The following letter was sent out to the Ulster County Press today in response to Mr. Steven L. Fornal's letter in the current issue:
To the Editor:
Mr. Steven Fornal's Letter to the Editor (August 29, 2007) is a gourmet serving of demagoguery with a pinch of sleight of hand and a dash of smoke and mirrors thrown in. While I have often disagreed with Mr. Fornal's positions, I had been under the impression that he was above resorting to ad hominem statements which seem aimed at belittling those with whom he disagrees. Apparently, I was mistaken.
He refers to a previous letter writer's personal relationship to an elected official as if that should disqualify her from having or expressing her own opinion. The unwritten implication is that a woman's opinion is not her own but is, instead, her husband's. Hardly a "liberal" or "progressive" viewpoint.
Mr. Fornal also refers to another letter writer as "an ever affable but clueless former supervisor." That "former supervisor" has served in almost every elected town position and, as Supervisor, kept our property taxes from increasing for several years, an achievement the current Administration has not come close to matching. He also did not use his position or influence to have his job re-defined as full time, complete with a horrendous pay raise. Nor did that Supervisor divide this Town into two classes, with differing categories of rights and abilities to participate in the definition of their own destinies. The latter two "achievements" came from the Supervisor Mr. Fornal goes on to praise later in his letter. In point of fact, there are few (if any) in the Town of Rochester whose knowledge and understanding of the way a municipality operates matches that of the former Supervisor in question.
Of course, Mr. Fornal fails to mention his own lockstep political relationship with certain members of the Town Board and its backers. Likewise, he does not see fit to reveal that he owes his position as Chairman of the Planning Board to Supervisor Duke and her Board. Apparently such revelations are only important when criticizing those with whom he finds fault.
Mr. Fornal then proceeds to criticize the current Tax Assessor by citing a property tax example wherein two similarly priced homes were levied with broadly differing tax burdens. This is where the smoke and mirrors come into play. One would expect Mr. Fornal, as Chairman of the Town's Planning Board, to understand the difference between a property's assessed value and the tax burden levied thereupon. First and second homes are treated very differently. Between basic STAR exemptions and other differentials created by the State in order to owners of primary residences from a tax auction, similar homes may be taxed at a very different level, even assuming the assessment is also similar. Rather than speaking of whether or not the assessed values were dissimilar, Mr. Fornal would have the reader jump to the conclusion that the discrepancy between tax burdens is the responsibility of the tax assessor. It most certainly is not. The tax assessor simply determines the assessed (roughly market) value of the homes in the municipality. The rest comes from State Law, our School Board and the County and, yes, Town
Governments.
Similarly, Mr. Fornal's claims with regard to a townwide revaluation are nothing but sleight of hand. He would have us looking in one direction while the real action is taking place in another. Tax revaluations are not set or scheduled by the Tax Assessor, but by the Town Board. If Mr. Fornal has problems with the manner in which revaluations are being performed, he should turn to the Town Board, not the Tax Assessor.
So why would Mr. Fornal make such wild and easily refutable claims with regard to responsibility for taxation and revaluations? Simple. He is part of the cheering section for a Town Government gone wild with power. The Tax Assessor who is the target of Mr. Fornal's nonsensical fairy tales has been denied a new contract by the Town Board less than two years before she is eligible for full retirement. The "compassionate" liberals running our Town Government have seen fit to deny her a significant portion of her retirement benefits for the rest of her life. The reason? That, too, is simple. The Tax Assessor happens to be a member of the Conservative Party. Her husband is a Past Chairman of the Party in the Town of Rochester.
