The Hevesi report comes out this Monday at 11:30am

[lars]

I'm going downtown with camera in tow and I'm going to try to see this circus for myself. Sure would be nice to get a group together outside the Rath building around 10:30 am??

Anyone got game? Reply to krispylars@juno.com if you want to try to meet during this much anticipated and media saturated gauntlet for E.C. govt.

Lars

[Trolls_r_us]

should be a lot of fun, unfortuantely I shall be out of town

I WILL be following along via laptop, though!

"have fun storming the castle!"

[Night Owl]

IMO- It's a little last-minute given the time of the post (1:38 am- technically Monday morning)

[lars]

Well, I went to the Rath building to find out the news conference was going to be held on the 4th floor of the County Hall building. The place was polluted with news remote vehicles and a dozen construction workers toiling just outside the entrance.

I watched Hevesi walk into the building with an entourage and stop at the entrance to pass through the metal detectors which I believe they went around. I grabbed a quick snapshot and decided to wait downstairs for the overflow following the news event upstairs. One of the major network's remote crew allowed me to stand right next to the van so I could hear the conference and catch some of the behind the scenes images. It was very chaotic in the room where the conference was held for about 5 minutes before Hevesi got started.


Here are some bullet point highlights of Hevesi’s news conference and stinging one liners you could hear suck the breath out of the people. In fact, when Hevesi made the remark about the county needing "adult supervision", there was an echo of nervous laughter and chuckles that resonated through the room upstairs as well as the support media outside.

$118.4 million deficit going forward through end of 2005 w/ dramatic increases if not dealt with immediately.

“Colossal mismanagement”

“People ill served by government”

The county surplus prior to year 2k was consumed by 2k and 2001 property tax cuts without spending cuts.

Discretionary spending by E.C. gov’t went up 22.4% vs on average 12.5% for other counties in NYS excluding New York City.

Debt on medical center and incurring debt to cover operating expenses were two critical areas of mismanagement.

Medicaid growth is an issue but not responsible for the E.C. crisis to the level that Giambra would lead the public to believe. Hevesi said that NYS must help with Medicaid reform.

The E.C. legislature owns a significant part of the responsibility when during the past years, the E.C. legislature voted 17-1 and 16-0 to reduce taxes and approve budgets that continued to create the deepening budget crisis.

Nancy Naples findings and reports have been right on.

Painful measures, harsh measures will be required including expense cuts and revenue increases. While the counties financial basis for a control board does not warrant one, Hevesi feels that “adult supervision” needs to be put in place. The public may not be happy about how the control board is put together but it is a democratic process.

Hevesi also recommended an independent budget office that will be made up of professionals with the skills to review the progress of a control board on a day to day basis if needed. This independent budget office wouldn’t cost much but it would provide accountability and professional direction with budget issues.

Hevesi said the legislature cannot wait but needs to start now.

The county is looking at 260 million in short-term financing and Wall Street will expect to have any loaned monies guaranteed by a revenue increase which must be approved by the NY State Legislature.

One reporter grilled Hevesi about the audit and his take on where the responsibility lies. Hevesi said several times there didn’t appear to be fraud but instead “political deception” to some level. There has been extreme incompetence mixed with deception which caused a reporter to spin his question insinuating fraud based on Hevesi’s choice of “phony numbers”. Hevesi answered in a curt manner that he wasn't implying or saying "fraud".

When asked by the media, Hevesi said the county is not presently in danger of bankruptcy and the gov’t must eliminate paralysis.

I'll try to post a few pictures of the event which was actually quite low key outside the conference location on the 4th floor of County Hall.

I did mention speakupwny.com to several people as I milled around and chatted with people prior to the start of the news conference. Interesting enough, about a half dozen people indicated their awareness of the site among others that have spawned in response to gov't mismanagement.

Through an informed media source, I also learned a little more about the buildings holding our gov't functions. On the Southeast corner of the County Hall building, there still exists an outcropping from the building itself where a gallows existed. When trials were held and guilt determined, convicted criminals receiving the death penalty would be immediately hung right there on the spot.

In addition, the County Hall building was built on the original county burial ground where the war dead from 1812 were buried. The bodies were dug up and relocated to Forest Lawn so that the County Hall building could be erected.

Finally, I was impressed with the 40 to 50 people that rallied outside the Rath building around noon to see Buster Bison and a related Blue Cross/Blue Shield health gig which involved a short speech at a podium and a modified stampede of walkers who left the steps of the Rath building heading in the direction of the Pearl Street Grille :>)
I wish I would have had placards they could have marched with as they left the Rath building rally.

Glad they could get so many together. Maybe activists need to take up power walking :>)

Lars

[WNYresident]

One reporter grilled Hevesi about the audit and his take on where the responsibility lies. Hevesi said several times there didn’t appear to be fraud but instead “political deception” to some level. There has been extreme incompetence mixed with deception which caused a reporter to spin his question insinuating fraud based on Hevesi’s choice of “phony numbers”. Hevesi answered in a curt manner that he wasn't implying or saying "fraud".

Could it be this is happening all the way up through the state so they perfer not to call it fraud?

[butch]

sadly......................it merely gives the legislature the excuse to raise taxes now!!

[WNYresident]

Nope it gives them excuse to cut salaries and more...

[butch]

ok........a friendly wager: i say they raise taxes..........you say they make cuts to salaries................

i'll win that one, hands-down!!!!!!!