April 7, 2010

It is what it is. Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education members had little else to say before voting on a 2010-2011 budget Tuesday — with the five-word comment coming from Joseph DiMaio. The $76.6 million budget was approved in a 6-1 vote during an evening meeting at Jefferson Middle School. Thomas Pope cast the lone dissenting vote. The budget will go to the public May 18. Though $697,435 less than the current year’s budget, the 2010-2011 budget features a 5 percent local tax increase — equaling 85 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The $697,435 figure represents a .48 percent decrease from the 2009-2010 budget. Explaining the district’s budget situation, Daniel “Deke” Kathman, superintendent of schools, said the problem is one of decreased revenues — largely from loss of state funding.

» Full Story

No sir, it’s a loss of one time extra state funding, you as an educator are smarter than that and ought to quit playing word games and hoodwinking the taxpayers! At 76.6Million you’re spending 4.5Million more than 2 years ago, 12.2Million more than 3 years ago, and 18Million more than 5 years ago!

Well isn’t that great, still a tax hike, BUT the budget is $697k lower than last year. Sorry but that is nothing to gloat about. We repeat, over the past couple years you have received Millions in additional Fed and State Aid, for example 06-07 Fed aid UP $2.2M, 07-08 State aid UP $8.6M, and what have you done with it?

Oh the payroll, 08-09 total payroll went up approx $10M, yes 10 Million $. Now you’re whining and can’t do better, well ain’t that a shame. We’ve reviewed the payroll and although Kathman is working for less than Faschano was, Kathman still got a raise from his previous position, and everyone else has gotten raises too. Spending overall has gone up year after year and over the short term as described below, by huge percentages, and they come up with 1/2% decrease. Maybe you all need to forego any raises in pay or benefits, maybe even give some back, and definately you need to get the 100′s of people you’ve added to the payroll, off the payroll. If your people are doing their jobs and working so hard, you should not need all these extra aids and subs.

Enough’s enough, if JPS can’t do what it has to do to come up with a no tax increase budget, then the Voters should join the lone dissenter Mr Pope (and our praise to you sir) and vote down this budget, and as importantly, vote out everyone except Mr Pope!

POSTED: April 5, 2010

Don’t just read this article, read the next 2 entries we previously posted that make all this clear as day. This payroll issue isn’t just happening elsewhere in the state, it’s been happening right here in Chautauqua county!

Report: NY school payrolls jump, enrollment drops

By MICHAEL GORMLEY , 03.30.10, 04:15 PM EDT

ALBANY, N.Y. — A study released Tuesday reported that New York public schools have dramatically increased hiring during a period of historic increases in state aid and local property taxes even while enrollment declined.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/03/30/business-financial-impact-us-education-funding-new-york_7476113.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews

The schools are now whining and complaining, article after article, about cut backs in State aid and how they now have such dire fiscal problems. Always suggesting program cuts and cuts VS. the kids, now finally we are hearing about cutting positions, but tax increases too !

Too bad the schools have acted so irresponsibly through times of recession, through times of having received record levels of additional Fed/State aid. Look at what they did with it, look at the previous years increase in levels and cost of payroll. Look at the audit reports, for example of Southwestern.

Study this info and then see if you agree with us, that the kids shouldn’t suffer, the already overburdened tax payer shouldn’t suffer, it’s the administrations that should!

So we don’t care how you do it, eliminate positions and cut others, put a wage and benefits freeze in place (and we don’t want to hear any Union complaints, nor administration excuses as related thereto) just find a way to deal with your past misdealings, and proceed forward with NO TAX INCREASES.

History/Context from the Governor and his budget office – 2010

New York public schools spend more per pupil overall ($15,546) than nearly any other state and 61 percent above the national average.

New York ranks first in per pupil spending for school district employee salaries ($7,328, or 71 percent above the national average) and benefits ($2,901, which is 109 percent above the national average).

This reflects a combination of heavy local taxes and significant State spending.

In recent years, during the Wall Street boom, School Aid increased at a rapid and unsustainable rate. Even after the year-to-year reduction to School Aid proposed in the current Executive Budget, State support for education would still have increased by $6.1 billion or 42 percent compared to 2003-04 – twice the rate of inflation (19 percent) during that period.

Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides more than $31 billion in Federal assistance over two years to New York State.

and the schools know this is a one time shot, a temporary measure, so for them to now be calling the end of the program a loss of revenue, or a budget gap, ect., is both disingenuous and irresponsible !

2007-2008 School District Benchmark Comparisons

Source: Office of State Comptroller, with further calculations by the Public Policy Institute, research affiliate of The Business Council of New York State, and the Empire Center for New York State Policy.

 Note: “NDR” means no data reported to state comptroller in this category.

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Location: Home > 2008-09 Enacted Budget > Localities and School Districts  > School Aid  

Southwestern School District: Chautauqua County

Overall School Aid Increase: The 2008-09 Enacted Budget increases school aid by $1.75 billion (8.9 percent), brining statewide total funding to $21.4 billion. Foundation Aid, which targets funding to high-needs districts based on objective criteria of district wealth and student need, will comprise the vast majority of this investment ($14.9 billion) and increase by $1.2 billion (8.8 percent).

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State of New York Office of the State Comptroller

Division of Local Government and School Accountability

January 2009

Our audit was to examine the Southwestern Central School District’s internal controls over selected

financial operations for the period July 1, 2006 to September 12, 2008.

