Burglary Epidemic & Spending Cuts to Public Safety: Cutting off our noses to spite our faces.

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

Criminal Acts: Cutting government spending in the wrong places

County legislative cutbacks in public safety result in reduced staffing to fight burglary epidemic

by Adam X. Smith

"Now when we come home at the end of the day we hold our breath as we put our key in the door, hoping that our home and possessions are still there."

I wholeheartedly agree with the assessment of Sam Jones in his article regarding that we need to bring government spending under control. 

Moreover, we need to target where funds are spent.

Subsidizing welfare in our area begets us nothing than more welfare recipients moving here to benefit from our largese.

While limited funds are wasted on programs that bring zero economic development to our area, programs such as public safety are want to suffer.

Case in point: The recent pronouncements of a member of our County Legislature (Cora Edwards) limiting the amount of funds available to pay police protection at a large public venue such as Bethel Woods.

In support of Mr. Jones' article, and in rebuttal to Legislator Edwards I would offer the following.

I live in the Town of Liberty, am I to live in fear.

For years we have never have had to lock our doors.  Now when we come home at the end of the day we hold our breath as we put our key in the door, hoping that our home and possessions are still there. 

I can only imagine what it would feel like to have family heirlooms, items of sentimental value and years of memories wiped out in a few hours.

There is no doubt in my mind that cuts to the Sheriff's Patrol have allowed crime to increase.

Sheriff Mike Schiff has had to make do with 25% less personnel over the last few years, and now less overtime for the remaining Officers.

I was irate when I heard County Legislator Cora Edwards, the Chair of the Public Safety Committee; cavalierly discuss cuts to the Sheriff's Office.  She said: "One of the things that we decided to do was to cut over time by a $100,000 for road patrol that spends over time at Bethel Woods because that's where we don't think the burglaries and the violent crimes are taking place".

Aside from burglaries in the County, which are becoming epidemic, does the Legislator (Edwards) not recognize the target value to terrorists in such a venue as Bethel Woods.   

Thousands of people gather there each weekend to be entertained and listen to music. 

Does Legislator Edwards not think enterprising terrorists could consider this gathering as a soft target?  This is not so far off the mark when just a few weeks past who would ever consider the Boston Marathon would be ruthlessly bombed.

Are we to believe that having fewer Deputies at Bethel Woods performing a valuable task of keeping our roads open, and having the ability to deter a terrorist attack, and take immediate action if one occurred is not in the best interests of County?

As a taxpayer I am also concerned about public spending, but in this instance of having less law enforcement personnel on patrol I see nothing but "being pennywise and pound foolish". 

Cora is literally cutting off our noses to spite our faces! 

How did Cora develop this antediluvian attitude toward police deployment?  I wonder if this cut of overtime was discussed with the Sheriff's office, or with any individual having a basic knowledge of police manpower.  Does Cora have a degree in Criminal Justice?

Regretfully we live in a changing society, one where violent crime and drug use are on the rise. We see innocent persons being bombed, killed and maimed. Sullivan County homes and businesses are being broken into, and stolen from.

Unfortunately our State police have seen a diminution of patrol officers in the Sullivan County area. Our Sheriff's Office is our front line of defense if we hope to continue to live in peace within this County.

Residents of Sullivan County get basically two benefits from the taxes we pay. The County roads are maintained, and we have the Sheriff's Patrol.

Without the proper level of police protection, who will want to live here?

With all respect, I offer, let professional police, such as Sheriff Schiff and his staff, decide what the proper deployment of police is, and let rank criminal justice amateurs such as Legislator Edwards stick to the roads.

##

Reader's Responses Received by Email:

In response to Adam X. Smith's article:

Keep in mind that all of Bethel Woods concert attendees have their bags checked before they enter the concert. Maybe that will alleviate some of your terrorist fears.

JG

A Economic Development Suggestion: Rebuild Monticello as SC's Outlet Center

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com

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

Big Boxes are not enough: It’s time to recreate Monticello as Sullivan County’s outlet center again: 

Sullivan County is redeveloping as 2nd Home Community and needs more shopping 

by The Mongaup Mavens

" In the past, the Apollo Mall, in Monticello was the thriving home to outlet stores like Bass, Cannon Towels, Barbizon, and many more nationally known stores. "

Sullivan County is experiencing a great revival.

Hamlets like Kauneonga Lake, Narrowsburg, and Callicoon are bustling. Bethel Woods is even more successful than our fondest hopes. The Monticello Motor Club has introduced a new upscale element, and the Concord development looks promising.

