PUT UP A SMOKESCREEN AND PASS THE BLAME IN COPAKE

To the Editor PUT UP A SMOKESCREEN AND PASS THE BLAME IN COPAKE I'm sorry if I seem to write often, but I hate to see misinformation and misleading information put forth in an attempt to smear others. In your October 15th issue, you published a letter to the Editor from Reggie Crowley, Copake Town Supervisor, under the headline "Copake super faults last board's math". Early in October, Supervisor Crowley submitted a tentative budget to the Town Board for 2010 that, by the calculation of the Town's accountant, called for a 57% tax increase. He takes exception to variations on that amount such as 56%. My , what a difference. He comes forth in the letter stating that the increase is only 32%. My, my, that is a difference. How did he get such a wondrous reduction? He didn't include expenses to pay for special districts, such as Fire and Lighting. Add those amounts back in and we're back in the mid fifty percent range again. We have to pay those taxes so why delete them from the calculation? Now for the blame game. In late 2007, the then Democratic controlled Board, prepared a final budget for 2008 calling for a 2.7% increase, less than three percent in an effort to keep our taxes reasonable. Some of a large reserve was used to keep the increase low, but $75,000.00 was left in the budget as a reserve for future needs. Reggie Crowley took office January 1, 2008. If he thought that the budget needed adjustment, he could have started cutting costs then, but he didn't. He prepared a budget for 2009 when his party was in control of the Board. He kept the tax increase low by using a smokescreen - overestimating income from real estate transfers and mortgage recording, even if everyone else knew that those amounts were falling because of the poor economy. He cites overestimates in income by the 2007 Board. He was in power when income started to fall from all sources during 2008 but he did nothing to cut spending. He now blames the Democrats for that failure on his part. Instead, he used the balance of the reserve. Instead, he failed to reduce anticipated income for 2009. Now comes the 2009 reality, not the smokescreen. Because of the overestimation of income, the budget by early August showed that we would end the year short $200,000.00 to pay our bills. What to do? Borrow $200,000.00 instead of first looking to cut expensed to reduce that deficit. The Democrats on the Board fought that and as a result of their perseverance, cut spending by $100,000.00, leaving $100,000.00 to borrow, to borrow and pay interest. Reggie, cut the smokescreen. The deficit and the need for a huge tax increase (only 32%? by his numbers) came about under his supervision. Point your finger at others, but when the smoke clears, you were responsible. Remember Harry Truman? THE BUCK STOPS HERE!! Take responsibility. Morris Ordover Copake, New York