Skelos Putting on a Budget Show; Was Never Serious in First Place So Why Believe Him Now?

In Skelos' press release about the budget problems, Skelos mentioned that the State Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would cap state spending increases at 4%. He said

"the Senate gave first passage to a constitutional amendment to cap the annual growth in State spending at no more than 4 percent. We recognized early on that a cap on state spending... would drive down spending, eliminate deficits and better protect taxpayers."

In Skelos' press conference he brought up the spending cap amendment again and added that the State would have saved a couple of billion dollars if it had been in place.
That is absolutely true.
The thing is though, my mother had always taught me that you can do things without being told to do them because it is the right thing to do. Skelos approved a State Budget that INCREASED spending by nearly 5 percent.
From the New York Times back in April "The budget will increase aid to public schools by $1.75 billion over last year, and more than a third of the new money is to go directly to New York City. There is also $6 billion for capital projects at the State University of New York and the City University of New York."
"...Some 2,000 new workers will be added to the state’s work force of 200,000. Each legislative chamber will receive $350 million in funds — derided by critics as pork — to dole out for capital projects across the state. And lawmakers perpetuated their widely criticized practice of handing out state money for various projects in their districts."

“They’re doing their pork, and they’re not doing any significant cutbacks,” said E. J. McMahon, director of the Empire Center at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative research group. “It’s very, very shortsighted. I get the feeling that legislators are knowingly burning the furniture in advance of an election.”

Even on the other side of the political spectrum, experts were questioning the wisdom of not making more cuts now.

“They’re not taking the difficult actions now to make the budget balanced over time,” said Frank Mauro, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, a left-leaning research group."

Skelos also said "However, even in the absence of a constitutional spending cap, the Legislature and the Governor should voluntarily agree to comply with the spending cap in next year’s Budget."
Why have to wait until next year?
Why didn't Skelos fight for only a 4% increase this year and stick with it?
You don't need to have a law tell you not to stab yourself in the eye with a fork. You just don't do it.

New York State Budget Deficit Grows - Will Skelos Cut His Own Staff?

While Skelos was taking his Victory Lap.. err "Listening Tour" around the state after becoming Majority Leader of the Senate, the budget DEFICIT increased $1.4billion in the past few weeks.
Governor Paterson is calling the Legislature back to Albany to clean up the mess.
Skelos said in his news conference that he would "not support" layoffs. He does support "consolidation." Now how can you consolidate without cutting something?
When it comes to State employees, the Majority Leaders office leads the country in the number of employees. I posted before about a New York Sun article showing that the Majority Leaders office has a staff of 530. The New York State legislature employs 45% MORE people than the legislatures of California and Texas. Skelos needs to take a look at how the legislature is run. Until then, he is NOT serious about solving the problems of the State.

Jack Martins: Running for Congress as a Republican?

Taking the lead from State Senate candidate Barbara Donna, Mineola Mayor congressional candidate Jack Martins doesn't identify himself as a Republican. You have to dig to find one press release on his website that mentions that he is a republican.
Reading his "Why Jack?" page is interesting. Martins says "If there is one thing our country needs most right now, it’s leadership.
An economy in peril… rising gas and food prices… local property taxes out-of-control… fear of losing jobs… record home foreclosures… our national security constantly at risk... and the ever-present threat of terrorism here at home."
What a stinging indictment of the past 7+ years of George W. Bush and his republican-controlled congress.
Martins plays fast and loose with the math when he attacks Democrats "In 2006, Democrats took control of Congress promising to turn things around, but two years later, their partisan bickering and “do-nothing” attitude has made things worse."
Sorry jack, but the Democrats won the House and Senate in the 2006 elections but didn't "take control" until January 2007. So Jack, there are 12 months in a year and it is July 2008. How many "years" have the Democrats been in "control?" That would be 18 months. Six months less than 2 years.
But that's not the real point. Martins seems to ignore that the economy, gas prices, falling US dollar and job loses al tie into the bad economic plans laid out and passed by Republican George W. Bush and the years of republican control of congress.

Skelos' Magical Mystery Tour Update: Can a Deaf Man Go on a Listening Tour?

Our Dean is at it again. What an embarassment.
From The Albany Project:
"Does Skelos Even Know Where He Is? (+)
by: phillip anderson
That's a serious question. Check out what he had to say while visiting Chemung County yesterday:

"New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos says Chemung County is only slightly different from his native Nassau County."