The Town Board has made it amply clear that all such positions must be filled by their philosophical brethren. Such metaphorical Liberal nepotism is now (practically speaking) the only factor in filling Town positions. Time and time again this Town Board has made administrative and operational decisions based on how they can best attack their opponents and strengthen their political ramparts, not on basis of what is best for our Town. As more and more people are becoming aware of this mean spirited, Machiavellian strategy, Mr. Fornal has taken it upon himself to advise us all to "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
Mr. Fornal also all but admits that there are now two classes of people in Town when referring to "longtimers." In point of fact, many of the current Regime's opponents are not "longtimers" in any sense of the word. Manuela Mihailescu, who was found to be victimized by the Town Government by a court of law recently has been a resident of the Town for less than a decade. My parents moved here from Eastern Europe by way of New Jersey. A major portion of those who are fed up and disgusted by the behavior of a Town Government Mr. Fornal views through rose colored glasses have been here no longer than the majority of his political allies, having come from places like New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, other parts of the Hudson Valley and places much farther away. The difference is, however, that when we moved here we decided that we wanted to become a part of what was already here. Mr. Fornal's crowd came here and decided that they were far more intelligent than the "banshees" who are "shrieking their shrill complaints." They decided that the redneck hicks need to be taken in hand and forced to change the Town for the "better," as they see it.
The fact that Mr. Fornal claims that his "sector of the population" is subsidizing the other "sectors" shows just how patronizing he and others like him are. We never asked to have them come into our Town and "subsidize" anything. In fact, I don't see them subsidizing our Town at all. On the contrary, 300 years of work, heart, spirit and money have gone into making this Town what it is today. It is the legacy of the "longtimers" which is "subsidizing" Mr. Fornal's ability to live in a beautiful, rural atmosphere. The Liberal aristocracy which has come into Town of late has done nothing to make us what we are. Those who lived here for three centuries did it all.
Finally, Mr. Fornal repeatedly refers to "residents." His allies have formed a "Residents' Association." This is the ultimate proof that they do not understand rural life in the slightest. Country families are not residents of a Town. We do not define ourselves by where we live. We define ourselves by those who surround us, by those who help us when the need arises and those whom we, in turn, help. No, we are not residents. We are neighbors. It is truly sad that Mr. Fornal, the Town Board and their supporters and allies seem to be incapable of comprehending this simple truth.
Respectfully,
Imre Beke, Jr., Chairman
Town of Rochester Conservative Committee
Mr. Steven Fornal's Letter to the Editor (August 29, 2007) is a gourmet serving of demagoguery with a pinch of sleight of hand and a dash of smoke and mirrors thrown in. While I have often disagreed with Mr. Fornal's positions, I had been under the impression that he was above resorting to ad hominem statements which seem aimed at belittling those with whom he disagrees. Apparently, I was mistaken.
He refers to a previous letter writer's personal relationship to an elected official as if that should disqualify her from having or expressing her own opinion. The unwritten implication is that a woman's opinion is not her own but is, instead, her husband's. Hardly a "liberal" or "progressive" viewpoint.
Mr. Fornal also refers to another letter writer as "an ever affable but clueless former supervisor." That "former supervisor" has served in almost every elected town position and, as Supervisor, kept our property taxes from increasing for several years, an achievement the current Administration has not come close to matching. He also did not use his position or influence to have his job re-defined as full time, complete with a horrendous pay raise. Nor did that Supervisor divide this Town into two classes, with differing categories of rights and abilities to participate in the definition of their own destinies. The latter two "achievements" came from the Supervisor Mr. Fornal goes on to praise later in his letter. In point of fact, there are few (if any) in the Town of Rochester whose knowledge and understanding of the way a municipality operates matches that of the former Supervisor in question.
Of course, Mr. Fornal fails to mention his own lockstep political relationship with certain members of the Town Board and its backers. Likewise, he does not see fit to reveal that he owes his position as Chairman of the Planning Board to Supervisor Duke and her Board. Apparently such revelations are only important when criticizing those with whom he finds fault.
