Interesting chronology

This lengthy time line presents events germane to the situation in Iraq, going back to the 1970's.

Some other useful links:
Glenn Reynolds
National Public Radio
President Clinton
Bill Tierney (former UN Weapons Inspector)

A little Italian humor

For all the Italians out there, or those who are lucky enough to be married to an Italian!

An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Italian anisette sprinkle cookies wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.

Where if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite anisette sprinkle cookies.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Italian wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife ......

"Back off!" she said. "They're for the funeral."

Smear campaign

This article was also in the Saturday (November 12, 2005) edition of The Cortland Standard; click on images for enlarged view:

Posted without further comment (at this time)

This is an article that appears in the Saturday, November 12, 2005 edition of The Cortland Standard; click on images for larger view:

Be-FUD-dled

The latest last-minute claim of the opponents of legislative success is that we have increased spending in the budget from $71 to $83 million. They claim that this means that we have increased spending by $12 million. In a word: No.

The Administrator, who, for a period of time, our opponents wanted to seize on as the sole reason for legislative success (before deciding that they should deny that there was success!), has done many good things. One of these is to make the county budget more transparent by moving things that had been kept off budget onto the budget, where anyone with an interest could scrutinize them. In the past, they were kept off budget, essentially invisible to the taxpayers who footed the bill. Either way, the spending was there. The Administrator's way, which I wholeheartedly endorse, is a more honest and open way of showing spending.

So what is the real record? Here it is:

YEAR..

.REVENUES.....EXPENSES.....SURPLUS/DEFICIT

2001..

64,761,181.. 68,536,165.. 3,774,984

2002..

59,226,967.. 59,249,580.. ...22,613

2003..

63,608,425.. 61,477,372.. 2,131,053

2004..

68,401,898.. 63,502,798.. 4,899,100

There are increases in this year's budget: for the increased cost of the CSEA contract, for the anticipated costs of the reclassifications that will be the result of implementation of the Management study, for retirement benefits, and for health insurance. (As an aside, the magnitude of the increase in health insurance costs is much less, thanks to Scott Steve's initiative in getting the county a new - and better - policy.) We are beginning year one of a long-term infrastructure project (check out the photos here and here if you want to see for yourself why). Some programs costs are more or less dictated to us (e.g., pre-school ed, Medicaid). The total increase in spending is about 1/6 of what our opponents claim. It is on the order of 2.5% of on-budget spending.

So we have made the budget more transparent by putting more expenditures on-budget. The downside is that it makes apples-to-apples comparisons more difficult. As the Administrator states in his budget: "Significant accounting changes were made in 2004, 2005, and 2006 capturing or excluding transactions previously reported off or on the general ledger". Our opponents have the same information, but instead of being honest about it, they are using it to sow discord - and to try to realize political gain.

It's just so much more FUD. Don't believe it.

All Looney Tunes and other commercial graphics are the sole property of their owners. This site is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Brothers or any of its affiliates. Characters and all related slogans and indicia are trademarked. The materials provided herein are intended solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the general public. The use of such material falls under Fair Use Provisions act.

Black Monday

There is no good reason why today should be a dark day, but given the way the opponents of the legislature's success have conducted their campaign, we suspect that they will try something underhanded. All through this campaign, they have offered rumor, innuendos, misleading statements, and personal attacks. We have offered a record of success and a plan for tomorrow.

They have a record of using the day before the campaign to sow Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD).



In 2001 - on the Monday before the election - they distributed a flyer on blue paper, known as the "Chicken Little" flyer, misleading county voters about the impending mega tax increases. We ran predicting that they were coming - a look at the budget and a little analysis showed that a huge property tax increase was inevitable. Voters didn't get the truth until after the election, which is why getting the budget out before the election became one of our main goals - a goal that we have met.

In 2003, they laid low, as the "leadership" of the Democratic party was not the same as it had been in 2001. Also, voters' memories of 2001 - and their 30+% increased property tax bill - ensured that it would be hard to run a campaign against what we had predicted, and which had (unfortunately for all of us) come true.

Now the "leadership" of 2001 is back and they are running the way they know best: personal attacks. It is so bad that one of the office holders who narrated a false and misleading radio ad thought about what he had done, and called the radio station to ask that the spot be pulled from the air. Stop and think about that for a moment...

When you vote tomorrow, focus on the important things:

• the record of the incumbent legislators
• the plans that we have offered
• the violence to public spirited-ness that rewarding personal attacks will do
• the hurt that our families have suffered, hearing and reading hateful things about their friends, their spouses, their moms and dads
• the fact that attacking someone else does nothing to advance what's good for the county

I have served on the St. Mary's School Board, the St. Mary's Parish Council, the CMH Board of Trustees, among others. I have served CMH as President of its Medical Staff for three years. I have been Chairman of the Medical Staff's Bylaws Committee for 4 years. I have represented Cortland County as its delegate to the State Medical Society for 6 years. I am an active participant in my community with something of value to offer.



I truly do not want to believe that my friends and neighbors will overlook my decade of contribution to this community because some who approach politics not as public service, but as blood sport, try some underhanded tactic at the last minute.

I have enjoyed being a part of this community for nearly ten years. I have contributed to it as best I can, giving of my time and talent. I have been successful as your representative in county government.

I ask you again for your support, and thank you for the opportunity you have given me - not just as a legislator, but to have a career, raise a family, and be a vital part of a great community.

PS: Here is today's Channel 2 schedule

11/7 @ 9:00 AM Cortlandville Legislative Forum
11/7 @ 5:30 PM Meet Candidate Paul DiGiovanni
11/7 @ 8:30 PM "Cortland County: Past, Present and Future" (Kurt Behrenfeld)

UPDATE: Sein-FUD!

Well, as expected, the FUD arrived in the mailboxes of the voters today.

In my case, it takes the form of a postcard alleging bad behavior at a polling place - two months ago.

But I have this site to tell my story, so I will.

On the evening of the primary (Tuesday, September 13), I had been at the JM McDonald Center with my son at The Fitness Gap. After we finished and I brought him home, I went over to Parker School around 9 pm.

I stood outside the Madison Street entrance, with no plans to go inside, until I was invited in by an election official. She indicated that she and the other officials were having trouble turning the crank on the machine and would like some help. I took her up on her offer, and cranked the handle several dozen times, without delivery of any paper. They (and I) concluded that they had to try something else, so I backed away as they tried to unlock the machine.

At this point, Scott Steve asked me to go to the other end of the hallway and see if they had the results from the other district. I went down the hall and stood opposite the election workers' table, along with a couple of other people. One of these folks was Ken Tobin, with whom I later spoke. Behind the table was an election official whom I did not know by name, but recognized. She started asking me questions that had a certain "edge" to them. But I didn't rise to the bait, and waited along the wall for the results to be announced.

