Unsuited For Office
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What are qualities that are absolute requirements for a member of a volunteer board of directors? The ability to work in groups to accomplish tasks would be one such quality, I suppose. Perhaps a person of integrity, who would never twist facts or take them entirely out of context - a person like that would be a good choice. Maybe someone who is an active listener would be well qualified. You know, the type of person who asks a question and actually listens to and processes the response before rebutting. That would be a plus. Someone who places value on other peoples' time and can communicate without being redundant - we'd appreciate that, I would think.
Maybe someone with the strength of character to openly change their mind when confronted with new facts or information - we might want that.
I would think we'd want someone with the ability to recognize that the world is complex and that most issues have shades of gray that need to be thought through. Yeah, that would be good.
Hey, come to think of it, we also might want someone who knows how the role of a trustee might differ from the role of an operating, paid executive - that might be good. Or maybe someone with a fundamental sense of the limits of their own knowledge, and some respect for those who have knowledge that you might be lacking - that would be a nice trait.
Ability with numbers - yeah, we'd want that, though the math in these roles is pretty elementary.. Perhaps someone who recognizes that if taxes go down from 3 percent to 2 percent, that is a 33% reduction, not a 1% reduction. That would be fundamental, I would think.
So who are these people who gave us Bob Harrison? Do they know anything about how highly functioning boards actually accomplish great things? Do they understand that there are outstanding professionals who would sooner quit and find work elsewhere then work for bosses wholly lacking in grace, wit, and integrity.
Alas, I suspect we know these people who give us Bob - those who share Bob's agenda. And come to think of it, we know an organization whose members support men like Bob. Indeed, the TVCC can change it's name to the "Scarsdale Forum," but it cannot change its essential nature. It is by and large a political action committee whose main agenda is the minimization of taxes. It provides soapboxes for anyone in need of one, and allows those who stand upon them to cloak themselves in the legitimacy of a decades old Scarsdale institution. Yuck.
So let's go ahead and connect the dots. The CNC is over weighted with TVCC members, sympathizers, or cronies. And hey, there's a candidate out there that's for the same things these cronies are for, right? And what do you know: presto, alakazam, the "non-partisan system" that is supposed to choose open minded and non agenda-driven candidates has given us a pure partisan candidate. Boss Tweed couldn't have drawn it up any better himself.
There are of course, good people involved with the TVCC, and I know some of them. And membership is open to all, and thus, the power to change this organization is ultimately in the hands of the people. But let's be realistic - people like to join groups that share their personal sensibilities. It is unlikely that those of a different political orientation would en masse join a group for the purpose of changing it. Easier to start an alternative group or write for 10583.com (this reality, by the way, is occasionally upended by heroes such as those who recently wrote the TVCC minority report on school board finances. But such bravery requires an effort and energy that is very hard to sustain).
A few months ago, I received a call from someone on the CNC asking me if I would be interested in becoming a village trustee. I was flattered and said that perhaps next year, that I needed a year off from public service after six years on the Board of Ed.
Now however, that will never happen (those who find Blatt distasteful, your stand and cheer moment has arrived!). There is zero chance that I would work long hours in a volunteer capacity side by side with a man like Mr. Harrison. And sadly, I suspect others will feel the same way. This will be one of the costs of the Harrison nomination - a thinning of the already minimal ranks of those who will volunteer for office.
The larger question is whether the perversion of the Harrison nomination will lead to the downfall of the non-partisan system itself. I suspect that apathy, and the hope that this year's Harrison nomination is a one time mistake, will leave the flawed "non partisan" system intact. But it will remain flawed until people actually volunteer in strong numbers to serve on the CNC. That is the only way to turn those who would vote for a partisan candidate out of office. In the meantime, if I had the ability to serve, I would gather the required signatures and challenge the Harrison nomination. As I cannot, I pray that there is someone out there who will do exactly that. Anyone with a pulse who can do it has my vote.
Please. Someone. Anyone......
Submitted by Jeff Blatt, Greenacres Resident and Former Member of the Scarsdale School Board
County Budget Based on Fiscal Chicanery
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For most of us conversations about the county budget are about as interesting as watching paint dry. The $1.78 billion budget passed last month by the Board of Legislators demands attention if only because we are among the county taxpayers left picking up the tab when revenues fall short of expectations, as they almost certainly will this year. A look at this budget will tell you that the money is not there to begin with. That’s a very big problem because we can't run a deficit like the federal government.
The board, led by Ken Jenkins (D Yonkers), produced this budget to one up County Executive Rob Astorino. After 12 years of skyrocketing taxes, the board, with most of the same players in place, would have you believe they underwent a collective conversion on the road to Damascus and have emerged as fiscal conservatives.
Astorino was elected a year ago with a mandate to cut the budget, and the final budget adopted by the board calls for a more than 2% tax cut. So even if the board’s motives were suspect, where’s the problem?
The problem is this: the 2011 budget adopted by our county legislators is very different from the one that Astorino proposed. He spent the better part of his first year in office peeling back layer after layer of Spano-era bureaucratic excess in an effort to determine essential programs and jettison the rest.
The board’s budget somehow performs the feat of adding back the programs Astorino cut from the budget, yet still promises a 2+% cut in taxes. How is that possible? By creating phony revenues and borrowing from the reserves — that’s how.
Many examples of this practice can be found in the 2011 county budget, but I've limited myself to three of the most egregious.
1. To cut $10 million from the budget, the board factored in NO raises for county employees in 2009, 2010, or 2011, even though six of the eight county unions are working with expired contracts and five of those six are subject to binding arbitration. When has an arbitrator ever awarded a union no raise over several years, let alone five unions? It won't happen — and the board knows this — yet they voted for it anyway. I call that dishonest.
