Two Sides to Every Story

There are always 2 sides to a story. 


Here's Chairman Ken Jenkins side (WCBOL)  http://tinyurl.com/3hdcqyp 


Here's County Exec. Rob Astorino's side: 
http://www3.westchestergov.com/news/3008-response-to-rally-on-mt-vernon-mental-health-clinic



Now, let's try and figure out which 'side' makes the most sense shall we??


Done? Already?? 


Me too. Facts are just that - facts! Gotta Love em'.

The latest saga.....

Well, here we go again. Reported on Friday June 24^th, the Democrat Super Majority have yet another problem with County Executive Rob Astorino.  It’s being reported that cuts to 31 different Invest-in-Kids programs (overseen by the County - run by non-for-profit agencies) have been made to the tune of $141,000. Ken Jenkins and crew are crying that Astorino has broken the law. 

Now, for simplicity let’s start with the basics… the county’s job is to oversee these programs. Good government worries about every penny, works to keep beneficial programs alive while ensuring we don’t have duplicating programs, and finding ways to be fiscally responsible to every taxpayer. Okay, back to the story.

Ned McCormack (Astorino’s senior adviser) is quoted in the Journal News as saying “We should be spending what’s necessary and not a dollar more. We are constantly working to stretch every tax dollar. In the case of youth programs we have worked closely with our providers to find savings with the result that we have actually INCREASED the total number of kids served in the first five months of this year by about 15 percent compared to the same period last year.”  That, to me, sounds like a success story!

On the Westchester County Legislators website we read “Now we need to know what reductions in services to the youth of Westchester have occurred because of these unexplained actions,” said Legislator and Community Services Committee member MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson). It doesn't sound like much, if any, if we refer back to McCormack's statement. If there really is a loss of services then we have something to talk about but a reported 15% increase leaves much doubt that something is being lost no? 

Anyway, Chairman Jenkins is on record stating that any decision to make cuts is a violation of the Budget Act of 2011, citing the following:

Sections 15 and 16 of the 2011 Budget Act state: “…the full appropriations set forth in Miscellaneous Budget (52) including line 2081 (Invest in Kids programs) are hereby determined to be amounts necessary and sufficient for the purposes designated and except upon the prior approval of the Board of Legislators Committee on Budget and Appropriations and where relevant shall be fully expended through contracts with not-for-profit organizations…The policies adopted by the Board of Legislators in connection with the approval of the 2011 County Budget shall be enforced consistent with the appropriations herewith. No changes shall be effective without the approval of the Board of Legislators pursuant to the Laws of Westchester County.”

I get it – I really do. The super majority wants to vote on it and it does read that they should vote on it. But let’s break down just one piece of the law – “determined to be amounts necessary and sufficient for the purposes designated”. If it’s been determined that what has been budgeted is too much, wouldn’t it make sense to cut that amount and put it elsewhere where it could perhaps be of more use? If it’s a fact that we’ve seen a 15% increase using only x amount of dollars – leaving a surplus – shouldn’t we reclaim that budget line surplus?

I may be alone here but in my view the county executive’s job is to be responsible for the administrative and management functions of county government. Their job is to keep our county moving forward all the while being the most fiscally responsible.

The Super Majority seems to still believe we have a surplus of money and sides with the ‘spend our way out of this mess’. All we need to really do is look at the Playland fiasco, the union lawsuit, and their continual efforts not to cut anywhere.

Astorino is taking a look at everything. Isn’t that something both sides should be doing? It might behoove Westchester in allowing the board to vote on this – as once and for all there will be no doubt who is worried about YOUR tax dollars and how they are being spent and who is not.

HELP: Responsible Government Missing

If you haven’t been following what our Westchester Super Majority has been up to, let me give you a quick glance:  They have removed the entrance fee (which they had previously supported). THIS move alone has put us further into debt. Currently we run Playland at a deficit of somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-5 MILLION.

So, realizing now they need to recoup this money from somewhere - where do you think they propose to make up that money?

They now are talking about doing away with the FIREWORKS SHOW. You can’t make this stuff up if you tried. If anything, the fireworks show is a big draw. Common Sense is lost here. As evidence I’ll quote BOL Chairman Ken Jenkins “Instead of trying to undermine Playland and price out working families from summer fun here in their backyard, we would hope the County Executive and Republican legislators would work with us to ensure the success of this important County asset.” 

Did you catch the important word? ‘SUCCESS’. According to Legislator Testa, the evening with fireworks boasts a 15 percent INCREASE for visitors. I’d call that a Success!

Legislator Harckham too chimed in with “If the County Executive faces the facts and looks at the right numbers, he’ll agree. I just wish he’d do the right thing for the people of Westchester in this regard”.