I simply observed as the officials struggled to open the machine (HAVA can't come quickly enough!). I didn't move toward the table until one of the officials, who was struggling to read the numbers on the page, made eye contact with me and asked me if I could read the numbers. I moved toward the table as she turned the pages so that the orientation would be appropriate for me (and Ken Tobin and the other person on the other side of the table), and told her that although I also was having a hard time reading the numbers, I thought the 3-digit number in question was "010".

At about this time, I noticed that a group of people had formed behind me. I was feeling a bit claustrophobic and tried to make my way out from the crush of people leaning in to see the results. I excused myself and moved away from the table. I heard Scott Steve suggest to the election official (the same one who had asked me to look at the sheet) that if she were to turn to a different sheet (there are multiple sheets), she would probably find another one with a much better imprint of the vote tally. She turned the page, and was satisfied that the number in question was in fact "010". At that point, the vote was known, and Scott and Ken Tobin started down the hall. I stayed behind for a moment, as Ken Tobin and I had a disagreement about whose numbers were whose. This disagreement wasn't spoken aloud; I just thought that Ken was inverting the columns of him and his opponent, and when the crowd thinned, I went in for a second look to see if it was Ken or I who had inverted the columns. (It was Ken.)

I caught up to Ken and Scott as they were walking toward the Madison Street entrance. Scott didn't realize that I had never formally met Ken, and introduced us. I distinctly remember Ken reaching the end of the hallway and greeting Shannon Terwilliger with "Congratulations. You win Round One", or something very similar. We then went outside and talked with Patrick Ruppe and Brian Liberatore, among others. These two reporters from the Cortland Standard witnessed everything that happened that I just described. Scott and I have asked them subsequently if anything untoward happened that night, and they both said "No".

This never would have been a ginned up issue but for an anonymous e-mail, delivered with the headers trimmed off a sheet of paper, alleging some sort of inappropriate behavior. One of the reporters, I am told, declined to write a story when given this e-mail, saying that he had observed the scene and that nothing had happened. However, the letter writing campaign was begun, and then this Seinfeld episode (a political attack about nothing: Sein-FUD!) took on a life of its own.

I didn't learn until later that the official who asked me to look at the tally sheet was a woman named Kay Smith. Scott Steve asked her, at the League of Women Voters forum on October 19, whether anything inappropriate had transpired that night. She said no.

But there are those who know they can't win without trying to destroy their opponent. And I apparently have reached the state of grace that makes me a marked man. Lying about something that never happened is the method du jour.

I would like readers to think about this: if anything truly happened that evening that merited anything even close to the hysteria that my opponents are trying to whip up, then where is the election official's formal complaint? Why did he not say anything to me when this happened, if what I allegedly did was so out of bounds? Why did the Cortland Standard not write an article about it, when they had two reporters there? Why did he wait two months to send out a postcard on election eve?

The answer is that no complaint was made and no article was written because nothing happened. It appears, though, that friendship with Scott Steve and proximity to him is apparently enough for opponents of progress to try to create a controversy.

Once again, the Election Eve FUD has been spread. Don't buy it.


All Looney Tunes and other commercial graphics are the sole property of their owners. This site is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Brothers or any of its affiliates. Characters and all related slogans and indica are trademarked. The materials provided herein are intended solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the general public. The use of such material falls under Fair Use Provisions act.

A few closing thoughts on future directions

Turning our plan into reality has proven successful the past two years.

Now let’s talk about some of our plans for a brighter tomorrow...

Our Goals

Create a county-wide flood mitigation plan

• We have met with local, state, and federal officials to assist with a county-wide plan to manage our streams and floodways
• FEMA grants for restoration of the banks of Otter Creek, Dry Creek, and Kennedy Parkway will be made available under our plan
• We were there for you with dumpsters and work crews this past April. With our plan, we hope that flooding will not be an issue in the future.

Consolidation of city and county courts

• Our plan to merge City Court into the County Courthouse will save taxpayers dollars by eliminating duplication of security, putting city officers back on the street
• By streamlining staff and consolidating offices, there will be greater efficiency for judges, officers, attorneys, and other court staff
• This frees up vitally needed space - the city would not need to build a new court for just their needs

Booking of prisoners for the city police force

• After an arrest is made, processing and holding until a hearing will be done by jail staff, freeing up city police officers for other duties - a far better use of their time
• Cells in the city police department will be freed up - creating more useful space in the already crowded City Hall

Public Health

• Our plan is to build a new Health Center, funded by the tobacco settlement money, where agencies now in three buildings will merge - leading to greater efficiency for government and better service for you
• Some of the savings will be used for tobacco education, and some for tax relief

Road improvement

• We have begun implementation of a 20-year plan to address long-neglected and now crumbling infrastructure - bridges, culverts, and roads are now on schedule to be repaired or rebuilt
• We will bond for long-term projects and fund routine maintenance in the annual budget

Are you better off today

than you were two years ago?

Scott Steve's Message to Voters in the Second Ward

Many people have said that I’m not a good politician. And you know, they're right.

I’m not a politician at all. I’m a husband and father, a neighbor, a friend, a taxpayer, a volunteer - and I’m a worker.

When I asked for your vote in 2001 and 2003, I promised to work for the good of the county. Not for a political party, not for special interests, not to gain popularity - but to work for you.

I promised that I would work with 18 other legislators to improve our situation and put an end to the huge tax increases. And that’s just what we did - as a team.

I know that change is never easy, but change is inevitable.

When the legislature's leadership changed two years ago, we were faced with a lot of problems. We had to make tough decisions.

We knew from the start that the decisions that simply had to be made were not going to be embraced by everybody. Some eggs have to be broken to make an omelet, after all.

Now some "bad eggs" want you to make a decision based not on what has been accomplished, nor on what is planned. They want you to share their anger and punish me for having made the tough decisions that have led to a brighter future - for all of us.

I am proud of what our team has accomplished. I am proud that we accomplished everything that I promised you that I would work for. I am proud that the achievements have been bipartisan.

Positive change takes hard work, it requires accountability, and it takes time. There will always be those who say it should have or could have been done differently. Maybe. But arguing over how it might have been done differently contains an admission on their part: that what we accomplished was worth it.

Ignore the insults and anger coming from my opponents for just a second. Have you heard even one idea regarding a plan for our county's future? Can you think of even one positive thing they have offered? Have they attended meetings and forums where they put forth these ideas so that you could compare them to mine? No - they offer only bitterness.

I am offering a 4-year record and a plan for not just the next two years, but for the county that our children will one day inherit.

When you vote on Tuesday, ask yourself whether Cortland County is a better place than it was two years ago. Ask yourself if your taxes are holding steady. Ask yourself if rewarding those who offer only slander and character assassination is in the best interest of you, your family, or your neighbors and friends.

I have made good on the promises that I made you. I hope you remember this when you vote on Tuesday. Vote to endorse the good things that have happened and the good things yet to come.

Vote Tallies

With the aid of Bonnie Quackenbush, I have put together the vote tallies for 2004 and 2005 (through September; the minutes of the October session are not posted at the county web site, nor have they been e-mailed to legislators).