Audit Results

The District does not have adequate controls in place to accurately evaluate the District’s financial condition and safeguard assets. This was evident in the excessive fund balance in the general fund over the last several years; the maintenance of several reserves with no demonstrated need for them; and the lack of controls over certain aspects of information technology and leave time management. The Board has not adequately monitored the District’s financial condition, resulting in the June 30, 2007 unreserved, unappropriated fund balance of approximately $1.3 million representing 5.6 percent of the ensuing year’s budget, or nearly twice the legal limit that a school district was allowed to retain. The surplus has not been used to reduce the District’s tax levy. In addition, the District has established various reserves, which continue to increase; however, District officials did not demonstrate the need for the balances maintained. The minutes of the Board’s proceedings did not clearly identify the Board’s authorization of certain employee benefits. In addition to salaries, certain employees were paid for unused leave time, in the amount of $20,414, without Board authorization. In addition, the District does not have a process for tracking employee attendance and there is no signature from the employee or a manager attesting to the time worked. Further, there is no procedure in place to account for leave time usage and balances. As a result, the District’s internal controls were not sufficient to ensure that employees received only the pay and benefi ts to which they were entitled. The lack of a payroll policy and formal written procedures, coupled with segregation of duties issues, lack of managerial oversight, and insufficient payroll certification could lead to irregular activities occurring and remaining undetected.

[ Fund Balance and Budgets - The unreserved, unappropriated fund balance at June 30, 2007 was approximately $1.3 million, which was 5.6 percent of the ensuing  year’s budgeted expenditures, nearly twice the legally established limit at that time (3 percent). In addition, we noted that the tax levy increased by 5.7 percent or approximately $500,000 from the 2006-07 to 2007-08 fi scal year. Even though approximately $600,000 of the District’s unreserved fund balance was appropriated annually to reduce the tax levy, the levy increased by approximately $1.3 million (more than 15 percent) over the past four years. In addition, appropriated fund balance was not used as budgeted. The overestimation of expenditures contributed to operating surpluses for two of the three fiscal years we reviewed.

The Superintendent and Board routinely overestimated operating expenditures for instructional costs, employee benefits and transportation, and routinely raised the amount of tax levied to meet these unrealistic budget estimates. For the 2006-07 year, instructional costs were overestimated by $674,050, employee benefits by $365,437 and transportation by $143,568, totaling $1,183,055. During the 2005-06 year, these costs were over budgeted by $912,086 and in the 2004-05 year by $607,540. District officials indicated that they over budgeted for these costs because the teacher contract expired on June 30, 2006 and was not settled until April 30, 2008 and because of fluctuating fuel prices. ]

[ Bonded-Debt Reserve — As of June 30, 2007, the District reported a reserve for bonded debt in its debt service fund in the amount of $982,570. This reserve was established during the 2005-06 fiscal year and has not been used since then. District officials indicated that this reserve was funded with interest earned on bonds related to a project from 2001. Such moneys are required by Local Finance Law to be set aside and used only for project purposes or debt service for the related bonds. However, the District has consistently budgeted forthe annual principal and interest payments on the related debt in thegeneral fund,  and therefore levied taxes for this purpose. The failure to adopt realistic budgets and properly establish and maintain only necessary reserves has resulted in the accumulation of a significant amount of resources. Had these moneys been reported as general fund unreserved balance, real property taxes would necessarily have been reduced, since the Board would have been required to comply with the statutory limits for the amount of unreserved fund balance that may be retained at year-end. ]

[ Payroll Processing - … However, there was no indication that the Board authorized the extension of these benefits to these individuals. There was also no Board authorization for any increases in salary that were beyond what was approved in the original salary package or when the employee was originally hired. Since the approval of the salary package, two new positions have been added to the non-affiliate group and two positions have had turnover. When the new employees were hired, the starting salary was stated in the Board minutes, but the benefits  and subsequent increases were not. Nine employees are considered non-affiliates; their salaries totaled approximately $380,000 for 2007-08.

Leave Time - … We tested two non-affiliate employees who retired during our scope period. They were paid a total of $16,288 for unused vacation leave and each had 200 unused sick leave days credited to the Employees’ Retirement System. Although the number of unused leave days used to calculate these amounts agreed with leave time records, there was no Board authority for such payments and there is no procedure in place to ensure that the leave time remaining unused was accurate. ] 

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We pulled the most pertinant excerpts from the report. To read the full report go to:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/

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April 2009 at a gala whereby State Education Commissioner Richard Mills was honored leading up to his retirement that June, he spoke and stated “Federal stimulus funds must be used by school districts to save jobs (their jobs, and they didn’t just save them, they added to them) and not for tax relief (yeh because we sure don’t need any of that) he assured delegates.”

NYSUT Union Vice President Maria Neira said of Mills that day ”You’ve always been an important, dependable ally”

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NYSUT calls themself the most influential and successful lobbying group in New York. (yep, and theyre breaking our backs) They work in Albany and Washington, D.C. The union’s Legislative Department drafts, introduces and lobbies for bills affecting state aid to schools and colleges, licensure, tenure, healthcare, safety, policy, standards, pension and retirement. 

In 2006, NYSUT secured the $1.1 billion school-aid increase and a $300 million increase in aid to higher education. The union also was able to kill what they call dangerous proposals for vouchers in Albany. (dangerous to them, but not parents, and not taxpayers) 

NYSUT also secured legislation to guarantee automatic cost-of-living pension increases for its public sector retirees! 