Mr. Fornal then proceeds to criticize the current Tax Assessor by citing a property tax example wherein two similarly priced homes were levied with broadly differing tax burdens. This is where the smoke and mirrors come into play. One would expect Mr. Fornal, as Chairman of the Town's Planning Board, to understand the difference between a property's assessed value and the tax burden levied thereupon. First and second homes are treated very differently. Between basic STAR exemptions and other differentials created by the State in order to owners of primary residences from a tax auction, similar homes may be taxed at a very different level, even assuming the assessment is also similar. Rather than speaking of whether or not the assessed values were dissimilar, Mr. Fornal would have the reader jump to the conclusion that the discrepancy between tax burdens is the responsibility of the tax assessor. It most certainly is not. The tax assessor simply determines the assessed (roughly market) value of the homes in the municipality. The rest comes from State Law, our School Board and the County and, yes, Town
Governments.
Similarly, Mr. Fornal's claims with regard to a townwide revaluation are nothing but sleight of hand. He would have us looking in one direction while the real action is taking place in another. Tax revaluations are not set or scheduled by the Tax Assessor, but by the Town Board. If Mr. Fornal has problems with the manner in which revaluations are being performed, he should turn to the Town Board, not the Tax Assessor.
So why would Mr. Fornal make such wild and easily refutable claims with regard to responsibility for taxation and revaluations? Simple. He is part of the cheering section for a Town Government gone wild with power. The Tax Assessor who is the target of Mr. Fornal's nonsensical fairy tales has been denied a new contract by the Town Board less than two years before she is eligible for full retirement. The "compassionate" liberals running our Town Government have seen fit to deny her a significant portion of her retirement benefits for the rest of her life. The reason? That, too, is simple. The Tax Assessor happens to be a member of the Conservative Party. Her husband is a Past Chairman of the Party in the Town of Rochester.
The Town Board has made it amply clear that all such positions must be filled by their philosophical brethren. Such metaphorical Liberal nepotism is now (practically speaking) the only factor in filling Town positions. Time and time again this Town Board has made administrative and operational decisions based on how they can best attack their opponents and strengthen their political ramparts, not on basis of what is best for our Town. As more and more people are becoming aware of this mean spirited, Machiavellian strategy, Mr. Fornal has taken it upon himself to advise us all to "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
Mr. Fornal also all but admits that there are now two classes of people in Town when referring to "longtimers." In point of fact, many of the current Regime's opponents are not "longtimers" in any sense of the word. Manuela Mihailescu, who was found to be victimized by the Town Government by a court of law recently has been a resident of the Town for less than a decade. My parents moved here from Eastern Europe by way of New Jersey. A major portion of those who are fed up and disgusted by the behavior of a Town Government Mr. Fornal views through rose colored glasses have been here no longer than the majority of his political allies, having come from places like New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, other parts of the Hudson Valley and places much farther away. The difference is, however, that when we moved here we decided that we wanted to become a part of what was already here. Mr. Fornal's crowd came here and decided that they were far more intelligent than the "banshees" who are "shrieking their shrill complaints." They decided that the redneck hicks need to be taken in hand and forced to change the Town for the "better," as they see it.
The fact that Mr. Fornal claims that his "sector of the population" is subsidizing the other "sectors" shows just how patronizing he and others like him are. We never asked to have them come into our Town and "subsidize" anything. In fact, I don't see them subsidizing our Town at all. On the contrary, 300 years of work, heart, spirit and money have gone into making this Town what it is today. It is the legacy of the "longtimers" which is "subsidizing" Mr. Fornal's ability to live in a beautiful, rural atmosphere. The Liberal aristocracy which has come into Town of late has done nothing to make us what we are. Those who lived here for three centuries did it all.
Finally, Mr. Fornal repeatedly refers to "residents." His allies have formed a "Residents' Association." This is the ultimate proof that they do not understand rural life in the slightest. Country families are not residents of a Town. We do not define ourselves by where we live. We define ourselves by those who surround us, by those who help us when the need arises and those whom we, in turn, help. No, we are not residents. We are neighbors. It is truly sad that Mr. Fornal, the Town Board and their supporters and allies seem to be incapable of comprehending this simple truth.
Respectfully,
Imre Beke, Jr., Chairman
Town of Rochester Conservative Committee
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