Clarence Taxpayers Picking Over the Schools' Carcass

The "Clarence Taxpayers" are a curious group. Regard:

03/13/14 Clarence Tax Payers' primary concern is keeping our schools great, not just for this year, but long term. In an effort to do this, the District has to be responsible for long term planning. CTP has pushed for Mr. Hicks to show a 5 year projection for spending and income. We will continue to press this point.

At the third and final budget working group session, Hicks did just that - he provided 5 year projections of spending and revenues; projections that the business administrator, Richard Mancuso, characterized as "very conservative". Here is the presentation. The 5 year numbers start on page 21. Mission accomplished.   

Something we have noticed in Mr. Hick's [sic] budget proposal is a heavy reliance on getting more money from the State. We don't believe this is fiscally sound or a good strategy for sustaining our District and the quality education we expect for our children. CTP believes in being proactive and implementing strategies that are long term.

Like what, exactly? New York State aid makes up about $20 million of a $72 million budget.  That's a sizeable chunk. When Superintendent Hicks is raising concerns about state aid, he's talking about the fact that Albany is withholding millions of dollars' worth of aid to which the district should be entitled. Under the "Gap Elimination Adjustment" scheme, Albany holds money back from districts - especially wealthy ones like Clarence - to help balance Albany debt.  You pay taxes to Albany in many forms - sales and income for starters, and that money is supposed to go to fund schools throughout New York State. If the GEA didn't exist, Clarence and other districts would be in much better financial shape.

Simply writing that you "don't believe" that this is "fiscally sound or a good strategy" doesn't make it so. Plus, the glaring omission of any alternative ways to fund the schools is PRETTY HUGE.

Along those same lines is the Districts' [sic] focus on revenue rather than finding long term management of expenditures. This is putting our children's educational future in jeopardy when costs continue to rise beyond income.

This is nothing more than resentment porn. These people resent the fact that we pay teachers a living wage, and that these professional educators receive better benefits than they do. When someone gets a Master's Degree and works in the private sector, they have a great opportunity to make a lot of money.  When someone decides instead to go into teaching - a profession (not some retail job) that is arguably the most important in our society - they forego that remuneration.

But that's not the point. The real point is that teachers earn every penny of what they make, including the benefits. Get back to me when the "Clarence Taxpayers" start whining about what Sheriffs earn and their benefits. Or soldiers.

CTP wants long term solutions, not quick fixes. To that end, we believe that:

Receiving state aid to which the district is legally entitled every year is not a "quick fix".

·    District employees need to pay their fair share towards their health care.

Right. Resentment. Teachers make too much. They get better benefits. They earn it. Stop blaming these professionals. When are they going to complain about Hartzell's raise? When are they going to complain about the pay and benefits at Town Hall? 

• ·     Eliminate the HRA accounts.

What? Why? 

• ·     The Clarence Enrichment Foundation [sic] be made permanent.

Here's the heart of the matter. Because of their destruction of the schools last year, families had to scramble like panhandlers and beg for money to restore clubs and programs. The CSEF raised the money through tireless work. This crowd wants to cut these clubs and programs permanently - this puts the lie to their claims to want a "great" or "strong" school district. They want to starve the students, starve the district. They want to relegate the schools to indigent panhandling status. 

The CSEF is permanent. It will be offering scholarships and raising money for capital projects. Its mission is not - and never was intended to be - to restore basic clubs and programs.  And do you know who didn't donate to CSEF? The "Clarence Taxpayers". Not one of their names is on there, and it's a disgrace. 

• ·     A professional negotiator be hired for the upcoming contract negotiations.

Great idea! But it's not in the budget. Go out and raise money to hire your own. Or better still, let's use Superintendent Hicks, who was hired as Superintendent and is paid a good sum of money to be the district's professional contract negotiator. It's in his job description.  And whom, precisely, would this crowd retain? A lawyer? Henry Kissinger? What is a "professional negotiator"? Anyhow, Clarence Taxpayers should understand that we taxpayers aren't going to fund their redundant folly. 

We, the tax payers, teachers and administrators, can all work together to keep our schools great!

Tell a lie often enough, people start to believe it. These vultures are picking on the carcass of a wounded system. Don't let them consume it. Attend the board meetings on April 7th at 7pm at the High School lecture hall, and the budget hearing on May 12th at 7pm at the High School. The real taxpayers will not tolerate a repeat of last year's disaster. 