NYSUT’s Legislative Department also lobbies state and federal representatives to help retain professional enhancements they’ve won. They pride themselves about additional support for our public schools they get from the efforts of what they call hundreds of grassroots lobbyists. (otherwise known as SEIU and others of like ilk). They enourage members who want to influence issues directly affecting their pensions and job security to talk with their local president about becoming part of their political action teams and alliances, to be the core of letter-writing campaigns and to operate phone banks at school budget time and during the fall elections. They do this large in part through their Union fundraising arm called VOTE-COPE and along with their declared affiliates the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, and the AFL-CIO.. Called non-partisan it is in reality one of the most partisan organizations in existence. (State and Federal campaign finance records proof=  their spending is almost entirely one sided, and it is more so in this last election cycle than ever before)

They stress Voter registration and have supported Motor Voter laws and have been a strong alliance to the Acorn and affiliated group’s exploits. They encourage volunteering to work in NYSUT phone banks and on political campaigns, and get this-their words “which is critical if we are to exert influence beyond our classrooms, cafeterias and health care centers.” 

On Voting on School Budgets: “So many of us live and work under the terms and conditions of employment collectively bargained with our public employer. It’s important to support school district budgets and the programs and services we provide by being organized and showing support when the budgets come before the voters. We may not always work in the same school district we vote in, but voting to support school budgets helps each and every union member in your community. Our local unions frequently endorse candidates for election to local school boards. Be sure to support the pro-labor pro-public education candidates on the ballot. 

In addition NYSUT has a full-time polling center, and futher they use  much of VOTE-COPE expenditures is in the form of rebates to local unions to be used in local activities such as school board races and for passage of school budgets. 

NYSUT has opposed state budget cuts year after year with rhetorical grandstanding and political arm twisting. Now we have an unsustainable budget and a major deficit, yet still they oppose cuts. They are opposing the Property Tax Cap proposal, have opposed voucher programs calling them dangerous, supported the Federal Health care legislation, Open borders and Amnesty,and are supporting the pro-unionizing Farm bill. As for anything “Social Justice” they’re all for it. 

Here’s some of NYSUT’s advocacy under Social Justice (links and descriptions taken from their site, except of course our comments in italics) 

• Southern Poverty Law Center – The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in 1971 as a small civil rights law firm. Today, the Center is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.  (An extremist hate group more so than any Tea Party group to which they claim the same)
• GLSEN – The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) envisions a future in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.  (can you say radical Czar Kevin Jennings)
• NAACP – The primary focus of the NAACP continues to be the protection and enhancement of the civil rights of African Americans and other minorities. (who just recently honored x-Czar, Communist and radical, Van Jones with one of their prestigious awards)
• International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission – Organization whose mission is to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Worldwide press releases tackling issues such as lesbian rights, race and sexuality, and the Nazi persecution of gays are published to this end.  (can you say radical Czar Kevin Jennings)
• The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States . NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia .  (can you say abortion, abortion, abortion)
• American Civil Liberties Union – The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty. We work daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States . Our job is to conserve America ‘s original civic values – the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  (ACLU – sometimes the American Communists League United, always the Anti Christian Lawyers Union)
• Coalition of Black Trade Unionists – The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists consists of members from seventy-seven international and national unions with forty two chapters across the country. CBTU seeks to fulfill the dream of those Black trade unionists, both living and deceased, who throughout this century have courageously and unremittingly struggled to build a national movement that would bring all our strengths and varied talents to bear in the unending effort to achieve economic, political and social justice for every American.
• National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League – NARAL Pro-Choice America is a leading national advocate for personal privacy and a woman’s right to choose. (can you say abortion, abortion, abortion)
• Restorative Justice – Restorative Justice Online is a service of Prison Fellowship International. It is a gateway site with links to this important movement for social justice worldwide.

 And now for their use/misuse and twisted sense of religion. It’s all about social justice (the Rev Jim Wallis just loves all this). Many people have wondered over the years, how is it that so many Catholics and other Christian citizens vote Democrat/Liberal?, Why do they vote for Abortionist candidates, Homosexual lobby candidates, and candidates in general who’s politics are so hypocritical and outright diametrically oppose their religious views, that they supposedly hold so dear?  Well this ought to help explain it.

Labor and religious leaders join forces for workers’ rights

NYSUT Newswire – December 2007 

The Faith and Labor Holiday Celebration at NYSUT headquarters was an opportunity for area labor organizations and religious communities that work under the auspices of the Labor-Religion Coalition to mark a year of progress and look ahead to 2008.

The gathering was also a celebration of a successful collaboration in which contributions by four statewide unions – PEF, NYSUT, CSEA and SEIU – combined with a matching grant from the Jobs with Justice, a national worker rights organization. The Labor-Religion Coalition of the Capital District is a Jobs with Justice affiliate. The money will help fund the clergy breakfast series in the Capital Region, which will bring together clergy and area residents to discuss workers’ issues, especially in communities where workers are interested in organizing. 

Gene Rodriguez and the Rev. Victor Collier know that a training program alone won’t help an inexperienced worker get a starter job in the building trades. The Rev. Alexandra Lusak of the First United Presbyterian Church in Troy spoke of worker rights and told the gathering. “When those rights are ignored, the faith community, unions, and volunteers from civil and human rights organizations have a shared responsibility to stand together and work for change.” 

Lusak and her church activists have advocated on behalf of the right to unionize for home-based child-care providers. A group of 28,000 providers affiliated that fall with the United Federation of Teachers, NYSUT’s local union in New York City schools. 

NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi took note of the historic connection among unions and the social-justice branches of many faiths. Iannuzzi, with Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, co-chairs the statewide Labor-Religion Coalition.

