Game Changer or Dumb & Dumber

We recently received the County Legislator's self promotional campaign piece which finds the legislators calling for stricter childcare regulations due to the tragic death of 5-month old Monica Yunga while in unregulated childcare in Ossining. First, it’s a tragedy that should never have happened and we are by no means ignoring the gravity of this fact. Second, why didn’t the legislators already have a law or at least a policy in place about this? Third, if there are people providing childcare, especially unlicensed childcare, it can go under the radar for years as long as there are no problems. Fourth, is this part of the underground economy? And, should we as a society be providing funds for childcare for other peoples children? ABG doesn't believe so but there may be reasons to provide this temporary aid.

The brochure states the legislature’s last two “reports” (pat on their backs) are how they passed a term limits law limiting the legislators to six two-year terms and the county executive position to three four-year terms; and have a new program to develop a watershed-based storm water management plan to address flooding. These would both be funny if they weren’t so pathetic! With the exception of about three legislators, all the incumbents will not have this new law apply to them as they have been there on average for 12 years or more already and would normally retire there if allowed or simply die of old age. Ultimately, it was a political pandering move that will leave the positions and themselves unchanged.

The flood issue arises each time the water levels do the same. And during each newscast on any channel, some dumb reporter in boots is standing in water in the flooded area. Dumb is being kind. Are these attention-starved reporters not aware of what happens when a downed electrical wire comes into contact with water? Apparently, the answer is no. In the end, nothing will be done about flooding in Westchester beyond superficial pontificating of the need for a new program or study. In fact, Greenburgh’s supervisor, Paul Feiner never even applied for available flood monies for any Greenburgh community except Hartsdale. He's been talking about “doing something” about flooding during entire tenure in office. But the residents of Greenburgh will reelect him once more. Again, dumb and dumber.

There’s also a mention of a new citizens committee to evaluate if county government can be made more efficient and tax-payer friendly, and to scrutinize spending, it’s form and structure. Let us save them some time. It can certainly be made to be efficient, but not as a patronage mill as it has been for the last twenty or thirty years. The tax-payer friendly idea is laughable. If someone keeps hitting you and stops, should that be misconstrued as friendship? If we must continue to pay county taxes, it’ll never be friendly.

Finally, it’s form and structure must be addressed throughout, not in bits and pieces as County Executive Astorino tried to do last year with a couple of departments. Just saying they should be merged doesn’t mean it should. In the end, real changes need to have real thought, comprehensive information on which to base a decision and people willing to implement it, even if it’s possible they risk losing their position. Then we can have a game-changer. Until then, the politicos will keep juggling more balls in the air never delivering real solutions or making tough decisions.