the only sure things in life. The modern day version of that old saw may soon be "death by taxes.''

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Tribute-leaves-WGY-s-Weeks-speechless-911880.php

REMS has 4 ambulances and 49 +or- employees, paid and unpaid, to answer calls and I believe it was an average of 7 calls per day and they can't understand why they can't show a profit and pay their bills. There is no business that can have that kind of overhead and stay in business so that's why they needed the tax district.

Quoted from gadfly

Speaking of children in elementary school...you're whining again Ron.

Mohawk has a fleet of 30 other ambulances from which others may be dispatched when needed.

Hint to Ron-the-tax-cheerleader...30 is a bigger number than 4.

If you weren't listening to my "drooling" you wouldn't be making these pathetic attempts to respond.

To  KR who wants the sick and dying to be laying on the side of the road:
But only ONE is promised to be in the town at all times --  
and the Mohawk ambulance facility in the city is at least 3-5 miles from the town line ...   that will add
minutes to their response times ... minutes that can mean the difference between life and death.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

To  KR who wants the sick and dying to be laying on the side of the road:
But only ONE is promised to be in the town at all times --  
and the Mohawk ambulance facility in the city is at least 3-5 miles from the town line ...   that will add
minutes to their response times ... minutes that can mean the difference between life and death.

        God controls life and death, not ambulance drivers.  If it is His desire for one to live, they will, if not, they won't.  A zero response time may not save all individuals, quit spreading your gloom and doom!

It is interesting that the Nattering Nayboobs of Negativity keep saying how they will make public officials
and other accountable for their actions and positions on issues -- yet when I made the post that many
town residents will hold the anti-ambulance district public officials and others accountable for their actions
(and in some cases inaction) and their position against the district  -- all of a sudden the N.N.N's say it
is wrong to say that.

They want to ply their crap without having to face the consequences.  Well, the FACT is that they WILL be
held accountable  ... and if a life or lives are lost because of the anti-REMS vote -- they will have a LOT of
angry people knocking on their doors.

Quoted from AVON

        God controls life and death, not ambulance drivers.  If it is His desire for one to live, they will, if not, they won't.  A zero response time may not save all individuals, quit spreading your gloom and doom!

Rotterdam should pay for our own hospital too.  What if there are no beds available at Ellis?  Rotterdam residents will be dying in the back of our ambulances if we have to rely on the For Profit Ellis Hospital.  It only makes sense.  We should also consider creating a taxing district to fund a pharmaceutical company to manufacture swine flu vaccines for Rotterdam residents.  We can't depend on a for profit company to produce what Rotterdam needs.  What if there's a shortage and our seniors die from the flu?  

We have a crisis on our hands here in Rotterdam.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

It is interesting that the Nattering Nayboobs of Negativity keep saying how they will make public officials
and other accountable for their actions and positions on issues -- yet when I made the post that many
town residents will hold the anti-ambulance district public officials and others accountable for their actions
(and in some cases inaction) and their position against the district  -- all of a sudden the N.N.N's say it
is wrong to say that.

They want to ply their crap without having to face the consequences.  Well, the FACT is that they WILL be
held accountable  ... and if a life or lives are lost because of the anti-REMS vote -- they will have a LOT of
angry people knocking on their doors.

          The Rotterdam Paramedics will respond first.  They get there ahead of any ambulance service and their role is to stabilize the patient (if possible) for transport to the hospital.  You and everyone else knows this.  You only address the response time to the emergency, however you do not address the travel time to the nearest hospital which exceeds the travel time of an ambulance provider because the hospitals are farther away.  Your analysis is flawed.  And good luck trying to prove that the ambulance response time is directly linked to a possible death, and not from the medical emergency that occurred.  The vote is over, the decision was put in the property owner's hands, it has nothing to do with politics at this juncture.  Lastly, What makes you think REMS still won't be your provider?  The vote was only to establish an ambulance district, RFPs have to be solicited to determine a provider/s come first of the year.

Ellis hospital clearly needs to have it's own taxing district. Ellis hospital is responsible for holding up ambulances at their ER.

The Ellis ER is so inadequate, that there are anywhere from 2 to 10 ambulances lined up at the ER at any given time. And because the ER is so inadequate, the ambulances have become a mobile ER. They are treating the patients in the ambulance due to lack of room for emergency room service.

Look into that one sometime, if ya wanna talk about 'dying in the streets'!  

Quoted from AVON

          The Rotterdam Paramedics will respond first.  They get there ahead of any ambulance service and their role is to stabilize the patient (if possible) for transport to the hospital.  You and everyone else knows this.  You only address the response time to the emergency, however you do not address the travel time to the nearest hospital which exceeds the travel time of an ambulance provider because the hospitals are farther away.  Your analysis is flawed.  And good luck trying to prove that the ambulance response time is directly linked to a possible death, and not from the medical emergency that occurred.  The vote is over, the decision was put in the property owner's hands, it has nothing to do with politics at this juncture.  Lastly, What makes you think REMS still won't be your provider?  The vote was only to establish an ambulance district, RFPs have to be solicited to determine a provider come first of the year.  

The vote is over - yes.   But since KR and her cronies are going around saying how they will hold people
accountable who supported the ambulance tax district,   I am reminding them that many residents will ALSO
hold those who opposed the ambulance tax district accountable.      
My analysis is not flawed -- because as everyone with any common sense knows IF there is a tragedy and
there is the PERCEPTION that ambulance service was not 100%  ..... the people will be demand answers.