Forestburgh Supervisor Sipos makes proposal for consolidation of two town highway departments

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writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com "Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"    Traveling along Sullivan County's Broken Highway System Forestburgh Supervisor Sipos makes proposal for consolidation of two town highway departments by Steven Kurlander steven@stevenkurlander.com Sipos' consolidation initiative can also spur further cooperation agreements between various local villages and towns.. There's an interesting item on the Town of Thompson Board agenda on Thursday that all Sullivan County elected officials should be examining closely. For the first time in years, there's talk about consolidating municipal services in Sullivan County - in this case, between two town highway departments. Forestburgh Supervisor William Sipos recently sent a letter to the Thompson Town Boardrequesting that the two towns consider combining their highway departments, stating in part: "By joining forces, the Highway Department of the Town of Forestburgh and Thompson could save the taxpayers money by offsetting some of the cost which is now incorporated in our budgets." Whether the Town of Thompson Board and the two Highway Superintendents agree remains to be seen Judging the population of Forestburgh and the amount of town highway it has, consolidation is a good idea to explore.   And it should be the start of serious discussions involving the cash strapped villages and towns throughout Sullivan County and the county and state too that face increasing costs for highway department budgets. The Town of Forestburgh has a population of under 1000 residents and approximately 35 miles of town road to maintain and plow.  It has a Highway Department of 7 employees and its budget is between $1.1 million and $1.2 million.  That's 80% of Forestburgh's budget. Further, the Mid Hudson News reported that there is in fact defacto sharing of manpower, equipment, materials, and highway services already taking place between the Town of Thompson and the Town of Forestburgh. Throughout Sullivan County, there are village, town, county, and state roads, all intersecting with one another.  And the servicing of such a myriad of roads under such an individualized system has gotten expensive (and results in duplicate waste) over time for taxpayers not only in Sullivan County, but statewide.  And it gets silly and wasteful at times. During a snowstorm, four plows, State, County, Town, and Village, will drive down Broadway in Monticello, but only one will have its plow down. Take neighboring Ulster County. In July, 2010, the Pattern For Progress Think Tank published a study by Michael Hattery of Binghamton University entitledIndentifying Opportunities for Highway Service Cooperation which studied how the various municipal highway departments could achieve service sharing, service consolidation, and cost savings for Ulster County highway services.  It's an enlightening document to read. After providing an overview of the highway services and capacity, it discussed a number of policy options being utilized in Monroe, Jefferson, and Chemung Counties that all have some sort of shared costs, maintenance responsibilities, and labor pooling. The study identified a range of options for the various highway departments in Ulster County to achieve efficiencies and savings by consolidating and working together highway maintenance and services. It's time for a similar study of Sullivan County highways. The first County Legislature was elected in part on the premise of exploring the consolidation of services in various areas, and in fact, some movement was made in terms of a county-wide police force and the creation of a District Court to alleviate the towns and villages of the high costs of their criminal justice systems.  That was back in the late 1990s, and the initial efforts failed in the face of opposition from local justices not willing to give up their expensive courts.  Since then, there's been no true movement on the county level to continue exploring any other major consolidation of services with the towns and villages. The move for examining consolidation by Sipos on the town level may work better in 2013.  It's a smaller proposal in range and cost and truly makes sense. And if the Town of Thompson Board agrees, such shared services between Town of Thompson and the Town of Forestburgh may be the start of cost savings and the elimination of wasteful spending county-wide for taxpayers.  It would certainly save Forestburgh and Thompson taxpayers some money. Sipos' consolidation initiative can also spur further cooperation agreements between various local villages and towns, or at least a Pattern for Progress type study of the idea at a time when both taxpayers and municipal governments have little money to spare.                                                                         ##

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It's the Locals in Sullivan County that really have poor driving habits

