Mike Solomon for the Bedford Central School Board

The road to reform is a long one, but we have made some enormous strides in the last two years. Two years ago, we defeated two terrible school budgets that represented the old, union-driven way of doing business. Last year, the school board got religion and proposed a responsible budget, and it passed, with our help. We also defeated an incumbent and got the incredibly qualified Graham Anderson onto the board. Graham has proved a hard working and responsible board member. None of the disaster scenarios propagated by our opponents came to pass.

We need to send the board someone else who has the experience and backbone to stand up to the union, because it is the union and their insane demands that threatens our town and our children, and drives up our property taxes to the highest in the nation. That someone is Mike Solomon.

You have heard me speak in the past of the Suozzi Commission. This statewide commission made some excellent recommendations to the governor on how to control spiraling property taxes. Mike was on that commission. How fortunate are we that he’s willing to serve on our school board?

Albany, in partnership with the teachers union, is now at the heart of our problems, passing laws like Triborough. Mike knows the people and the landscape in Albany like no one else in our town. He would be a tremendous asset to the board, but most particularly in the area of legislative outreach, something board member Erika Long is also working hard on. (Two years ago, the board was part of the problem. Now, I’m pleased to say, they have become part of the solution. The voters may have helped with this epiphany. Our union and our state legislators need a similar epiphany.)

There’s a lot of other great stuff about Mike. He has a daughter at BVES, so his campaign is not simply about controlling costs. Mike knows that great schools and reasonable budgets are not mutually exclusive.

Public Sector Unions - the Worm Turns?

Saturday Night Live has always been a bellwether. That's why it was no small thing when they recently mocked public sector unions (many of which are, of course, teachers unions). The piece is hilarious and is called the 2010 Public Sector Employee of the Year Awards.

See it here: http://www.hulu.com/collections/435/144719

Why the Triborough Amendment Crushes All of Us

The following was submitted to Sane in Bedford by Howland Robinson:

Last November, Lt. Governor Ravitch said that both Dem and Repub legislators viewed reducing education spending as a ticket to an election loss, because it would provoke opposition from the Teachers’ Union. Well, the times, they are, a-changin’, and guess who’s ignoring the conventional wisdom?

Recently, 3 Democrat Assemblymen, Sam Hoyt (Buffalo), Ginny Fields (Suffolk County) and Michael Benjamin (Bronx), wrote the Union, saying that salaries are the single largest fixed cost in every school budget; that teachers must be part of the solution and voluntarily give up pay raises statewide this year to save more than $1 billion and prevent layoffs and larger class sizes; and that at a time when many people in the private sector have had their earnings drop significantly, public sector employees should give back something, too. The Buffalo News commented, "That Assembly Democrats — a group long accused by fiscal conservatives as being cozy with the state's big teachers union — would call on the president of the NYS United Teachers to help push for a pay freeze and signals the recognition by many rank-and-file lawmakers of the state's fiscal plight." Readers might gratefully recall that Bedford town officials, such as Lee Roberts and Boo Fumagalli, did without salary increases in 2009 and 2010.

But it's not just the state, Roberts, and Fumagalli biting the bullet. Friends and neighbors are losing jobs, having pay/bonus cuts, paying more taxes, moving to lower cost homes and low-tax states, watching their savings and investments for retirement and children’s education decline, reducing discretionary and charitable spending, and either can’t sell their houses, or sell at reduced prices. Reduced resident spending causes local businesses to suffer. Many fear the economic worst is yet to come. In such circumstances, a Union’s wish for salary and benefit increases (and resulting property tax increase), finds fewer receptive ears. Union focus on the larger economic forest rather than a one track focus on the salary trees would win more friends and influence more people. And some teachers are taxpayers. And some doubtless would like to be were property taxes lower.

