Hi Rhinebeck and Clinton folks...
Just as Haas, Oberly, Carbonaro, and Paroli, Jr. all threw everything but the kitchen sink at me in their losing campaigns against me in 2003, 2005, and 2007, Dealy is doing same; need help to get facts out!
[have recently become aware of deluge of attack mail from Dealy hitting all your mailboxes; truth below]
Scroll down just a bit to see the facts on flow control (I'm against it, as my full-page ad in this week's Hudson Valley News confirms), the facts on county taxes and our county budget process last year, the truth about how a bail loan fund for some now in our county jail accused of nonviolent misdemeanors could save a million tax dollars a year, the truth about electrician licensing and Project Labor Agreements (they both save tax dollars and keep local jobs)-- and again, the truth about what really happened at Rhinebeck High School Oct. 23rd after I was INVITED to speak there and ALLOWED by teachers in two different classes to hand out campaign literature (after I had spoken in Rhinebeck High social studies classes for the last six years-- and in Participation in Government classes for the last 13 years all across Dutchess).....[sadly, Pok. Journal has shamelessly reported this in biased fashion]...
[...and yes, a number of folks are still wondering why Poughkeepsie Journal won't print their letters!...]
This election Tuesday SHOULD be about finding innovative ways the current looming county budget gap (without tax hikes, layoffs, or massive cuts to needed services), lowering taxes, creating jobs, protecting our farmland and open space from development, clean water, clean air, and clean government-- not cynical political games-- but Dealy (and his friends in media) want otherwise...
Please fwd this email along to all you know in Rhinebeck and Clinton...
...if you want to help preserve the first Democratic majority in our County Legislature in thirty years!...
[...and call me on my cell at 242-3571 if you have any time to help w/canvassing door to door, k?...]
Joel
[home: 876-2488]
http://www.DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com
p.s. Need to cover checks!...Send $ asap to "Keep Joel": 324 Browns Pond Rd. Staatsburg, NY 12580...
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THE TRUTH RE: FLOW CONTROL: MY OWN GREEN RIBBON REPORT ISSUED STRONG WARNING:
Fact: I've long made my feelings about flow control clear (see full-page ad in this week's Hudson Valley News; I make it clear I'm against it)-- and in fact, here's how the recently released Dutchess County Green Ribbon Solid Waste Management Task Force described it (frankly, personally, I didn't even want flow control mentioned in report)-- "Legislative flow control in Dutchess County may offer a prudent mechanism for the future funding of both waste disposal and recycling programs. It is very important, however, that all parties recognize that simply moving the current net service fee away from the County budget and imposing it on system users through correspondingly higher tip fees enforced through legislative flow control captures no real savings to taxpayers, homeowners and businesses. True waste and recycling cost reform is, however, available by elimination of the mismanagement currently dominating waste management in Dutchess County. We strongly recommend that the new PLAN evaluate each and every capital and operating cost line item incurred by the DCRRA, compare it to benchmark levels for similar facilities and identify ways to bring these millions of dollars of out-of-control spending levels into alignment with industry standards for the remaining life of the Agency."
[see various posts at http://www.DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com about this!]
THE TRUTH RE: COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES & LAST DECEMBER'S COUNTY BUDGET PROCESS:
Fact: Last December the first Democratic majority in thirty years in our County Legislature cut the County Executive's budget by $5 million, stopped the G.O.P. drive to force towns to increase local property taxes by $6 million to pay for the passed-on cost sheriff patrols and elections (Steinhaus is trying to do this again), and stopped G.O.P. drive to force everyone to pay $5 million more in sales tax on clothing and shoes-- and when the County Executive issued his vetoes and no Republicans wanted to override them, that added $6 million more to the tax levy for Dutchess County for this year. Period.
Fact: Members of the public WERE allowed to be heard regarding our 700 proposed budget amendments at the December 8th full board mtg. of our County Legislature last year; specifically, the following members of the public were heard by legislators that night regarding our 700 proposed budget amendments-- Robert Wright, Gail Webster, Jacki Brownstein, Judith Schneyer, Stan Merritt, Michael Long, Wayne Nussbickel, Milo Bunyi, Rich Carlson, Gus Kazolias (and even County Budget staff were allowed to speak at the Dec. 9th full board mtg. of our County Legislature as well). Period.
Fact: This can be verified by anyone viewing webcast: http://www.totalwebcasting.com/live/dutchess/ .