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com "Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"    It's the Locals in Sullivan County that really have poor driving habits Stay Off the Roads in Sullivan County-If You Want To Live! Part II by Ruby Pixman One of the worst of these potential deathtraps is on Route 52 along the eastern approach to Jeffersonville In my previous column I questioned the safety of the pair of newly-installed traffic circles in Liberty.  I argued how the flawed design of these circles, not bad driving, invites traffic accidents. However, throughout the rest of Sullivan County, actual and potential accidents are clearly the result of poor driving habits.  One of my major peeves involves just plain laziness on behalf of drivers! The county, being both hilly and rural, has many two-lane roads that twist and turn, often providing treacherous sharp curves for motorists to traverse with their cars.  Its common practice here that as drivers approach such a bend, instead of cautiously hugging the outer rim of the road, they often veer toward the center, and sometimes cross over the solid dividing line and into the left lane-a danger to oncoming traffic.  Such drivers are just too lazy to stay on their side of the road.   Since this practice occurs year-round and not just during tourist season, I can only assume that these dangerous actions are largely performed by locals.  Since police can't be present at every dangerous curve, the best solution is the installation of traffic cones or other devices that prevent cars from entering into unwarranted territory. One of the worst of these potential deathtraps is on Route 52 along the eastern approach to Jeffersonville.  The road turns sharply to the right and blocks any view of oncoming traffic.  Along the right side of the road is a trench.  If a driver encounters another care in the wrong lane, he or she is forced to collide with the on-comer or sharply turn to his right.  That insures that he or she will end up in the trench, possibly with deadly consequences.  This blind curve is a perfect spot for installing traffic cones or even more permanent devices. Another major problem is the outright defiance of the laws banning drivers' cell phone usage.  One remedy is for the county to earn a reputation as a place where police frequently enforce the law.  The best place to catch such would-be felons is along Route 17, a wide road where it would be safe and easy for police vehicles to be parked for the purpose of surveillance.  I'm not a big fan of constant police presence, but once a few arrests are made and word gets out, the deadly practice of cell phone conversations will greatly decrease.  And speaking of Route 17, this is a situation that constantly baffles me.  There are signs posted along the roadway indicating that 55 mph is the state speed limit, which presumably means that driving above that limit is illegal in the entire state.  Yet within short distances of such signs are other postings that indicate the speed limit to be 65 mph!  Which one of the two contradictory posted limits is the actual number?  It seems to me that if someone is stopped for going above 55, he has a good court defense, since the 65mph limit is simultaneously posted on the same road! Sadly, this county has a long history of doing the best it can for getting nothing of a constructive nature accomplished. Probably none of these traffic situations I've pointed out will ever be addressed, unless possibly someone is seriously hurt or killed.  I'm still hopeful, however, that traffic safety will take precedence over costs and that solutions will be provided.  Such precautions can save many lives here in Sullivan County!                                                                          ##

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Do Traffic Circles in Sullivan County Make Driving More, Not Less Dangerous?

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"Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"

  

Do Traffic Circles in Sullivan County Make Driving More, Not Less Dangerous?

Stay Off the Roads in Sullivan County-If You Want To Live!

by Ruby Pixman

In other crowded areas of the nation, like New Jersey for instance, outdated circles have either been replaced with traffic lights and overpasses, or have undergone safety design improvements.

There was recently an article posted on hudsonvalley.ynn.com concerning a local dangerous intersection and its deadly consequences.  I was beat to the punch, for I was prepared to post a column dealing with similar driver-related problems in Sullivan County. 

The roads in Sullivan County can be very dangerous, particularly in the summer months.

A few years ago, two traffic circles were erected in Liberty, each separated by less than one mile. They were constructed in response to observations that many drivers were speeding dangerously through the town's main thoroughfare, State Route 52.

As reported in the local news, these circles were designed to slow down traffic by forcing drivers to be more cautious as they enter the circles. 

However, traffic circle intersections cause much confusion, mainly because drivers don't know who is supposed to yield to whom as the various spurs are encountered.  So, to avoid possible accidents, slowing down is a necessity. 

In other words, highly-dangerous traffic circles as envisioned by some town officials SHOULD be more dangerous to achieve the goal of getting drivers to slow down!  Never mind that there are alternate ways to achieve the same safety goal WITHOUT making the roads more dangerous.

One such tried and proven method is through the installation of traffic lights.  Being automatic and passive in nature they safely regulate traffic, almost entirely eliminating faulty decision-making by drivers, greatly reducing the probability of collisions.

Another proven method is to use police force to regulate traffic and issue citations when warranted.  When word of that approach becomes well-known drivers tend to slow down.