Fiscal responsibility voters who elected Castelli, Astorino, Roberts, Chryssos, and Corcoran should understand the Triborough Amendment. NY is the only state that has one. Google for details, but the nutshell explanation is that Triborough is a credit card with required minimum SPENDING (in addition to payments) that, come hell or high water, regardless of outside economic conditions, you can’t cancel. Imagine your credit card institution requiring you to spend more when times are bad! Triborough prevents a teachers’ contract from ever expiring. Until a new contract is signed, the existing package of salary, benefits, automatic raises continues ad infinitum. Like Terminator, IT’S BACK. And in any new contract negotiation the Union thinks, “the existing contract is the worst deal we can get, let's ask for more.” Our, and all, NYS school board member wears Triborough handcuffs.

Think it doesn’t matter? My total annual Bedford property taxes consist of school (about 60% of the total), town (20%), and county (20%). Of the school portion, salary and benefits are about 70%. 70% of 60% is 42%. So about 40% of my total property tax bill is controlled on the down side by Triborough.

How to change Triborough? It's up to the voters. A school board and a union can change it by ignoring it in their contract; the Bedford Union so far refuses to do that. The NYS legislature can repeal it in whole or in part. A repeal bill has been introduced by Assemblyman Bob Castelli, keeping his pre-election promise. The most common partial change solution is, at expiration, to freeze existing salary/benefits package without increases of any kind. Freeze is the position endorsed by the NYS School Boards Association, the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Assn. (to which our district belongs), and the Suozzi Commission.

The good ship, Bedford, is in danger of sinking. The Teachers Union wants a lifeboat for its members, a salary increase. Instead, how about helping to keep the economic ship afloat for everyone by joining the 3 Triborough-defying assemblymen who are calling for a salary freeze?

Key Mega Church Meeting Tomorrow, April 27th

The Zoning Board of Appeals is holding a public work meeting tomorrow, Tuesday April 27th at 6:30 in the Court House, to discuss zoning issues related to the Bedford Community Church's application to construct a 37,000 sq ft building on Buxton Road.  A strong showing of concerned residents who are opposed to this project is requested.  Please make every effort to attend. See the attachment for details.

In my earlier email on this I pointed out the scale of the building itself. I should have also mentioned the parking lot. To get an idea of the scope, think of the parking lot at the Target/A&P complex. Now imagine it along Bedford Center Road. Does this strike anyone as good for our community and its rural character?

Try to make the hearing and be heard. Be polite but don’t be afraid to show a little anger.

Albany's Den of Thieves

As we look to Albany to answers for problems like the Triborough Amendment and Wick's Law, has anyone pondered the following?

We have an unelected governor.

We have an unelected lieutenant governor.

We have an unelected state comptroller.

We have one unelected senator.

Our ex-state senate majority leader is on his way to jail for fraud.

Our current senate majority leader looks like he's on his way to jail for fraud and theft of public money.

Who would ever move here?

Scarsdale Teachers Compromise - Where's Bedford?

The Scarsdale teachers union has agreed to accept smaller raises:

http://scarsdale.patch.com/articles/teachers-vote-to-cut-raises-by-1-saving-district-128m

Adam Yuro (president of the Bedford union), are you paying attention? In the past, you have always cited the (equally dysfunctional) surrounding districts as your precedent for an endless flow of increased salaries and benefits. The worm is turning.

Most people I know are just happy to have jobs right now, let alone actually get raises. The board has simply asked that you accept smaller raises so as a town we can actually afford you. And yet you remain intransigent. This intransigence is losing you public support by the day. Even school parents are beginning to see that the problem here is not the generosity of the taxpayers but rather your union.

Unions have slowly been destroying public education for years. What we're seeing now is an acceleration of that process.

School Budgets Defeated Throughout New Jersey

Chris Christie, a politician who is showing us some serious guts, urged voters to reject budgets in towns where teachers unions have refused to modify their overly generous contracts. Yesterday, voters rejected budgets in a majority of towns across the state. This blog has some interesting coverage:

http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/2010/04/earthquake-in-new-jersey-majority-of.html

It should be noted that Bedford's union has refused any compromises in their contract. (The proposed budget does, however, assume that they will - more on this to come soon.)