As Sullivan County evolves with steady growth in the number of second home and weekend home owners in Sullivan County, we must now address a major concern that accompanies future growth.

There is no place in the entire county for these new residents, as well as county residents to shop.

Locally, we are all reluctantly forced to shop in Walmart, Home Depot, and Shoprite.

If they are looking for a larger and more varied selection of quality merchandise or something unique, they can go to the mall in Middletown or head over to Honesdale, which is at least a half hour away, or for higher quality, they have to drive an hour or more to Woodbury Commons or Scranton.

There simply is nothing available in Sullivan County other than isolated cutesy boutiques.

Now is the time for Monticello’s true rebirth.

Physically, Monticello is beautiful.

The buildings are grand and gracious and their exteriors have been remarkably well preserved.

Monticello, unlike any other town in Sullivan County, has the gravitas to be the retail anchor city that it once was, but it needs a focus.

Here is our suggestion: Monticello should become the location for fashion and home goods outlet stores.

Some of the older towns in New England like Great Barrington in Massachusetts, and Burlington in Vermont have become thriving retail centers through the introduction of factory outlet stores. These factory outlet stores are located in formerly empty storefronts in downtown areas and they have turned these seemingly abandoned stores into mercantile successes; and with them came restaurants, drug stores, and other service stores that do well in high traffic areas.

In the past, the Apollo Mall, in Monticello was the thriving home to outlet stores like Bass, Cannon Towels, Barbizon, and many more nationally known stores. We believe that these stores will return to downtown Monticello if the right offer is made.

Monticello is uniquely located to serve all of Sullivan County. It is at the crossroads of three major roads that lead directly to the rest of the county. Routes 17, 17B and 42 meet in Monticello so the town is less than a half hour away from the most distant part of Sullivan County. It is also easily accessible to Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, and Delaware Counties in New York, as well as Eastern Pennsylvania.

For too long, Sullivan County has been bemoaning the loss of the hotels, and that attitude still colors much of the decision making.

It’s time to move on.

Sullivan County is being recognized as one of the most beautiful vacation areas in New York and has seen substantial growth in the second home market. There are thriving major second home developments throughout the county, and more on their way.

Having a good factory outlet retail center in Monticello will certainly accelerate this development.

We suggest that the owners of the stores in Monticello hire a business development company to attract the same sort of the stores that have so successfully revived so many old New England towns. 

##

Reader Response:

Love to see it.....
Have you personally walked into Monticello HS?
If not you ought to,
B

Local Sullivan County School Boards Count On Voter Apathy To Increase Taxes Year After Year

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

Local School Boards Count On Voter Apathy To Increase Taxes: 

How many Sullivan County School Districts are holding the line at the Tax Cap in 2013? 

by Ben Math

"Voters are not stupid, but apathetic taxpaying citizens who choose not to vote are dumber than dirt."

June is approaching and soon we may again witness the appalling apathy of the voters regarding the school board elections and budgets.

Just the other day, the Liberty Central School District voted to increase taxes by 3% and ignored the 2% cap imposed by the state.

Sullivan County voters should all pay attentionto whether their school boards and administrators are fiscally responsible and can and are willing to keep tax increases truly to a minimum.

Voters should even ask the question why they are not reducing taxes too.

Last year some of the School Districts offered a relatively impressive display of financial stewardship. In the midst of our great recession when the average property owner could least afford an increase in their school taxes some districts actually refused to increase their budgets. Others unfortunately, felt entitled to spend more.

In the corporate world, when a manager is asked to cut his expenses by 10%, he does it or loses his job. He loses his job not because he was asked to do the impossible, but because reducing expenses by only 10% is so easy to do and only incompetence or defiance could fail.

We can do it at home and we can do it in business, so why can’t we do it in government?

Have you ever seen a school budget up for vote where they proposed reducing it by 10%?

Of course not!

The School Boards schedule their elections in June rather than in November. How convenient for them. They are ensured a low voter turnout, and if they can rally their troops, they can always get that new higher budget number passed.

Voter apathy is a wonderful thing for the “Tax and Spend” folks on these school boards.

Well, perhaps this voter apathy is justified.

So what if your school taxes go up one or two hundred dollars per year. You can afford that, right?

But is that the real cost?

Before we answer those questions, let’s get a grip on where the average Baby Boomer is financially.