In my book Success = 15 % increase = doing the right thing for the people of Westchester. Not in Jenkins and Harckham’s book however – they want to take the ‘successful nights’ away. Talk about speaking out of both sides of one’s mouth! Read it for yourself here:

http://westchesterlegislators.com/media-center/1636-westchester-legislators-its-time-to-move-forward-with-no-playland-fees-for-residents.html

But it gets worse.

To add insult to injury, they want to vote Monday evening to give the ‘prime real estate’ of the Playland, the bath houses, to the Westchester Children’s Museum for $1 for a 10 year period. On Thursday I wrote all about this one however, if you missed it here you go:

This Monday, June 20th our Westchester County Board of Legislators is planning on voting/approving a plan to allow the Westchester Children’s Museum to take over a prime piece of real estate at Playland – the Bath Houses. (Just so you know - you paid to have them redone to the tune of some $7-$9 million dollars and it turns out they're still not done and the contractor didn't live up to his expectations but I digress). This stems from a verbal deal made with the museum under Mr. Spano, which will allow the museum to pay rent of $1 for the piece of property for 10 years. 

 The issue is not the museum, how could anyone say no to a children's museum. The issue is that Mr. Astorino has a group, as I write; reviewing the winning 12 RFP’s for Playland. They have a target date of the first week of July to report back to Astorino on what the group deems the best fit for the Park and We, the taxpayers.

What is the rush? Why can’t the Super Majority wait to see what the focus group comes up with? Perhaps the winning RFP will not even include the Bath Houses. Perhaps there’s a better location for the museum. 

PLEASE email your legislators right now http://westchesterlegislators.com/legislators.html and tell them to table the vote before it’s too late. (To date the museum has been sending their own letters flooding the legislators with a 'vote yes) Not one 'vote no' has been received. 

The last thing Westchester County needs is another hastily made decision. Let’s wait to get some Factual information into our hands that will lead us to make an informed decision on the best use of this county property.

It is with great hope that you have either called or emailed your Legislator with regard to their Playland/Children’s Museum vote on Monday. If you haven’t there’s still time. Let them know that you are expecting them to vote NO or to at least table the vote until after County Executive Astorino’s Playland Task Force finishes up the first week of July.

Now, I need one more thing. I need YOU to attend the BOL Public Hearing with me on Monday evening at 7:30pm. This Super Majority needs to know their recklessness is over. We’re watching and we do not like what we are seeing. It’s up to you for as they say – government goes to those that show up.

Some may say, what’s the point or does this really even matter? Let me answer that quickly. EVERYTHING MATTERS when we’re speaking about taxes and how OUR money is spent. EVERYTHING matters when we’re speaking about a runaway government not acting within OUR best interests.

It’s very easy to sit in front of a computer and forward emails – it’s much harder to take the issues to those that make the decisions – I know. However, we need to get very serious, very quickly, if we want to be able to continue living (affording) here in Westchester - the County that WE love. 

I implore you to clear you schedule for Monday evening – we must get this tabled until July.

The Westchester County Board of Legislators website has this short phrase “Voice of the People of Westchester County for Over 300 Years”. Time to make sure YOUR voice is being represented with the call for RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.

The meeting begins at 7:30. You have to clear security and sign up to speak (if you choose to) so get there earlier.  800 Michaelian Office Building 148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor  White Plains, New York 10601  Main Tel: (914)995-2800

Thanking you in advance, looking forward to your involvement, and I’ll see YOU Monday night.

Lisa Douglas

S.O.S. Westchester Residents

To ALL Westchester Residents,

This Monday, June 20^th our Westchester County Board of Legislators is planning on voting/approving a plan to allow the Westchester Children’s Museum to take over a prime piece of real estate at Playland – the Bath Houses. This stems from a verbal deal made with the museum under Mr. Spano, which will allow the museum to pay rent of $1 for the piece of property for 10 years.

The issue is not the museum, who could say no to a children's museum. The issue is that County Executive Astorino has a group, as I write; reviewing the winning RFP’s for Playland. They have a target date of the first week of July to report back to Astorino on what the group deems the best fit for the Park and We, the taxpayers to be.

What is the rush? Why can’t the Super Majority wait to see what the focus group comes up with? Perhaps the winning RFP will not even include the Bath Houses. Perhaps there’s a better location for the museum.

PLEASE email your legislators right nowhttp://westchesterlegislators.com/legislators.html and tell them to table the vote before it’s too late or at best vote NO.

The last thing Westchester County needs is another hastily made decision. Let’s wait to get some Factual information into our hands that will lead us to make an informed decision on the best use of this county property.