Setting the Record Straight - Teachers NOT Working for Free

I've been hearing words to the effect, "Those poor teachers are working without a contract." The words usually come from a parent who has been fed this line by a teacher.

Everyone in the Bedford School District needs to understand that this does not mean teachers are working without pay. Quite to the contrary.

It is true that the school board and the teachers union has been at an impasse with regards to a new contract since June. But because of the Triborough Amendment, teachers are merrily collecting everything that was in their last contract, including generous raises every six months. They can continue to do this in perpetuity, and there's nothing anyone can do about it except call them out.

When the union says its teachers are working "without a contract," it is meant to elicit sympathy from you and me. They are deliberately letting us think they're not getting paid. Don't fall for it.

Shortly, I will outline quite specifically what a typical teacher with, say, 10 years experience makes, including all the benefits. You will no longer think them underpaid.

Mega-Church Update

The hall was packed with opposition the other night, but nonetheless I am told by someone in a position to know that the noise needs to get louder on this if we're going to get anywhere. Letters to the Record Review are always helpful. They can be submitted to recordreview@optonline.net.

Further, there a Zoning Board work session that everyone should attend on April 27th at 6:30 in the Court Room.

Hayworth May be the Real Deal

In news that may partly answer the question I posed in the last post, I have just learned that Nan Hayworth, who is the likely Republican challenger to resident socialist John Hall, will be attending the Tea Party today in White Plains. Good for her. Most (elected) Republicans I know act like the Tea Party is an inconvenience they'd like to scrape off their shoes.

We have out-of-control leaders in Washington and Albany who are radically advancing the power and control of government even as the public cries "no." As a friend of mine puts it, Tea Parties are a way to vote with your feet between elections.

If you're interested, the event is from 4-7 pm at the Westchester County Center. Here's a link:

 http://www.whiteplainsteaparty.com/events.html


For New Yorkers, there's an event from 7-9 on West 31st st.

Will New York's Chris Christie Please Stand Up?

I didn't support Chris Christie in the Republican primary; most prosecutors don't understand the economy and job creation. But this guy's turning out to be sensational. I like the way he directly takes his opponant's arguments and turns them on their head.

Your policies favor the rich. "We have the worst unemployment in the region and the highest taxes in America. That's no coincidence."

This is exactly how to deal with the worn out tropes of the left. For a closer look at how Christie is doing this, read this article in the WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303828304575180270979668714.html

It is a how-to guidebook for how all Republican politicians should be running for office. Rob Astorino used the same playbook when ran for County Executive this past fall, and he trounced Andy Spano. In one debate, Rob said, "here's what my opponent is going to tell you," and then he discredited each argument before Spano has a chance to even raise them. It was brilliant. Spano's whole playbook was blown up before he had a chance to say anything, and he was left sputtering.

Most Republicans politicians- still - are terrified to take stands on issues where they know they will draw liberal fire. We have Republicans like this right in our own back yard. For instance, ask a Republican if they favor small government and 100% will say yes. Ask that same person what specific programs they would cut, and watch them run out of the room because they're late for an appointment.

Christie has also thrown down the gauntlet to the teachers union in New Jersey, something no one in New York seems willing to do (Bob Castelli excepted).

We need to begin the Chris Christie cloning program.

Bedford Community Mega-Church

All:


The re-scheduled hearing for this massive expansion of the Bedford Community Church on Bedford Center Road is tomorrow night at 8 pm in the court room at the Bedford Town House on Cherry St. As a reminder, this is a 35,000 sq foot expansion that will actually reroute Buxton Road:

Before I pass on Roger and Nancy Vincent’s letter (they have been very involved in this), let me say that I have attended services at this church, and they were very nice. I particularly liked the music, and the people seemed nice as well. I have nothing against this church or its parishioners, nor does anyone else.

However, a couple of observations. I went to the peak Sunday service and counted perhaps 75 people. There were extra parking spaces in the lot. Yes, it was a vacation week for some, but still, the church was half empty. Why this sudden need for 750 seats? It’s because they want to increase their flock by building a grander facility, of course. Nothing wrong with that, except they are doing it in the wrong location. A country road in Bedford is a horrible place to build a regional mega-church.