Um, what? Let's look at the numbers, shall we?

.............Chemung County................Nassau County

Population: 91070..............................1,334,544
Towns: 11...................................................3
Villages: 5 ...............................................64
School Districts: 3...................................56
Largest Town by pop: Horseheads, 19,561........Hempstead, 755,924
Median HH Income: $36,415................$72,030
Unemployment rate: 5.4%......................4.3%

I mean, I could go on. Chemung county government is largely controlled by republicans, including their county leg, County Exec, Treasurer, District Attorney while Nassau County is largely controlled by Democrats including their county leg, County Exec, District Attorney, etc.

It would appear, on paper at least, that Chemung County isn't exactly "only slightly different" than Nassau County.

I think Dean may need more than few more of these "listening tours" upstate. It's obvious he knows next to nothing about the region."

From the Mailbag

Here is a comment left about my post on Peter King and offshore drilling on Long Island. I am highlighting this simply because THIS is who supports King.

"By the way you may want to be a little realistic about your post card of Jones Beach. You can only view at MOST 12 miles from the shore. Most drilling off the coast is NOT visible from the beach. Nice try with the fear tatics.
But don't let facts get in the way of reality.
Oh yeah, remember Katrina? The WORST storm of the century? How many oil spills did we have the Gulf of Mexico?"

Now this was anonymous. That right there shows the courage of the commenter.
The first thing is that the postcard is clearly an exaggeration. It was done for affect. The point is that oil rigs could very ell be cropping up off Jones Beach if King and Bush and McCain had thier way. That's the reality.
The second most incredibly dumb thing is the questioning of how many oil spills happend fatre Katrina. That is the new ignorant talking point the republicans are making. They seem to think that there were none.
The FACT and the REALITY is that there were 44 oil spills just in the Lousiana.

And just to add fuel to the oil fire, there was an oil spill sans hurricane just yesterday that closed 100 miles of the Mississippi River.
I'm not sure about the anonymous commenter but I don't want our beaches and fishing industry to be at risk.

Civic Activist Keith Scalia Speaks to Oyster Bay Town Board About Hicksville Development or lack there-of

Keith Scalia who was attacked by Town Supervisor Venditto for speaking out about wrong-headed development returns to the Town Board to point out that now is the time to revitalize Hicksville when planning a new garage... you know, after the last one crumbled from disrepair.

Below are portions of his remarks which weren't taken too kindly by the republican Town Board. Follow this link to get a .pdf of the whole thing. It is worth the read.

"When new development throughout the Town of Oyster Bay is proposed, one might be just able to hear the fear-mongering of certain town officials; mantras that we have all become accustomed to such as “We certainly don’t need to become the sixth borough of the City of New York. This town has a personality and a quality of life that we all cherish and we need strong hands at the reins of leadership in this town to protect it.” Contrary of what one is led to believe, the sixth borough is already here, and it is masquerading as Hicksville. This fact has been recognized for nearly forty years as study upon study has been commissioned and shelved as far back as 1969 and as recently as 2008. These studies highlight the need for redevelopment of what is commonly referred to as the Hicksville Triangle, all discussing the need for a coordinated, pedestrian-friendly community with apartments and retail centered around a train station that is the busiest in Nassau County. As part of the plans, it has been noted that the current location of the Town garage is not optimal as it doesn't allow for the easy flow of traffic. The condemnation of the garage provides the Town with a perfect opportunity to not only relocate the garage, but to implement the aforementioned plans and revitalize downtown Hicksville."

"Currently, Hicksville is a mish-mosh of 19th and 20th Century development. However, Hicksville should be a bustling downtown where young, upwardly mobile people who work in the City can rent a legal apartment or buy an affordable workforce co-op or condo; a community where people could walk to the train station, and stop off at the many shops and restaurants or cultural centers along the way. A community such as this would bring additional tax revenue to the Town, thus lessening the burdensome taxes already paid by Town residents by attracting non-Hicksville residents to stop and shop and/or eat in Hicksville instead of just driving through or parking at the train station as they currently do."

