My Candidacy for Town Supervisor of the Town of Olive

Update: I lost the election.  

My chief interests in running are (1) property rights, (2) freedom of choice, (3) respect for home rule and localism, (4) volunteerism coupled with traditional values. I currently teach at Brooklyn College, a division of the City University of New York. I have been a full-time Olive resident since 2009 and first bought my house here in 1997. I went to summer camp in the area from 1964 to 1971.

Having grown up in Astoria, Queens, I attended the Bronx High School of Science, SUNY Binghamton, and Sarah Lawrence College. I finished two MBAs, one from UCLA and another in insurance from what is now the St. Johns University School of Risk Management. I went on for a Ph.D. in industrial and labor relations at Columbia.

I worked for ten years in corporate America in the human resource and employee benefit departments of several Fortune-listed corporations, including Johnson and Johnson’s corporate office.

In 1991 I served on the staff of the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee, where I worked on NYS pensions and the Office of General Services budget.

Since ‘91 I have worked as a professor of business administration and industrial relations, teaching about 10,000 students at Brooklyn College, NYU, Iona, and other colleges. I have published in excess of 30 academic articles on HR, employee benefits, and faculty political affiliation.

Issues

Taxes

Taxes need to remain low so that families and retirees are not forced to move away.  

 Town Plan and Property Rights

The town plan should emphasize residents' rights to own and use their property as they desire. 

Local Control 

Town authority should be retained and not transferred to New York City, New York State, or to regional authorities. 

Airbnb's

The issue of Airbnb's is complex. Externalities need to be balanced with property rights. My rights extend to where I affect yours.

Many local businesses profit from the money that comes into the town from Airbnb's. These include Tetta's Market, Olive's country store, the gas stations, Boiceville Supermarket, Marty's Mercantile, and property maintenance business. Many times the way an Airbnb is maintained is actually much nicer than if the owner themselves maintained it for personal use only and actually helps the neighborhood look nicer.  

Most local Airbnb's are quiet 99% of the time. These are two- or three-bedroom places that small families use to get away from the noise and bustle. In a few cases there may be issues concerning noise and disturbances.

I suggest the principle of observability. If noise and failure to maintain septic systems are not felt by neighbors, they are private. To the extent that they are observable by neighbors, then the neighbors can file a complaint, and the town must impose a fine to penalize legitimate harm.

There are additional questions of balance. Congestion that blocks thoroughfares cannot be allowed, but parked cars that do not obstruct are not an issue.

There is no need for regulation or inspection. These should be replaced by penalties that are sufficient to deter observable violations. In other words, penalties should be high, but regulatory costs and regulatory interference in property rights should be minimal. Maximal monetary penalties should be imposed on out-of-town visitors who are indifferent to residents' privacy, property, and personal rights.

An emphasis on liability rather than inspection can balance behavior so that property rights are respected and retirees can profit from their real estate while other residents are not harmed.