Democrats and the D & C: Playing Together in a One-Note Orchestra

Over the past couple of weeks, I've really reached a high (or should it be "low") point of contempt for our local Democrat politicians and our local media pundits. The Democrats in the County of Monroe have no ideas, thus all they do is gripe and snipe, all the while having covering fire from their media fifth column. It has to be clear to all but the most naive reader, that the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle is run by a group of left-leaning folks who can't stand Republicans or Conservatives from George Bush to Maggie Brooks to Ralph Esposito. D & C reporters, editorialists and bloggers, all appear to have the same story line on every topic.

This week's attacks on Maggie Brooks and the GOP County Administration, focused around Moody's dropping the County's credit rating. The Dems in the County Legislature promptly announced that this was "proof" of the fiscal errors of the Brooks Administration. Of course, the main reason for Moody's action is the fact that the County government cannot commit to sufficient tax increases. Brooks doesn't want to increase property taxes; the Democrats won't allow Sales Tax increases and nobody wants cuts in services.

Of course, the Democrats must have offered a plan to eliminate the deficit without raising any taxes or cutting any vital services, right? Well, if you read the D&C you might think so. The Democrats published their "plan" for "solving County budget woes. The "plan" is nothing but platitudes and politics. If you accept their plan, then you must believe that the only real problem we have in Monroe County is inefficiency by the GOP administration. The Democrats won't raise your taxes or cut your services, they will waive their magic wand of long-term planning, restoring procedural rules and budget deadlines, eliminating partisanship (I really like that one!) and maybe, for good measure, they will sprinkle fairy dust over Rochester and all we be well with the world.

Obviously, the "plan" fails to include one word regarding the nuts and bolts of budget problems, namely decreasing revenues and growing costs. I feel a "Bill Clinton" coming. You remember his oft-repeated campaign promise to do a middle class tax cut. Then after his election, he told us that although he tried as hard as he could, he just could not do it. He just didn't realize that the problems were just too big to be able to keep that promise. I can hear the legislature Dems now, "we didn't think we had to raise taxes, but its so bad we don't have any choice".

These same Democrats rail against Brooks' proposal to increase the Sales Tax. The are hypocrites of the first order. They know that the County Budget must be cut unless taxes are increased. They so desperately want Brooks to break her pledge on property taxes that they will do anything even if it means losses of services to their constituents.

Similarly, in Gates, the Democrats, led by Sue Swanton, play the same game. For five years Sue and her cohorts have been criticising Ralph Esposito and the GOP Administration. They have attacked Esposito for "allowing" a deficit and for raising taxes too much. Gee, those things seem contradictory, you say. No matter to Sue and the Democrats. They have yet to tell anyone what their magic prescription for fiscal salvation is. They say they will end the deficit without raising taxes or borrowing. To logical minds, that would indicate that they plan to cut services or programs, like the Police Department. Well, we are not sure because the Dems aren't talking.

Meanwhile the editorialists and bloggers offer cover for the Democrat's lack of specifics. Tom Tobin has written a number of editorials and blog posts critical of Brooks and supporting the Democrats alleged plan. Here's one example. Mr. Tobin tells us that the Democrats have "good talking points". He tells us this apparently, without irony.
Lee Strong, the Gates Blogger, published a post titled "Where have I heard this before?" in response to the D&C article on the County credit downgrade. He identified the many similarities between the County budget issue and Gates' fiscal issues. He left out the most obvious one, however. In both cases all the Democrats have done is point fingers and say there is a problem. Neither Ms. Palumbo and the County Democrats nor Ms. Swanton and the Gates Dems have ever offered a serious, detailed plan to fix the problem.

Both Democrat groups shun tax increases yet are silent on where service cuts should come from. The D&C Editorial Board keeps up the drumbeat against County and suburban government taxes and spending and tells us all that we must be realistic about local services that should be trimmed. Then they stay silent when the City heads to Albany to beg for ever-increasing State aid and then spends it on things like opening a beach that is, more often than not, unsafe to swim at.

I really can't believe this "cooperation" is planned, but its really amazing how so much bull could be packaged so similarly by accident. At least the public has, so far, seen all this for what it is. Nonsense!