Chamber of Commerce Speech August 28, 2013 To begin, I’d like to recognize that today is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. I, too, have a dream that sometime in the near future Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives and Independents will come together to do what’s in the best interests of ALL the people of this beautiful County, not just the wealthy, the well-connected and their friends, There are two major problems in Putnam County that the business community must face, if the majority of us are going to experience prosperous times ahead: The first is that we have been, and continue to be, a one-party town, run by a Republican dominated Legislature and County Executive with little or no electoral opposition, who seem to feel that they can do as they please, in spite of a strong record of ineffectiveness, inefficiency, and gross cronyism. The second major problem facing this county is the relative passivity of you, the business community. Through blind allegiance to the established power structure, you have accepted the status quo and allowed mediocrity to prevail. Our county government is a $135 million dollar corporation with low expectations of its employees and little vision for the future. Over and over again, we see poor management decisions by the County Executive and her department heads, and lax oversight by the Republican-dominated Legislature. Putnam County is the only county in the Hudson Valley region that has experienced a drop in tourism. It is the only county in the region with no viable economic development plan. It is the only county in the region without any higher education, vocational and job training opportunities. There is no long-term planning for growth and most decisions are made by executives who operate by the seat of their pants. In addition, this is a county government disinterested in the majority opinions of its constituents. From summarily rejecting the Safe Act in its entirety, to the proposed commercialization of the Bike Way, to a bus transportation plan developed without input from its primary users, to the refusal of the highway commissioner to acknowledge the dangers of using Peekskill Hollow Rd. as a trucking thruway ... On one issue after another, we consistently see a county government indifferent to the voices and the needs of this community. To propel us forward, this county must have an elected leadership team that can create a viable economic development plan focused on smart growth and continuous internal development. Let’s start with promoting and supporting real infrastructure improvements to our primary roads; a commitment to create architecturally advanced – both involving and inviting - model towns; and a cutting edge plan to develop and use renewable energy resources to meet this county’s evolving power needs. Let’s move strategically to diversify this county’s economic base while, at the same time, protecting our natural resources and our way of life. Let’s significantly increase our investment in tourism around our lakes, trails, and recreational areas. In addition, we have agricultural and underdeveloped green farming interests all around us; all of which could support the growth of Bed & Breakfasts, small hotels, specialty restaurants, and new outdoor activities, attracting people from all over a region inhabited by over 12 million people. Let’s help Brewster, which recently qualified for an opportunity grant. Brewster sits on a major railway and has the raw facilities and people resources to become a viable investment opportunity and center of regional tourism commerce. Do the same with Cold Spring and help craft it to become the entryway into a new Hudson River State Park and Heritage Area. And Mahopac, with a long history as a vacation destination, could surely benefit from renewed county interest in helping the town explore new opportunities for smart growth and internal development. Wouldn’t we all like the center of Mahopac to be designed and developed in such a way that businesses blossom and families congregate. Today, Putnam County is primarily a group of commuter towns with a limited range of meaningful jobs and a tax base that will become more and more constricted in the coming years. We must invite and pursue investments in higher education, job-training, and enterprise community programs, in order to encourage our young people to stay here, rather than seeking job opportunities outside the county. As I had mentioned, the Putnam County budget is over $135 million. You and I must know more about how this money is spent and whether it is spent efficiently and effectively. Too often, consultants are hired by the county with questionable know-how and little accountability. We must infuse research and best practice into problem-solving for our community. Specifically, how have communities of like size and economy solved similar problems in their development? Let’s look more closely at the development of vibrant communities across this great land - whether they are in Colorado or North Carolina or even New Jersey - and piggy-back on their ideas. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel but every need to take advantage of wisdom and progress. Too much of this government is repetitive, redundant and wasteful of tax dollars. It’s time for a change. And to encourage change, let’s partner with a university program in government to offer educational opportunities for motivated interns right here in Carmel. I am not a politician and until a few months ago had no interest in seeking political office. But after attending several meetings of the Legislature and listening to hours and hours of uninspired rhetoric, poor leadership and an abundance of dishonesty, I’m fed up! Enough with a county government so poorly organized and supervised that almost nothing constructive or innovative gets done. So, who am I to voice these opinions and run over my allotted time? Well, first, my wife Susan, and I have lived in Mahopac for over 13 years and in this area for almost 40. I have 3 daughters living and working in the region and 4 grandchildren who, I hope, will someday live and work here. I chose to live in this county because of its natural beauty and the quality of life it offers. Second, for over 40 years, I have supervised large not-for-profit social service agencies, including serving 25 years as the CEO of Ramapo for Children, a nationally recognized youth service agency. I’m a veteran, a hospice volunteer and, since I retired three years ago, serve as a pro bono professional volunteer at UJA-Federation of New York where I offer management assistance advice and training to member agencies, and serve on a task force designed to build agency capacity and program excellence. I am considered an expert in organizational management and I am deeply concerned about the closed, lackluster and insulated ways in which our county government operates.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 14:46:17 +0000
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