The links to the actual tallies are and will remain in the navigation bar to the right (see under "Legislative Votes"). To make finding things a little easier, here are the links:

January/February/March 2004
April/May/June 2004
July/August/September 2004
October/November/December 2004
January/February/March/April/May 2005
June/July/August/September 2005

The posts include links to the minutes of the meetings, so that you can easily read about items that passed despite a no vote having been cast by a member present.

For the record, we are not just speaking in clichés when we talk about the bipartisan effort that has led to our success: the record will show that of the 448 resolutions passed in 2004, 416 (92.9%) were passed without a no vote having been cast. So far in 2005, we are also running at a 92+% rate of passage without a nay vote being cast (274 of 297, or 92.3%).

I have often responded to people who ask whether I enjoy being a legislator by saying: "I enjoy the governance, but I hate the politics". The governance is what leads to 92% unanimous votes; the politics is what leads to "agita".

Of Shell Games and the Silly Season

You may have heard the opponents of this legislature again on the radio, stating things which are directly contradicted by the record. This time, it's calling the economic success "a shell game".

This is particularly curious, given that the very question was put to Independent Auditor Rick McNeilly by Budget & Finance Chairman Kurt Behrenfeld: "Is this really a matter of true financial success or is this the result of pushing certain costs out into the future to make this year's budget look good. In other words, is this just a shell game?"

To which Mr. McNeilly responded: "This is no shell game".

Here's some background: Mr. McNeilly had grown frustrated with Cortland County's recent record of not giving him the needed financial data to begin his audit in his usual time frame. He would prefer to be able to begin his audit in mid-April to early May, but over the past several years, he hadn't been able to begin until the fall, because the Treasurer's Office was not giving him the information he needed. The very fact that he had concluded his audit in early September was evidence in its own right that "operations are much, much improved" (another quote from Mr. McNeilly, in regard to the performance of Cortland County government).

So, "much, much improved operations" allowed him to finish his audit at the same time of year as he had started his audits in recent years. He highlighted the fact that we had been given a budget of $71 million but had only spent $62.7 million, realizing a surplus of $4.8 million. When asked if this performance was genuine or the result of some fancy numerical sleight of hand, he answered forcefully "This is no shell game".

And once again, the opposition, who should be claiming their share of the credit for all of the good things that have happened, instead directly contradict the independent auditor's assessment of the financial situation and claim that this is merely a shell game.

I will go with the Independent Auditor - he's a financial professional, and he's not running for office, so he has no reason to mislead or spin. As for our opponents, here's their shell game.

Muka! Muka! Muka!

Steve Muka is a loyal man - loyal to ideas, to causes, and to people who espouse those ideas and causes. He has worked tirelessly for candidates in whom he has trust, and he has suffered (along with a lot of us) the slings and arrows of the Good Ol' Boys of the GOP (aka the GOBGOPpers). Whether the candidate is a Republican (like us) or a Democrat (such as Ken Tobin), Steve will work - and work and work - for the benefit of those whom he supports.

Today, he paid out of his own pocket for a 2/3 page ad that ran opposite the editorial page. This work is a thing of beauty. When my wife, who tries to ignore politics for the sake of her (and our family's) sanity, read it, she would periodically say: "He nails it!" "He's right on the mark!" "It's about time something was said about that!"

Yes, Steve, ya done goood!

Now here it is as 3 JPEG files (click on images for enlarged view):

Some fiasco!

Our opponents are having a hard time this campaign season:

Do they recognize all the good things that have happened and claim their share of the credit? Or do they knock the record of success and blame the Republicans?

When it comes to the Recycling Center, knocking it seems to be their preferred strategy. "A fiasco!" they cry. Well, let's take a look at the real story, shall we?

City & County Officials cut the ribbon at the new Recycling Center

The Recycling Center burned to the ground in 2002 when a stolen vehicle was left atop some flammable paper material. The heat from the vehicle ignited the paper, leading to a devastating fire. The site sat unreconstructed until building of a new Recycling Center began in the fall of 2004.

The Democratic-controlled legislature failed to act for over a year, jeopardizing access to insurance money. They never made a decision on locating, equipping, or building a replacement Recycling Center.

It fell to the legislature that took office in 2004 to tackle this issue. In May 2004, the following resolution was passed UNANIMOUSLY:

On motion of Dr. DiGiovanni, seconded by Mr. Willcox and adopted by a two-thirds roll call vote all members present voting aye, Agenda Item No. 8 became Resolution No. 148-04: A Resolution Authorizing the Construction of a Recycling Center and the Acquisition of Movable Equipment in and for the County of Cortland, New York, at a Maximum Estimated Cost of $2,985,000., and Authorizing the Issuance of $2,985,000. Bonds of Said County to Pay the Costs Thereof

All Democrats (and all Republicans) agreed: this was progress.

As this moved through the legislative process, County Attorney John Bardsley filed suit to preserve our access to insurance funds. Without his action, we would have lost not only our Recycling Center, but money that rightfully belonged to the taxpayers to rebuild. In the end, we received about $2 million in insurance settlement money. Of the remaining cost to build and equip the new Recycling Center, we anticipate receiving $900,000 from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, meaning that only a small fraction of the cost of the new center will be paid for with local dollars.

Through 2004, various obstacles were overcome: swapping property with the IDA/BDC to ensure access to and egress from the new Recycling Center; touring other facilities to learn about options; and passing various resolutions regarding design and construction of the new facility. The new facility opened for business in May 2005. It allowed the county to save a $12,000 per month fee we were incurring to transport our recyclables out of the county - a cost borne since the time of the fire - leading to immediate savings.

On the day it opened, the Recycling Center was operating at about 20% capacity, yet it was already saving county taxpayers about $50,000 per year over what the county had been doing. In the meantime, more capacity has been utilized, and we are projecting that in its own right, the Recycling Center will operate as a break-even financial proposition this year. That's right: on an annualized basis, this "fiasco" has saved the County about $150,000 in its first year!

As more revenue is realized, it will become a money maker year after year. We picked up business from Onondaga County (whose own center burned in a fire earlier this year). We have picked up more work from within the county. And we continue to work with the city and its hauler so that the city recyclables will be processed locally, adding more to the bottom line.

Exploding another myth

Highway Committee Chairman Paul Allen and Mayor Tom Gallagher
chat at the ribbon cutting for the new Recycling Center

The myth that we haven't worked with the city and the hauler is simply untrue, as a check of the public record will make clear. The County Administrator, the Chairman of the Legislature, the Highway Supervisor, and members of the Highway Committee have all spent considerable time meeting with the city hauler and various city officials. While we haven't reached resolution on how to collect the city's recyclables, we know that this will happen. Yet even without the city on board, we are breaking even in 2005.


The outlook for 2006

Between the Landfill and the Recycling Center, the Administrator expects the county to net more than $158,000!

So, to recap:

The Democratic Legislature in 2002 and 2003 made no progress in rebuilding the Recycling Center.

The lack of progress threatened our access to insurance funds.

