State of MInd: Steve's Show

Dear Nieces and Nephews

We weren’t going to comment on Steve’s State of the County address last month, because we thought it was obvious that it was a dog and pony show. But apparently it wasn’t obvious enough and  a select few are commenting on what a fine job our Stevie Thunder is doing. (schills?) Even those taught to be skeptics (certain members of the media) missed key points and the audacity of some of his claims. (Poor Matt Turnbull, he was headed in the right direction but employed a bad delivery, so it was easy to dismiss him as “being negative”. You fell right into their lap, Matt!)

Please note that the source for this information is the video that Steve himself posted on YouTube.

STEVE SAID: “The last two years, we’ve cut $40 million in spending without any layoffs’. Not many counties or governments can talk about this.”  How?

Magic!

Last year he cut” $30 million” How?

Magic!

Ant is truly magic when you consider what he said in 2014:

STEVE SAID: "The numbers are there and the challenges are real. These are facts. They might not be welcome, but these are the facts." (When he first came into office the “reality” was a $60 million deficit, remember?)

“Pass these layoffs, or form an LDC for Valley View and move on," 

 Not Magic! And not very nice.

http://www.recordonline.com/article/20140319/News/403190322

We have moved on and neither of those happened now, did they Stevie? So why should we believe you now?

And earlier this week, a joint committee meeting of three OC legislative committees to sell or lease land around Valley View met. Steve couldn’t sell Valley View, so now he is selling/leasing the land around it! What is it? Is there gold buried there, alongside the cemetery? (preservationists be alert here)  What is this almost obsessive need for selling VV itself or land associated with it? Qui bono? The plans of which they speak are seemingly right out of Joseph Zupnick’s playbook. And, yes, it is just a step toward selling Valley View. (The step by step process is more palatable, just like the Monroe Town Board found the 164 acre Annexation attempt more palatable than the 507 acre annexation even though we all know that the ultimate  goal is even more than either one.)

And developing Camp LaGuardia, the former homeless repository for the City of New York. (The one not supervised properly, so that some of the "Campies", obviously stoned or drunk, would harass local residents to the point of physical violence) is another of Stevie’s plans. He announced that the IDA (with the help of his buddy, the man who cannot keep quiet, Jim Petro) would purchase the contract with MountCo who was trying to develop the land at Camp LaGuardia to no avail. Stevie and Jimmy have big plans and Steve’s buddy Alex Jamieson (Supervisor, Town of Chester) is right there with them. Commercial development!!! JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!! Remember: There is NO oversight of the IDA.

What they are not telling you is that they have NO agreement from the Town of Blooming Grove where a vast portion of their proposal is situated. And NYS still has HOME RULE (the power of a local municipality to govern itself without a charter from the State) especially important in terms of land use planning and zoning.

And is Steve chipping away at home rule with his Indigot development plans? (Incorrectly reported as development along the rt 17 m corridor in one media source). The agreement is about providing water FOR the development along the Rt. 17m corridor- Has anyone asked what development? (besides Amy’s) Is this “Eddie’s Water loop” resurrected again, for County Control of water supplies? All you well owners supplying your own water, get ready for a County water system that includes YOUR wells. And get ready to be charged for YOUR water! Water that you supply yourself! All because you will be part of the county water system.

Executive Director Nadia Allen of Mental Health Association in Orange County SAID: “Although the youngest county executive in the county’s history, he’s someone who for many years now has had a positive impact, and has contributed to the exponential growth, progress, improvement, and success of our county.”

Exponential growth?

Increased water supply along Rt. 17M?

What does that sound like to you?

And the “Savings” on rebuilding the Orange County Government Center is nothing but a joke. Demolish a building that does not need to be demolished and the claim how much you saved rebuilding it, is just plain stupid or worse, corrupt.

And Steve is building bridges not the “Mending fences” type but the actual bridges himself. And he looks so cute in the big yellow hat.

WE are surprised that he is not taking credit for the rebuilding of the Tappan Zee bridge and asking for It to be renamed the Steve Neuhaus Commemorative Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! Building Bridge. (Check out the THR article on just how many jobs are created with tax incentives given.)

As far as budgeting without layoffs, this is the second year in a row that he just de-funded some unfilled positions that were in the budget.

In fact, he is even hiring people. Like the golf course overseer, new hires in the Planning dept. and other executive branch appointments.

Referencing golf courses, Auntie hears the NYS Attorney General’s office has issued subpoenas to various elected officials due to (allegedly) improper bidding procedures for the county-owned golf courses. One of the bidders is Wayne Corts aka Wallkill golf and hospitality.

    

This address above is Wayne’s Marina in Rockland County- the address below is the Wallkilll Golf Club.

  

$3.5K cheap!

This wouldn’t have anything do with the subpoenas would it?

The State of the County? Business as usual.