Fact: Last year the County Executive refused to share with the Legislature which line items in budget were reimbursable from state/federal government; sadly the County Executive here continues this policy to this day, despite recent Poughkeepsie Journal editorial criticizing him for this-- and despite the fact that even G.O.P. Orange County Executive Ed Diana's budget helpfully contains this information.
Fact: A large chunk of our proposed 700 budget amendments were our attempts to deny top-level county management double-digit salary hikes proposed by County Exec and G.O.P. (even in the face of recession they wanted 'em!); the only way we could try to cut these was line by line; that's what we did.
THE TRUTH RE: NEED FOR ELECTRICIAN LICENSING AND HOW I GOT AMENDMENTS ADDED:
Fact: Re: electrician licensing, as Co. Leg. Bill McCabe has stated many times, out of four house fires in one year recently in Union Vale alone that completely consumed those homes, three of them were due to electrical wiring (not overloaded cords or outlets)-- according to fire chiefs there themselves.
Fact: Dutchess County will save tax dollars with electrician licensing legislation-- proven already in Putnam, Greene, Rockland and Westchester counties; see: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SafeWire .
Fact: Because I made it clear to my own caucus and everyone (recall article on front page of last year's Daily Freeman on this) that I was on the fence on this issue because of my concern for general contractors not being hurt, I did take my name off this legislation-- and then I got amendments added to the law to make it easier for general contractors who can prove competence to be grandfathered in.
[recall-- Richard Morse stated publicly at Aug. 6th Red Hook Town Hall forum last year that he wasn't so concerned about long-time general contractors like him being grandfathered in because of my changes]
THE TRUTH RE: COST-SAVING PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS-- THEY DON'T DISCRIMINATE:
Fact: The Democratic PLA proposal does not discriminate, and with a threshold for county construction projects of $3,500,000, would only affect one 1 of every 20 projects; a March 2007 due diligence report commissioned by our own county DPW proved $770,000 could be saved with Project Labor Agreement for construction at Emergency Response Center and Highway Garage-- yet no PLA happened.
[note as well: Pataki & G.O.P. County Execs in Putnam, Rockland, and Orange co.'s embrace PLA's too!]
THE TRUTH RE: UNITED WAY BAIL LOAN FUND FROM TOMPKINS CO.; WOULD SAVE $1M HERE:
Fact: Dutchess County could easily save $1,000,000 a year with a bail loan fund here for some in our jail now merely accused of nonviolent misdemeanors (even the Daily Freeman strongly recommended this four years ago in response to idiotic, over-the-top G.O.P. attacks on this common-sense idea). Tompkins County's United Way agency Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources (long supported by G.O.P. and Dems there) saved $466,000 last year alone in boarding-out costs (5300 incarceration days) for taxpayers there-- bailing out 70 there merely accused of nonviolent misdemeanors. Late last month there were still literally 55 inmates here in our own county jail unable to find enough funding in their support network to make bail of $2000 or less (roughly the ceiling for bail loans in Tompkins County). The vast majority of the judges in Dutchess County are Republican; anyone with bail set at $2000 or less is clearly not a serious threat to safety. Dutchess County now spends literally millions of dollars annually housing out inmates to facilities in other counties Often the vast majority of Dutchess County inmates being boarded out are unsentenced (not convicted yet)-- and yes, even Dutchess County Sheriff Butch Anderson recently told me personally he was upset about the increasing waste of taxpayer dollars with so many people sitting in our county jail that used to be bailed out for low amounts by employers or family-- but aren't any more because of the recession: http://www.OARTompkins.com .
90 inmates a day right now are being housed out to jails in other counties-- at a cost of well over $100 a day-- multiply $9000 times 365 days in a year-- that's literally over three million dollars: unsustainable!
THE TRUTH RE: COUNTY-LEVEL INCOME TAX: FOR REFERENDUM TO SLASH PROPERTY TAXES:
Fact: Contrary to Dealy's attacks, all I've said (upon being questioned) is that I wouldn't oppose a referendum on a tiny county-level income tax-- as long as it's targeted purely towards property tax relief!
Fact: County Budget Office projecting $50M budget gap for 2010 budget; need to look at everything:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20091010/NEWS01/910100329 .
Fact: As I mentioned at the Oct. 7th Rhinebeck High School debate) how even Republicans like Marc Molinaro and Joel Miller (along with Kevin Cahill), have come out strongly for huge hikes in income taxes to cut property taxes because they know how hard we're all struggling to pay our property taxes-- and there's only so much fat you can cut from school budgets without cutting into crucial programs...