Most did not put much money away for retirement and typically only have a small fraction of what they should for retirement. Social Security was their lifeline; but alas Washington has done an incredulous job squandering their money and now it looks like they may not be able to count on much from that Social Security System.

The only asset they have left is that house they finally paid off. When they run out of money they will be able to reverse mortgage their house and that should be enough to get them through. Or will it?

What happens to the value of our most prized asset every time our taxes go up? Its resale value and hence its appraised value goes down. So how does that impact you?

Well every $10/month you pay in additional taxes, will result in about $20 less per month you will get from your reverse mortgage. So the net cost to the average baby boomer for each $10 per month increase in School taxes will be about $30 per month when they retire.

Do this every year for the next 10 years and you will pay a hefty price for your apathy.

Worried about retirement? Perhaps you should get involved, learn about the key issues, and most importantly vote.

Voters are not stupid, but apathetic taxpaying citizens who choose not to vote are dumber than dirt.

Yes, it would be nice if the school boards found ways to reduce waste and cut spending, but until you tell them they need to, they won’t.

Make sure you vote in the upcoming school board elections-and let the “tax and spend” folks on the school boards know that you can’t afford them anymore.

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It’s Time For Sullivan County To “Get Down To Business.”

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

Fixing Sullivan County: Run it like a business: 

We need to bring our local government spending, including providing for the poor, under control. 

by Sam Patterson Jones

"Sullivan County taxpayers can’t afford to pay for the services being provided by our local governments anymore-and they need to be downsized.."

Recently, a writer for the Writer’s Workshop of Sullivan County blamed the downfall of Sullivan County on the Catskill hotel owners and the "good ole boy" politics and “what’s in it for me,” attitudes of that age.

But in terms of the present, laying blame and citing past mistakes is not helpful to fixing the problems at hand.  We need to figure out how to get our area economically healthy again in 2013.

And the starting point for that is an examination of the high cost and how our local governments meet the needs of the people of Sullivan County.

Here’s the basic fix to get our taxes down and our economy going again: Sullivan County taxpayers can’t afford to pay for the services being provided by our local governments anymore-and they need to be downsized.

Our local government, as opposed to the state or Federal Governments, should be and can be run more like a business. And it’s imperative that addressing the "business" requirements that leads to profitability, like cutting costs, needs to come first.

Much like a corporate restructuring, downsizing and making government more efficient would reduce taxes and duplication of services.

With that said, you must understand that the "business" is just not the county government, but all of the towns and villages together that make up Sullivan County.

So I say start making these important changes if you want to see results. "Change equals Resistance.  When Resistance is Overcome, Change equals Progress"

Here’s where the resistance has always been.  If you streamline and consolidate government services, there could be many layoffs.   But it must get done to get back to a point where the "Business" would be manageable and profitable.

In Sullivan County, we have the highest scores on all of the bad lists:  Social Services, Welfare, Unemployment, our terrible real estate market, dropping enrollment in our schools, fewer young professionals moving in, tremendous senior citizen population moving into the county, businesses leaving and so on. 

Is this want we want in Sullivan County, to be the Welfare County? To be the county that continues to give away benefit after benefit? The County that is at the top of a list no one really wants to be on? 

We need to stop paying out and start having an income again.  We need to stop inviting the poor to settle here from other parts of the country because the benefits are so good.

Sure we have friends and neighbors that need things, but at this point, it is out of control in our community. 

If you do not have it, then you cannot give it.

The only way to change it is for our leaders to “put on your man panties” and stop supporting this welfare industry, which we can’t afford anymore.

In terms of welfare, Sullivan County is paying out too much, providing too many services, and we have created too many jobs dependent on the welfare industry. 

If a business that must make a profit does not have the income then the bills do not get paid and then it ultimately goes out of business. 

So the only way to get rid of the trash is take it to a place where it belongs.  In the current entitlement scenario, people feel they come to Sullivan County to get all of the free stuff that they are “entitled” to.

It’s like we are paying high salaries to workers that would be entitled to no more than minimum wage.  It’s as if Sullivan County is a McDonalds where we are paying the fast food workers high wages and providing the best and most of benefits so that a Happy Meal would cost $25.00 to purchase.

It’s time for Sullivan County to “get down to business.”  Cut and consolidate government and reduce taxes so that we all, including the poor, can afford to purchase truly happy meals in the future.  

