Here & There Column 11-2-10

Are Politicians Listening To The Folks?

Today's Election Day 2010 and there might be a message to all politicians that government is just too big and way to costly.
Politicians regularly come and go like the four-seasons of the year......some listen to the folks while others could care less.
I have looked, read and listened to most of those folks seeking office in our federal, state and county and besides some of the nastiest and somewhat slanderous statements made this time around I find it very difficult to get a true taste of where some of these politicians are coming from.
There is still too much of the "Good Old Boy" style of politics still affecting what is best for us and in this election there has been some seeking political office that has stepped out of the shadow to present something workable and affordable.
With many newspaper headlines crying for shared municipal services and the fact that taxes worry everyone its about time politicians step to the top of the ladder and do something about it.
Some in government today are now realizing that it's time to not only hold the line on property taxes but that the tax burden must be reduced.
With a reduction in taxes comes a reduction in services. Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis said it very clearly recently with the statement, "we're getting driven out of the ability to provide services."
Unfunded state mandates is a serious problem in that the state creates programs and compels the county to spend millions on them and county officials have no control over that part of the budget process........this has to stop.
Fine tuning, realignment, consolidation and merging are becoming popular terms used by government today.
Politicians are seeing that methods have to be made that will make government leaner and capable of handling the continued bad economy.
We compliment the Town of Thompson and Supervisor Tony Cellini for a proposed budget with no property tax increase. Cellini made it very clear that taxpayers cannot afford additional tax burdens during these economic times.
We need government leaders who will produce tax reform, economic growth, a serious study in regard to religious tax exempt status and the need for further tax advantages for fixed income senior citizens.
Let's hope that this election will produce government that will cut and reduce our state, school and county taxes. The rate of tax inflation has risen at a far greater rate than our pay or current job markets can sustain.
It will be interesting to see if this election produces more responsible leaders who will fight to stop the waste going on within government and someone who will treat the beleaguered taxpayers with shared consolidated municipal services and true tax reform.