DEAR READERS:
AS THE HOLIDAYS DRAW NEAR THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LAST BLOGS YOU'LL RECIEVE THIS YEAR(THOUGH IF CIRCUMSTANCE WARRANTS, I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE MY MIND). YOU SHOULD ALSO RECIEVE ONE LAST LETTER TO THE RESPECTIVE LOCAL PAPERS' EDITORS.
AS YOU KNOW BY NOW, WESTCHESTER COUNTY HAS THE HONOR OF BEING THE MOST TAXED COUNTY IN THE NATION....YEP...WE'RE IT. SO I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVES' ANSWER TO THIS(AS HE IS UP FOR ELECTION NEXT YEAR) WAS. HIS NEW BUDGET CALL FOR A 3.98% INCREASE IN OUR TAXES. THAT'S RIGHT, OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS DECIDED TO MAKE SURE NO COUNTY IN THE NATION TAKES AWAY THE ABOVE HONOR WE HAVE. THIS INCREASE IS ACHIEVED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S NEED TO GROW OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT. ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT A MORE RESPONSIBLE EXECUTIVE WOULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO SHRINK OUR GOVERNMENT. TO LOOK FOR SERVICES THAT ARE ALREADY PROVIDED BY OUR TAXES TO THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT ARE REPEATED AGAIN AT THE COUNTY LEVEL JUST TO SAY WE HAVE THEM TOO. I WOULD HAZZARD A GUESS THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST ONE OR TWO REPETETIVE SERVICES THAT COULD BE SHRUNK OR ELEIMINATED. TO ADD MORE EMPLOYEES THOUGH SEEMS AT THIS TIME A FOOLISH THING TO DO, BUT WHAT THE HELL, IT'S TAX MONEY ANY WAY, SO WHO CARES. PROBLEM IS THAT ONE WHO SHOULD HAVE CARED IS COUNTY LEGISALTOR KALPOWITZ(WHO IS UP FOR ELECTION NEXT YEAR) WHO RECENTLY RAN FOR STATE SENATE ON A PLATFORM OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HIM ON CHANEL 12 PRAISING THIS BUDGET. I GUESS FISCAL RESPOSIBILITY ONLY MATTERS AT STATE LEVEL. I LIKE COUNTY LEGISLATOR KALPOWITZ AND ENDORSED HIS RUN FOR STATE SENATE. AS A MEMBER OF THE MAJORITY PARTY AT COUNTY LEVEL, I WOULD HAVE HOPED HE WOULD HAVE USED HIS INFLUENCE TO REIGN IN COUNTY SPENDING AS HE SAID HE WOULD DO AT STATE LEVEL. I WAS WRONG. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE FOR THE LOCAL PRESS TO GIVE MORE TIME TO COUNTY LEGISLATOR OROS' (WHO IS MINORITY LEADER, AND ALSO UP FOR ELECTION NEXT YEAR) ANSWER TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET. IF HE OR LEGISLATOR KALPOWITZ REPLIES TO THIS BLOG, I WILL SEND IT OUT TO YOU ASAP.