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Reader Feedback:

We  need a solution to the expansion of entities off the tax rolls.  Plus the IDA has to stop the giveaways.  Fortunes in tax breaks are given to companies that absolutely do not need, nor deserve (unless opening or continuing a business in Sullivan County qualities as "need" on that basis alone) than simply  for being here!  And we covet our religious cults such that we pander to them to keep them here!  Why?  Great business for the landfill is the  only reason that is obvious, and those without severe myopia will see the reason for which that is utter foolishness.   So, get on your legislators and code enforcement officers to stop the madness.  Kiryas Joel II will be southeastern Sullivan before you know it, and do NOT even listen to the boring and redundant chants of anti-semite, as they're's worn out and irrelevant..  This is the beginning of much worse times, if we the people sit back and watch.

Mr Paterson, great article.  You really hit the nail on the head.  But we need just a few more specifics.  And NOT attacking the poor is one to start with.  Sullivan Co. has a huge amount of poor people in need.  I am with you that this should not be a destination for them (and I really don't believe it is, as I often think who in their right mind, who HAS options, would willingly choose to stay here?).  Nor do I think we are overly generous.  Deal with Dept of Social Services in Sullivan and then Ulster.  The difference in the courtesies and professionalism is jaw dropping. It's just that the need exists and our government, by giving tax breaks to parasites (literally) is making a big mistake.  Call out the fundamentalists and make them contribute to our society, which they so badly want to take over.  Many changes can be made to the system as is exists if we stop being afraid to stand up for what it right.

CC

Unfair Taxation in Sullivan County

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com "Stimulating meaningful thought & debate in Sullivan County without retribution"   Unfair taxation in Sullivan County:  It's really time to really take on good old boy anti-growth protectionists and tax exempts, just not make headlines about it  by Ruby Pixman "Bottom line: Granting tax exemptions for such institutions actually constitute a form of promotion of religion." As we know, Sullivan County government is practically broke. In my last Writer's Workshop of Sullivan County article, I argued that the County Legislature has mislaid much of the blame associated with its perilous financial circumstances on supposed rampant welfare and Medicaid fraud. And as a consequence in fixating fault on servicing the poor, they created a new, well-paid position for going after and recouping from these cheats, with the possibility of recipients wrongfully going to jail.  I also contended the unlikelihood that the same form of justice will be meted-out to rich and powerful welfare suppliers.   I called for the similar criminal prosecution of hospitals and doctors that provide unneeded medical tests and treatments, along with unscrupulous food merchants who can easily accept food stamps in payment for disallowed items, like dog food. So what's really the answer that doesn't fix blame on the poor alone? What this and previous County Legislatures haven't done effectively is find new and better ways to expand the inflows to the county treasury so as to comfortably afford those needed services to all residents of Sullivan County. First, we need new business in the County. Early on in the current Legislative session, some of our newly elected legislators correctly and boldly asserted that they needed to take greater control over the Industrial Development Agency that is tasked to encourage employers to settle in the area by offering tax breaks and other incentives in exchange for promises of new jobs.  At best the IDA and other community block grant assistance has had a mostly abysmal record, with some employers accepting the agency's liberal terms without reciprocal job-creation.  For example, it's still not clear whether tax abatements for Ideal Snacks in Liberty has truly created enough meaningful employment to offset the cost of those county services to their workers that those legislators like to attack. And we all await with great anticipation the fruits of tax relief of the Concord project that a majority of legislators have challenged at public meetings. I guess it remains to be seen if their brash moves to strengthen their control over the agency will bear any fruit at all, or whether they will just kill all future projects because of the acrimony they are creating with their actions. But there are other, surer ways by the Legislature to collect revenues.  One controversial option is to re-examine and litigate existing claims by businesses that they should operate as "not-for-profit" entities.   There are many "not for profit" entities, such as entertainment venues, special needs and educational institutions, youth scout organizations, and others that generate huge revenues operating in Sullivan County while utilizing government services for nothing.  They basically run a number of profitable side businesses and pay very high executive salaries while avoiding paying their fair share of property and sales taxes. The county needs to also extensive challenge the right of religious institutions and their members from paying their fair share of taxes. As with most governments in the state, the County collects little or no taxes from houses of worship and related entities.  Churches (used here generically) use the County's and municipal' services and resources, like public roads, police and fire protection, yet are usually under no obligation to contribute one cent in taxes in return.  Why can't Sullivan County and New York State just tax them like they are taxed in neighboring states, where they pay their fair share under stricter laws? A newspaper report from years back surprisingly found that if religious institutions paid their fair in taxes it would increase county revenues by 17 per cent, enough for vast improvement for our roads and bridges, education, and so much more!   Besides, under Article I of the U.S. Constitution government is to be neutral and not "promote" religion or religious institutions.  Bottom line: Granting tax exemptions for such institutions actually constitute a form of promotion of religion. If the County was willing to enact bold reforms in building a new business climate here and in the way it defines and collects taxes, while creating meaningful jobs that enable people to get off the welfare rolls, there would be no need to scapegoat the poorest among us for the purpose of balancing the budget.  It's time for our legislators themselves to stop living off the political dole.  They need to get to work themselves by disempowering the protectionist good old boys that stop new business from coming and flourishing in the county and take on the sacred not for profits and religious institutions whose prominent benefactors donate generously to their political campaigns rather than pay for their fair share to the depleted county treasury.                                                                                                    ##