Also, calling BCC a “community” church is quite misleading. Hardly anyone from Bedford attends. Again, this would not normally be my or anyone else’s business, except when someone wants to build a gigantic facility in the middle of our town that virtually no one from our town actually uses. And make no mistake, something like this will alter Bedford’s character. The 45 foot vestibule will be lighted at night and is designed to be seen from 684.

This is a “Field of Dreams” strategy. The Christian and Missionary Alliance, which is the evangelical organization behind the project, believes that if they build it, people will come. That’s fine, but why in the middle of a town with a rural character? No one would be allowed to build a house or a commercial enterprise like this, but church’s enjoy special legal protections, and sometimes they take advantage of this fact.

If you are curious about the Alliance, here is a Q&A from their website:

http://www.cmalliance.org/faq

Try to make it tomorrow and make your voice heard.

Here is a message from Roger and Nancy:

Building Application by Bedford Community Church

This letter is going to all our friends and acquaintances in the Town of Bedford because the above application, if approved without change, would have significant Town wide impact.

Summarized below are a description of the application, selected facts gleaned from the DEIS, concerns of ours we feel may be shared more broadly as the community becomes more aware of the issues and, finally, specific ways you can help.

What is this all about?

The present Bedford Community Church (BCC) is located on Bedford Center Road at the intersection of Buxton Rd. (about a mile out of Bedford Hills). BCC has filed an application with the Town to build a new church complex on a separate 13-acre parcel it owns on the opposite side of Buxton Road. Be assured that we have no religious bias. What disturbs us is the enormous size of the proposed facility on environmentally sensitive land, raising serious concerns relative to construction scope on the site, visual, traffic, historical and especially drinking water and sewage issues.

Facts from the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement)

The DEIS has now been filed with the Planning Board. When public hearings commence TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd, the public will have the opportunity to offer factual rebuttals to assertions made by the BCC in their filing, raise objections as to the impact of the proposed construction and otherwise voice opinions for consideration by the Planning Board. Some of the facts:

• Building structure = 35,500 sq. feet (37,000+ sq. feet by DEIS pp. II-5&6)
• Sanctuary seating = 720 adults + further seating for 360 in separate children’s sanctuary
• Additionally, separate banquet hall with seating for 250 at tables or seating for 360 “theater” style
• Parking for 240 cars
• 14 classrooms
• A sewage system, the size of which is yet to be determined so the original plan for 40 toilets is on hold
Concerns We Have
• SIZE: For the proposed location, this project strikes us as way out of scale.

o The square footage of the proposed structure would make it the largest within the “Primary Study Area” (1/2 mile radius). When the “study area” is enlarged to a 1-mile radius, the only structures that would be larger would be an Adam Street commercial building, the prison and two Bedford Hills apartment complexes, all of which are in mixed-use zoning area, whereas the proposed construction would be within a residentially zoned area.
o The proposed new sanctuary size would seat 720 adults (excluding the additional children’s seating of 360). As a point of reference, the existing BCC sanctuary seats 275. Currently, in Bedford the capacity of the largest houses of worship are: Temple Sharay Tefila-325; St. Matthew’s Church-300; Bedford Presbyterian Church-275; St. Mary of the Assumption-250 (the average of these largest houses of worship in our community being 288). So the proposed construction would be 2 ½ times the size of the average of the community’s largest houses of worship. Further by way of assessing the relative scale being proposed, the capacity of the Fox Lane Middle School Theater is 256 and the Fox Lane High School’s Mary Lou Meese theater seats 622.
o The size of the proposed parking lot at 240 overwhelms two well-known lots: the Katonah A&P lot at 142 cars and the Bedford Village A&P lot at 215.
• HISTORY CHANGING: The requested re-routing of Buxton Road to permit the consolidation of the two BCC land parcels. Why is this a concern? Buxton Road follows an historic route long predating European settlement.
• LIMITED ACCESS: The proposed site for the new facility can be accessed solely via narrow, curving town roads, some of which are unpaved consistent with the Town’s rural heritage. The increased traffic would be a danger to equestrian and bicycle traffic alike. (Go to the BCC website http://www.bedfordcommunitychurch.org/index.shtml to see all the streets suggested for use by the BCC in their directions.)
• MISMATCH: The sanctuary size, banquet facilities and classrooms seem hugely oversized for our community – IF IN THIS LOCATION.
• WATER CONTAMINATION: Run-off and sewage must be taken seriously due to its possible contamination of our local water supply as well as NYC’s.
This water issue is, perhaps, the most serious. The proposed building site sits directly above a sensitive fractured rock aquifer that provides drinking water for local wells. Broad Brook flows into the Buxton Gorge and on to the Cross River Reservoir. Local and area drinking water could well be endangered.
Nor is there a parking lot this large in all of Bedford, Katonah or Pound Ridge from which runoff flows directly into the ground water with the real potential for contamination from cars, pesticides, etc. Much of the parking lot is proposed to be pervious surface to address concerns about rain water absorbtion, but with the consequence of increased risk from car oil leakage.

