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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Is a Referendum a Poll?
In today's North Haven Citizen* article Mike Freda's words speak for themselves . . . or rather they don't.
“I support this budget if people want to retain their services,” Freda said. “But if the budget is voted down, then I have no problem going back to the drawing board.”
“I want the people to tell me what they want,” Freda added.
Is that leadership?
I said it before, and here you have specific evidence. Mr. Freda is not standing behind his budget. He has made it clear that he will expend zero political capital on its behalf.
As a matter of fact, he talks about it as though it were a dip-stick, a test of the waters. Should we treat the vote on the budget as a weather vane, just to see which way the wind is blowing?
Does anyone think this approach improves the odds that his budget will pass?
I am stuck with my original position (which I've explained here and at North Haven Way): I will vote "yes." But it is disturbing in the least to see Mr. Freda and his team put forth a budget they don't feel passionately about.
I am highly disappointed and more than a little irked.
* The original post incorrectly cited the source as the New Haven Register.
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11 comments:
This is a letter to the citizen not the register
Ooh. Silly mistake. I will fix and cite the error now. Thank you.
That quote of his bothered me, too. I will vote "yes" on the budget, we need to maintain our services to maintain our property values and the reason we moved here/stayed here in the first place. Mike didn't sound like he cared too much if the budget goes down, but isn't is his job NOW to deliver a budget to us that is the best, most responsible budget HIS administration can come up with?
we need to maintain our services to maintain our property values
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I think you're missing the point that favorable low mil rates also contribute to maintaining property values.
A mil rate increase of 3.42 mils and an overall mil rate of 26.9 will hurt your propety value and deter businesss from coming to North Haven.
But at the same time, we had -0- increase last year, so if you look at is as an increase over two years plus the reval, its not that bad of a budget proposal.
But at the same time, we had -0- increase last year, so if you look at is as an increase over two years plus the reval, its not that bad of a budget proposal.
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Sorry I disagree with this logic.
When I look at next year and there's a 6% increase in taxes because the grandlist shrunk even more, I'll take this year and next year and be like Hmmm....there's been a 19% increase across the 2 years.
My income is not increasing at that pace is yours?
Mine is not either, but neither is the pay of teachers and other town workers - who are being called upon to take pay cuts or be laid off.
NH Parent said...
Mine is not either, but neither is the pay of teachers and other town workers - who are being called upon to take pay cuts or be laid off.
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Not really sure what your comment means. Can you elaborate on it?
So far as I can tell, no one's pay is keeping pace with current economic conditions and town revenue needs. That includes our town workers who are provably thriftily compensated.
Ah..... ok. So if nobody's income is keeping pace with the proposed tax increases, how are the town's citizens that are on a fixed incomes or low incomes supposed to keep up with the increased demand of the tax burden if we don't make cuts to services and possibly layoffs now?
I live in a very modest home in North Haven and I'm looking at a minimum of $50 a month increase in my property taxes on my house and my 2 cars.
Now if every single one of my other financial liabilities did not increase I could easily be able to absorb the extra $50 a month. But unfortunately every single aspect of living is going up. My healthcare costs, daycare costs, state & federal taxes, fees, utilities, fuel, food, everything is rising and my income has flatlined.
Sorry, I just don't think it's fiscally responsible to increase the property taxes in North Haven by this much knowing that next year may even lead to more increases.
It's foolish to pass this budget as is and not see the iceberg under the water.
Sounds like a downward spiral either way, at least until we grow our way out of current economic troubles.
I am very personally sensitive to the needs of people on fixed incomes, too. Perhaps, though, in this economy it is unrealistic to keep one's home in retirement if one's social security benefits cannot match expenses. There are many other wonderful options for housing that a lot of people do not want to embrace.
The odds of our producing a budget with a 0% increase are next to nothing . . . unless we dismantle the town. I agree that 3.42 is a LOT. It is. How are taxes going to hold steady or decrease next year? Will we dismantle the town by degrees each year?
I fear this tipping point.
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