The Republican Legislature:

• took the necessary steps to collect insurance money
• acquired grant funding
• did all the legwork needed to rebuild and equip a new Recycling Center
• reduced the local share of the cost to near zero

The rebuilt Recycling Center

• operates at break-even today, saving the county about $150,000 a year
• has made as much in 7 months as the prior center made in its last year of operation
  
• has unused capacity which, when utilized, will improve the bottom line

We call that progress. Our opponents call it a fiasco.

What would you call it?

Silly Season: Late Hit Division

We knew it was coming: the late hits, the personal attacks, the unfair characterizations.

The latest is the claim that I - a physician, a member of the Board of Health, and a trustee of Cortland Memorial Hospital - want to eliminate the Health Department. This is an utter falsehood, which began as a misreporting of someone else's comments at the May 2005 Budget & Finance Committee meeting. Read over Item 10, and ask yourself how this resulted in the reporter writing that I wanted to eliminate the Health Department.

The truth is, the reporter himself, Brian Liberatore, issued a correction to the item on Monday, May 16, 2005. He goofed, as we all do, and to his credit, he owned up to his error and printed a retraction.

For the record, when I became aware of the error, which ran in the Saturday edition (5/14/05), I immediately let the Public Health Director and others in the Health Department know that this was an error, and that a retraction would be published.

Audrey Lewis, head of the Environmental Health division, provides these details in an e-mail to me today:

The discussion occurred at a Budget and Finance committee meeting approximate date of May 12th. The article was in the paper on May 14th in the County Roundup column... "Health Department may be dissolved". A retraction was printed on May 16th in the paper's "Making it Right" section.

Here is an e-mail from the Public Health Director to Audrey Lewis, sent on the day the retraction appeared (edited only for style, not content):

-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie Gailor [mailto:jgailor@cortland-co.org]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 3:54 PM
To: Audrey Lewis
Subject: [hlthall] Article in Cortland Standard regarding Health Department

I want to share with you part of an e-mail I received from Dr. DiGiovanni this afternoon.

Jackie:

There was a very misleading short article in the Saturday paper about which I was unaware until this morning. Mike Wells at the paper promises a correction/clarification in tonight's paper. I am very sorry if there are members of the Health Department who may be rattled by this. It is completely inaccurate, and even if they had gotten closer to correct by specifying that the discussion in question centered on Environmental Health, even that wouldn't get them off the hook.

In addition to this, Dr. DiGiovanni sent a copy of the draft minutes of the Budget and Finance Committee Meeting held last Thursday. If you want to see them, they are available on the Cortland County website.

I appreciated his concern about this article and hope that it helps anyone who has a concern about the article.

Jackie

Jacquelyn H. Gailor
Cortland County Public Health Director
607-753-5135

Just to be clear: this began as an error by the newspaper reporter, and the reliance on that error by the letter writer propagates a false accusation.

I think that someone who steps onto the public stage, whether as a letter writer to the paper or a public official, owes it to the cause of honest public discourse to be forthright. That is why I ask, over and over, for people to share their concerns and questions. I will always answer as honestly as I can, and if I don't know the answer, I will try to find it out. I would never take half the story and spin it into a fable, whether for political gain or otherwise.

My response to the letter that appeared in yesterday's paper will appear in today's paper, and I will post it here later.


UPDATE:

Skip Chapman was kind enough to offer me 250 words to respond, and I did (I hope he didn't count too closely - it's more like 265):

To the Editor:

In a letter to the editor published yesterday, the claim was made falsely that I have called for abolition of the Health Department. I called the letter writer to ask for her source, and she cited this newspaper.

After discussion with Public Health Director Jackie Gailor, we are confident that the citation is to a blatantly erroneous item that led to a correction being published on Monday, May 16, 2005. I have never supported nor ever suggested elimination of the Health Department.

I am a physician who has been in this community for nearly ten years, President of the CMH medical staff for 3 years, a CMH Trustee for 5 years, and on the Board of Health for 2 years. I know health care issues, and I fully support the mission of the County Health Department.

As a legislator, I have exercised oversight while possessing intimate knowledge of Health Department issues. I am proud that close legislative scrutiny has helped to improve both clinical and financial performance.

That some mischaracterize such scrutiny as opposition to the mission - and even the continued existence - of the Health Department is bizarre. I am quite proud of the record I have established as a legislator, particularly as Chairman of the Health Committee. I urge voters to ignore “late hits” (I suspect more are coming), to review my two-year legislative record (http://www.cortland-co.org/Legislature/index.html and http://cortland-co.blogspot.com are recommended), and to call me directly with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Paul DiGiovanni
First Ward Legislator
5 Ridgeview Avenue
756-6313

Paul DiGiovanni - Mailer

This is a piece sent to First Ward voters Thursday and Friday. Click on images for larger views:

TV Schedule

Here is the upcoming CACTV schedule in order:

11/2 @ 6:00 PM Paul Allen: What is Up with Cortland County Infrastructure?

11/3 @ 9:00 AM Meet Candidate Scott Steve
11/3 @ 11:30 AM Cortlandville Legislative Forum
11/3 @ 12:30 PM Meet Candidate Paul DiGiovanni
11/3 @ 6:00 PM "Cortland County: Past, Present and Future" (Kurt Behrenfeld)

11/4 @ 12:00 PM "Cortland County: Past, Present and Future" (Kurt Behrenfeld)
11/4 @ 1:00 PM Paul Allen: What is Up with Cortland County Infrastructure?

11/7 @ 9:00 AM Cortlandville Legislative Forum
11/7 @ 5:30 PM Meet Candidate Paul DiGiovanni
11/7 @ 8:30 PM "Cortland County: Past, Present and Future" (Kurt Behrenfeld)

11/8 VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS AND ALDERMEN!

11/9 @ 6:00 PM What is Up with Cortland County Infrastructure?

11/11 @ 6:00 PM What is Up with Cortland County Infrastructure?

Upcoming TV Schedule - UPDATE!

What is up with Cortland County Infrastructure?

Hosted by Legislator Paul Allen

On CACTV- Channel 2

Wednesday, November 2nd at 6:00 PM

Friday, November 4th at 1:00 PM

Because the issues discussed are too important not to be discussed just because the election will have come and gone, this program will be also be shown at these times:

Wednesday, November 9th at 6:00 PM

Friday, November 11th at 6:00 PM.


Also watch the Cortlandville Legislative Forum (hosted by the League of Women Voters)

featuring Candidates from Districts 13 & 14

Thursday, November 3rd at 11:30 AM

Monday, November 7th at 9:00 AM

Why I vote the way I do (Part 2)

In the last post, I explained my vote on the Long-Term Care Insurance Education and Information Outreach Program. In this post, I will explain my vote on the following resolution:

WHEREAS, the New York State Office for the Aging has allocated additional funds in the amount of $7,037.00 for the Senior Nutrition Assistance Program for the period April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that the 2005 County Budget be and hereby is amended as follows:

Increase:

Expenses:
A6772 67745-54300 4341 Vehicle Expense/Repairs $7,037.00

Revenues:
A6772 6774 4 3772 4341 State Aid – Nutrition – SNAP $7,037.00


This resolution has to do with how we pay for car repairs - it has nothing directly to do with the Senior Nutrition Program, except that some of the repair costs apply to vehicles used in the Area Office for the Aging, and this cost will show up in that office's budget. Newell Willcox, proprietor of Willcox Tire and a man who knows a thing or two about car repair, had presented valid (in my opinion) objections to paying as much as we were paying for repairs after having done some investigation.

