Opinion

The recent chicken BBQ to benefit Catholic Charities of Oswego County was a resounding success! Thanks to the support of so many, we were able to raise more than $3,700 to help us help people in Oswego County through the many programs we offer.

Political corruption takes on many forms. Everyone cries about it at the state and federal level, but it is right here in Oswego County at a much lower level. It is at the town, city and county level. Fraud is fraud no matter how you look at it.

Through proceeds of an attendee 50/50 raffle and the efforts of the Oswego County Deputies who volunteered their time for the Dunk-a-Deputy booth, the event raised $429 with $214.50 being donated to the Stuff-a-Bus campaign sponsored through the United Way of Greater Oswego County. 

At the August 9 Legislative meeting in Pulaski, after voting no on several resolutions that were either mandated by the courts or other contractual reasons, I was asked if I understood that these were issues that required a yes vote. I then said, “I can vote no on anything.” It is my feeling that just because the state or courts mandate the spending, if I don’t agree with it, I should and do vote no.

Money Pit: An ongoing drain on financial resources (tax dollars), such as a house (or a county Department) in frequent need of costly repairs or improvements. This money pit started in January of 2015 with the hiring of a replacement Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds at $82,000 plus benefits (higher pay than a 20-year employee being replaced).

Only in Oswego County will you see a department hire a person (director of Fleet Management) to replace someone (Highway Supervisor) four months before that person retires and then when that person isn’t going to retire still plan on hiring the other person.

In 2005 Congress passed the REAL ID Act as part of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The goal was to create minimum security standards for issuing a license that would protect sensitive facilities such as nuclear power plants, military bases, and federally regulated commercial airports.

In Oswego County, we have seen increased cases of Lyme disease in the past several years. As summer is here and schools are on vacation, people, especially children, will be involved in more outdoor activities. I would like to remind residents to diligently practice tick checks for preventing Lyme disease from ticks. Lyme disease is a bacterial disease transmitted through the saliva of an infected deer tick.

A new Fund Balance Policy has been put into place at the county level; a policy that will control millions of taxpayer dollars. It will control the trigger points of a high and a low point for the county fund balance. Now you as a taxpayer would think that something with that high a priority would have to have the approval of the full Legislative body and that it would be drafted by a bipartisan coalition of equal number of party members.