“There is no finer statement than the ability to say ‘labor and religion’ in the same sentence, and see them in the same place, carrying the same banner,” Iannuzzi said. 

Participants who addressed the gathering offered testaments to the gains made when organized labor and religion join forces. 

Big Labor indoctrination and activism in the classroom.

Helping students learn about labor, By Bernie Mulligan – New York Teacher – March 1, 2010  

As the labor movement fights to stay a strong voice for working families, NYSUT members lead the way. 

“It’s so important that students know labor history and understand their rights,” said Brenda Lee Saunders, president of the 114-member Greenwich Teachers Association in Washington County. “We have to keep working to present a more favorable view of labor.” 

Saunders, who has taught for eight years and been president of her local union for three, has done her share to spread labor’s story. 

Her small local sponsored a resolution on the importance of labor education, which passed unanimously last year at the NYSUT Representative Assembly, the union’s annual policy-making convention. 

“I knew having the RA pass a resolution on this would be an important step in promoting labor education,” Saunders said. 

The resolution complements NYSUTs years of efforts as a strong voice for labor studies in the classroom. Labor history is included in the curriculum for grades 4, 7-8 and 11-12. 

NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira wrote to state Education Commissioner David Steiner recently, advocating for the inclusion of more labor information in the state’s secondary curriculum. 

“This information would allow our students to learn more about the important role of unions in procuring fair wages, working conditions and other benefits of employment,” Neira wrote. “The future work force of our state should be knowledgeable about activism for social justice.” She also urged including more labor awareness in curriculum for students in Career and Technical Education. 

Steiner responded positively, noting the labor history curriculum currently available. When the review and revision of the social studies and CTE standards is reopened, Steiner wrote, “…we will be happy to reach out to NYSUT for assistance.” 

NYSUT already has strong ties to the American Labor Studies Center in Troy, a nonprofit organization that creates and disseminates information on labor history. The ALSC Web site is coordinated by former NYSUT Board member Paul Cole. ALSC’s resources, he noted, include labor history-based lesson plans, an interactive labor history timeline and labor policy issues, songs and photos. 

Popular offerings from the ALSC include the standards-based thematic unit “Hardball and Handshakes,” which uses the history of labor relations in of all things the GAME AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY of Major League Baseball to teach about unions, as well as a unit on Troy immigrant labor leader Kate Mullaney, which teaches students about workers’ efforts to organize. 

Besides the American Labor Studies Center site, Brenda Lee Saunders recommends the following books for an accurate portrayal of labor’s story: 

• Teachers United: The Rise of New York State United Teachers, Gaffney, 2007 

• The American Pageant — A History of the Republic, Bailey, Cohen and Kennedy, 2002 

• One World, Ready or Not, Greider, 1997 

• Lies Across America and Lies My Teacher Told Me, Loewen, 1995/1999 

• The Working Class Majority, Zweig, 2000

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(AH, BUT WILL THEY TEACH OUR STUDENTS THIS: New York public schools spend more per pupil overall ($15,546) than nearly any other state and 61 percent above the national average. New York ranks first in per pupil spending for school district employee salaries ($7,328, or 71 percent above the national average) and benefits ($2,901, which is 109 percent above the national average), yet we are nowhere near these high averages on results. OR THIS: Approximately 94 percent of the State workforce is unionized. State employees receive an average compensation of $63,750 plus fringe benefits, well above the average for private sector employees!)

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Finally, pushing the Census. It’s all about the Money stupid. Not to mention specifically social justice, affirmative action plans, and so on. The Constitutional enumeration of this power is for Representation purposes only, but they twist this end to be about Unconstitutional federal spending and control. The fed after all, these days is a strong ally.

POV: 2010 Census – It’s easy, safe and important

By U.S. Census Staff – New York Teacher – February 28, 2010 

Every 10 years, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, our nation conducts a census — an effort to count every person living in the United States.   (yes thats all it’s for, and it’s not all persons, it’s supposed to be for all legal persons, not invaders that you’ll than want to allocate additional monies to)

The Decennial Census is the largest domestic undertaking of the American public, requiring years of planning and more than a half-million temporary workers. The key to this endeavor is having every household fill out and mail back a completed census form. Participation in the 2010 Census is easy, safe and important to the future of every community.  

 Households are asked to provide key demographic information, including: whether a housing unit is rented or owned; the address of the residence; and the names, genders, ages and races of others living in the household. 

The law guarantees the confidentiality of census information and establishes penalties for disclosing this information. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with the FBI, the CIA, Immigration, Welfare or any other government agency.   (wrong, it supposes the guarantee. It’s been violated before and could be again, and how does the citizen even know if it is. Also if no other government agency has access, how do they accomplish some of things stated below?)

No court of law can access individual responses. The same law prevents the Census Bureau from selling or giving away addresses. Census workers are sworn to secrecy.   (wrong, courts can and have)

The 2010 Census is important. The federal government uses census data to allocate billions of dollars in federal funds annually for programs and services such as education, housing and community development, health care services for the elderly and more. 

In addition, state, local and tribal governments use data for planning and allocating funds for public building construction, highway safety and public transportation systems, location of police and fire departments, and many other projects. Community organizations use census information to develop social service programs, senior lunch programs and child-care centers. 

Population counts also determine congressional apportionment — the number of seats each state will have in the House of Representatives — and states use the data to allocate seats in their state legislatures. (yes, again this is the one and only thing it is supposed to do)

In April, the Decennial Census will take a snapshot of everyone residing in the United States, regardless of age, race or immigration status, delivering accurate information about our diverse and growing population. What we learn from this new portrait of American will transform what we know about ourselves. 