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Greed, not Socialism, ruined Sullivan County

Greed, not Socialism, ruined Sullivan County: 
A simple fact: It was bad business decisions by hotel owners and politicians that destroyed Sullivan County

 by Allan Erickson 

One of Many Hotel Graveyard in Sullivan County

While it is hard to glean out the motivational purposes of the recent article entitled “The Socialistic State of Sullivan County,” by Ben Math,  one point is quite obvious - it is always too easy and quite convenient to blame the proliferation of county poverty services on the folks receiving them.

Calling Sullivan County a Marxist state -- with a picture of scruffy old Karl himself -- might make for a sweet attention-grabbing headline, but again, the truth is really NOT so easy, nor is it as convenient as the author portends.

The simple fact is that once upon a time, Sullivan County was a booming, internationally-known tourist destination.

How Sullivan Count descended from that tall pinnacle of affluence to the trough it is now cannot be summed up in a single headline or a flashy moniker.

Instead of blaming the poor for the state of Sullivan County, let’s examine what really lead to Sullivan County’s downfall and impoverishment.

It came down to generations of owners of the flashy behemoth hotels choosing not to reinvest profits into their businesses.  Instead, they used their very successful business models as their own personal and familial "cash-cows." And at the time, they had every right to make those business decisions.

Sure, in 2013, arrogance might be a good term to use to describe those hotel owners and their lack of investment in the future of their businesses and Sullivan County.  Again, at the time, the owners had every right to realize reasonable profits from their investment.

But they also owed it to the business, and to the many people that depended on the business, to do everything within their power to ensure long-range profitability and sustainability. 

In this, they failed not only themselves, but the people of Sullivan County. 

That collapse was documented in a recent segment featured on "CBS Sunday Morning” that highlighted the slide of the Catskills, and pointed out that local hotel owners had no one to blame but themselves when the tourists stopped coming up Route 17.

Sure, there have been, and still are, attempts to bring the gambling panaceas to Sullivan County as an effort to prop up those dying Sullivan County tourism business models.

Whether or not gambling would have saved the big hotels could probably be the topic of someone's future doctoral thesis, and while there are a few examples in America of casinos and gambling meccas that were wildly successful (Biloxi MS, Foxwoods), there were as many or more operations that did not meet expectations.  

And let’s remember this: The political and business leadership f the time in Sullivan County also enjoyed and profited from the Catskill’s wave of vacation popularity. However, they too chose not to use the vision needed to exploit the popularity of the Catskills to branch out into other lines of business investments, and/or did not invest in ways that would protect and fortify the business climate of the county. That too, at the time, was also their choice to make.

Yes, the leaders of Sullivan County of old also made short-sighted and expedient decisions.  Whether locally or nationally, the American people have come to expect as much from their politicians and it is patently obvious that the SC leaders lived up to --or down to... -- that potential.

So the economic conditions in Sullivan County are not necessarily the fault of the current residents who are in need of county services.

When pundits get up on their high-horse and wax poetically about the evils of the current county climate in Sullivan, comparing the area to the People's Republic of China, North Korea, or the old Soviet Union, maybe they should first check to see if their past expedient, self-serving capitalistic behaviors do not bear some of, or most of the fault.

Some of these people seeking services are your friends and neighbors, your classmates, and other residents that did not make it big when hotel owners and politicians "cashed in" on their now decrepit big hotels.

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Welfare Fraud: We're Waiting For Arrests of Providers Too

Sullivan County to welfare cheats:  "We're coming after you, but only if you are poor!"

writersworkshopofsullivancounty.blogspot.com  

It's too politically problematic to arrest the rich cheaters of the welfare system

by Ruby Pixman

Criminalizing the desperation of Sullivan County's Poor is wrong!

