North County News Columnist Anthony Bazzo nearly has it right in his latest column, “Zeroing in on Peekskill’s tax-happy Dems.” We encourage you to buy the paper and read his analysis of the City’s latest budget. The one place he errs is in promising to congratulate “the new supermajority of Democrats” if they fulfill their campaign promises, like hiring new police and fireman, by raising taxes next year. On this point, his opinion has been shaped by his good friend Darren Rigger, who is a self professed tax-and-spend liberal.
No one running on the Democratic ticket ever said they agreed with Rigger’s profligacy. Indeed, having listened to the new majority, and having received and read all of their campaign literature, not once did they say they would have to raise taxes to deliver their promises.
To the contrary, they implied, when they didn’t flatly state, that they would complete Target and other commercial developments in the City that would increase revenue far more than they would consume in new City services.
They promised increasing services in a revenue-neutral manner.
Everyone we have talked to understood the same.
Mr. Bazzo, if you disagree, put aside Rigger for a moment, and get the opinion of a businessman like Councilman-elect Joe Schuder.
North County News Columnist Anthony Bazzo nearly has it right in his latest column, “Zeroing in on 
2 comments:
Dear Peekskill News:
I am sorry, but you cannot fulfill their promises without raising taxes. If you read my column you will see just to keep the hires from three years ago, that will cost $400,00.00 each and every year they are on the force.. Add two new hires plus at least one fireman, throw in the other promises, can't be done revenue neutral. As I always took it as a given that they would have to raise taxes to keep pace with future expenditures, I disregarded their pie in the sky "revenue neutral". There is one codicil, if they completely raid the reserve fund. Any body who believes they were voting for a fiscally responsible team deserves what they get.
Thank you though for the mention, I like the picture. You must know me well to know my like of Sinatra.
P.S. Show me where in Peekskill, Yorktown, Westchester County, or even Putnam Valley one fiscally responsible Democrat Majority.
BAZZO 12/12/07
Dear Readers:
This was the Peekskill News' reply to my response:
Thanks for your comment. I think we're on the same page. If they move quickly to fulfill all their campaign promises, they will have to raise taxes. BUT my point is, this isn't what they said on the campaign trail or in the debates. They said, the GOP can't get the job done but we can. No only will we deliver the development they can't, but here is how we'll spend the additional revenue -- cops, firemen, free parking, etc. Foster made a huge point about how she opposed tax increases, and Schuder said you can't spend money till you raise revenue. At least that's what I and others were led to believe. Who is writing those naive editorials at the NCN? Must be Sam Barron again. As you point out, if the budget had been voted on before the election, everyone running for office would have had to vote for a 0% increase.
MY COMMENT:
Mary's promisies regarding taxes during the campaign are moot after her budget vote and the reasons why. I may be incorrect that she said she would during the campaign, however when it came time to vote, Mary and Don (and echoed by the NCN Editorial) wanted a tax increase.
If any other Government Body enacted a 0% tax increase it would have been hailed a good for the people. Look at the compliments Cortlant gets for a 1% and Yorktown gets for a 3.3%, both Democrat controled. The Republicans do 0% and are called Machiavellian.
The fact is this was a good budget, and Mary and Don voted no because they wanted to increase taxes.
bazzo 12/13/07
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