State Audits Clarence Vehicle and Fuel Use (Hint: It's Wasteful)

The self-anointed "taxpayers" were quite vocal, sitting up in the last row of the High School lecture hall, scoffing at suggestions that brat kids shouldn't be riding to school on 14 year-old, dilapidated, rusting buses. They harangued the school board over pennies - hey, why don't we contract out the bus services? Hey, why do these kids need buses, anyhow? Hey, do we really NEED schools?

But while kids ride to school on rolling embarrassments, 11 town employees - including the supervisor - get freebie take-home vehicles. The State Comptroller took a look at how the town manages its fleet and fuel, and the results are shocking.  I hope you don't buy the trope that these guys are looking out for the taxpayers, because they're looking out for five separate number ones, and the people who owe them their jobs.

Some fun facts:

First, if you take a look at the audit, it's pretty damning. One of the fuel systems has no controls, and there are several vehicles that the town owns, fuels, and insures that aren't used on a regular basis, so the question is - does anyone need them?

Hartzell responded to the audit with a classic punt - we're doing an action plan you guys! This guy sailed into office promising to be just dreamy when it came to taxes and spending, and here he is getting smacked over lax controls and overspending by a Democratic Comptroller. That's on top of the barracks. And the sewers.

It's not just that they get these cars, by the way. You have to see the part of the audit where we're reminded that the town Board adopted a resolution in 1998 requiring replacement of cars every three years, and 4WD vehicles every four years. Must be nice. Kindergartners get new buses every what - 15 years?

Of course, school bus purchases are subject to a referendum. The people who think kids should walk barefoot to school in the snow to save a penny on taxes - would they vote to give town employees a shiny new car every 3 years? (Probably. They're Republicans.)

The 11 town employees who get to take a car home - they're welfare queens of the highest order.  They don't get paid enough to drive their own cars and put in for mileage reimbursement? They need to have their vehicle, its fuel, and the insurance subsidized by taxpayers? At a time where the tea party demagogues the town about school costs and teacher salaries, they don't make a peep about our town welfare cars. Where's the Clarence Taxpayers, who declare that they have 14 year-old cars in the back row of the school board meeting, when it comes to town employees driving brand-new town vehicles to go to the grocery store?

I'd frankly love to know if Hartzell is declaring his free Ford Escape with its free gas and free insurance on his tax filings. It's all income. A gravy train disguised as a Ford. And if Hartzell racked up 550 miles to commute to work, where did the other 2800 miles come from, exactly? The audit reveals that the town can't justify all these vehicles and their ancillary costs. So, we probably don't need them.

The hypocrisy and the silence - they're both DEAFENING.

Who Guards the Guardians?

This is a site for concerned Clarence, NY taxpayers to discuss issues affecting them and their town. Last year's school tax debacle was just the beginning.

We think that taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society, but we're not going to let demagogues destroy the town and our schools over pennies while they enrich themselves on the public dime. Gone are the days when we just sit back and let a small minority of people lie about the facts, and threaten our community and our home values.

Calling yourself a "taxpayer" doesn't make you the final arbiter of what's good for the town. And when the so-called "taxpayer" group fails to notice or comment on things like the town Supervisor David Hartzell giving himself a couple of raises, then really there's no one watching out for the taxpayers, because it all boils down to party politics. 

You can bet if the town clown was a Democrat, the "taxpayers" would be all over him. But he's a Republican, the town board that voted for the raises is Republican, and chances are you're a Republican, too. 

So, that's the first lesson, Clarence. Your Supervisor gave himself two raises. Not a whole lot, but in a town where we're mass-firing teachers and arguing over whether we should have local residents drive our school buses, EVERY PENNY COUNTS.

Hartzell was sworn into office in January 2012. Outgoing Supervisor Bylewski had actually cut the Supervisor rate of pay for 2012 from $77,096 to $76,357.  This was done before the election that Hartzell won.

But Hartzell thought he deserved more, so in 2013, he bumped himself from $76,357 all the way up to $78,648. That's a $2,300 raise - 3% - for a part-time job!

Not satisfied, in 2013, Hartzell gave himself (well, with the Republican town board's help) a raise from $78,648 to $79,148 - another $500!

So, for his part-time job as Supervisor (don't forget he's also IDA Chairman!) Hartzell has given himself a raise - without opposition - of $2,800 - 3.7%.

I'm looking at you, town hall. 

I'm looking at you, highway department. 

I'm looking at you, senior center.

I'm looking at you "Clarence Taxpayers who watch out for taxpayers except when the Supervisor gives himself a raise".

Party's over.

Want to tell the people what you know? Want to call out elected officials and town employees who talk the talk about taxes and spending but don't walk the walk? Want to help combat the lies?

Email to clarencewatchdog@gmail.com.