They close with – Did you know?

• Accurate census data reflecting changes in your community are crucial in apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and deciding how more than $400 billion per year is allocated for projects like schools, new hospitals, job training centers, roads and other infrastructure. 

• Residents themselves and community organizations have used census data to support community initiatives involving environmental legislation, quality-of-life issues and consumer advocacy. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more. 

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Our Security, our Freedoms and Liberties, our RIGHTS (given by God not men); personal, property, and financial; are compromised and eroding like never before. Many a citizen has long since worried about this slippery slope, but this is no longer. Today this worry has become a revelation that America is coming down the mountain, speeding and out of control. “We are no longer a Nation of Just Law, but rather a Nation of Unjust Men”

WE MUST ACT NOW. Stopping this rapid slide toward despotism will be a monumental task that can only be achieved by ”We the People”, our vigilance, and our resolve - to preserve our Nation.

This Health Care bill just passed by the House amounts to nothing less than TYRANNY and we must STOP IT !

• This Unconstitutional legislation tyrannically establishes fines and even prison sentences for non-compliance thereby forcing you to buy insurance or else. * Section 7203 Misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.* Section 7201 Felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years. That anyone should face prison for not buying health insurance is simply incredible. Don’t ever forget all those that were against this before they were for it. (one big lie with several more to follow)     And how much will the stay-out-of-jail insurance cost? The joint committee noted that “according to a recent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the lowest-cost family non-group plan under HR 3862 (the Obama-Pelosi bill) would cost $15,000 by 2016.” Remember, the bill provides only subsidies to help pay this enormous sum after families making about $45,000 have paid 8 percent of their income for insurance and after those earning a household income of about $65,000 have kicked in 12 percent. 
• The tough penalties in the House bill are designed to keep insurance companies from opposing the bill. This is because insurance companies will see their coffers swell when tens of millions of new customers are required to buy insurance. The more draconian the penalties for failing to pay them large sums of money to pad their bottom lines, the better. After all it will still be years before the public option takes over enough to fully nationalize the insurance industry, so for now the money is quite appealing.
• This bill will insert an unprecedented level of bureaucracy between your family and your medical care, and you and your children, and all in some very scary ways. One of the many ways this is true is with respect to how this bill continues to threaten the future of “quality of care”.
• This monstrosity was bad enough when it was 1500 pages and now it’s even worse as a 2032 page expedited disaster in waiting. In addition, “we will pass this without you” as dictated to the GOP, well that doesn’t sound like the inclusive bi-partisanship promised. This is consistent with the fact that over 200 GOP Amendments have all been shot down, many of them not even debated, and many of them would have substantially simplified this abomination.
• One Amendment that was shot down, and more than once, was to force Government officials to be subject to the same insurance coverage and clauses, which they are forcing on the American people, but nope, they’ve exempted themselves and their families.
• Promises continually have been broken with respect to transparency and Pelosi’s direct promise to post the final bill online for 72 hours.

• We have constantly been told that Abortions will not be covered yet it has been a major fight to pass the Stupac Amendment which simply guarantees that said promise is kept. Now some in the Senate are threatening to strip this Amendment.
• Then there’s illegal immigration and yes the fact that Joe Wilson was right. Though we are still told that they will not be covered and it may vaguely seem so on the surface, there is no specific language preventing it and a number of loopholes for the exact opposite to happen. Illegals will simply gain coverage or benefits through the back door instead of the front, or be amnestied.
• This bill is anything but deficit neutral with far reaching fiscal implications. This bill is a job killer, with further degrade an already suffering economy overall, will tax the middle class who were promised otherwise, and will be a bane to the States. Once this crushes the states it will deliver the final blow to you the citizen as it will trickle down to crush your County and City as well.
• The bill still lacks necessary tort reform thereby protecting trial lawyers (a major lobby for the Democrats) and out-of-control lawsuits. (see the WSJ article below to understand how and why)
• This bill is going to strip Billions of dollars from Medicare affecting seniors all across our Country, only to expand Medicaid and therefore even further expand entitlements and the mentality associated therewith. This bill continues to threaten the quality of care along with the fiscal implications, for our seniors !
• This bill is a big payoff to Big Labor who put Obama in office and keeps their tentacles wrapped around many other as well. Consider, who has visited the White House the most according to the records released so far ? Andy Stern, head of the SEIU. He says his first priority is to get the healthcare bill passed. That’s because this bill will take the burden of the massive benefits unions promised workers, and dump it on the federal government, and in turn you and I. This will in turn sweeten Union bosses and their organizations already over sweetened pots.
• This bill is also a payoff, or more to the point a bribe, as follows: The AMA was facing a 21 percent cut in physicians’ reimbursements under the current law. Obama promised to kill the cut if they backed his bill and in a typically slick fiscally irresponsible way the costs associated with this are not budgeted in. A 10-year limit of $80 billion on cuts in prescription drug costs bribed the drug industry. They also got administration assurances that it will continue to bar lower-cost Canadian drugs from coming into the U.S. Seniors pay close attention to this next one – AARP one of the main suppliers of Medi-gap insurance, high-cost privately purchased coverage that picks up where Medicare leaves off. President Bush passed the Medicare Advantage program, which offered a subsidized lower-cost alternative to Medi-gap. More than 10 million seniors went with Medicare Advantage, cutting into AARP Medi-gap revenues.  Presto! Obama solved their problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP – which supposedly represents them – will make more money.
• One has to wonder what bribes were offered to House democrats when Obama met with them on the day of the vote, specifically 36 of them who bent to Obama-Pelosi’s will and voted for this, after previously expressing opposition publicly and to their constituents.
• The more you study this bill, the worse it gets !
• The next step in this fight is the Senate, and reports from a few days ago… claiming that government-run health care wouldn’t be voted on until next year… were premature and erroneous . According to the New York Times, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid moved to put Pelosi-Care on the Senate floor next week. In fact, Reid filed a motion to introduce his version of the same on Monday which means the Senate debate will begin on Tuesday. The will of the American people be damned…The extreme liberals in Congress plan to ram their so-called “reform” down our throats with all deliberate speed… They think the American people are tired, that the vote in the House took the wind out of our sails. They’re scheming behind closed doors… making deals… twisting arms… thinking they can do the same thing in the Senate that they did in the House. They think that if they move quickly, they can get away with it. They continue to underestimate your resolve against government-run health care.
• This must be stopped right here and right now.