Can this Matter be Resolved to Suit All Parties?

We believe so. It is our hope that active involvement by the community can lead to one of two outcomes that will be acceptable to the BCC, the community and the Planning Board.

Reduced Scale on the Site: If, as the name Bedford Community Church suggests, the applicant’s focus is to serve existing and prospective members in the Bedford community, we feel that the scope of the construction on the selected site should be scaled back very significantly. A substantially reduced scale would, in itself, result in substantial mitigation to many concerns with the application.

Full Scale on Alternate Site: If, the BCC wishes to proceed with the full-scale project as proposed, we feel that a different location in Town would be more appropriate. A location with direct on/off highway access to accommodate traffic flow from outside the community would result in substantial mitigation to many concerns with the application. This alternative would enable the BCC to build for the future they anticipate, but do so without the many risks of adverse impact to the environment and to the community.

What You Can Do

In the precedents there have been for the Planning Board to process a DEIS review and balance applicant and community interests, informed citizen’s groups have played a critical and constructive role.

Some years ago Buxton Road residents nearest to the proposed site formed the Friends of Buxton Gorge (FBG), to provide a legal structure for the retention of attorneys and other professionals to examine the BCC application in the multitude of technical considerations ultimately included in a DEIS.

FBG is the best-positioned entity through which community concern and support can be channeled. As TUESDAY APRIL 13th nears for public hearings on the DEIS by the Planning Board, much more help is urgently needed.

• Donate. The Planning Board evaluates factual data and welcomes facts presented by the community. The applicant has, and has had at its disposal for some years, legal, engineering, traffic, groundwater, and wetlands consultants. Experts to critically assess the applicant’s assertions are costly, but absolutely necessary. To date limited funding available for experts has been principally borne by residents of Buxton Road. Given the financial need and the impact across the Town, the first and most important way to help is by contributing to engage experts. Checks should be made out to Friends of Buxton Gorge and mailed to 150 Buxton Rd, Bedford Hills, NY 10507.
• Write. Write the Planning Board expressing your views.
Town of Bedford
Planning Board
Donald Coe, Chairman
425 Cherry Street
Bedford Hills, NY 10507
• Attend. The Planning Board meetings are open to the public. Come, listen and join in, if so inclined, to the dialogue on balancing the rights of the applicant and those of the community.
• Spread the word. A concerned and informed citizenry is a bedrock principle of our country and, more locally, of the Bedford community. If aspects of the BCC application concern you, you can help by spreading the word and/or sharing this letter with others.
• Get Involved. If you have suggestions or further ways to help, the best route is to contact Don Carniato, head of the FBG. Don can be reached at president@friendsofbuxtongorge.org. Visit the website http://friendsofbuxtongorge.org/ (updates expected shortly)
Thank you for your consideration of the concerns voiced in this letter.

