Anything that could help slash property taxes for Lower Hudson Valley residents is going to get a lot of attention. So a recent report by Pace University that said taxpayers could potentially save $47 million by consolidating fire services in several lower Westchester County towns got readers talking.
This is what one reader had to say about the potential success of consolidation:

REALITY: Even if they did save $47 million, our leaders are so shabby that they will initially spend $100 million figuring out how to do it and then another additional and perpetual $75 million a year on appointed cronies and hangers-on to implement it.

Does anyone think that (the fire chiefs) would be willing to give up their posts so that we can have one big department? All fire departments have different methods on how to fight a fire. It would take years to agree on which method would be best. Change is slow when it comes to fire departments. Civil service mentality!

$47 million a year hardly seems worth it when you spread that out over all the towns that covers. Consider this, your house is on fire, do you want someone coming from 4 minutes away or 10 minutes away?  … Fire tax gets spread over homeowners at a rate of x per thousand of assessed value and is usually included with the county and town tax. … No one will even notice it on their tax bill.

Now you are going to hear from the individual departments about how much more it’s really going to cost, and how services will de diminished, yada, yada, yada. It’s about the few people in the department who enjoy their position of power and esteem and don’t wan’t to give it up. I’m sure fire departments can be consolidated but if you really want to save money start pressing the schools districts. They are responsible for 60 percent of your property tax bill.

State Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, has been one of the senators who has been “undecided” on the pending gay marriage legislation in Albany.

Not anymore. “I’m going to vote against, it,” he said today as we discussed the Senate standoff and other Albany issues. He figured that the governor was going to continue to push the Senate to vote on a gay marriage bill, so he would go on the record.

“I understand both sides,” he said. “I prefer civil union, as opposed to traditional marriage.”

He said he’s been listening to his constituents (all of Rockland, parts of Orange County) who he believes are split on the issue. He also says he doesn’t know if there are enough votes in the Senate to pass a gay marriage bill.

“Maybe I’m a traditionalist,” he said. “I know my community is divided. If you can accommodate both sides, why not do that?”

He explained that he understands and empathizes with the arguments about “inheritance rights, spousal rights,” and believes that civil unions will accomplish those goals of equal rights for same-sex partners.

I asked him, is that why he got married, for spousal rights?

“I fell in love,” was Morahan’s response.

And isn’t that also why people in same-sex relationships want to be married? He acknowledged that that was any couple’s goal in getting married “because we love somebody. But there are practical things.” He wants to ensure a same-sex partner gets health insurance, can visit his or her partner in the hospital. Those are the practical aspects of marriage “that come after you fall in love” but are very important, and achieved through a civil union, he said.

“We can accommodate … but at the same time, I don’t want to fracture the other side … Is it splitting the baby in half? Maybe.”

A zoning change request that was needed to establish a yeshiva on the former Burgess Meredith estate and was rejected by the Ramapo Zoning Board has readers talking about overdevelopment and land-use.
Here’s one reader’s thoughts on the fight against the project:

We Rocklanders are not easily fooled and will not be bullied into feeling guilty. These issues have a great economic impact and we are rightly concerned. Our suburban way of life is being threatened with a constant march toward overcrowding.

Congratulations to the community surrounding the property! You worked so hard and it paid off! … Why tear up that beautiful piece of property—let it be! Maybe the town can buy some open space that means something to someone.

May have won the battle but the war is far from over. Do not let up, hold your elected officials accountable for their actions/votes. Ramapo cannot withstand years of continued neglect at the hands of a few in power. The time for change must come now before it’s too late. If WE the people speak up, maybe someone will listen.

Patrick Farm is the big one, folks. The history of the site is worth checking out. If downzoned as the developer is pushing for, it will change the look and feel of Ramapo forever.

Bernard Madoff’s sentencing had readers talking about the length of the term, with most saying it was more than fair considering how many lives he had ruined. A few people thought it was excessive and that the judge let emotions rule the court.

He got what he deserved,

Makes everyone feel better, but doesn’t get anyone their money back any faster. Twenty years would be the same as a death sentence in reality. He will be wearing an orange jumpsuit and eating bologna sandwiches for the rest of his life either way.