“We Can’t Sit Back and Allow the Loss of Our Freedoms” “The Constitution gives the Feds zero authority” - Judge Andrew Napolitano, Political Analyst, Constitutional Scholar, and Libertarian

“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
 
What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
 
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation…        You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” 

 “[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus, Boston Gazette, 1772

01/10/2010

Just The Facts. . .

Kenneth Adams, President and CEO The Business

Council of New York State, Inc. recently

announced that New York has lost 195,000 private

sector jobs in the last year.

Adams stated, “The New York State Department

of Labor reported that New York lost 2,500 privatesector

jobs last November. This marked 14 of the

past 15 months where the private sector job count

declined.”

To reverse this trend in 2010, Adams said that

Albany leaders must ease the tax burden on our

economy and let employers create new jobs. “The

private sector is suffocating under the crushing burden

of taxes and a political climate that is hostile to

job-creation. The Empire State has become the

empire of unemployment.”

Continuing a pattern that has held since the beginning

of this downturn, only the taxpayer-supported

educational and health services sectors saw an

increase in jobs of 2.5 percent for the year.

“To create new jobs and economic opportunity for

all New Yorkers, government leaders must commit

to lowering spending and easing the tax burden as

they work to balance the budget,” concluded Adams.

Dec 27, 2009

Just The Facts…

Tax Freedom Day Arrives

April 25 In New York

Tax Freedom Day is the day when Americans

finally have earned enough money to pay off their

total tax bill for the year. In 2009, New York taxpayers

had to work until April 25, ranking it 3^rd highest

(worst) in the nation, 12 days after the national

Tax Freedom Day (April 13). The Tax Freedom

Days of neighboring states are; Pennsylvania,

April 14 (ranked 11th), New Jersey, April 29

(ranked 2nd), Connecticut, April 30 (ranked 1st)

and Vermont, April 12 (ranked 19th).

Federal Tax Burdens: New

York Is A Donor State

New York taxpayers receive less federal funding

per dollar of federal taxes paid than the average

state. Per dollar of Federal tax collected in 2005,

New York citizens received approximately $0.79 in

the way of federal spending. This ranks the state

42nd lowest nationally and represents a decline

from 1995, when New York received $0.87 per dollar

of taxes in federal spending (ranked 40th nationally).

Neighboring states and the amount of federal

spending received per dollar of federal taxes collected

were: Pennsylvania ($1.07), New Jersey ($0.61),

Connecticut ($0.66), and Vermont ($1.08). (Source:

The Tax Foundation)

Nov 22, 2009

JUST THE FACTS…

Unshackle Upstate urged the upstate Senate

Majority, who have banded together to oppose cuts

that will disproportionately impact Upstate, to not

side with downstate colleagues as they consider

roughly $1 billion in new health insurance tax

increases.

The legislature already increased taxes on health

insurance by more than $730 million this year. Not

only will another increase make health insurance

unaffordable for many New Yorkers, it will put yet

another onerous tax burden on employers.

The Chamber encourages business and community

leaders and all tax payers to take action now by calling

your local, state and federal leaders to drive the change

necessary to create a viable and sustainable region.

JUST THE FACTS

Nov. 15, 2009

Unshackle Upstate NY recently listed its recommended

cuts to the 2009-10 NY budget which

includes immediate cuts of 3 percent in state operations,

which it suggests not be passed on to local

governments or shifted to federal stimulus dollars.

That alone, the group states, would save an extra 2.2

billion dollars. For more information on Unshackle

Upstate New York’s budget recommendations, go to

www.unshackleupstateny.com

Nov 8, 2009

New York continues to have the highest tax burden

earned in the state, New York ranks third in the

nation. Taxes will consume 13.8 percent of total

income in New York, less than only Vermont

(14.1%) and Maine (14%), according to Tax Foundation

projections for 2007.

State government should make New York a more

affordable place to live, especially for our young

people starting lives and careers. Specifically, New

York should: Increase the standard deduction from

$7,500 to $10,000 for young people 18 to 25 who

are making their start in life and adopt the federal

policy of allowing residents who are paying back

student loans to deduct the interest from their taxable

income, thereby reducing their tax liability.

(

the states in health system performance.

¯ New York now spends 65 percent more than

the national average per pupil. According to the

Center for Applied Economic Research more than a

third of all other states schools outperform New

York’s, while New York spends the most of any

state per student.

