Due to mismanagement and waste by the prior Democrat regime, newly elected Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino finds himself with a $166 million deficit to figure out.
The Journal News reported Astorino announcing a first round of budget cuts.
"Basically we're looking at a structural problem in county government," Astorino said. "In the past, what has happened is we have used one-shots and rosy projections to get to where we are, and it's just continuing to kick the can down the road.
"Well, the day has come where that can is no longer able to be kicked," the county executive said. "We have to deal with reality, and we will deal with a responsible budget starting in 2011."
Andy Spano's math was off by ... $110 million, hiding the true depth of Westchester's municipal shortfall.
This is the Democrats' fault. Please don't make it the Republicans' fault.
Astorino can start by not giving anyone raises.
Double-Standard?
Rightful criticism is being laid at his door by the news media for giving two high-level staffers an $18,000 jump in salary. It's being rationalized as right-sizing.
The Journal News noted that the Astorino administration's 28 staffers are far fewer than the 42 that former County Executive Andrew Spano had, which translates into a payroll that's $1.2 million lower.
George Oros, Astorino's chief of staff, explained that those numbers don't include Astorino's elimination of a security detail, a roughly $400,000 operation.
With a trimmed staff, Oros said, workers, particularly senior managers, have taken on more duties, and that's reflected in a different organization structure.
"This isn't about raising people's salaries after two months. The idea is to run a lot leaner with a lot less people," Oros said. "We're reducing staff by 30 percent, and we're reducing the money by 30 percent."
There are no jobs, job-seekers are being told, yet people are being hired. There is no money, the public is being told, yet raises are being given. No one is buying the reasoning. It was a public relations nightmare caused by giving two public relations gurus hefty salaries.
Keep in mind that some of Astorino's critics with The Journal News might as well be working for the Democratic National Committee. Also keep in mind that the pay increases drew the discontent of fellow Republicans too, so this commentary isn't coming out from under a rock.
After he takes back the salary increases, Astorino can follow by significantly lowering the salaries of every new hire he has made since starting as Westchester County Executive in January.
No Tax Increase
The good news from Astorino is that he is resolved not to allow any tax increase in Westchester, reported the Associated Press.
The bad news is that the Democrats control the Westchester County Board of Legislators -- and a majority of those liberal Democrats would embrace an estimated 30 percent tax hike to cover the projected deficit.
These County Board Democrats lied about the deficit, misrepresenting the shortfall by over $110 million, but where were the Republicans aggressively holding them accountable. The Journal News noted that Democrats are also also lifting salaries and adding jobs in the legislative branch.
"The county board, by a 9-6 vote, also approved a reshuffling of its own staff that creates several positions, including a chief of staff, eliminates others and sets pay ranges for those jobs. Critics, including the six legislators who voted against it, said those ranges are too high."
And these lawmakers wonder why people want to eliminate county government entirely?
There is no easy way to downsize the Westchester County Government. It is one of the largest munipical operations in the country, in the world. Westchester has been either the highest taxed county in the United States or close to it, as reported by The New York Times.
Astorino first aims to eliminate $16 million in spending this year. Among the short-term measures are:
- Cut $5.8 million from the Department of Social Services by better management of foster care and other measures.
- Cut $1.37 million from the Department of Transportation by eliminating bus service to New York City and other steps.
- Cut $1.6 million from the parks department by leaving 20 positions vacant, closing the pool at Croton Point Park and having a delayed opening at the Rye Playland amusement park.
- Cut $905,000 from public safety by not filling vacancies and redeploying officers to reduce overtime costs in the department.
Layoffs are likely. Salary cuts for non-union employees are a must, starting with the 9th floor where Astorino's few staff (the Republican was left with no discernable budget) and the bureaucratically-entrenched remains of former Westchester County Executive Andy Spano's staff collect lucrative salaries (yes, they're still there). To be fair, not all the new Republican hires are flush with big salaries -- but anyone making $100,000+ on the public dole in today's current economic climate shouldn't be accepting a raise or a higher salary.
Spano was even getting friends and political allies jobs in the Westchester County Courthouse last month, through his buddy Alan Scheinkman, administrative judge and former Westchester County Democratic Party chair.