I suspect that neither of these sensible approaches were adopted because it costs money to install and maintain traffic lights and police patrols have to be paid. 

Traffic circles, by comparison, once installed may bear little in maintenance costs. It therefore seems evident that saving money, rather than lives was the main reason for installing those monstrosities!

In other crowded areas of the nation, like New Jersey for instance, outdated circles have either been replaced with traffic lights and overpasses, or have undergone safety design improvements.

Yet, in Liberty, the national trend toward eliminating circles was ignored, leaving drivers with new versions of traffic circle deathtraps. 

Sure, one of the circles, the nearest to the Route 17 intersections looks pretty with its enclosed lawn and colorful flags, but that's no consolation for drivers who are involved in serious accidents due to traffic circles' built-in confusion factor.

The other Liberty circle, closer to the downtown area forces the approaching driver to stop before entering, then look left for oncoming traffic, and then look right for cars entering at the next intersection. 

Need to traverse 180 degrees to the opposite side of the circle?  

Watch out because just before you get there, a sidewalk juts out into the road, forcing you to veer sharply to the left to avoid driving up and onto the pedestrian walkway. Instantly watch out for oncoming traffic approaching you from the left lane, appearing as though you're about to be hit you head-on! 

It was a stupid decision to save money by installing the Liberty traffic circles and they should be removed before someone gets killed!

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Enough: No More Cutting the Public Sector in Sullivan County

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No More Cutting the Public Sector in Sullivan County

The Resentment of Success, a Growing Problem in Government

by Ruby Pixman

Sullivan County has not been immune from the relentless assaults on its public workforce.

With the election of Ronald Reagan, who declared that government is not the solution, but rather the problem, resentment against those in government service would soon became a national obsession.

Using this Reagan mantra, there's been a relentless set of attacks against effective services that helped the U.S. to maintain its status as a strong and compassionate nation.

Within Reagan's two terms, he and his legislative allies began the first full-scale assault on such formerly untouchable federal programs, such as unemployment benefits, social security disability, food stamps, and even the government's ability to tax corporations and wealthier citizens. 

Reagan became the first president to destroy a labor union, specifically the one representing air traffic controllers who initially supported his election. Their brief strike wasn't even about pay raises, but rather about improving working conditions in order to make air travel safer.

When Reagan departed office, he left his stamp on succeeding administrations, be they Republican or Democratic. 

The G.O.P. used Reagan's popularity to further their openly pro-Big Business, anti-worker agenda, and Democrats lowered their expectations for better wages and benefits in both the public and private sectors. 

As workers rights diminished in the private sector, government employees voted for union representation and struggled to gain many benefits, making public-sector jobs more desirable.

In the meantime, emboldened corporations shipped their manufacturing operations overseas in order to avoid paying U.S.-mandated wages and benefits, resulting in closed U.S. company plants and shrunken union membership. 

Yet in the public sector unions were able to hold their own, if not outright flourish. 

Over the years private-sector worker incomes began to stagnate.  The cost of living rose, but incomes declined.  Many began to believe that workers in the public sector were living high-on-the-hog on the taxes paid by private-sector workers. 

It wasn't long before the idea took hold of doing away with government-sponsored programs and jobs, if only to get back at those piggish public workers. 

Instead of blaming the real culprits, the greedy corporations and their doting, mostly Republican politicos, many cheered on as their programs were either drastically shrunk or eliminated.  "After all," many thought, "if I can't have a decent job with good benefits and pay, why should those damn government workers is so lucky?"

Sullivan County has not been immune from the relentless assaults on its public workforce. 

The previous County Legislature demanded and got union concessions leading to downsizing through attrition, no raises, pay cuts, and layoffs.

The present County Legislature has continued cutting. They have been struggling with trying to deliver on expensive state-mandated programs, while cutting costs and avoiding tax increases. 

Yet the prospect looms that as Big Business continues to consolidate its grip on every aspect of American society, our county legislators will, if they haven't already, eye the next bunch of government workers for the chopping block. 

And the results will be the same: more unemployment, lower quality of government services leading to a much lower standard of living for the vast majority.

The solution lies in recognizing that public workers are like the rest of us. 