"The Town of Oyster Bay Democratic Committee questions the rationale of building forty million dollar garage. We ask you Councilman Delligatti - How does this forty million dollar garage balance the need for growth while ensuring the quality of life we cherish on Long Island that you assured us of? We ask you Councilman Muscarella how does a forty million dollar garage guide the Town into the 21st Century? And to you Councilman Macagnone how does a forty million dollar parking garage promote the health, safety and general welfare of Town of Oyster Bay residents?

Hicksville should be considered the “Heart of Oyster Bay,” not only for its location but also for all that it can and could offer to the Town. Certainly the Citizens of Hicksville and all residents that reside in the Town of Oyster Bay are deserving of an overhaul of this critical transportation hub. When Vision 2020 was announced, Supervisor Venditto stated nothing “is more important to the future of this Town than good planning." The Town of Oyster Bay Democratic Committee would like to ask “What is this Board's plan?” It is our contention that to just throw money after the fact is another miss-step; a forty million boondoggle that hides this current town board’s lack of foresight. Let us learn from the mistakes of Cerro Wire. This is a unique opportunity for Hicksville to rise up from the crumbling rubble, only to be reborn into vibrant 21st Century pedestrian-friendly downtown; an opportunity to create something that young people will wish to live near; an opportunity to attract new tax paying businesses which create excitement and new jobs. Most importantly, it isn't just another Town of Oyster Bay band-aid, but addresses the most pressing issues facing our community for this generation, and generations to come.

Keith Scalia"

Donno Update: Uphill Challenger Gets More Than Embattled Incumbants

I would guess that Dean-O is making promises to Sen. Frank Padavan of Queens because while Donno got $355,000 from the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, Padavan got ZERO. Padavan is in a wobbly position this year for re-election. Skelos has to be promising more money.
Also in Queens, Serf Maltese barely held on 2 years ago and pulled in $220,000 from the RSCC since January. Donno gets $355,000 in 2 months and blows most of it on summer tv ads. Maltese must be getting promises too.
Skelos is showing that he is more concerned about a Long Island grudge match against Craig Johnson than preserving sitting Senators.
Republican Liz Feld of Westchester (another challenger) did get $150,000 which is still less than half of Donno's take. And Feld is at least raising money on her own. Only 1% of contributions to Donno came from individuals.
The republicans will not gain any seats this year and can really only hope to hang on to the one's they have. Skelos is playing offense when defense is hat he needs.

Donno Campaign Cash Numbers; The Empty Pant-Suit Candidate

The mark of a top-tier serious candidate is being able to raise money. Barbara Donno is Skelos' girl to beat Democrat Craig Johnson. And she REALLY is Skelos' girl.
Donno "raised" $400,000 according to her new filing.
Well, actually the Republican Campaign Committee gave Donno $355,000.
That means she only raised $45,000 on her own.
$500 of that money came from the NRA.
That doesn't show any local support for her at all.
Of the $400,000 she HAD, she now has $45,000 cash on hand.
Donno or whoever is running her campaign blew $300,000 on those two really ineffective ads.

The funny thing about the $355,000 from the Republican Committee is that the money came after Skelos became Majority Leader.

Now hasn't the undeclared-republican republican Donno been saying in her ads that she isn't a "typical politician" and says Albany has alot of problems?
The cash Donno got is FROM ALBANY.
She IS a typical politician.

New Swag

From the Skelos Watch Store....

Peter King Supports Off-Shore Oil Drilling.. on Long Island

I knew King supported off-shore drilling but like his support for Nuclear Power plants, I figured he'd be against it here.
Surprise, surprise.
King supports drilling in the waters off Long Island.
He appeared Friday on FOX News' 'Your World with Neil Cavuto.' Here is King in his own words:
"ASMAN: Let me ask you specifically, personally, there's the NIMBY factor here, not in my back yard. Are you even for drilling off the coast of New York?

KING: Absolutely.
And, listen, we can't be saying somebody else always has to do it. I have absolutely no problem at all, because today's drilling is so environmentally sensitive and safe, and what's at stake here is far too important.
We're talking about, really, taking on Islamic terrorism. We can't allow ourselves to be held hostage to countries which could become enemies tomorrow."

Yeah, today's drilling is so "environmentally sensitive and safe." Just ask Norway which had it's second worst spill in history a few months ago; "...the spill was estimated at 3,840 cubic meters of oil, which corresponds to 24,154 barrels of oil."

