Ode to Ivins

Why bother screaming at a brick wall? Because there’s an infinitesimal chance that someone on the others side might just hear what you’re saying. In this case, it’s Kenneth Ivins who is staring back through the bricks.

The city finance commissioner is hoping to get input on what he should do to abate the city’s looming budget crisis. Of course, the public is too concerned with their own personal budget crises(choose any of the following: wrecked IRA, laid off from work, valueless stock portfolio, facing foreclosure) to help ol’ Ken out in this endeavor; something that seems to bother him a bit.

So here is some advice to the powers that be, in the usual letter-form that most city officials take pride in ignoring. Time will only tell if Ivins kowtows to the two commissioners. If he does, he’ll certainly make his fair share of enemies. Then again, when the only people who can afford to live in Saratoga are the ones who work for the city, perhaps kowtowing is a good idea. Incidentally, you too can send a missive to Ken when the bank is done foreclosing on your home. Just click this link and you too can avoid going through the city Web site.

“Thinking a double-digit tax increase is plausible option to thrust upon a public fearing an eminent recession is a good way to get voted off the City Council Already, the combined municipal tax rate makes it nearly impossible for young workers to find homes in Saratoga Springs. And I’m not just talking about the working class. Even entry-level professionals would have a tough time footing the bill the council is talking about creating.

As finance commissioner, you have an obligation to plan for this city’s financial future. Clearly with the debacle over the state’s Video Lottery Terminal aid, past commissioners did not fulfill this obligation. Do the right thing and remove this aid. Then do whatever it takes to get the budget down to where there is no tax increase. Is this a herculean task? I doubt it. But it requires someone who has a vested interest in making this city livable for people outside of the uber-wealthy.

Had the city planned ahead five years ago; had the VLT aid been set aside in a separate fund; had the city harnessed the power of its almost unprecedented economic development over the past decade, we wouldn’t be in this situation. You have a choice to correct the wrongs exacted by your predecessors: Plan ahead and budget within reason.

I’m all for city services and wouldn’t advocate laying off anyone in this economy. But sacrifices have to be made. The first and foremost sacrifice is cutting the goddamn overtime budget for the city police and public works crews. Surely this isn’t popular among the workers, the union bosses or the businesses that rely on these hours, but there’s no choice at this point.

If they want the extra services for the semi-daily street festivals, then they’ll have to pony up the cash. If crews need more hours to plow the streets, then we’ll have to consider limiting the work they do when it’s not snowing. There is a way to do more with less, and you as an elected official have the task of finding a means to this end. Otherwise, you’re only helping to further a problem that threatens the very fabric of this community.

Next, ditch the recreation center once and for all. Put a stake through the heart of this beast and be done with it. Wasting $900,000 is a blow, but at least you can point to the vapid former mayor as the one who made the mistake. The bottom line is we don’t need it, the building will be too expensive to maintain and the city will eventually pay many times this amount for a service that is essentially already provided at a state-of-the-art YMCA.

Look down any city street and you’ll see a good number of empty houses. Moreover, you’ll see dozens of ‘for sale’ and ‘for rent’ signs posted. These are homes that won’t appeal to the upper-crust folks who can afford a 13 percent tax increase and the cost to maintain them is too damn expensive for the middle class workers looking for a modest residence in the Spa City. There is a gap the always increasing taxes have caused; a rift between the haves and the have-nots. Offering a double-digit tax increase will certainly widen this divide.

Sure, the cuts will hurt in the short run. You’re going to hear it from a lot of people, namely a blustering bankruptcy attorney masquerading as the public safety czar. However, it’s the only right thing to do at this point. When everyone else is cutting, so must the city. In fact, they’re the first institution that should be trimming the fat. And there’s a lot of fat to be trimmed.”