I understand the anger being felt, which is dwarfed by the pain felt by crushed investors. That being said, I have a problem with giving out sentences based on the demands of the masses and not based in law. … Judges need to be able to leave emotion out of their decisions.

They need to go after the family and employees. This was no one-man scam.

Until everyone is paid back his wife and children should have nothing. They are living on other people’s stolen money. Maybe a little dumpster diving would be good for them.

The government’s hands are dirty in this also. The SEC was warned about Madoff for years and never acted on it. This sad saga is by no means over today.

Based on the machinations in the state Senate over the past several weeks, and increasing frustration over “politics as usual” in Albany, some in the state are calling for a constitutional convention to try and make changes in how state government runs. Specific areas that would be addressed include campaign finance reform, term limits and budget issues.
While many readers would welcome reform in the state, most have little faith that anything will be done. They also think there is plenty of blame to be shared among elected officials and voters for letting things get so out of hand.
Here’s one reader’s take on the situation:

Reform? How about criminal charges. This cesspool of politicians has turned Albany into one big bank for themselves. This latest episode should be the straw that breaks the bank so to speak. These times call for leaders to step up now more than ever, and do right by the people.

Since we have a representative government, it is WE, the voters, who created the problem. Now we want to blame the very people we put in office.

Maybe it’s politicians are too busy protecting special interests. … Maybe it’s being spendthrifts who have only passed one or two budgets on time since the days of Cuomo. Maybe it’s the state has been deficit spending for 3+ decades. Maybe it’s the fault of Majority leaders who wield too much power over rank & file members.

Now is the time to pratice what we preach. Clean house from top to bottom, locally and in Washington. Look at the mess our country is in.

That’s all we need is a bunch of corrupt incumbents changing the constitution. If you look closely, you’ll probably see that New York’s government is already violating the constitution. What we need is some enforcement.

A Yorktown woman who police said left a 4-month-old infant alone in a vehicle while she went into a store has revived the age-old debate about the dangers of children being left alone in vehicles, especially in the summer.
Most readers said that leaving a child alone in a vehicle for any length of time is unacceptable.

Are you kidding me? This was a 4-month-old child left in a closed-up car. Anybody could have broken into that car and taken this baby, the car could have caught fire, the baby could have gotten too hot and stopped breathing,

I don’t understand how a mother can forget her baby in the car.

Don’t get me wrong I know how difficult it is to run into the store for just one or two things but you have to take them with you. They are yours for life.

It’s a very dumb move – and something I work hard to make sure I never do with my kids. It is amazing how distracting a young child, or three, can be, in case you don’t have any of your own.

Why don’t people mind their own business?

Why was this a common occurrance that no one thought twice about back in the 70’s & 80’s when I was a kid and today it’s considered such a horrible crime? I can see if it were sunny and 85 degrees out, but it’s been 65 and raining every day this month. The kid was not in any danger. People need to stop being so uptight and mind their own business.

A psychedelic storefront in Nyack has the usually liberal, artsy community divided over the definitio of “art.” The newest renter of the space on North Broadway that was the former home of the Ben Franklin Bookshop is Carol McIlmurray, who has been painting and repainting the facade.
Some are defending McIlmurray and her artistic creations, like this reader:

People have to stop being so uptight. Leave the hippie chick alone. Let her paint all day long!

Jeeez, it’s Nyack; whaddya expect — haven for the artsy crowd and their culture of ….well, culture, I guess. If you don’t find it all so amusing, stick to the Starbuck’s at the mall.

Talk about free advertising!

Obviously this woman did this to bring attention to the new store she is opening, creating controversy is a great way for free publicity.

Personally I think it looks dumpy and sloppy, bordering on childish with perhaps a tweak of mental queerness. I can see how upsetting it could be to some. Then again, Nyack could use a little odd attention.

Since we’re talking about artful expression I’ve decided to offer a haiku to describe how I feel:
Broadway in summer
Pointless eyesore masked as art
Annoying person

What one considers art, others consider graffitti. Personally, in a year no one will remember the store or her.

Who says people don’t like a positive story? Not our readers who couldn’t post their well wishes and kudos fast enough after The Journal News wrote about Mount Vernon’s salutatorian. Cinnamon Lewis has overcome a hard family life and other obstacles to rise to the top of her graduating class before heading off to Columbia University this fall.
Response from readers has been overwhelmingly supportive, such as this post:

This is a GREAT story! Maybe the Journal News can continue to report on people like CInnamon who, despite obstacles thrown at them, rise above and succeed. Well done, young lady, you’re just getting started!