Newell asked in committee (both Human Services and Budget & Finance, to my recollection) for an analysis of how the cost to the county would differ were we to allow private shops to bid on performing repairs, as opposed to using repairmen employed in the county's Highway Department. We were told that this analysis would be done and presented to us before we were asked to vote on this matter at the legislative session. Along with the honorable Steve Dafoe and Newell Willcox, I voted no - because we were not given the analysis as promised.

For more background, here's an example of what concerned Newell: he reviewed an invoice which to his recollection was in the amount of $75 - for replacing a license plate! That piqued his interest (he runs an auto shop after all), and the more he looked, the more concerned he became. The invoices were well above what would be reasonable in the open market. The Administrator's justification was that more than just the listed repairs occur; for example, cars get inspected, even when only minor repairs are made. So we insisted that the invoices be accurate as to what was actually done - if the car was inspected, list that as a labor line item along with the time spent on the task.

The Administrator gave us some compelling reasons as to why the system operates the way that it does, taking into account reimbursement streams available through Social Services and the need to maximize utilization of our employees' time. But we still wanted to see the entire process reviewed. Why pay large amounts of money on repairs for near end-of-life vehicles? How do we determine when it is more worthwhile to repair rather than replace a high mileage vehicle? Would the overall cost be lower if we subcontracted certain kinds of repairs to private shops? Could the time of the Highway Department mechanics be better utilized doing tasks other than car repair?

Sometimes, the only way to get answers to these questions is to vote against business as usual, and demand accountability. And when we didn't get an analysis that would allow us to make a rational decision on whether the current practice was in fact the best practice, we voted no.

I hope that this post and the previous post have helped you to better understand the thought process behind my votes on these specific items, and perhaps my general approach to analyzing resolutions.

If you think that I should have made a different decision, or if you want to tell me "atta boy!", I would welcome your feedback either way. Please call (756-6313) or e-mail me.

How do I reach a decision on how to vote?

Dick Menapace, a constituent and friend, sent me an e-mail, asking me to explain my votes on two issues: The Long-Term Care Education Information & Outreach Program and a resolution related to car repairs.

After having answered Mr. Menapace directly, the thought occurred to me that explaining my votes on these matters on this web site might give readers some insight into how I evaluate resolutions, and should help voters better understand my approach to spending tax dollars.

In this post, I will address the "Long Term Care Education and Outreach Program" resolution, which reads:

WHEREAS, the New York State Office for the Aging has allocated additional funds in the amount of $22,718.00 for the Long Term Care Education Information and Outreach Program (LTCEIOP) for the period April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that the 2005 County Budget be and hereby is amended as follows:

Increase:

Expenses:

A6772 67725-52005 4330 Office Furniture 1,485.00

A6772 67725-52015 4330 Technical Equipment 1,818.00

A6772 67725-52060 4330 Computer Equipment 4,978.00

A6772 67725-54000 4330 Telephone 190.00

A6772 67725-54001 4330 Printing/Copying 200.00

A6772 67725-54003 4330 Office Furniture 1,465.00

A6772 67725-54004 4330 Computer Software 855.00

A6772 67725-54005 4330 Office Supplies 8,388.00

A6772 67725-54035 4330 Training/Education 75.00

A6772 67725-54047 4330 Mileage Reimbursement 100.00

A6772 67725-54060 4330 Legal/Advertising 1,438.00

A6772 67725-54075 4330 Office Equipment 1,621.00

A6772 67725-54400 4330 Food 105.00

Revenues:
A6772 6772 4 3772 4330 State Aid-Aging-Title IIIB $22,718.00


As you can see from the above, this resolution pays for office furniture, technical equipment, computer equipment, office supplies, etc. But how much of this money actually goes to educating seniors? My objection is NOT to the idea of educating seniors about Long Term Care Insurance; in fact, I suggested that we work with our coordinators - whom we as a county pay - at the various Senior Centers we operate around the county to use them as conduits to disseminate information about this program. Ask them to contact insurance industry representatives to make presentations at meals or social gatherings - that wouldn't cost taxpayers an additional dime.

What this resolution seems to me to do is to underwrite the cost of advertising an insurance industry product. That is what some people - myself included - would call "Corporate Welfare". I can think of better uses for state tax dollars than to help push a product of private industry, not because the product is not of value to some, but because it is not the proper role of government, in my opinion. I voted against this to protest wasteful spending, not the merits of the underlying program.

I will address the second resolution that Mr. Menapace asked about in a subsequent post.

Sean Clark's Vision as Legislator

Late Hit Portion of the Silly Season

The Silly Season in 2001 was characterized by us running on the coming tax increase.

And our opponents' response?

They called us Chicken Little...

...on a flyer delivered the day before the election.

...at the conclusion of a campaign season during which my opponent did not show up for any forums, and did not respond to a challenge to debate the issues publicly.

Do you remember the "Chicken Little" flyer? To refresh your memory (click on image for enlarged view):




Cold reality intruded shortly after the election:

The Treasurer (whose office the Democrats unanimously voted to make an appointed one, a change they are now claiming not to have supported) asked for $3 million in Bond Anticipation Notes a couple of days after the 2001 election to cover costs over the remainder of 2001 (funny how that knowledge wasn't public before the election).

That legislature, which wouldn't unveil the budget before the election, then gave us a 20.1% increase in the tax levy - Chicken Little was right!

In 2003, the voters knew that we had been right in our analysis, and rewarded us with the chance to clean up the mess. We have, and we have campaigned this year on our record of achievement.

But now in 2005, the desperate opposition, not satisfied with hypocritical radio spots, are now trying to sow FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt). This is all they offer since they cannot offer anything positive*. We will be happy to respond to the FUD in due course (I have heard that a mailing to the First Ward distorts the rationale for two recent votes - I will be responding in due course).

But we hope the voters will remember the lesson of 2001: Don't let Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt - spread like manure at the 11th hour - distract you from the real issues of the election. We will continue to run on our record and our goals.

And apparently our opponents, in a perversion of FDR's famous words, will offer you nothing more than "fear itself".

* They actually could embrace the success, which has been bipartisan, with more than 92% of resolutions in 2005 having been passed without a no vote having been cast. And I am happy to say that they have been an important part of the success. But this being the Silly Season, they would rather defeat those of us who have contributed to the success so that they can return to power. Lord Acton had a saying about the effects of power.

Support from former Treasurer Carl Edlund

Dear Editor,

I am pleased to write this letter for you to share with your readers; it is a letter in support of Cortlandville Legislator, Paul Allen. Paul has worked hard the past four years for the people of our district (LD. 14) and for all the residents of Cortland County. He has always worked towards achieving the positive changes that he felt would best serve the county and his constituents.