[see Molinaro and Miller on this-- http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=103&sh=story&story=25529 ;
http://assembly.state.ny.us/member_files/102/20060628/ ;
http://propertytaxideas.nysenate.gov/akira/pmd/2174-3904 ; join 71 others in region signed on to support Cahill on this-- http://www.petitiononline.com/FAIRTAX ]
Fact: As Cahill and Schumer have pointed out, we in the middle class still pay about twice what millionaires pay as a percentage of their income in state and local taxes-- because property and sales taxes have skyrocketed over last 40 years to make up for huge tax cuts for rich in Albany and D.C.
[see: http://www.itepnet.org/whopays.htm ; http://www.abetterchoiceforny.org/topten_mil.html -- Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" refers to tax rates under Ike: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ILikeIke ]
Fact: Almost 90% of all new jobs are from small business; property taxes, not income taxes, kill them.
[see: http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbfaq.pdf ]
Fact: Obama was right last Oct.-- 98 percent of small business owners make less than $250,000 a year.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/oct/16/barack-obama/most-small-businesses-wont-be-subject-to-obamas-ta/
Fact: Hundreds across Dutchess over the years have endorsed local income tax to cut property taxes: click on these three links (and then "view current signatures") for names and comments from hundreds:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Fairness , http://www.petitiononline.com/fairtax ,
http://www.petitiononline.com/stopcuts .
Fact: Fiscal Policy Institute Ex. Dir. Frank Mauro has crunched the numbers on some local possibilities:
http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/dutchessRPTlevies.htm ; http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/dutchess1999and2000.htm ;
http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/dutchess2001.htm ; http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImpactatDifferentIncomeLevels.htm .
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THE TRUTH RE: MY SPEAKING TO RHINEBECK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OCTOBER 23RD:
Fact: Rhinebeck High School student Marti Nadel posted the following to Facebook Thursday night:
From http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164414305255&ref=ss ...(Facebook event page)...
Marti Nadel (Rhinebeck Junior - Senior High School) wrote at 11:47 pm Thursday:
"Criticizing Mr. Tyner for coming into our classes and speaking with us is one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard. He has every right to come in and speak with us, and I am glad that he was interested enough to come visit. If Mr. Dealy wanted a stab at us as well, he was extremely capable of setting that up. This seems like the Republican way of scrambling for any way to unfairly sway the public's opinion in their favor yet again. I feel that two students' dissents are most definitely not enough to sum up all of our students' reaction to your presentation. I really appreciated you coming in Mr. Tyner. Good luck on Nov. 3rd, regrettably I cannot vote yet."
Fact: More and more students and families just like Marti are becoming more and more outraged;
not just Finn & Danny Shanahan: but recent RHS grad Emily Downing also coming to Mon. rally, more...
Yep-- I'm organizing a Rally for Democracy and Free Speech tomorrow (Mon. Nov. 2nd) at 4 pm in front of the Rhinebeck Town Hall (at 80 East Market Street) to stand up for democracy and free speech!...
Again-- right-wing media machine here locally has made it clear they want to take me down on this...
Help me stand up for democracy, free speech, and the First Amendment to our Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The fact is (see below) that I have, for literally the last thirteen years, spoken at Participation in Government classes in high schools across Dutchess County repeatedly without incident or complaint...
Perspective-- a review of the last 13 years of my speaking at area high school PIG classes is in order:
1996: I speak at high school Participation in Government classes re: my state Senate campaign.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about my campaign...]
1998: I speak at high school Participation in Government classes re: my state Senate campaign.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about my campaign...]
2002: I speak at high school Participation in Government classes re: my NY Assembly campaign.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about my campaign...]
2004: I speak at Rhinebeck High School classes re: County Legislator issues affecting them.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about these issues...]
2005: I speak at Rhinebeck High School classes re: County Legislator issues affecting them.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about these issues...]
2006: I speak at high school Participation in Government classes re: his NY Assembly campaign.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about his campaign...]
2007: I speak at Rhinebeck High School classes re: County Legislator issues affecting them.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about these issues...]
2008: I speak at Rhinebeck High School classes re: County Legislator issues affecting them.
[...and there are no problems, issues, complaints raised regarding my speaking about these issues...]
2009: I speak at Rhinebeck High Participation in Government class re: issues, my Co. Leg. campaign.
And the Dutchess County G.O.P. Committee Chair inexplicably goes into fits of apoplexy over this...(!)...