They have families to feed, rents to pay, and aspirations for their offspring. 

Their presence makes our lives better.  They and the government are not the problem.  Instead of resenting public workers, we should support them and turn our attention to the real problem causers:  greedy corporations and the politicians they control. 

Once we recognize who are the real sources of our woes, it will become easier to go after them and win!

 

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It's Time For Non-Partisan Elections In Sullivan County

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It's time to institute non partisan elections in Sullivan County

Let's eliminate out of touch political party influence in local elections

by Ben Math

Yes, Sullivan County could start a trend across America denouncing and outlawing all political parties, elevating individuals to be accountable to their voters instead of their party.

I am relatively new to Sullivan County, so I must admit the "Good Old Boys" I often read about ruling Sullivan County are most mysterious to me.

I just don't know if I have ever met one or not.

Nationally, in recent years the Democratic Party has been moving farther to the left and the Republican Party has been moving farther to the right. 

Ironically both parties are now in positionswhere significantly increasing numbers of Americans don't like either party. Both parties are out of touch at all levels with the electorate.

And when was the last time we could actually believe anything a politician told us anyway?

As our distaste for the lies, scandals, and general distortions of the truth grow stronger, our confidence in our elected officials grows weaker. Regardless of what they tell us, they must do what they are told to do by their party bosses.

The last elections in Sullivan County were not a validation of any local political party. It was a rejection of the hand-picked individuals from both parties and simply the result of a recession ridden voter base voting to shift the county from the left to a more financially conservative center. 

Are individual candidates becoming irrelevant because whether they are Democrats or Republicans because in part they represent a party no longer representing the middle class? Perhaps.

Is it time for a third party? Absolutely Not!

Perhaps it is time to return to no political parties! 

Yes, perhaps all political parties should be banned in Sullivan County.

Such an effort would have to start at the grass roots level as it would get no support from the political powerhouses currently dictating the positions of our elected officials at all levels of governance. There's some villages in Sullivan County, like Woodridge, that already have elections where no political parties appear on the ballots.

Our forefathers warned us of the dangers of political parties. Voters could then vote for individuals again and those individuals would not owe their soul to the party that handpicked them. The agenda they would take into public office would be their own, an agenda supported by us, the voters, not a political party.

Yes, Sullivan County could start a trend across America denouncing and outlawing all political parties, elevating individuals to be accountable to their voters instead of their party.

Elected officials would no longer have to appoint staff from their own political party. They could hire the best instead.  Imagine how quickly the grid lock in Washington, and even the County Government Center and our local town and village halls would stop if there were no political parties.

It may be time to resurrect the individual, individual values, and individual accountability to the voter. 

 

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Will There Be Farmers Driving Tractors Into the Future In Sullivan County?

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"Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"  

The Transitioning Of Sullivan County Agriculture & The Tractor Parade

Will it soon be another historical event in the modern Catskills?

by Ruby Pixman

This year, instead of my seeing lots to laugh about, I saw both the pain and pride of these sturdy types as they proudly drove their noisy, smelly, and smoky tractors through the tiny main street of Callicoon.

As with many other past years, we again attended this year's Callicoon Tractor Parade down the main street of the attractive hamlet. 

While to some, this event seems largely unchanged from year-to-year.  But the reality is that it’s grown very popular and has attracted additional tractor entrants. 

But another, more subtle transformation of the Callicoon Tractor Parade has taken place over the years.

Our first encounter with the Tractor Parade was probably in 2005.  The Parade had a humorous, tongue-in-cheek way about it. 

I remember the announcer would make funny quips as he identified each entrant.  He might poke fun of the aged pieces of equipment being driven, while getting in a few chuckles at the expense of the equally aged individuals doing the driving.  The emcee donned a tall, Mad Hatter-like green chapeau -making him appear more a clown than an announcer.

Even the tractor drivers poked fun at the proceedings, sometimes displaying crudely written signs attending to his, and his farm vehicle's broken-down condition. 

No one--not the drivers nor the spectators seemed to mind.  The whole parade was all in good natured jest.

But over the years the emphasis of subsequent parades changed. 

The Tractor Parade has since become more dignified and more telling of the plight of Sullivan County farmers.