Paul has worked as part of a team that has been fiscally responsible. That team has been successful; they are making positive changes in the way our county government is run. Paul has made some tough decisions, and he has stuck by them. We all know that change is not always easy.

Paul is a gentleman in every sense of the word. His political style has been one of respect -- respect for his constituents, county employees and other legislators, regardless of party affiliation. Paul takes his job as a Legislator seriously and will continue to serve residents of District 14 well.

I will be proud to vote for Paul Allen on November 8, and I hope that you
will do the same.

Carl Edlund

Neglected infrastructure - Part 2

More photos - remember, good fiscal management allows good government to flourish. We can only address these long-neglected needs because we have gotten the financial house in order. Again, these are high resolution images - click on them for a sharper view.

Cheningo Solon Pond

Divers Crossing

Bloody Pond

Neglected infrastructure - Part 1

We have made a point of addressing what we have variously referred to as our crumbling, neglected, and faltering infrastructure. If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll stop typing and allow these images to do the talking (these are high resolution images - click on them for a sharper view):

East River Road

Jennings Creek

Merrill Creek

Scott Steve's Personal Page

Here are some links that Second Ward voters may use to focus on Scott's record of success.

Constituent Information

Palm Card
Scott's Message to the 2nd Ward
CSEA Endorsement

Economic Success

County Economic Overview

Cortland Standard answers: Paul Allen

Personal info

Name: Paul W. Allen
Party Endorsements: Republican, Conservative
Office: Cortland County Legislator
Cortlandville - 14th District
Address: 3999 Crestwood Court, PO Box 323, Cortland, NY 13045
Day Time Phone: 607-543-0336
Occupation: Account Executive / Businessman
Age: 34 years old
Married to Betsy (38)
Children: Abby (13) and Blake (7)

What is your main motivation for running?

My main motivation for running is to improve the quality of life in Cortland County. I believe that this is accomplished through a low cost of living and good employment opportunities, coupled with a long term commitment for investment in the future of our community.

My wife Betsy and I both had grandparents who made their homes in Cortland County. Both of our families have stayed here for the most part ever since. I want to continue to work to make Cortland a place that our children can one day choose to raise their families.

Having the right team is critical to attaining long term goals. We have a great team working together in the legislature. I have found that being a part of that team, which is effective, and is accomplishing what we said that we would, is very exciting. I want to continue what we have started.

In your opinion, what is the function of local government? Describe your political philosophy.

The function of local government is to ensure our limited resources are efficiently and effectively utilized. As legislators, we listen to our neighbors and hear first hand about their concerns; it is honest Grass Roots politics, in that we see tax payers ever day on the street or in the stores. This closeness promotes checks and balances; it allows local people to have a greater level of control.

I consider myself a conservative. It is my conservative nature that I rely upon when deliberating on how best to use the limited resources to meet the specific needs of Cortland County.

As Chairman of the Governance Evaluation Committee, you helped create Proposition 1 which gave voters a choice of replacing the elected treasurer with an appointed comptroller. If you could go back, what would you have done differently, and why?

I was pleased to be asked to chair the Governance Evaluation Committee. I have a strong interest in government and really welcomed the challenge to evaluate Cortland County’s structure. The GEC is a committee made up of interested county residents. It is not a committee made up of just legislators. We have a very diverse group of folks from all walks of life.

When we ran in 2003, it was on a platform of open and honest government which operated with greater public accountability. We asked people for their vote, and in exchange we promised to make fundamental changes that were badly needed. We told voters that if we were given a chance to lead that we would instill greater accountability and address areas of deficiency. As we took office in 2003 with a new majority the NY State office of Comptroller issued a negative audit which sited three areas of inadequate oversight on behalf of the previous legislature and three areas of deficiency in the Treasure’s office. We committed to fix the problem. We felt that it was prudent to first ask voters how far to go. Should we fix the problems and leave the office as it is, or adopt a different structure that has been used in other counties.

The referendum certainly has changed the dynamics of politics in Cortland County. I believe that Proposition 1 gave county residents a real voice in government! Members of the GEC went to the City Council and every Town and Village Board that would allow public discussion on the referendum. Even though it was negatively publicized at times, we put the question before the people, and we listened to what they said.

The tax rate jumped 9.5 percent in 2003 and 2.9 percent in 2004. While taxpayers welcome smaller, or non-existent, tax increases, there is the fear that the rate will go up again. Has the Legislature made permanent changes to the government that will keep the tax rate from jumping in the future? What were those changes?

In 2003, voters sent a clear message to elected officials, either reign in massive tax increases, or over burdened taxpayers would vote them out. In 2003 the legislature passed a 9.5% tax increase. This brought the cumulative tax increase dangerously close to our constitutional tax limit. This legislature made considerable cost cutting measures a top priority and passed a 2.9% tax increase last year.

From 2000 - 2002, under the previous leadership, the legislature spent up 74% of the County’s available cash reserve. In just two short years they spent $3.12 million from unreserved fund balances which brought the total down to less than 2% of the annual budget. Consequently, the County had been forced into a position where we had to borrow money in order to pay routine operating expenses.

Two years ago Cortland County residents made a decision to change the leadership of their county government. The new Republican leadership in the legislature passed a law that the County must maintain a 10% cash reserve. By the end of 2005 Cortland County Legislature will have put well over $8 million into reserve.

Voters told us that they wanted responsibly administrated social service programs, where people in need could find help. We should be helping those who are able, with the transition towards self sufficiency. We won an award from New York State for helping people who get off welfare to successfully stay off welfare. We increased our efforts in welfare fraud investigation and subsequently increased arrests for welfare fraud from 1 in 2002 to 15 in 2005.

We believe that voters should have the right to know what the tax rate will be for the following year before voters are asked to decide who to vote for. In 2001, some candidates were called “Chicken Little” because we told voters that the budget would come out after Election Day and it would include a huge tax increase. This year, for the first time in history, the legislature will have a budget on the table before the election. We are, in part, able to do this because we took the results of the NYS Comptrollers audit very seriously. If reelected, we will move to make this change a permanent requirement of legislators.

Additional Comments:

I firmly believe everyone involved in the county knows we are serious people with a serious mission of improving our situation. We have strived to increase accountability and better balance it with responsibility and authority. Although there is still a long way to go I think it is clear to anyone watching the situation that a great deal of progress has been made.

Chamber Questionnaire: Paul Allen

Personal info

Name: Paul W. Allen
Address: 3999 Crestwood Court, PO Box 323, Cortland, NY 13045
Day Time Phone: 607-543-0336

Office Held: Cortland County Legislator, Cortlandville - 14th District

Biographical Data: I am 34 years old, married to Betsy with two children Abby (13) and Blake (7).