2. The board predicted that revenue to the Labs & Research Department would increase by $1.5 million because of “enhancements” to the department’s business plan. The “business plan” hasn’t been written yet, let alone enhanced, and the board used the same story last year when it claimed the department would generate an additional $2.7 million in revenue. That money never materialized. What are the odds this year’s revenue will?
3. Astorino prudently canceled the county’s contract with the state to administer Section 8. It simply cost more to administer than we were reimbursed, leaving us short about $500,000 a year. In addition the county is responsible for the non-reimbursable retirement benefits, such as lifetime health care, for the county workers assigned to the program. Canceling the contract meant 38 layoffs. The board restored all 38 positions — with no contract. Go figure.
There are many other dubious calculations in the board’s budget but these alone should give you a sense of the integrity of the document.
In all fairness I contacted our legislator Judy Myers about the revenue projections in the budget. She got right back to me and pointed out a number of things in Rye and the surrounding communities funded by the money they put back in, which would be fine I suppose in a better economy. Myers, however, was unable to provide me with any facts to support her assurance that the revenue projections relied on real money.
This isn't a Democrat/Republican thing. Astorino called out the democratic majority on the board and he's right - they were responsible. However, fiscal chicanery favors no party as the newly elected Republican county executive in Nassau tried the same stunt — cutting taxes without cutting spending — and it blew up in his face, leaving Nassau with a bond rating in the cellar. Rockland’s credit rating was recently downgraded as well, primarily because its budget contained similar fantasy land assumptions. Clearly, as arcane as these details may seem, shoddy budgets have serious consequences long term.
When I say it’s not just an inter-party conflict, that’s not to say Ken Jenkins and his Democratic majority don't take particular delight in sticking it to the golden boy of the GOP, only that it’s clear from our 2010 State legislative session that even one-party rule doesn't necessarily mean civility, let alone accord, among politicians.
No, the Board of Legislators did this not because they're Democrats, but because they're politicians. The entire board is up for reelection this year and they're betting that you'll remember the tax cut and not the inevitable shortfall when the “projected revenues” don't materialize.
Will the elections in Westchester this year follow the statewide ones last year, where, even though there was political upheaval across the country, in New York we returned the same self-serving lifers to office? The outcome of this budget might be a factor — if we're paying attention.
Charmian Neary is a bored housewife and former political operative from Rye New York who is much better at politics than homemaking.
A Call for Open Government
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Dear Mayor Stevens: Where is the open government Scarsdalians expect? On Thursday, January 6th, you scheduled a Board meeting for discussion of the SCC. Shouldn't you have expected a large turn-out and therefore have held the meeting in Rutherford Hall?
It took less than 10 minutes for you to figure out that the attendees that evening couldn't legally fit in the Trustees' Board Room and you moved us to the larger hall.
But, more importantly there were no cameras/video recording made and no newspaper reporter taking notes.
As it turned out, the meeting was attended by at least 30 people who had many reasoned and factual points against the SCC financial projections.
In addition to your fiduciary responsibilities you have an obligation to conduct meetings of this importance for all to be able to review the next day.
It is strange that you are proceeding so hastily and semi-privately. Since this SCC issue is of such public importance, it is ironic that this meeting went on without the Village at large being a witness.
We would appreciate if you would reply to our e-mail of last week, asking you to inform us as to what you are planning to do next. If indeed you and the Board do not recuse yourselves completely from this SCC issue, due to personal conflicts of interest, you owe our community another public hearing for the sake of transparent government before you proceed.
The Village taxpayers have already shouldered $12,000 for SCC mailings in addition to $35,000 for last years’ consultants. Before you commit any more tax dollars for the SCC project, the public should be made aware of any additional expenses in a public forum to be held in the next few weeks.
Sincerely yours,
Jeannie and Bernard Mackler
Support the Weinberg Nature Center
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Lena Crandall read the following letter at the Scarsdale Schools Budget Forum on January 19 on behalf of the Friends of the Scarsdale Parks. Dear Members of the Scarsdale Board of Education: The Friends of the Scarsdale Parks is aware of the working relationship between the school district and the Weinberg Nature Center, which is a village-owned park adjacent to Saxon Woods, a Westchester County park. There is great potential for outdoor science programs and sustainability studies throughout this vast public preserve. Please continue to provide both staff time and budget resources for programs at Weinberg. It's an investment that will benefit not only our students, but also the community at large.
The Friends similarly recognize the educational value of the organic gardens at all of our schools and also recommend continued support.
Thank you,
Lena Crandall
Dorothy Kroenlein
Co-Presidents
Why Steroids Are Dangerous
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Here is a monthly conversation starter from the Scarsdale Taskforce on Drugs and Alcohol. Ask Your Kids: Do you know what anabolic-androgenic steroids are and why these drugs are dangerous? Answer: Steroids are used to build muscle but they are illegal when used without a prescription from a doctor. Some teens abuse steroids not knowing that there are very dangerous side-effects such as prematurely stunting growth, accelerated puberty changes and abnormal sexual development. Adolescent girls in particular may suffer from severe acne, excessive body and facial hair, deepened voice, disruption of the menstrual cycle, and permanent infertility.
The Scarsdale Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol is a community action group made up of concerned individuals, representatives of the schools, the Village, local, social and civic organizations and religious institutions. The Task Force educates youth and adults about drugs and alcohol, helps people develop drug-free attitudes and habits, and recommends resources to those whose lives are affected by drugs and alcohol dependency. Learn more at: http://www.scarsdaleschools.org/DATF
