For residents of Suffolk used to living in a county whose finances were in order, news this week of a $530 million budget deficit came as a shock. And they weren't alone.
After County Executive Steve Bellone on Tuesday declared a fiscal emergency, allowing him to immediately embargo up to 10 percent of funds in each County department’s budget, local legislators began assigning blame.
For starters, relative Democrative newcomer and a lax borrowing policy in the past.
"I’m not really a big proponent of borrowing money, I don’t feel like that’s the right thing to do, but unfortunately it has been done probably more than it should have," she said.
Legis. Jay Schneiderman, another Democrat, , and his staunch resistance to raising taxes.
In Dix Hills, came back to the county's pension problems. He said the county’s contributions increased by $200 million in 2010, and another $180 million in 2011. And since the new tax cap limits the amount of revenue the county can bring in, Stern said the state is going to have to step in and help to bridge the gap.
Meanwhile, Republican Legis. Ed Romaine focused on a local solution, that would sunset in four years.
RELATED: Bellone present the Task Force's report to the Suffolk Legislature.
So let us know in comments what you think needs to be done, and who is to blame for the county's fiscal mess.
Superintendents are also under fire, but I will tell you without hesitation that an experienced, skilled, progressive thinking superintendent of schools has tremendous value and is in short supply and great demand; especially, when six-figure classroom teachers exist. A-ha! A generally private sector term that depicts a free market economy – you right-wingers should embrace that, NO? No, you do not because it is being integrated with the public workforce; hence, therein lies the problem. As the public unions have successfully negotiated salaries that were somewhat equal to or greater than equally educated private sector workers, while holding onto the pensions, benefits and tenure rights that were the alluring piece of entering the public workforce from decades past, the contracts, and therefore the system, has become unsustainable. Battles are being fought. There is a lot of pressure on public unions and their legislative bedfellows are hiding out or running for cover. Positive Change is forthcoming – if only because there is no other choice.
Additionally, in an earlier post someone brought up the Triborough Doctrine, which is an amendment to the Taylor law that keeps contracts inforce even after expiration. Therefore, the salary step tables that have been in contracts since early in the last century and pervasive in all New York State and beyond, continue to raise salary expenses even when negotiations are tough and ongoing for years. Now, put the tax cap in this equation and you find that the step salary increases plus the employer contributions to to the pension system alone will take a system beyond the allowable increase under the 2% tax cap. Only leaving cutting staff and/or services as an available option. Unless unions concede on certain points and the pension systems are reformed, the whole system eventually implodes. That is why I believe positive change is forthcoming. The only other alternative is the courts stepping in to assure another constitutional right - that every child is entitled to a free, adequate public education. Let's hope reason takes over before that happens.
Don't get me wrong, I am not defending it, nor am I taking a side. I am just stating the fact that it is NOT the big money that everyone "seems" to believe it is... Is it an issue, sure, but it is not the big money that is making taxes rise to these unmanagble levels.