But the region's daily newspaper, a Gannett publication, won't focus on these details. The Journal News cozying up to liberal Democrats, as if they were members of the Internationale, is part of the reason Westchester County is in such debt. The local daily newspaper never raised a cause for alarm over years of over-spending and careless budgeting by greedy Democrats riding high on an inflated economy.
Hucksters, Inc.
Meanwhile, Astorino has made a big mistake giving his paid huckster and the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant's former paid huckster 18% raises.
There is no justification to give a communications director a larger salary than legislative or budgetary staffers, let alone a raise. To say he will be a part of "policy" decisions, when there are hundreds of qualified people who will work for half his salary is failing to acknowledge the deflation that must accompany any downsizing of county government.
It's also failing to acknowledge a lot of young hungry talent all over the tri-state area, not to mention those who have been laid off and a larger generation of retirees who can do these jobs in their sleep -- for half or two-thirds the salary.
By the way, the news media knows where the county building is located. Hiring a six-figure staffer to remind them that county government exists is municipal masturbation. The "advance" and public information patronage who shamelessly self-promoted Westchester County Government since the days of Al DelBello and Andy O'Rourke doesn't have a place in modern government operations anymore.
As for Westchester's economic development czar being given a raise less than a month into the job, how about tying his salary to the actual business he brings into Westchester ... or retains ... as in measurable new employers and keeping employers (along with small businesses) from closing shop or leaving the county?
More damaging is the man's former employer. Entergy. How many more years of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant cabal influencing policy -- under different incarnations and corporate control -- does this county have to endure? Whether the culprit is the New York Power Authority or Con-Edison or any number of top-heavy influence-peddling donors, no one is fooled by how this hire came to pass.
And Rob Astorino as an "everyman" candidate has to be careful he does not come across as an inside man. It hurts his fellow Republicans. It hurts the mission of reform. It sends the wrong message to taxpayers.
Columist Phil Reisman, a steadfast advocate of Astorino's fiscal reform, noted that things are tough all over --- and probably about to get much worse for any elected official catching voter wrath.
"I may have more to say in future columns about County Executive Rob Astorino's political misadventure last week with the $18,000 salary adjustments for two key members of his inner circle — the raises that weren't raises.
But for now, the reality is that anybody who is scraping by on unemployment checks, sees them only as insensitively contrived boosts in pay.
Astorino told me that he personally called back several angry constituents to explain his case, a gesture which, if it says nothing about his integrity, surely indicates his fear of losing his mandate as the fiscally conservative answer to Andy Spano.
Fortunes turn very quickly when people are scared."
Reisman made the point more diplomatically than this column. It's tough love telling Rob Astorino that his "misadventure" won't be received well. People are scared.
Full disclosure: News Copy is a steadfast advocate of Mr. Astorino too.
We just won't condone the Emperor's Clothes Syndrome with someone we know and love.
What has unwound here is shameful, stupid and too typical of an isolated administrative environment where someone has to speak up and say "no" to those lobbying for sweetheart salaries. If they don't like the pay cuts, there are an estimated 500 or more highly qualified people who eagerly helped with Astorino's transition who would be more than happy to take the positions.
Political Pushback
The challenges for Astorino are not just the unions. It could be his own inner circle, who will either be his own worst enemy or heroes who make the necessary sacrifices.
The pushback on Astorino's raises has impacted morale in the GOP but no one wants to say it too loudly. It has altered the perception of Astorino, perilously so. Finally, it has left some partisans vulnerable and that includes many well-intended Conservatives struggling to reform their own party. That includes people running for the all-important New York State Senate, Assembly and Congress who know must endure the rage of taxpayers on the campaign trail -- because someone in Rob Astorino's office thought it wise to keep "competitive" salaries.
At least Astorino finally read the fiscal riot act.
As has been shown in D.C. with Republicans there, not all members of Reagan's party understand how desperately the voters are craving for tax relief and reform. A critical lynchpin to Republican success statewide, as goes Westchester so will all of New York.
Rob Astorino understands the fiscal crisis but there are measurable concerns that some around him don't grasp the tipping point. Why would they? They have a job -- and they're getting raises.
As for the $166 million deficit, first reported by Andy Spano as a $50 million shortfall, the Democrat lied to the people of Westchester. He owes the county an apology and he should quit walking around like Boss Tweed finding jobs for his corrupt buddies.
Memo to Rob Astorino: This is the Democrats' fault. Please don't make it the Republicans' fault.
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