From: March, Kevin Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 2:21 PM To: 'opinion@dailygazette.com' Subject: School Budget Votes 10/16/07
For your opinion page.
It is very important that all the people today of Rotterdam get out and vote. For both Mohonasen and Schalmont, we have votes to upgrade our schools on Tuesday.
Please remember that at Schalmont, we already went to the polls 7 years ago because the School Board saw that it was necessary to build on to the Middle School, almost doubling the size of the school, adding a new gymnasium onto the High School and various other projects.
At that time, they did not look ahead to the issues that they are asking you to go and vote to approve them to spend more money out of your pocket. Would building onto a school increase the price of heating the school over the year? Well, I would say that every year since I can remember, the school year has run through the winter. They couldn't have thought about this 7 years ago? So, when this bond is in the middle of being paid off by the Schalmont residents, what ELSE are they going to find that needs to be fixed that they want us to come out and vote to give them more of our paychecks?
It's time to start reigning in the costs at the school. I say take the money that has been promised to you via the state, since this is tax money that has already been taken from us. Fix what you can with that. Let's not take more money from the residents. We already pay enough.
The school says that for a $100,000 home, this will "only cost" you another $3.50. That is on top of the $1700 you're already paying. So. what's another drop in the bucket? Maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Kevin March Rotterdam
Please feel free to post my e-mail address as part of the letter.
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING NEEDED IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
Campaign advertisements are symbolic of our democratic form of government. However, truth in advertising should be required of politicians as it is of private industry and private citizens.
On Thursday, October 18th, I received one of four recent mailings from the Democratic candidates running for the District 4 seats in the Schenectady County Legislature. The content of the latest flyer suggests that the candidates’ actions have eliminated the nearly double digit increase (9.7%) in the county property tax rate resulting from the proposed 2008 Schenectady County budget that carries $283.4 million in spending. The timing of the mailing was amusing in that I had attended, only two days beforehand, a public hearing on this matter during which the public was informed that the budget vote is scheduled for October 25th. Further, to date, the proposals for reduction in spending made by the members of both parties have yet to be presented and debated in an executive session.
Of further interest was the assertion by the two individuals that they were responsible for cuts totaling $6.1 million. These were not clearly presented as “proposals”, but rather as approved spending reductions. Of the candidates being promoted in this mailing, Mr. Godlewski does not hold a seat on the county legislature nor have a vote on the county budget. Mr. Jasenski is the freshman member of the Democratic majority party who was appointed as recently as June 11th,, just one day prior to the passage of the sex offender residency legislation, to fill the seat vacated by Kent Gray. Thus, how can either of these candidates claim responsibility for economic development that has occurred (a claim made in an earlier mailing) or guarantee a budget yielding no increase in property taxes?
As a resident of Schenectady County, I welcome reductions in government spending regardless of which party proposes (or takes the credit for sponsoring) the cuts. Schenectady County property taxes are oppressive. Excessive taxation is a serious issue that impacts all residents of our community. It is not a topic that should be addressed with deception, dishonesty, misrepresentation, or political pandering.
I propose the passage of a “truth in advertising law” for candidates who are running for political office. The voters deserve to hear the truth so that they can register their support of candidates based on their positions on the important issues that face Schenectady County.
Good job Brad and after this years campaign season, I agree. While the Fair Campaign Practice rulings against the deceptive candidates in Dist #4 provided a small measure of self satisfaction, the sad truth is that is all it provided. I would guess 99% of voters do not and will not know how deceptive the campaign was. It should be a more stringent and public process providing the voting public with much needed information to formulate a decision.
Although my Letter to the Editor (above) was written to make the argument that candidates for political office need to be held to higher standards when distributing campaign literature, it specifically cited the deceptive and dishonest information that was mailed to voters' homes by two DEMOCRATIC candidates for District 4 Schenectady County Legislature, Jasenski and Godlewski. Thus, I had no delusions that the (left leaning) Daily Gazette would publish my letter. It is unfortunate that the Publisher and the Editors of this publication do not address the concerns and interests of all of its readers/customers.
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