May 13, 2008 Posted | 0 comments

Irvington’s Pismire Paul Mandel on New York State Taxes: Episode 3

I first wrote about Irvington’s Paul Mandel in Public School Arrogance on New York State Taxes: Irvington Union Free Edition - I detailed the problem with Mandel’s assertion that state EXCEL Aid costs taxypayers nothing.

Of course, state funds come from taxpayers, so any state-funded project is funded by taxpayers. Having an intermediary in the process doesn’t negate the source.

Mandel’s claim is easily made honest by explaining that buildings/grounds work funded by EXCEL Aid create no additional hardship for the taxpayer - after all, they’ve already paid the money. The distinction is important.

Mandel and the board called upon their arrogance once more. In Irvington’s Pismire Strikes Again: Lesson 2 in New York State Taxes, I reproduced Mandel’s mailing in which he claimed that the building projects were “100% funded by New York State” - again, New York State is, one presumes, made up of taxpaying New Yorkers and their businesses - and stresses that there is “almost no cost to taxpayers for these important projects.”

Almost no cost? Well, he cites the debt service that may accrue but never the taxes paid in the first place. The subtle-but-tendentious language - “these important projects” - didn’t go unnoticed.

That’s when I wrote a brief note to the Board about the language they used to describe EXCEL Aid. I wrote:

To the Board:

I hope that you will regard my comments about Irvington’s billing of EXCEL Aid as “absolutely no cost to taxpayers” and as “almost no cost to taxpayers” with the sobriety they warrant. All districts - in New York State and nationwide - must treat their constituents with the respect they deserve and must communicate honestly. Twice your e-mails have failed to clear this relatively low moral and governmental hurdle - I’m confident, for the sake of Irvington’s citizens and those who contribute from other parts of the state, that it won’t happen a third time.

Many thanks,

Matthew K. Tabor
[email protected]
www.matthewktabor.com
607.821.1752

The following days brought a rash of views from Westchester BOCES servers and since has been a mainstay of daily Google searches. Popular searches include variations on “Paul Mandel Irvington,” for which these posts occupy the top two slots in Google results, and variations on “Irvington union free budget.” Top two slots on the that one as well.

There was no response to my messages, nor was there an acknowledgment of its receipt. Classy folks, those ones.

The kicker? They’ve done it again.

In “Budget FAQs,” Mandel writes:

What will Irvington get and what will these projects cost taxpayers?

Irvington is eligible for up to $627,781 and 100% of the project costs will be covered by the state. So the projects do not cost the Irvington taxpayers anything, unless we need to borrow to fund the projects before receiving the aid payment (the borrowing may cost us about $20,000 in 2009-2010).

The emphasis here is mine.

Mandel et al. truly don’t give a whit about New Yorkers who have already paid the taxmoney that will fund Irvington’s projects. Like I said before, we’re happy to do so - but we don’t like being held in such contempt.

I thought that Mandel and the grisly gang who work his wicked will - or is he the one being worked? - would change their language after one pointed out to them how dishonest and disdainful it was. After all, I do understand that subtlety is often missed and that Mandel/etc. must be shocked that someone outside Irvington reads their newsletter - but at this point there’s no excuse for not being honest.

Mandel has been informed. He has decided that pandering to citizens who are concerned [rightly] about their annual tax levy is more important that honesty.

The tragedy here is that Mandel and the board don’t realize that they can be forthcoming, honest and still garner the support of taxpayers - and maybe even more than they’re getting right now.

No Responses to “Irvington’s Pismire Paul Mandel on New York State Taxes: Episode 3”