Vanacore Speaks Out On Incompetence, Corruption in The Town of Olive

I just received this e-mail from a correspondent covering the Town of Olive Budget Meeting. I am still getting over a drawn out cold. Notice that the correspondent is accusing a reporter, Gary, for the Olive Press, the Town newspaper, of relying on one-sided accounts of Town meetings from die hard partisan Democrat Sylvia Rozelle. I guess the Olive Press learns its reporting techniques from the major market newspapers and network television. Since American media is generally little more than (Democratic Party) partisan propaganda, it can never be relied on to report news. The Olive Press seems to be reaching for the stars and must be proud that its methods parallel those of the best-known Democratic Party newspapers and television stations.

The correspondent also points out that no one in the Town understood a resolution on retirement benefits but the board passed it anyway. My correspondent probably does not know that I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the subject of cognitive limits on rationality in the administration of pension law. Likewise, I ran into our committee person Craig Grazier flagging cars because of an accident on Route 28. Indeed, I got lost on the detour and about 20 cars following my lead all got lost too, speaking of cognitive limits on rationality.

>Hope you are feeling better...

I attended the short and sweet board meeting last night. As usual, it was a small turn out - and no press. I have to applaud Rita Vanacore for standing up and speaking out about the budget. Just as Berndt was about to take a roll call vote on passing the budget, she raised her hand and spoke out... "I know you are going to pass the budget - but I want to register my objection - I think you really should be tightening your belt and I feel that we should not be seeing any increase this year." Of course, that will not make the papers... you know Sylvia is not going to recount that to Gary so that it's printed.

>Her point is a solid one - if Berndt was attempting to reduce the budget instead of increase it, the unexpended balance of $475,000 WOULD have offset any increase. It's only because he would like to keep the status quo, and continue to have such large unexpended balances each year, that we end up with the increases. And of course, there is the cat and mouse game that is played with state aid each year. If you don't "need" it then you won't get it. I believe that is the way the Highway gets the "CHIPS" funds each year. If you lower the budget - you don't qualify. So there always must be an increase.

There were two resolutions - one was tabled because Helen Chase was not quite happy with the wording. The other had to do with Retirement Hours for workers. There is a new reporting system that needs to be done - and all employee hours for purposes of state retirement, were part of this resolution - perhaps it would be interesting to have a copy of it to better understand it. It was so confusing, they didn't even read the entire resolution - but passed it unanimously.

There will be two reports of interest coming up next month - the DEP will be reporting on the bridge repairs and the continuing saga of the bypass road they are building. That will be of interest since they will eventually be doing the railroad bridge in Boiceville as well as the 5-arch bridge in Boiceville. And of course the dividing wehr, or 15 arch bridge as some know it. Also the Esopus Creek issues will be discussed - this was postponed from a previous month - concerning flooding, I believe.

Peter was absent along with Craig & Donnie - most likely due to the horrific accident that closed 28 near the Pine View Bakery. I saw Craig flagging traffic when I left the meeting. I had hoped the road would be open, but it was not and I ended up helping a couple of folks trying to find their way over Bostock Mountain to Boiceville. With no signs - if you are not from here, you are easily lost - or at least think you are.

All in all, the meeting took a whole 30 minutes, even with all the confusion and discussion with Rita. Otherwise, it was pretty cut and dry. Bruce made a suggestion that turned into a "motion" and was seconded - that all cell phones be turned off during meetings. Rita actually suggested that they need to make an announcement at the beginning of meetings since many folks would not know of the "ruling" unless they were there. They thought that was a good idea.

Anyway - Tomorrow is the recount in Kingston - I wish I could be there - but I must work. I will be waiting to hear what happens. I'm hoping that Craig will edge Linda out. It would be great.
Talk to you soon,
XXXXX

Town of Olive Budget Badly Managed

It doesn't seem strange to Democrats that on the one hand their media, the New York Times and the like, have been announcing deflation while the Democrats raise taxes by 6%. Does it seem illogical to Democrats that taxes are going up when they are claiming that prices are going down? I guess not. Democrats are able to have prices going up and down at the same time. They are the Alice-in-Wonderland Party.

A correspondent attended the Town of Olive budget meeting. The Town officials here are wasters who have trouble answering questions and become insulting toward anyone who asks. In a town of about 4,500 people the Town is holding a near-million dollar bank account, rumor has it to build an un-needed office building. When people ask questions, the goosestepping socialists-in-power insult them.

My correspondent writes about the Budget meeting:

>...the Budget hearing the other night was a joke. There were the usual attendees - and a few people that seemed to be there as support to Berndt and company. Rita Vanacore was there - Donnie Van Buren was there - no press - and, oh yes - Linda Burkhardt's husband was there filling in for Linda... That's another joke...

Anyway, they shaved off about $100,000 from the original amount to be raised by taxes. Some of the area they used to do this were areas that they had capital reserves and could pull from them to offset any suspected deficit during the year. $20,000 here and $10,000 there -

They reduced some of the items they had high-dollared before - knowing it would be less actual cost - but still left a substantial amount that will likely be a cushion when all is said and done. They continued to undercut the expected revenues.

Berndt (Town Supervisor) is of a mind that by creating the unexpended balance, he can reduce the amount to be raised by taxes, without it creating too much of a stir each year. Few, if any, come and see what's happening. Even Berndt can't seem to see his own folly in doing things this way. If the budget numbers weren't inflated, there would be no need to raise the higher amounts. If things were more realistic, the amount to be raised by taxes would be the same whether you have the unexpended balance or you don't - he just can't seem to grasp that. What really bothered me was the Contingency account. They have allocated $75,000 to this fund - and 2008's balance was showing zero. So I asked what amount had been allocated to this account in past years - and was told it's always been $75,000... I'll have to look at some of my preliminary budgets - I still have them from when I was on the board... That amount conveniently disappears each year - what a slush fund that is...

I also have the percentages that each area has increased over last year. General Fund, Highway Fund, Fire District, etc. Overall, the amount that our taxes are going up will be 6.2%. There seems little chance of that changing at this point.

Bruce (Town Board) got quite impolite with Rita at one point during the evening... "I explain this again - what don't you understand about this?" He was rude and very demeaning to her query about the unexpended balance and how it works. She persisted and said that 11% of the budget is a large unexpended balance - and she would prefer to see much less - to which Berndt responded that "okay, so next year, when I come to you with only $75,000 in unexpended balance and have to raise your taxes even higher, you won't be so happy." and Rita responded back by saying that "she would rather have her money now than to be giving extra to the town."

Of course, there was no press at this meeting*...It infuriates me that this does not get out.

Then Berndt closed the public hearing for the night - and they started going over the bills and signing off on payroll. Sylvia passed out the minutes from the last meeting - and it was obvious that they were having their Audit Meeting. I believe that Berndt actually "announced" it as such just in passing - but nothing was brought up for discussion - and when all had finished doing that little chore, they closed that meeting and thanked everyone for coming. We were driving home at 8:32. So an hour. And not all of that for the budget.

It's amazing how asleep this town is. And it's a wonder why more people don't care. I don't understand it - and it truly makes me wonder why I bother to care so much.

Anyway - thought you would like to know a little more about what happened the other night.

*I'm not sure that our little local newspaper that comes for free in our mailboxes every two weeks is really "press". The writers are local hippies and housewives, at least one of whom is related to a Town official.