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I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ON THE PEEKSKILL CITY COUNCIL ARE THINKING, BUT SO FAR THEY (DREW CLAXTON, MARY FOSTER, DON BENNETT) HAVE VOTED NO ON LETTING THE PROPOSED RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT GO TO THE NEXT STEP. THEY(DREW CLAXTON, MARY FOSTER) VOTED NO ON MOVING FOWARD WITH THE PROPOSED TARGET STORE. THEY HAVE (DREW CLAXTON, MARY FOSTER, DON BENNETT) VOICED RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT. THIS ALL THE WHILE SAYING THAT THEY ARE PRO-GROWTH FOR PEEKSKILL. I HAVE HEARD THEIR REASONS(SOME MAY SAY VALID), HOWEVER I HAVE TO ASK WOULD THEY HAVE STILL VOTED NO WERE THEY IN CONTROL OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT? I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THIS IS MORE POLITICS THAN ANYTHING ELSE. I COULD BE WRONG, HOWEVER I DON'T THINK TALKING SOMETHING TO DEATH IS PRO-GROWTH. THERE ARE MANY STEPS YET TO BE TAKEN BEFORE ANYTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS, WITH MORE THAN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTRARY OPINIONS TO BE HEARD AND ACTED UPON, SHOULD THEY PROVE VALID. I REFUSE TO BLIEVE NO MATTER THE PARTY, THAT ANY OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD DO ANY THING TO HURT THE CITY IN WHICH THEY LIVE. NOT MOVING FOWARD AT THIS TIME ON THESE PROPOSALS I BELIEVE IS WRONG, AS THE NEXT STEPS PROVIDE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION. TO SHOW YOU READERS THAT THIS BLOG IS MORE UP TO DATE THAN THE LOCAL MEDIA(PAPERS AND CHANEL 12), IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT PUTNAM COUNTY IS RAISING THEIR TAXES, PUTNAM VALLEY IS RAISING THEIR TAXES, WESTCHESTER COUNTY IS RAISING THIER TAXES, THE TOWNS' OF CORTLANT AND YORKTOWN ARE RASING THEIR TAXES. THE ONLY LOCAL MUNCIPALITY THAT IS NOT RAISING TAXES IS THE CITY OF PEEKSKILL. TOMMOROW 11/27/06 THE CITY OF PEEKSKILL WILL BE VOTING ON NEXT YEARS BUDGET THAT HAS A 0% TAX INCREASE. THIS IS TWO YEARS IN A ROW, SO YOU CAN'T SAY THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR BUDGET, AS LAST YEAR WHEN THERE WAS NO TAX INCREASE WAS NOT AN ELECTION YEAR. THIS IS A PRO-GROWTH GOVERNMENT BENEFIT. INSTEAD OF RAISING TAXES, YOU INCREASE THE TAX BASE. IT WORKS EVERY TIME IT IS TRIED WHEN AT THE SAME TIME YOU CONTROL SPENDING. AS NEXT YEAR THE LOCAL PEEKSKILL OFFICIALS ARE ALSO UP FOR RE-ELECTION, IT WOULD BE WISE TO NOTE THOSE CANDIDATES THAT VOTED FOR THIS GROWTH AS THOSE WHO OPPOSED THIS GROWTH AND DECIDE WHO HAS THE BEST INTEREST OF PEEKSKILL ON THEIR AGENDA. SHOULD ANY OF THE ELECTED OFFICIAL WISH TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG..I WILL SEND IT OUT TO YOU A.S.A.P.
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ON THE ISSUE OF EMINENT DOMAIN:
I KNOW THIS ISSUE SPARKS GREAT EMOTION, AND PEOPLE HAVE SAID,"ANDY, YOU TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN REGARDS TO YORKTOWN BUT NOT PEEKSKILL, ARE YOU SOME KIND OF LACKEY?" THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO, HOWEVER I LIKE THE SUPREMES' DO NOT BELIEVE IN A "ONE SIZE FITS ALL" ANSWER. IN THE MAJORITY OPINION WRITTEN BY JUSTICE STEVENS, IT WAS LEFT TO THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE AS IT AFFECTS THEM. IN REGARDS TO THE WATERFRONT, EMINENT DOMAIN HAS NOT BEEN USED, AND IN THE CASE OF THE FEW PROPERTIES NOT SOLD YET, THEY WILL PROBABLY BE BUILT ARROUND AS TO AVOID CONFLICT. AS REGARDS TO DOWNTOWN, NO HOMES ARE INVOLVED, AND THE ONLY PROPERTY THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IS THE CROSSROADS SHOPPING CENTER, AND AT THIS TIME I WILL WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT. WHAT I AM TRYING TOM SAY, IS DO NOT BE GOVERNED BY EMOTION IN THIS ISSUE, BUT TO THINK RATIONALLY AND SEE HOW IT PLAYS. THERE IS AN ELECTION COMMING NEXT YEAR WHERE YOU CAN VOICE YOUR DISPLEASURE SHOULD IT NOT PLAY THE WAY YOU THINK.
BAZZO 11/25/06
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