Again-- I really and truly need as many of you as possible to please come out and join me Mon. for this:
[fact is that I myself have noticed quite a bit of campaign materials being handed out in Rhinebeck High School by Dealy campaign staffers and other Republicans-- but G.O.P., media going into fits re: below]
Some background-- Thursda afternoon I became aware of a press release from Dutchess County Republican Committee Chair Michael McCormack criticizing me for speaking recently to two classes (John Cahill's and Rena Genther's) at Rhinebeck High School on October 23rd (two classes that Dealy could have spoken to if he had asked-- but G.O.P. preferred, obviously, to raise ruckus)...
Note-- the fact is that I've come in to the school many times over the last six years to update students on various issues and answer their questions, having graduated myself from Rhinebeck High School in 1981 after serving as Student Body President-- I've always been aware of the importance of getting people of all ages, especially young people, involved in the political process for our democracy to truly be a participatory one... (recall my essay contests-- http://www.petitiononline.com/ouryouth )...
[and I've also worked for last 2 years w/high school's Environmental Club re: http://www.350.org events]
Curiously, out of roughly fifty students I spoke to Oct. 23rd (the vast majority of whom seemed to appreciate my presentation, frankly), McCormack cited in his press release today just three letters from students-- with two of them being from the current Republican Rhinebeck Town Supervisor's niece (Hannah Traudt, niece of Tom Traudt, G.O.P. candidate for re-election)-- and a current Republican Town Boardmember's son (Nicholas Washburn, son of Bruce Washburn, G.O.P. candidate for Highway Superintendent)-- and 3rd letter being from Marielle Byrum (apparently Nicholas Washburn's girlfriend).
Is it any surprise, really, that everything I said Oct. 23rd was not exactly welcomed with open arms by Traudt's niece or Washburn's son-- or the girlfriend of Washburn's son?...(come on, people)...
The fact is that my presentations in both classrooms were warmly received by the vast majority of students-- judging by appreciative applause and positive comments I received...
County G.O.P. Chair Michael McCormack has truly sunk to new lows this time-- making a mountain out of a molehill for the ultimate red herring just days before Nov. 3rd...(with local media playing along)...
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Fact: "In February, a Poughkeepsie Journal investigation found the county will spend about $2.5 million this year on health insurance for 195 employees and elected officials who are not required to contribute to their own insurance premiums. If the new bill is passed as proposed, the county could save about $393,000 annually based on the 2009 cost, Journal research shows." [from Oct. 12th paper--
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20091012/NEWS01/910120328 ]
Recall Oct. 11th PoJo editorial rapping Steinhaus-- "Cost Shifts Do Nothing to Help Taxpayers":
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20091011/OPINION01/910110330 .
Let's not forget the truth about the horror show of a budget Steinhaus submitted last Nov. for 2009:
Poughkeepsie Journal Editorial (12/14/08):
"Steinhaus' $395.7 million budget proposal had elements that were simply unworkable." "He pitched his budget plan as a way of holding down property taxes - when, in fact, the plan would have raised property taxes on the local level by forcing municipalities to pay for more services."
Daily Freeman (11/3/08):
"A closer look at (Steinhaus' budget) shows the plan apparently fails to meet legal obligations, anticipates funding streams that don't currently exist and holds the potential for a shortfall reaching into the tens of millions of dollars."
Dutchess County Supervisors & Mayors Association (11/12/08):
They "met to discuss what financial impact the recently proposed 2009 Dutchess County budget might have on our respective municipalities. The sixteen Supervisors, Mayors and representatives gathered were consistent in their comments that day; the results could be disastrous. Specifically, shifting the cost of elections as well as the cost of routine Sheriff's road patrols to the municipalities may add tot he appearance of a zero tax increase for county taxpayers, but the fact is that it would only be a shift in cost to municipal taxpayers. The members of the DCSMA strongly believe that Dutchess County manages these services and should remain the taxing entity." "Adding the cost of County services to municipal budgets would necessitate raising municipal taxes, and likely force the cutting of municipal staff and services."
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Four More Innovative Ways to Save Tax Dollars I'm Promoting-- That Pat Dealy is Against....(why?)...
Fact: Dutchess County could save hundreds of thousands annually on electric bills for county buildings if the county joined the Municipal Electricity and Gas Alliance-- as Putnam, Ulster, Sullivan, 20 other counties across NY have done; NYS Association of Counties endorsed: http://www.MEGAEnergy.org .