With great aplomb the Sullivan County Legislature announced the formation of a new welfare fraud unit designed to locate and apprehend those who have been illegally receiving welfare and Medicaid benefits. 

Also allegedly included among the targeted perpetrators are vendors that allegedly overcharge the county for their goods and services.

In order to achieve the lofty goals set for this investigative unit, the county hired Gerard Dietz, a former Monticello detective to head the department. And behold, just a week after the unit was formed, the news media was already reporting the arrests of several alleged welfare cheats.  

No providers however, just recipients.

The formation of this new welfare fraud unit all came about to address two major concerns of a number of county legislators.  The first concern involves a perception that big sums of cash and Medicaid services are being spent unwisely and illegally on the poor and that such fraud and waste is looting the county treasury.  There is also this grave concern that Sullivan County actually welcomes more poor people to move here and makes it easy to readily collect benefits.

Democratic Legislator Cindy Geiger was the main driving force to establishing the new unit, claiming that overriding, unjustified costs due to fraud adversely affects the taxpayer, as well as legitimate welfare recipients, veterans, seniors, and the disabled. 

Despite the earnestness and idealism of Ms. Geiger and her fellow legislators in rooting out the fraudulent, these county legislators have a lot to learn about welfare fraud.

Here are the true facts: There are two types of entities that benefit from the welfare/Medicaid system:  the actual clients and the vendors and other providers, some of whom are the true, big cheaters in the system.

In order to truly save money, the county should be investing its investigative-and increasing auditing procedures and resources too-in getting medical facilities, transportation providers, and others that have grown rich and that profit handsomely from the welfare business to deliver their services more honestly, and cheaply and efficiently too. 

Right now, they provide services like giving unnecessary medical tests knowing full well that the county will foot the bill without any question.

Stop picking on the poor cheating the system alone.

For instance, food stamps can't be used to buy dog food. Yet it's easy for a grocer to look the other way at the checkout counter. It's not all that altruistic--it's profitable. 

Yet, are any of these grocers getting arrested?  Nope, only the poor people accused of cheating the system.

And it's just not a cultural problem in Sullivan County. Congress recently investigated and sanctioned New York State for zealously overcharging Medicaid services for years. The rich providers got very wealthy fraudulently overcharging the system. 

Funny though, you don't see any program heads or hospital directors getting arrested here in Sullivan County or the NYS, just those poor people committing welfare fraud.

And unlike the providers, what many who are concerned about welfare fraud don't realize or refuse to acknowledge and understand is that recipients aren't looking to get rich on the pittance that is paid out to them. 

Generally there are two major categories of welfare fraud.  Often the breadwinner, usually the children's father is claimed to have fled the household, when actually he/she is be employed, and later sneaks back into the home in the evening to avoid detection. The other main area of fraud involves unreported income, where, usually the single-parent mother is working under-the-table, often as a babysitter in order to supplement the welfare income. 

In both cases the goal of the recipient is merely surviving, rather than achieving a wealthy lifestyle that many welfare providers live and retire in. It usually comes down to these "desperate criminals" just trying to make ends meet.

In a county in a neighboring state, where I was a former welfare fraud investigative supervisor, most prosecutors recognized that welfare fraud is a social, rather than a criminal problem. 

As such, they usually seek recoupment from the client through a reduction in monthly welfare payments until the "debt" is paid. 

There, prosecutors find that recoupment is much preferred over the costs of arresting, trying in court, and sentencing welfare clients to jail terms.  The internment upkeep alone usually far exceeds the amount of welfare fraud. 

These lessons should be applied in Sullivan County. Arresting and jailing welfare cheats is misguided-and can be a greater burden on the taxpayer too.

Here's an important question:  What's to become of the children that the welfare system is supposed to protect if one or both their parents are languishing in jail costing Sullivan County residents $50+ a day to house and feed?

Geiger and the other county legislators should stop their capitalizing on the headlinesto further their political careers at the cost of a few desperate poor people.

And stop criminalizing the desperation of the poor too! 

Instead, the county needs to start addressing the high costs of the fraud and waste perpetrated by welfare system providers (many who are politically connected and big campaign donors) and recoup the real savings to be had in reducing the county's burden to feed, house and care for the poor.

But that takes true political courage-and I bet we won't be seeing any headlines soon, if ever, about any local welfare kings really cheating the system being arrested by that new fraud unit.

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