- By Dan Veaner
- Opinions
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I'm still not convinced that $82,000 for a Tompkins County infrastructure study is a good way to spend tax dollars. It seems to me that the Tompkins municipalities already know where their sewer and water is, and where they still need it. if all the municipalities don't approve it, it doesn't happen. It looked like both Lansings were the only municipalities to say no. Now the Village stands alone.I have an image of the Tompkins County Council of Governments (TCCOG) sitting around one day wondering what they could write a grant for to bring some money into the county. 'Whadaya wanna do?' 'I dunno, whadda YOU wanna do?' 'I know... Let's do an infrastructure study!'
My take is that if everyone in the state didn't spend money on what they don't need our taxes would be much lower. New York is infamous for high taxes. I know it is unrealistic to think that municipalities across the state would actually not spend dollars, but wouldn't it be great? Besides, the State is in serious debt. Governor Patterson is taxing everything in sight to try to make up some of the shortfall. What if unnecessary studies like this were cut across the whole state? How much money would we save?
In the Lansings I have heard too many public officials say they don't want to vote against it because the other municipalities will be mad. I was actually proud of the Lansings for not voting for it, especially because officials in both Lansings expressed serious doubts about the value of this study or the prospects of it actually helping the communities. Now the Town has gone over to the dark side in supporting it, leaving a lot of pressure on the Village to jump on the bandwagon.
With so many local people and people across the state dreading their tax bills when they can't afford health insurance or groceries, it just seems irresponsible to spend so much money on things we don't need. I am saddened to see that peer pressure is being brought to bear on public officials who are apparently succumbing to it. The Village is the last bastion of sanity on this particular issue. We'll see how they hold up.
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