The Consent of the Governed

The Sunday edition of the Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle ran a front page story and lead editorial regarding local property tax rates and their connection to the Monroe County budget deficit. This was the clearest outline yet offered by the D&C as to their 2007 campaign against GOP County Executive Maggie Brooks. This year the D&C is linking its efforts to weaken Ms. Brooks with its long-term metro government agenda.

The property tax rate chart is intended to convince us that we pay too much in property taxes. The explanation for our over-taxation: unnecessary and duplicative services provided by unneeded layers of government. The connection to Ms. Brooks and the County Budget? The sales tax sharing mechanism that "subsidizes" those pesky local governments. If we did away with that sharing, the County budget will balance and those municipalities and their residents will be left to make the "hard choices" they have been spared from making.

"Hard choices" is code for raising taxes or cutting services. In this context, it means facing the inevitable and obvious (at least to the Solon's on the D&C Editorial Board) solution of metro government.

Nowhere should this solution be more obvious than in the towns with police departments. Boy, are those town residents foolish! The Sheriff's Department is good enough for most towns, why not the five with their own police?

Is it possible that those town residents are willing to pay a premium for enhanced service? Is it hard to accept that those residents doubt they will get equivalent service if they give up their own police? Further, do the editorialists and government experts believe that the 250 or so local police will not be replaced by new hires in the Sheriff's Department (or the Monroe Metro Police Department)? Will there really be big savings? As a Gates resident, I am sure of one thing. There will not be 4 or 5 cars patrolling Gates on each shift as there are now. The new Sheriff's (or Metro) hires will largely be working in the City of Rochester, not Gates (or Chili or Henrietta or Greece, or any other suburb).
I think its quite reasonable for people to make choices about the things their tax money goes to. It has something to do with government being empowered by the consent of the governed. I know that Gates residents (and residents of other towns in Monroe County and NY State) are over-taxed. But we are not over-taxed because of our town government.

No, we are over- taxed because our State government is completely beyond our control. The State Legislature is not a representative body responsible to the people. Sheldon Silver and Joe Bruno are able to operate without any concern about what "the people" want. Even vaunted programs such as the STAR program are hoaxes. The STAR program merely shifts who pays the tax and allows our school districts to spend with impunity. Nothing could have more clearly exposed the chicanery that is our State government than last year's tax rebate, which was tantamount to bribing us with our own money.

Yet you would have us cede our local control of our lives to a new, bigger, "local" (metro) government. Sorry, Mr. Lawrence, Ms. Magnuson, Mr. Tobin, Ms. Wagner and the rest of the D&C Editorial Board. The best government is still the government closest to the people. The Supervisors and Town Board members in our local Towns are far more accountable to us than our State representatives or those prospective representatives of the metro government you long for.You are wrong to criticise town residents who want to keep their local services and police. It is, after all, our money. More importantly, this is, after all, still a democracy. We are still allowed to choose the type and amount of government we want.

You go ahead with your agenda, though. Take your best shot at Ms. Brooks (for all of the good it will do you). You should note, however, that your view has few supporters outside the City of Rochester. Oh, yes, the other part of your agenda; save the poorly run and nearly broke City at any expense (or, more accurately, at the expense of suburban towns and residents). I can't help but notice that while you pontificate about wasteful and unnecessary town governments, special districts, and the like, the City is always exempt. No criticism about blowing millions (12, wasn't it?) on opening a polluted beach that was closed more than half the season. I don't remember reading any articles railing against the uncounted dollars spent on the High Falls Entertainment District. That was money well spent! The Ferry is too easy a target to even mention, although, it is interesting that there has been so little said about the 10 months and counting since the "sale" of same.

The D&C can't change its ways any more than a leopard can change its spots. Look for more of the same in the weeks ahead. The agenda will be served. Like so many "elites", our local media members know what is best for us. They will keep trying to convince us of the error of our ways. I hope town residents decide to keep the type of government and the range of services that they want despite the D&C drumbeat.