¯ The most critical factor that makes living and

working in New York State burdensome, are the

property taxes. New York’s local taxes are the highest

in the nation, at 79 percent above the national

average, with school taxes accounting for the

largest portion of it. Source: Unshackle Upstate

New York.

The Chamber encourages business, community

leaders and tax payers to call their local, state, and

federal leaders today to drive the change necessary

to create a viable and sustainable region.

Oct 4,2009

Sept 13,2009

JUST THE FACTS – WHY WE MUST TAKE ACTION NOW! In this feature the Chamber will highlight the data that is telling us we need sweeping reform in New York State. Business leaders, community leaders and all tax payers need to take action now if we are going to drive the change necessary to create a viable and sustainable region. The Public Policy Institute (PPI) Analysis of Census Bureau State and Local Government Finances ranked New York State number one in: ¯ Highest in state and local taxes per capita at $6,405; ¯ Highest in local taxes per capita and state taxes per capita at $3,432; ¯ Highest in state and local income tax at $2,000; and ¯ Highest in state and local per-capita welfare spending at $2,236. PPI also ranked New York third in state and local debt per capital; sixth among state and local government employee number and wage; and ninth in state and local employee average contribution and annual benefit amount with $25,194. Source: The Public Policy Institute of New York State, Inc.

Sept 6,2009

Just the Facts — Why we must take action now! In this feature the Chamber will highlight the data that is telling us we need sweeping reform in New York State. Business leaders, community leaders and all tax payers need to take action now if we are going to drive the change necessary to create a viable and sustainable region. The Cost of 10,521 Governments to Taxpayers – What does the duplication and overlapping taxing entities mean to taxpayers? New York state has the highest local property burden in the country. $73 per every $1,000 of personal income is paid by individuals for local taxes. That is $30.00 over the national average! New York’s forms of general purpose government – counties, cities, towns, and villages – were devised in the eighteenth century and developed in the nineteenth. But they have not been modified in the twentieth century, despite enormous changes in population size and diversity, economic activity, transportation systems, settlement patterns and communications technology. Instead, the state has added frequently but streamlined rarely. Localities kept their forms, but their functions converged. Where necessary, single-function, special districts and authorities were created to augment existing entities, increasing layering and complexity. The result is not a system, but a maze of overlapping and often competing jurisdictions. Source: New York State Attorney General’s Office.

Aug 30,2009

Just the facts: why we must take action now Look for Just the Facts every weekend in the Chamber Corner. In this feature the Chamber will highlight the data that is telling us we need sweeping reform in New York State. Business leaders, community leaders and all tax payers need to take action now if we are going to drive the change necessary to create a viable and sustainable region. The Facts – Numerous taxing layers crush New Yorkers: ¯ Counties – 57 ¯ Cities – 62 ¯ Towns – 932 ¯ Villages – 556 ¯ School Districts/BOCES – 996 ¯ Authorities – 991 ¯ Special Districts – over 6,927 Chautauqua Belle to host ‘Light the Lakes’ fireworks fundraiser cruise The Mayville/Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce and the Chautauqua Belle are joining forces to host a special cruise on Tuesday to raise funds toward the cost of the Mayville ‘Light the Lakes’ fireworks display to be held on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 10:10 p.m. at Lakeside Park in Mayville. The cruise will feature dinner catered by the Athenaeum Hotel of Chautauqua Institution, music and a cash bar. The Chautauqua Belle will depart from its dock at Lakeside Park in Mayville at 6 p.m. Tickets are still available at the cost of $50 per person and reservations can be made by calling the Chautauqua Belle at (716) 753-2355. Join us on Tuesday for this very special evening benefit cruise on scenic Chautauqua Lake and help support the annual ‘Light the Lakes’ fireworks display in Mayville.

Aug 23,2009

Just the facts: why we must take action now Look for Just the Facts every weekend in the Chamber Corner. In this feature the Chamber will highlight the data that is telling us we need sweeping reform in New York State. Business leaders, community leaders and all tax payers need to take action now if we are going to drive the change necessary to create a viable and sustainable region. The Facts ¯ New York State has 10,521 governments. ¯ New York State has the highest local property burden in the country! ¯ $73 per every $1,000 of personal income is paid by individuals for local taxes. That is $30 over the national average! (Source: New York State, Office of the Attorney General) Department of Defense Opportunity Forum Join venture capitalists, corporate executives, Department of Defense (DoD) officials and leaders of New York companies developing cutting-edge technologies for our nation’s defense. On Sept. 15, at the Holiday Inn, Syracuse, NY attend the DoD Opportunity Forum and… ¯ Learn how to partner with prime contractors ¯ Connect with New York’s most promising advanced technology businesses ¯ Pitch a business to venture capitalists ¯ Identify public and private funding sources The event will conclude with a Venture Capital PitchFest and Networking Reception sponsored by the Upstate Venture Association of New York (UVANY). For more information or to register visit: DoDForumNY.com.

Please join us in praying for the victims at Fort Hood, their families, 

and for a speedy recovery for all our heros injured by this heinous act.

1- Property tax. Achieve us measurable reductions. Not pennies, nickels, dimes, but rather dollars. That means unlike the Democrats who were in control and couldn’t seem to prioritize, no more screwing around with lowering every other tax except property. Get the Sales tax back up if that’s what it takes. Energy tax, gasoline tax - these are not what’s killing us. On that note, don’t ever again allow legislation like the gas tax cap, which promised by rhetoric – relief for the people – but by action delivered none. Change the legislative leadership and ensure no laws are passed that can’t be enforced nor results quantified.