Nancy & Roger Vincent

Chappaqua Joins the Fight Over School Spending

Fed up with property taxes and out of control school budgets, a group in New Castle/Chappaqua that call themselves New Castle Citizens for Responsible Education have started an excellent website:

http://www.newcastle-citizensforresponsibleeducation.org/home

It is filled with useful data and information. Many of the charts include the Bedford School District.

Basically, the issues that all our districts face are the same. Political corruption. Bad laws. Out of control unions. Fed up citizens.

Forbes Ranks States by Financial Woes - New York Wins!

No shock, right? Except maybe that we beat out New Jersey and California.

Here are the worst five states, as ranked by Forbes:

1. New York
2. Illinois
3. Connecticut        
4. California
5. New Jersey

Forbes points out that the common link between all these states is that they are solidly Democrat, and have powerful public sector unions (we're back to the teachers, again...). Who is going to start a business of any size in these states, when you know in advance you will have to pick up the tab for all the debt that's been accumulated?

Here are the five best states:

1. Utah
2. New Hampshire
3. Nebraska
4. Texas
5. Virginia

Texas manages this feat without any state income tax. Utah only spends $5500 per child on education. Before you say how awful this is, consider the following SAT scores:

                                   Reading                Math

Utah                              559                     558
National Avg.                501                     515
New York                      488                     504
Bedford/Fox Lane          550                     560

Yes, I know these comparisons are not purely apples to apples. But here in Bedford we spend $28,000 per student and have roughly the same performance as a state that spends one fifth as much. Make all the demographic adjustments you like, and you're still not in the same ballpark. Utah is getting the job done. Perhaps we should figure out how?

Bob Castelli Comes Through While the Teachers Union Does Not

Bob Castelli, out newly elected State Assemblyman, has followed through on two key campaign promises, one of which was made directly to our “Mad as Hell” crowd. He has introduced legislation to repeal both the Triborough Amendment, and the odious MTA tax. Way to go, Bob! Everyone should understand the guts it took to do this. The teachers union is by far the most powerful – and destructive – force in this state. Bob has now become a target, and he’s up for re-election this November. Expect money to flow into our district to beat him. He will need our support.

For those who have forgotten, the Triborough Amendment – a law unique to our state – says that if the teachers union in any school district doesn’t like whatever new contract the school board is proposing, they can simply keep their old contract for as long as they want. This includes raises every six months (although they call them “steps” so they don’t sound like…raises). In a nutshell, it leaves school boards zero negotiating leverage.

This is where Bedford finds itself now. As of last June, the board and the union have officially been at an impasse, so the union is perfectly happy to do nothing. Adam Yuro seems to think that if they just sit tight for a while, everything (i.e. the economy) will be back to normal. Only it won’t. Our county and state are in horrific shape, and it’s difficult to see how we pull out of it soon.

Parents also have to understand how destructive the union’s position is to their children’s interests. Last year, in order to pass a budget the town could afford, the system had to fire 40 teachers. I would argue that this hasn’t affected things too much, because there was lots of fat, although of course one feels for the teachers who lost their jobs. This year, to bring in a budget that is up approximately 1%, my understanding is that they will have to fire roughly another 45 teachers.

How can this be, you ask? If the budget is 1% higher, than why does anyone need to be fired at all? Short answer: all those built in raises – er, steps – have to be paid for.

I’m suspect another 45 layoffs will start to get painful. The thing is, it can totally be avoided if the union makes some pretty minor concessions (minor, especially, compared to the concessions most of us are making in the private sector right now.

What is the board asking for?

• That teachers pick up 20% of the cost of their health plans instead of 10%, which would then make them consistent with district administrators. Federal employees typically pay 25%, and private sector employees often 50%.
• That teachers accept pay raises of 3.2%, 2.2%, and 2.2% for the next three years. This is a slight moderation from what they would otherwise get.
• That the school be allowed more flexibility with regards to teachers schedules, including the right to ask teachers to work six periods per day (out of nine) instead of just five. Six is closer to the national average.
• Eliminate automatic raises for the first 15 years of a teacher’s career. Tie raises to performance and professional development, like in the real world. The union says they want to be treated like professionals so they should know that real professionals don’t get automatic raises for just showing up every year.