GOP Dirty Tricks to Deny Craig Johnson Third Party Lines

The Nassau Republicans are so desperate to defeat Sen. Craig Johnson they are doing whatever they can. Rick Brand from Newsday reports on attempts to take the Independence and Working Families Party lines from Johnson "Republicans have filed petitions for candidates who have never voted to run primaries against freshman State Sen. Craig Johnson on the Independence and Working Family party lines.

But Nicole Gadaleta, 23, of Manhasset, who filed 531 signatures to get on the Independence ballot line, more than double the 255 she needed, declined the nomination just before the end of the day Friday, leaving it to a party committee on vacancies to fill the line. Democrats say her Facebook listing indicates she is friends with Republican candididate Barbara Donno’s daughter.

The GOP also circulated petitions for Patrick Lilavois of Westbury to run on the Working Families Party line. He filed 44 signatures, and needed only 17. Among those who circulated petitions in an attempt to deny Johnson the minor parties' lines were GOP heavyweights, including North Hemsptead GOP leader Frank Maroney, Nassau GOP elections commissioner John DeGrace, former town supervisor John Kiernan, and Mineola Republican leader Jacki Carway, whose husband John ran for North Hempstead supervisor last year."

Donno Is Running Against Dean Skelos

Maureen O'Connell did it back in the February Special Election and Donno is doing it now. Visit Donno's website and you'd be hard pressed to know she is the REPUBLICAN candidate. The word "REPUBLICAN" doesn't appear anywhere on her site.
Is that because she is "not your typical politician" as she claims?
Nah, she knows running as a republican this year is bad news.
Her main page intro sounds like she is an insurgent Democrat taking on a Majority republican... like Dean Skelos.
Babs says "We pay the highest taxes in the state and get little in return. I'm running for State Senate because we deserve better. It's time to take a stand and fight for the changes we need and deserve."
So Dean Skelos and his Long Island 9 ...8...7.... have pretty much done nothing and we certainly deserve better. And that's according to Donno the REPUBLICAN candidate.

Donna also says "More than anything, you deserve to know who I am and what I will do if you elect me to the State Senate."
Yes, yes you do. Please visit Here and Here to know more about Donno.
That is her record. It's something voters should know about.

On her bio page, Donno writes "Today, too many of our schools are in crisis and taxpayers are simply overburdened. We need fundamental change and that's what I'll fight for in the State Senate."
So again she is saying that the leadership of Dean Skelos is found wanting. Got it.

More on Donno's website coming up...

Cablevision Editorial Hits Venditto on Development

Venditto fights a mall in Syosset but approves Stop & Shop in Farmingdale. Venditto vows to continue to fight mall developer but ignores Farmingdale residents.

From Cablevisions' Peter Kohler...
"In Bleak House, Charles Dickens famously describes a lawsuit that drones on endlessly, becoming "so complicated that no man alive knows what it means." Dickens could have been describing a zoning case involving plans for a Syosset shopping mall on the site of the old Cerro Wire factory, a case so contentious, and murky that it could become a legend in litigation.

In deciding the case recently, Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Spinner declared that the Town of Oyster Bay and its lawyers had engaged in "persistent obfuscatory obstructionism." Try saying that ten times.

No doubt, Judge Spinner was exasperated. For seven years, state trial and appellate courts have been trying to resolve this dispute over the Taubman organization's plan to build the shopping mall on this industrial site. The town has refused to change its zoning rules, saying the mall would cause excessive traffic, congesting streets in residential areas.

Four times courts have ruled against the town, dismissing its environmental arguments about traffic congestion and its other objections. Meanwhile, the developers agreed to substantially reduce the size of the mall.

Now, Judge Spinner has ordered the town to issue a special use permit to build the smaller mall. Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto says he plans yet another appeal.

There's no doubt that a shopping mall is an appropriate use on this site, which has long been zoned for office buildings or light industry.

We don't know whether Long Island needs another shopping mall. But it sure needs a better process for protecting property rights when towns misuse their zoning powers to obstruct development."

Skelos Creates Magic on His Magical Mystery Tour; Announces Grant that was Announced Last Year

Jeffersondemocrat.org finds Dean coming to Sackets Harbor and bringing with him $500,000. Dean gets up in typical Nassau Republican fashion and tries to fool the good people of Sackets Harbor "With this grant announcement today, Senate Republicans are saying that we are following through on a commitment for state funding to address this issue and protect the waters of historic Sackets Harbor and Lake Ontario.”