[I actually got a resolution passed for this to happen last year; no PoJo coverage; Co. Exec ignored.]
Fact: A March 2007 due diligence report commissioned by our own county's Department of Public Works proved $770,000 could be saved with a Project Labor Agreement for construction at our county's Emergency Response Center & Highway Garage-- yet no Project Labor Agreement happened; note as well-- $3.5 million threshold means only 1 of every 20 county construction projects would be affected.
[see: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/09/facts-re-plas-electrician-licensing.html ;
http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/09/dealys-pathetic-attacks-rebutted-below.html
Fact: Literally millions of our county tax dollars are spent annually on county contracts, given to companies (often from outside Dutchess County), who we're supposed to believe it's all a coincidence that they've often repeatedly made very large donations to the County Executive and/or the Dutchess County Republican Committee, according to public records at our County Comptroller's office and our county's Board of Elections. Even the Poughkeepsie Journal has twice now strongly editorialized for this to be addressed with a law here as in Rockland County-- a $100 limit on donations from vendors.
[see: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/re-pay-to-play-in-dutchess-county-brand.html ]
Fact: Zero-waste approach to resource recovery saves tax dollars, create green jobs, cut carbon levels.
"Worcester (MA), Portland (OR), Seattle/King County (WA), Hawaii County, Oakland, and Los Angeles are all examples of communities that have rejected incineration, invested in recycling and composting, and have saved tax dollars as the costs of solid waste management have gone down. This has been accomplished because solid waste has been reduced by diverting materials to the private sector which hire workers, pay taxes and expand the local tax base. For example, Oakland has created over 1000 jobs in the last decade as a result of a rejected incinerator there and investing in recycling and composting. Austin, Texas in l986 rejected an incinerator and invested in recycling and composting. They lost $22 million when they cancelled the plant-- but saved $120 million over the 20-year proposed life of the plant." [Institute for Local Self-Reliance President Neil Seldman-- http://www.ILSR.org ]
[see recent Daily Freeman on this:
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/10/10/news/doc4ad00d40ad833049659457.txt ;
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/October09/09/DC_GRTF-09Oct09.html ]
Fact: The current costs for our Resource Recovery Agency are out of control-- over six million dollars to be paid this year on top of $11 million to be paid by system users. This adds up to a total cost of $125/ton-- much higher than any other publicly owned incinerator of the same size in the state (usually about $85/ton)-- and unlike all other publicly owned facilities, these costs do not pay off all of our county incinerator's debt; this debt goes on well after the incinerator's service agreements.
Fact: I led investigation of our county's Resource Recovery Agency this year-- and move to put $4.7 million of their budget into a special line in the 2009 budget-- to have only as little as possible allocated.
Fact: Ten years ago in a column I wrote for the Taconic Papers I exposed how $53 million was being flushed down the drain by our county's Resource Recovery Agency by refinancing our county incinerator through First Albany Bank without going proper Request for Proposal bidding-out process.
Fact: I voted in 2007 with Democratic Caucus against wasting millions of tax dollars by extending life of Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency bonds to 2027.
[and why did Dealy lie @ 9/23 debate saying the Green Ribbon report calls for shutting down DCRRA?
and why did Dealy lie @ 9/23 debate saying the Green Ribbon report calls for 2 new landfills in county?
see: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/09/dealy-lies-3x-in-debate-fact-is-green.html ;
Green Ribbon report here-- http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/assets/pdf/BK142669916.PDF ]
Recall these great investigative exposé pieces from Pok. Journal's MB Pfeiffer over last several months:
May 10th: "Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency: Inefficient, Expensive, and in Debt"
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090510/NEWS01/905100344&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
May 31st: "Resource Recovery Agency: Padded Budgets or Solid Plans? County Subsidy Total is $5.4 Million More Than Needed Since '03"
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20090531&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=107060002&Ref=AR
July 12th: "No Bid Deals Might Add to Agency's Financial Trouble"
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090712/NEWS01/907120337
Fact: Zero-waste expands tax base in private sector-- "On per-ton basis, sorting/processing recyclables alone sustain 10 times more jobs than landfilling or incineration." [Institute for Local Self-Reliance]
[see: http://www.ilsr.org/recycling/recyclingmeansbusiness.html ]
Fact: More than two thirds of the materials we use are still burned or buried, despite fact we have technical capacity to cost-effectively recycle, reuse, or compost 90% of what we waste.
[see http://www.StopTrashingtheClimate.org ]
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