2. Sales tax. First off it never should have been lowered. That was a hoodwinking by the Dems as they made a deal to keep it, getting what they wanted, while putting on the public face of compromise, yet key players knew Parment wasn’t going to carry it. Then came the feigned outrage about Parment and in the end the whole scenario was just disingenuous partisan politics. Put it back to 8% and “don’t sell us out” to the irresponsible and untrustworthy State with the proposed “sales tax swap”. After all, isn’t the whole idea of improving our County- economic development, retaining population, promoting more tourism, achieving more and better jobs- well if we attain some or all of these goals, sales tax revenues will increase, so where it may seem appealing in the short term, a sales tax swap will only rob us later and we all know how good Albany is at that task. Futhermore, just consider how much better a position we would be in right now if we had the revenues today, that we’ve lost, because of the .25% reduction.

3. Assemblyman Parment. Speaking of things related, above, as well as other issues like Farm bills and 2nd Amendment Legislation, it’s time to stand up to this guy. Voting him out would be better, but until then, it’s our Executive and Legislature that run Our County not Parment! Let’s make it so. How? Well even though many in Albany need to go back to school on the 10th Amendment, there are indeed ways for the State to stand down the Fed on certain issues, and so too are there ways for the County to stand down the State.

4. Bed Tax. My God have we had enough of this process that started out as one particular County democrats’ own pork barrel. Yes that’s true and look what it has become. Still a give away of the People’s money (yes it is the people’s money, all revenues once rendered to the county coffers are the people’s, the government owns nothing, remember) and a process that can never be made totally fair, is constantly being tinkered with, and results- well we would love someone to quantify exactly what they have been. Use our Bed tax; to fund the Visitors Bureau and they can help local events and so on; Use it to fully fund all things necessary for Lakes, waterways, and watersheds management and ensure that not one dime of property tax revenues need be diverted for such; Use any excess there may be to keep a rainy day fund earmarked as part of our overall fund balance so we have money on hand for an emergency like a fill kill, and so that we are saving matching funds for future grants and expensive projects like dredging, rather than having to borrow for them. (By the way, the North-South issue, well eliminate the give aways and eliminate this argument. 2 birds - 1 stone.) (Also as far as the argument that the business collecting bed tax should get some back – pretty foolish considering that business all over the County collect sales tax and you don’t see them getting some of that given back to them.)

5. Cost of County Workforce. It’s high time to stand up to Public Unions to which it is entirely absurd that they even exist (there are real Constitutional defects at work on this one). The fact is that public employees are continually being guaranteed wage increases and stable benefits, when the private sector is not stable and often suffering stagnant wages, let alone cuts in some cases, or lay offs in others. This is an outrage and entirely unfair to the tax paying public. Elected Public Servants must get the public sector back on the same playing field as the private sector and stop bowing to pressures of special interest groups, which is all the unions are anymore.

Stop the fools rhetoric from the other side about reducing the legislature as we all know there is no magic #15, that it is entirely a partisan concern with the goal of gerrymandering districts to hedge power, and on the fiscal side it’s absurd to be more concerned with $90,000 of legislature cost than it is to be concerned with the cost of the county workforce increasing $3,500,000 in a years time while the private sector economy is being blown to hell by a combination of all things including similar problems at the State and fed. (By the way be reminded that the biggest cost to the tax payer for the legislative function of County Government – the insurance benefits – have already been eliminated.)

Another related note herein is getting the Sheriff under control. For crying out loud is there a year he hasn’t been over budget. It’s time the Sheriff is held to the same standards of every other county agency with being within budget and or even cutting their budgets. No more being bailed out over and over by the Democrat majority. Furthermore, no more shenanigans. Remember the outrageous protest and threat to lay off all the PT-lowest paid-road patrol deputies if he didnt get $750,000 (that started at 1,000,000), well he got his way again and now this year whats he want, not to cut the budget, not to keep his workforce in tact, no he wants more money and wants to hire more people. Wow that’s one amazing course correction.

6. Non-Binding Resolutions. Don’t you dare stop them. The hypocrisy we’ve heard on this one is outstanding. Certain legislators that no sooner want to do away with them because a subject has arisen they don’t want to confront, the next month are taking part in one because it now suits them. We need a strong county government to stand between the People of this county and the State, and sometimes even the Fed. We don’t want Gay marriage, so resolve to speak up for us to the state. We don’t want insane 2nd Amendment bills being passed in Albany, so resolve to speak up for us. Resolve to speak up about fiscal issues, unfunded mandates, illegal immigration issues, speak up to support our County clerk, speak up to the Fed that we don’t want this health care bill that is going to devastate the States and therefore trickle down to devastate our County! Get the point.

7. Say No. Simple, when necessary, have the spine to say no. Oh, and explaining why is always good too. (Note, not all things bi-partisan are good; remember when you have a piece of garbage to decide what to do with, simply coming together so everyone looks good, agreeing, and compromising; doesn’t necessarily make gold out of garbage.)

8. Limited Government. Another simple one. Stay Constitutionally correct, not politically correct, and do only those things we hired you to do.

9. Consolidations. Look we understand you cannot force villages to merge with towns and you can’t force school administrations to consolidate their burdensome selves, however you can promote it and you can help in the process. One thing you can do is make sure that $400,000 of our State tax monies are not wasted on the Police merger project. It’s a tough one yes, there’s probably only one way it will be accomplished and it won’t be fun, but if you ensure that this money is not spent in vain, it will all have been worth it.

10- We’re tired and sure you are too. If you manage to accomplish the things above, we need not even fill this one in. Good luck.