You go girl!! Keep reaching for those stars and show everyone what you’re made of!! Congratulations and all the best for your future.

Thank you, Journal News; it’s stories like this that give me faith in the world.

Mount Vernon just doesn’t have negative stories! It shows once you put your mind to something, you can do it! Ms. Lewis, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! God bless and follow you in your studies!

The city has to develop programs that promote protective factors and help reduce the risk factors that lead to juvenile crime. Such programs become the best investment our community can make to lower our rates of delinqency. Ms. Lewis could not have done this alone. Her mentors should be complimented for the fine job they did in encouraging her success.

I frequently gripe here about all the form letters and letter-writing campaigns that clog up our letters e-mailbox. Today, I’ll demonstrate step-by-step how this works, and hopefully show why it’s such a nuisance (and why such letters are generally ignored by editors).

This morning in the e-mailbox, I discovered 30 or so letters, nearly all from outside The Journal News readership area, regarding Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier being held captive by Hamas. These letters are being generated by visitors to the Web site of The Israel Project, a Washington, D.C. – based think tank. It’s a fairly easy process: From the homepage, go to “Take Action” and click “Send a letter to your editor” in the drop-down menu. There you will find a list of recent form letters ready to send (the Gilad Shalit one is the third one down). When you click on “Gilad Shalit – Three Years in Captivity,” you will then be asked to provide your ZIP code. Whether you enter a ZIP code from White Plains, Brooklyn or elsewhere in the tri-state area, the site will provide you with a list of 78 newspapers, including Spanish-language papers, stretching from central Connecticut up to Kingston, NY, and down through most of New Jersey. It is then up to the writer to choose which of these to submit his/her letter to. Problem is, all of them are “pre-checked,” so if the writer does nothing, the letter will go to all 78 newspapers! The writer is then required to fill out his/her name, address, etc., and, most important, their e-mail address, so that the letter appearing in the newspapers’ e-mailboxes will look as if they came directly from the writer.

The sample letter, 672 words long, begins “Now is an important anniversary that we must not forget. Iran-backed Hamas has held Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit for 3 years after wounding and kidnapping him from Israel in an unprovoked cross-border attack near the Gaza border.” Underneath are the following “Message Tips”:
* Include a phone number where you can be reached in case the newspaper needs to verify your information.

• Do not cut/paste the talking points above. Put them in your own words to increase the chance that they will be published. (Let’s see: About two-thirds of the letters we received did at least shorten the given material into something resembling a 250-word letter to the editor; the rest merely cut-and-pasted the entire thing.)

  So how did this letter-writing campaign work out? Well, you’re not going to see any of these in the pages of The Journal News – the “writers” are not local, and few of them took the time to write about the issue in their own words. I imagine that the other 77 newspapers on the list will treat them similarly. Again, makes you wonder why such organizations, no matter what they advocate, waste their time and that of their supporters in setting up these transparent camapigns that aren’t going to get past any semi-observant editor.

The Journal News’ ongoing investigative series examining the top 50 wage earners in each municipality continues to generate controversy depending upon which town finds itself in the spotlight.
This time, it’s Stony Point, and the list is dominated by police officers.
Weighing in in support of full disclosure of the salaries information, most readers expressed displeasure with the high salaries at the top of the list. Here’s one reader’s take on the information:

Everyone out there comfy with cops making $200,000 a year? … Give me a break. Now we all know why taxpayers in this area are ready to pull their hair out.

These salaries are too high. But the towns are at fault, too. They are agreeing to pay these high salaries and pensions.

Towns must come to face the fact that taxpayers just cannot afford these salaries and benefits. … The unions are out of hand and must be stopped or there will be a taxpayer revolt.

If anyone deserves high pay it is the police. They are the real heroes.

Enough cop and teacher bashing! These people are working hard to protect us and educate our children. They deserve to get paid well to deal with a whiney ungreatful public.

If civil service employees makes more then the people paying their salaries (taxespayers) then you end up with a very unstable and negative result. Their pay should be based on the average salary in town,