You see, there are two little problems with what Skelos is saying.
The first of course is that this announcement is nothing new. As Jefferson Democrat points out, then-Sen. Jim Wright made the announcement back in November 2007. "I am pleased to help provide this funding for the Village. The upgrades will not only mitigate ongoing run-off issues for existing village residents, but will create the infrastructure support necessary for future development in Sackets Harbor."
The second is that after Wright left the Senate and Democrat Darrel Aubertine won the seat, that grant money didn't materialize. The money was held up for almost a year and now Dean shows up to make nice with Upstaters and suddenly the money is MAGICALLY!!! available.
Yup, it's just a coincidence.
Dean is lucky is all.
That re-announcement is a political cheap-shot and the people in Sackets Harbor should see that Skelos wants to buy them off. He does that here in Nassau all the time.
Dean is an over-sized check pro. He and his cohorts want you the taxpayer believe in the beneficence of Albany by giving YOUR tax money back to you.
Edmund J. McMahon, executive director of the Empire Center for New York State Policy calls this "personal philanthropy with other people’s money."

Dean Skelos Upstate Tour '08

Dean is going around upstate counties trying to convince people that after all the years of hording money for Long Island (except Democratic Districts) and saying upstate is taking Long Island tax dollars he will be a fair Majority Leader.
Upstaters have a different view.
Back in March, fellow republican Senator John Bonacic sent out a mailing that said "For too long, a disproportionate share of education aid was being driven to Long Island and the City of New York at our expense.”
Yikes!
Dean has alot of convincing to do.
I'll have a round-up of press coverage of Skelos' tour coming up.

A View from Rochester re: Dean Skelos

Senate candidate Rick Dollinger issued a statement:

Dean Skelos, the newly elected majority leader of the Senate, is a product of the GOP machine that nearly bankrupted Nassau County, and as Senator he has voted for billions of dollars in increased spending, unfunded mandates which drive up our property taxes, and, with his Republican colleagues, has failed to help the upstate economy. We don't need his Nassau-style politics here; what we need is a new Senate majority that will actually do something about our out-of-control property taxes and the sky rocketing cost of doing business in New York.

The Republican Party from Washington to Albany has simply failed to do their job and continuing the status quo is unacceptable. This November, voters will tell Dean Skelos and George Bush that they've had enough of their failed policies, electing a Democratic President and a new Democratic majority in the State Senate. This is the change that people want and need, and this is the change we will provide.

Happy Fourth of July and 'Why I Do This"

Here's hoping everyone has a safe and enjoyable Independence Day.

I am often attacked and derided by those I post about on my websites. They don't like that I am watching what they are doing and letting others know how their elected officials are doing or not doing the people's work.
To those who believe that Freedom of Speech should not extend to factual criticism of the government, I will continue like The Albany Project and Daily Kos and so many others do and use my voice and my right to speak up.

I offer the poem 'First they came...' written by Pastor Martin Niemöller:

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

Hannon Opponent McElroy Comments on Lack of Accomplishments in State Senate

Democratic State Senate Candidates Brian X. Foley & Kristen McElroy Blast Republican Senate Inaction in Albany

Call on Senate to Get Back to Work

Hauppauge, NY – Democratic State Senate candidates Brian X. Foley (3rd District) & Kristen McElroy (6th District) joined together at the State Office Building in Hauppauge to blast the Republican Senate for another year of inaction. The Republican Senate failed to vote or debate on important bills to cut property taxes, provide paid family leave, reform New York's broken system of campaign finance, or combat global climate change.

"The party is over in Albany and once again working families are left footing the bill for Republican inaction," state Supervisor Foley. "Working families would have greatly benefited from a property tax cap and paid family leave legislation, but the republicans simply said no."

Kristen McElroy added, "The Republican majority has once again shown a complete lack of concern for families across Long Island."

A recent statewide poll revealed an overwhelming majority, 74% of New Yorkers, support a cap on property taxes. Cutting property taxes through an expanded circuit breaker would provide relief to those who need it most and create a much fairer system of taxes, as the tax breaks would be focused on middle class families. Capping people's property taxes based on income, like the circuit breaker does, would give real relief instead of more political gimmicks.

Foley and McElroy both called on the Republican controlled Senate to "Get back to work."