Yes, there were floats pulled by tractors bearing cute kiddies and a Miss Sullivan County or Little Miss Cow-Lover along the way. 

But these days, a closer look reveals the craggy and sinewy faces of not just tractor drivers, but the farmers too.

Farming in Sullivan County was always a hard life-our local farmers have always devoted their lives to squeezing crops from rocky soil, or gathering eggs, or milking cows.  And it didn't matter if the day was hot, cold, wet, or dusty.  The farmer’s work always had to be done, in sickness and in health.

All this was accomplished in order to bring their products to market, and probably get compensated for less than half of what they were worth, so that the local grocery chain could also make a buck-and so that homeowners could enjoy fresh meat and veggies for dinner.

This year, instead of my seeing lots to laugh about, I saw both the pain and pride of these sturdy types as they proudly drove their noisy, smelly, and smoky tractors through the tiny main street of Callicoon.

And who could know for sure if their children were along for the long haul for the following years to adulthood, or if today they were just along for the ride.

No, I didn't feel somber-the day was much too beautiful for that. 

But with today's new emphasis on the mega farming business and technology, the higher costs and taxes in running a family farm, and the allure for the farmer’s children for being in an office instead of the great outdoors, will the future allow for our local Sullivan County farmers to exist?

And will the Tractor Parade, should it remain, eventually become just a curious artifact of bygone days?

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Let Governor Cuomo Know You Want Multiple Casinos in SC

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"Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"  

Casino Gaming in Sullivan County: It's time for all of us to speak out for multiple venues

Be that person that makes a difference.   

by Mo Herman

If you care about Sullivan County, and truly want to make a difference for all of us, write, email, and Facebook Governor Cuomo.

When I was a kid, my father told me the most important thing as a human being is to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be happy with the person staring back at you.

He told me to ask these questions: Is the person staring back at you someone you're proud of? What has he/she done to help others and the community?

Has the person staring back at you contributed to society that's of value?  Or is the person staring back at you part of the problem?

In Sullivan County, this is a question each citizen should be asking themselves every day.

With one of the highest unemployment rates in New York State, it's only fair to question how many of us actually hold ourselves accountable for the problems the county has.

The reality is, unless you're fighting for change and a better way of life for each Sullivan County resident, then you are part of the problem that has made Sullivan County such a hard place to live, work and raise a family.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently proposed a bill that would allow table gambling to finally become a reality in the Catskills, something this area has been waiting "patiently" for over 40 years to happen.

While several have been close in their attempts to secure gaming locally in the past, this is the closest our area has ever been to a real casino.

This is the problem: Cuomo's proposal calls for only one casino in the Catskills, and it's not certain that our county, which is desperate for job creation and that already has 3 formidable offers to build here, will lose that site to the former Nevele Hotel in Ulster County.

While bringing in casinos isn't the answer to all of Sullivan County's economic woes, it is a MAJOR start in correcting them.

Multiple casinos will create jobs and bring revenue into the county, and will also allow those visiting to gamble to learn about all the many things we have to offer here. This area has massive amounts of potential and a few casinos might be the start we need to thrive.

Cuomo's attempt to legalize gambling in New York is not really genuine.  If  he really cared about job creation in upstate New York, he would have proposed more than one casion for our area.

One politican who truly has our interests in mind and who does see the necessity of job creation in our region is Senator John Bonnacic (R-Mount Hope).  He is offering an alternative proposal allowing multiple casinos in Sullivan County.

Gov. Cuomo has yet to respond by reviewing this bill, which means it's not too late to persuade him.

Now, here's where all that accountability stuff I was talking about earlier comes into play.

If you care about Sullivan County, and truly want to make a difference for all of us, write, email, and Facebook Governor Cuomo.  Contact Page

Here's what to write: "Governor Cuomo, as a citizen of Sullivan County, which is one of the poorest regions not only in the state, but the US, we have seen our area as well as upstate New York become an area where our children won't or can't return because of lack of economic opportunity.  We need more than one casino to jumpstart our economy and improve the economy here in Sullivan County if casino gaming is approved by the voters.  Please change your proposal to help Sullivan County become a great place to live, work, and bring up a family again."

Be that person that makes a difference.  The only way to be heard is to speak up NOW!

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