Occupation and personal information including civic involvement:

I work as an Account Executive for Eastern Copy Products. For the last 13 years I have been working with businessmen and women in the Cortland / Ithaca area as a sales consultant, helping to fill the needs of businesses for office equipment. I am also a businessman. My wife Betsy and I own and operate Carbon Copies and Cortland Press, located on Main Street in Cortland. We do commercial printing, full service copying and packaging and shipping.

I attended college at TC3 where I studied Business Administration.

I serve on the CAPCO and Salvation Army Board of Directors, and I have done so since taking office over three years ago.

I have served on the Tioughnioga River Trail Commission for four years.

I am Cortland County’s representative on the New York State Region 7 Open Spaces Commission. This commission works with NYS Parks and Recreation and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to preserve natural resources and promote access to natural wonders.

I’m a former member of the YMCA Board of Directors.

What is your primary motivation for seeking public office?

My main motivation for running is to improve the quality of life in Cortland County. I believe that this is accomplished through a low cost of living and good employment opportunities, coupled with a long term commitment for investment in the future of our community.

My wife Betsy and I have a huge stake in the future of Cortland County. We both had grandparents who made their homes in Cortland County, and both of our families have stayed here for the most part ever since. I want to continue to work as part of a TEAM in the legislature to make Cortland a place where our children can one day choose to raise their families.

What experiences and perspectives do you bring to the legislative body?

I believe that the function of local government is to ensure our limited resources are efficiently and effectively utilized. I consider myself a fiscal conservative, and it is my conservative nature that I believe is beneficial to the “group discussion” when we are deliberating on how best to use the limited resources to meet the specific needs of Cortland County.

Having the right team is critical to attaining long term goals. We have a great team working together in the legislature which is effective, and we are accomplishing what we said we would. Being a part of that team is very exciting and it is important to me to continue what we have started.

We told voters that if we were given a chance to lead that we would instill greater accountability and address areas of deficiency. We have done exactly what we said we would do. I believe that the toughest part was introducing change. People are usually reluctant to change; even if the change will make things better. Whether it is business or government, people do not want to leave their “comfort zone”.

I ran in 2003 on a platform of open and honest government which operated with greater public accountability. I promised to work to help make fundamental changes that were greatly needed. We have strived to increase accountability and better balance it with responsibility and authority.

Although there is still a long way to go I think it is clear to anyone watching the situation that a great deal of progress has been made. We are serious people with a serious mission of improving the County’s situation.

What is your Assessment of the county’s economic health? In what areas are we doing well and in what areas must we improve if the community is to move forward positively?

In 2003 the legislature passed a 9.5% tax increase. This brought the cumulative tax increase dangerously close to our constitutional tax limit. Voters sent a clear message to elected officials, either reign in massive tax increases, or over-burdened taxpayers would vote them out. Voters said that they wanted leadership that would put an end to fiscally irresponsible decision making and we listened. This legislature made considerable cost cutting measures a top priority and passed a 2.9% tax increase last year.

This year, for the first time in history, the legislature will have a budget on the table before the election. I believe that voters should have the right to know the tax rate for the following year before they are asked to decide who to vote for. If re-elected, I will advocate that we make this change a permanent requirement of legislators.

The previous legislature spent down the available cash reserve from over 4 million dollars down to about zero. Consequently, the county had to borrow to pay its operating expenses. This legislature passed a law that the county must maintain a 10% cash reserve. Two years ago Cortland County residents made a decision to change the leadership of their county government, since then, we have put over $8 million into reserve.

We promised responsibly administrated social service programs, where people in need could find help, and people who are able, are helped with the transition towards self sufficiency. We won an award from New York State for helping people who get off welfare to successfully stay off welfare. We increased our efforts in welfare fraud investigation and subsequently increased arrests for welfare fraud from 1 in 2002 to 15 in 2005.

We took the results of the NYS Comptroller's audit very seriously. We have satisfied all but one of the six areas of deficiency.

Are there current initiatives with which you are involved, and are there any new ones you might bring to the table?

As Chairman of the Highway Committee there are a number of initiatives that our committee is working on, since January of 2004 we have made considerable progress and given two more years we will complete the work that we have started.

Cortland County Highway Department Administration

• We hired from within the Cortland County Highway Department to fill the position of Highway Superintendent; elevating Don Chambers to this very important position.
• We promoted from within to fill the newly created position of Deputy Highway Superintendent; Bob Buerkle is number two and acting Superintendent in Don’s absence.
• We eliminated the Supervisor of Solid Waste position. In doing so, we were able to create a cost savings overall for the department.
• We improved scheduling of our employees and improved coverage on nights and weekends for snow plow routes in Cortland County. We worked with the Union and came up with better scheduling, and we have achieved this while reducing overtime expense.

Legislative Goals and Priorities

1. Continue to pursue Highway Department efficiencies by further reducing duplication of services between County Departments and continuing to pursue shared services and inter-municipal cooperation
2. Address staffing levels to meet the workload demands of the life cycle capital replacement program
3. Cortland County Infrastructure

• Cortland County has 1400 culverts, 248 miles of roads, 60 bridges and 1 dam. Our county has gone without sufficient funding for maintenance or replacement since 1962. Most of Cortland County’s box culvert structures were built in the 1930’s. We have developed a life cycle replacement plan to address the needs of the county’s ageing infrastructure. Our plan will fix culverts, and bridges, as well as replace and maintain county roads to ensure that our vital infrastructure is protected.
• Develop and approve a lifecycle replacement plan for county bridges, highways and culverts
• Develop and approve a long-term funding commitment for lifecycle replacement

4. Continue to pursue State and Federal Aid for highway projects

• Needed increases in CHIPs money as well as Marchiselli funding for improvements to local highways and bridges.
• Lobbied successfully to increase CHIP funding for highway improvements. Cortland County has been active pursuing highway funding from New York State. We have worked with organizations like NYSAC and NYSHSA to lobby for funding as well as by making regular office visits to our elected leaders in Albany.
  

Federal Funding

• Lobbied federal representatives successfully to increase the size of the Federal transportation bill known as TEA21.
• Increased federally aided project requests
• Cortland County has worked with NACo to lobby for increased funding as well as by making annual office visits to our elected leaders in Washington DC. One visit with Congressman Boehlert, resulted in a request for help with the completion of Page Green (Phase III) being funded directly in the reauthorization of TEA21.

More initiatives and goals

Complete 2005 proposed capital projects

South Main Street/Page Green project

• This project had been plagued with politics and delayed to the point where not only did the previous legislature jeopardize loosing our Federal funding on this project, but we were in jeopardy of not getting future Federal Aid projects as well if we could not get it done.
• We made getting this project on the ground as soon as possible a top priority. We worked with the new county attorney who obtained the necessary easements and executed the needed legal documents to allow the project to go forward.
• We preserved access to state and federal funds, which was threatened due to the inactivity on this project by the previous legislature; and we have worked to create relationships at the state and local level to increase our share of federal aid projects.

McGraw-Marathon Bridge

• Project to rebuild the bridge has been completed, and the bridge was re-opened to traffic on September 2, 2005.