"There is some unfinished business up in Albany; if the Republican Senate is not interested in working for the people then it is time for change," stated McElroy.

Legislation to create a paid family leave program, which would help working families, was also blocked by the Senate Republicans. Paid Family Leave allows workers to take time off from work to care for a newborn or a seriously ill family member. Currently, if a member of the family has to take time off they do so unpaid. In today's struggling economic environment this is an enormous financial burden that working families are forced to make every day. Paid Family Leave would drastically reduce the hardship of choosing over family or job.

Brian X. Foley is a lifelong resident of Brookhaven Town. He has been working hard for the people of Brookhaven every day for the past 15 years in the Suffolk County Legislature and then in the Town of Brookhaven. First elected to represent the Seventh Legislative District (Blue Point) in 1993, and Supervisor of Brookhaven in 2005, Foley has a proven record of fundamental reforms and fiscal responsibility. Under Foley's supervision the Town of Brookhaven has enjoyed the highest bond rating in the town's history.

Kristen McElroy is a lifelong resident of Garden City and is a mother of three. Kristen is an accomplished lawyer who served as a Prosecutor under the Nassau District Attorney and currently is running a successful law practice with her father in Mineola. Kristen is running to bring common sense solutions back to Albany.

Democrat and Community Activist Keith Scalia Points Out Venditto's Hypocricy

Keith Scalia who ran for Town Board last year spoke at last weeks meeting of the Oyster Bay Town Board regarding the permit to build a Stop and Shop in Farmingdale. The following is his remarks. After he spoke, Supervisor Venditto derided Scalia and went about attempting to insult him.

"Over the past several years, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto and the Town Board have approved the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars on preventing the Taubman group from building a mall on the former Cerro Wire site. As recently as last October, Supervisor Venditto stated that he "won't be intimidated" by developers that are "corporate America profiteers" and "money-grabbers" that intend "bully" him. Moreover, Supervisor Venditto has stated that will "continue to oppose development that erodes the unique character and quality of life we enjoy in our communities." While the supervisor and town board have done their due diligence for the residents of Birchwood, I find it hard to fathom that they are not standing up to another money-grabbing corporation in Farmingdale.
In a charming September 07, 2007 video interview with Christine Sohmer of massapequanews.com, Supervisor Venditto stated that “there are a number of interests that want to take this town in a very different direction. We don’t need to build on every square inch of the Town of Oyster Bay. We don’t need to become the shop till you drop capital of the world. We certainly don’t need to become the sixth borough of the City of New York. This town has a personality and a quality of life that we all cherish and we need strong hands at the reins of leadership in this town to protect it.”
Supervisor Venditto’s sermon was predicated upon the epic battle between the current Town Board and the Taubman Group. Furthermore, in his video interview, he asked Town of Oyster Bay residents to “Imagine waking up one morning and seeing a shopping mall down your block or taking your child to school and having to negotiate the traffic around a shopping mall. The town board has demonstrated leadership in standing up to the money-grabbing developers and all the other money grabbers out there who want to line their pockets with cash on the backs of our quality of life and our environment, and this town board has demonstrated leadership, we have stood up to protect the quality of life in this town and we are going to continue to do so.”
What I would like to ask is how will Stop n Shop impact the current and long-range growth and development of Farmingdale? Where does Stop n Shop fit in the blueprint for future planning in the Farmingdale demographics; those being residential, commercial, office and industrial development/redevelopment; recreation and parks; environmental protection, community services and facilities; transportation, parking and pedestrian network; and appearance and vitality of the residential and business districts? Has there been any planning or analysis, a Vision Statement, goals, objectives, recommendations or implementation strategies?
When it has come to preventing development at the Cerro Wire site, Councilman Chris Coschignano has stated that "quality of life is the paramount issue" and "the Town Board held firm to protect it." If this Town Board is the "hardworking, creative and dedicated leaders" and "great proponents of family and community" that they claim to be, they must attend to the pressing needs of this great community with the same vigor that he has done with the Birchwood community. I would like the Town Board to imagine waking up one morning to find an 80,000 square foot supermarket down their block or taking their child to Allen Park having to negotiate the traffic. Supervisor Venditto was absolutely correct when he said – “We don’t need to become the shop till you drop capital of the world.” I say, we don’t need to be the Stop N Shop capital of the world either."