But the Public Safety budget has increased by $Millions in just a few short years. There should be cost-saving measures first before borrowing more money. The last tax increase we had was to cover payments on outstanding debts which means the Town has gone over the edge. The next tax increase we will see for next year will require the Board to vote to over-ride the tax cap. Current spending and borrowing cannot be maintained with current revenues. The Hicksville parking garage should have been maintained but wasn't and had to be condemned. What happend to the money for that facility?
Find savings first before borrowing more... and since the Bond Rating was lowered last year, TOBAY taxpayers will be paying more.

Mike, I present Exhibit A: The Hicksville Garage. Not maintained and it was condemned. That cost the taxpayers $36.4 million.
In the Bond Rating downgrade, lack of foresight was mentioned. TOBAY reserves are depleted while spending and borrowing have increased and taxes have increased. Facts are facts.

Mike that's pretty disingenuous. Venditto has been going after the Unions to make concessions (which I agree with by the way) so you can't make the claim he doesn't want to fix the budget "at the expense of hard working Town employees". A more accurate statement would be "Venditto doesn't want to fix the budget on the backs of the cronies he put in Public Safety."

Sorry I need to make a snide comment

"All in all we are doing opretty well in TOBAY as contrasted with other levels of Government...."

Compared to what? TOBAY has high taxes and tons of empty houses and stores. How can you even make that statement? IT has no basis in fact or reason. The US Gov't at all levels has been taken over by extremists and cronies on both sides of the aisle and the stupid voters keep voting in the same people term after term expecting something to change because they believe in their party instead of logic and reason. SO please please please do not make false blanket statements like "we are doing pretty well"

Mike, I'm all for maintanance. The Hicksville Garage was run down. And I can tell you I've heard from people in other parts of the Town complaining about infrastructure especially roads. The garage was let to slide and then the public was lied to about its condition.
There are very hard working employees and then there are the patronage jobs. And there are alot of them. Lots of party committee people and family members working in the Town. Salaries have increased for the connected and jobs are available for the connected even in an economic downturn.

THere is no infighting because it has been run by the Republican majority for 20+ years. You blame the Federal gov't for local issues. I rememebr quite a few businesses that had signs asking Venditto to lower business taxes so the local businesses are blaming Venditto. YOu want to place blame at a higher level when most of the issues we face in TOB are due to decades of cronyism within the Republican party.

Our garbage is picked up by a service this isn't exactly rocket science. Some parks are clean some aren't. Many of the smaller parks are cleaned once in a blue moon. Some roads are kept in repair, some aren't. There are always zoning issues. THere are no major zoning issues like in TOH because no one really wants to build large economic hubs within TOB.

Please don't get me started on the narcissistic presentations at the Ice Skating Rink. Vendittos name is on over 30 signs within the building. His name is on the score board and everything else within the rink and outside of it.

Mike
I'll disagree with you on the roads here. Old Bethpage road has chronic seam open in the road, at least a mile long. It is a road hazard that get's attention to it, maybe once a year. It runs the length of the road, if you move across the road your tires catch. I have complained about it and all that gets done is a shoddy repair that lasts for a short time. The best way to cut spending is to do the job once and do it right.

1) You are talking about the most basic things gov't does getting done. It's not rocket science to clean a park of schedule garbage pick-up. Once it's running it keeps on running.
2) There is no bickering because it is one-party rule. No dissenting voices is bad government.
3) Town taxes are increased every other year, over 50% in the last 7 years, spending has increased, borrowing has increased - and borrowing for general operations which is a bad sign, the Bond Rating has been lowered and while everyone else is careful with money, the Town board gave itself double-digit pay increases.
The only thing keeping the Bond Rating from getting lowered again is the fact that the agencies know that the Town isn't afraid to raise taxes to increase revenue.

And zoning issues??? I can give you a personal hell story of zoning issues.

Mike, I made the Town aware that my street sign for the last few years has sadi "Avenue" instead of "Street." It still says "Avenue."
And Rebecca Alesia may be good for road waork but right after winning her first election to the board on the Taxpayer Revolt line she took off on vacation and missed the Town budget vote that increased taxes. THE most important job a council member has and she takes off 2 days after getting elected.