Authorize Engineering study to determine the best course of action on Little York Dam and interface with Engineer on potential funding sources.

Authorize design and development of pre-cast structures in-house so that we can begin replacement of the deteriorating concrete culverts cost effectively

Develop a long-range equipment replacement schedule in order to replace aging equipment in a well planned manner.

Cortland County Recycling Center

• In May 2004, the county legislature authorized the expenditure of up to $2.985 million toward construction and equipping of a new recycling center, to replace the one that had been lost to a fire in 2002.
• In November 2004, the legislature approved the design for a new Cortland County Recycling Center and construction was completed on the new Recycling Center by May 2005, a 7 month period.
• During the design phase of our new center, we applied to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a grant in the amount of $900,000 to help reduce local taxpayer’s cost of constructing the new facility.
• Through diligence, our County Attorney John Bardsley was able to negotiate a larger than anticipated insurance recovery from the 2002 fire, about $2 million dollars.
• We initially anticipated that local tax dollars to pay for this project would be about $800,000. Ultimately we hope that very little local taxpayer money (~$60,000) will be spent to finance this project when the NYSDEC grant is received.
• We contracted with a third party commodity broker to maximize the return on our recyclables in the marketplace while saving money over the previous method.
• Operating our own Recycling Center has saved Cortland County Taxpayers $50,000 to date over what the county had been spending prior to opening the new Center. As more business is generated, more dollars are added to revenue, saving taxpayers even more money.
• Complete the center under budget and open on time with trained personnel
• Create a successful recycling operation and work to increase volume and revenue over time
• Develop and execute an educational campaign designed to promote recycling
• Work to establish municipal agreements for recycling
• Investigate feasibility of recycling electronic appliances and/or household hazardous waste
  

Cortland County Landfill

• Remarkably, the Cortland County's landfill permit had lapsed more than 10 years ago. We made this deficiency a priority. We took the necessary action to renew the permit, shielding us from noncompliance penalties and potential liability costs.
• Cortland County spends an inordinate amount of money to haul leachate (the rain water that filters through the landfill) to the City of Cortland’s Waste Water Treatment Plant. We have hired an engineering firm to design an on-site leachate treatment system or a leachate pipeline in conjunction with a needed capping project of cell 1A of the West Side Extension Landfill. In combining these two projects together, we can get money from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to help fund a more economical approach to the disposal of leachate.

Obtain sources of alternative daily cover i.e. processed C&D

Authorize study for Leachate treatment and/or disposal cost savings

Educate legislature and general public on the need for a capping project to possibly include funding for a pipe line or on-site leachate treatment

Cortland County Airport

• The current airport master plan was created in 1970’s and was in need of an update.
• A revised master plan is currently in development and will be completed by December, 2005.
• We conducted a Bid advertisement for lease of Main Hanger #1 resulting in an additional Fixed Base Operator who is running both a flight school and a repair operation at Cortland County Airport. This activity results in increased fuel sales and revenues at the airport.
• We replaced the asphalt apron around the hangers and made other needed improvements to the hangers.
• We are receiving higher lease payments from the T-hangers and the Main Hanger #1.
• Through lobbying efforts, we received $419,400 in federal funds and $23,300 in state funds for the update to the master plan and the T-hangar renovations.
• Through lobbying efforts, we received another $201,400 in federal funds and $5,300 in state funds for the replacement of the automated weather observation system (AWOS) and upgrade of fuel sales metering and accounting computer system.
• Develop airport master plan and airport business plan
• Develop long-range space utilization plan and bid long term contracts on hangers
• Assess level of need and ROI for MH-1 repairs
• Authorize Fuel System grant application and implement replacement
• Implement airport master plan projects
• Oversee installation of AWAS III

Cortland County Parks

• We added an elevator to Little York Pavilion in order to make the second floor handicapped-accessible and a new sprinkler system for greater safety.
• We renovated the restrooms and added a handicap-accessible bathroom.
• We gave Cortland Repratory Theatre a long term lease so that they could plan for the future and invest in improvements and upgrades.
• Attract NYS Dept. of Parks and Rec. to locate a NYS park in Cortland
• Work cooperatively with the Tioughnioga River Trail Commission to construct Phase I of the trail from Yamen to Derkey Parks
• RFP food and beverage vendors and explore external structure for cooking

As an elected representative, what will you do to promote commerce growth in Cortland County?

As a business owner in Cortland County, I am well aware of the challenges faced daily by those in the business world. I know first-hand that high utility costs and high state and federal taxes take their toll. I will continue to work towards initiatives that help all businesses, big and small, in Cortland County.

I am a strong supporter of the IDA/BDC and the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce. I believe that the county funding expended on by these agencies is essential to the long-term growth and health of the local economy.

I believe that there are three very important prerequisites of good, strong, successful business development. First, we must keep property tax increases to a bare minimum. By keeping taxes down, we are not only helping homeowners, but business owners, and landlords, including commercial property owners as well. I believe that business growth happens in part as a result of profitable businesses. If the county tax bill is less, that leaves more money for things like: increased capital investment, adding new employees, employing new technologies, additional training; more operating capital allows businesses to take advantage of greater buying power, expand marketing efforts, and ultimately increases the needs for other service providers. Lower taxes equate to business growth and a higher profit margin for business owners.

Second, we must offer a quality of life that will make our county an attractive place where entrepreneurs will want to live and raise their families while they build their businesses. If re-elected, I will continue my efforts to get a NYS Park located in Cortland County and help complete the first leg of the Tioughnioga River Trail. Cortland County was recently recognized as one of the “Best Small Towns in America”; we need to get the word out and continue to make improvements in the quality of life in order to attract future employers.

Third, we must have a healthy transportation network for movement of goods and employees. Currently, we are in the process of working on a twenty-year plan to improve and maintain county infrastructure. Our infrastructure is essential to both attracting new businesses to our area and attracting existing businesses to stay and grow. If re-elected, I will continue to work diligently to find the funding to address the transportation needs in Cortland County. I am in frequent in contact with our local representatives in Albany and Washington, DC, lobbying for funding.

Kurt Behrenfeld's Page

Here are some links that Sixth Ward voters may use to focus on Kurt Behrenfeld's information more closely.

Constituent Information

Palm Card
Kurt's Message to the 6th Ward

Committee Success Stories

Budget & Finance

Economic Success

County Economic Overview

Paul Allen's Page

This page has links that should allow Ward 14 voters to learn more about me.

As always, I encourage voters to talk to me. Call me at 543-0336 or e-mail me.

Use the "Back" button on your browser to return to this page after following a link.

I look forward to your support on Tuesday!

Constituent Information

Mailer & Palm Card
Letter of Endorsement

Committees

Highway Committee

Infrastructure (this you gotta see!)

Part 1
Part 2

Recycling Center

Success

More Issues

Don't let "FUD" distract you
Future Directions - what you will be voting on
Economic Report Card
Budget Released Before the Election

Answers to Questionnaires

Chamber of Commerce candidate questionnaire
Cortland Standard candidate questionnaire