(I may not have these details precisely right, but I believe they are close. Perhaps a board member can correct me if there’s a mistake.)

The bottom line is that Adam Yuro and the other senior union members are willing to throw 45 teachers under the bus so they can get, in Yuro’s case, a roughly $7000 raise. And because of tenure (another insane aspect of our public education), most of the fired teachers will be those hired within the last three years, the ones who are the freshest and most enthusiastic. Still think the union is all about kids?

School budget season as well as board elections are upon us. There will be much to discuss.

Welcome to Sane in Bedford - the Mission Statement

This effort started a few years ago when I became alarmed at the rate of property tax growth in Bedford/Westchester County which had suddenly made Westchester the highest taxed county in the nation. I simply set out to figure out where all those taxes went, and I discovered they go to the following:

65%  schools

20%  towns

15%  county

In particular, I found the rate of growth in school budgets (7-8% a year) to be unsustainable and a threat to the long run viability our town.

I emailed some friends two years ago with my initial thoughts. This turned into a great “reply to all” debate leading into the school budget vote and we were successful in defeating the budget twice within 30 days, which hadn’t happened in eons. This, in turn, led to the school board proposing a much more responsible budget this past year (2009), one that resulted in holding the line on property taxes for the first time in memory. We also supported the candidacy for the board of Graham Anderson, who beat an incumbent handily (another unheard of event). This effort was not “anti-school” or “anti-children,” it was simply a desire to better balance the needs of all constituents in our town.

We have ventured beyond school issues, of course. We pushed hard to elect reformer Rob Astorino to County Executive, and Rob won by an incredible 16 points, a 26 point swing from four years ago. The message is that grass roots activism can work, particularly in certain environments. One of those environments is now, because people have realized that their political faith in others has led to them getting screwed.

There are a few of us (I am not alone) that have started paying a lot of attention to what goes on in local politics, and we pass on what we learn to you. We recognize that not everyone has the time or inclination to follow this on their own – it can get tedious, for sure – so we make it easy for them by sending out these periodic updates. Call it Cliff Notes for good citizenship. You are free to choose what to do with the information. Obviously, we love it when people get involved, but simply showing up to vote on things like school budgets makes a huge difference, too. (Many readers had never voted in a school budget vote before, or even knew you could.)

These updates- now a blog - take a view, which you are free to agree or disagree with. (Either way, go ahead and post a comment!) The overarching view is that our property taxes are too high and are unsustainable, and there must be fiscal sanity within our local public institutions. This is not merely a “greed” argument, as our opponents are wont to say, it is a fundamentally moral one. High taxes are socially corrosive. When taxes are so high that the elderly can’t live here anymore and are often forced to move away from their families, it is no longer about greed. It is about the very character of where we live. Down-county towns like Bronxville have become school mills, where families come for ten or twenty years, and then leave as soon as their kids graduate. High taxes are tolerated as de facto private school tuition. Is this what we are to become? God, I hope not. The choice is ours.

Do I have kids in system?

Not right now, although I did have a daughter attend BVES.

Is this effort affiliated with any political party?

No. I am a registered Republican but I am mainly concerned with fiscal prudence (although I reserve the right to talk about anything I think is important). But political irresponsibility is not limited to any particular party. Joe Bruno is a Republican and deserves to go to jail. Vinnie Leibel is a waste of space. Hopefully someone investigates every last person in Albany.

Should you only read this if I live in the Bedford School District?

The issues that affect our town and school district are the exact same ones affecting every other school district in our area. You can take out the words “Bedford” and substitute “Katonah-Lewisboro” or “Chappaqua” and not change anything else. Further, we will frequently deal with issues that are more regional, as was the case with the County Executive election.

-Scott Johnston

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