Included on the agenda of the February School Board Meeting ( 2/6/08, 7 PM @ EFA) will be the presentation of the final report of the committee charged with the investigation of the procedures regarding the much maligned and discussed 2007 School Board elections.

Originally scheduled for the January SB meeting, presentation of the report was postponed until the February meeting, possibly because of the questions and general discontent surrounding the appointment by City Manager John Burin of former School District Attorney John Ryan to Elmira Corporate Counsel (announced 2/4/08).

The draft of the report, given to SB President Dan Hurley in December, is presented below and makes for interesting (albeit tedious) reading given the facts that the local SB operates on a million + budget and that included in the report is a recommendation that Attorney John Ryan’s conduct in this matter be reported to the State Bar.

Of course, how the…

Tonight approximately 70-85 area residents gathered in the Auditorium of Southside High School to hear the final draft of the Chemung River Master Plan.

Given by the primary architects of the plan, a Mr. Haas and another individual whose name I unfortunately didn’t catch, the presentation included lectures, many computer enhanced and composed pictures, actual photographs, posters and slides as well as hand out materials. Although audience participation was sparse, overall the meeting was informative and optimistic.
It appears that the final draft of the Chemung River improvement master plan is for the seasonal use of the Chemung River as it flows from the western most Horseheads line all the way downriver past Elmira to the City of Chemung. There was also some mention that upriver Steuben County and Corning have expressed an interest in improving that part of the Chemung River as well.

Overall, the plans include areas for ‘rough’ camping;…

Passenger Fee To Be Considered By Airport: “The Elmira-Corning Regional Airport is considering adding an extra fee to all passenger tickets in order to pay for facility upgrades.”

You know, other than the enormous price of the ticket, the being handled like a not-very-prized cow….now you get to pay just a little more for the privilege.

Tina Griego, journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News wrote a column titled, “Mexican Visitor’s Lament” — 10/25/07.

She interviewed Mexican journalist Evangelina Hernandez while visiting Denver in mid last year.. Hernandez said, “They (illegal aliens) pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes…What Happens to your country’s economy if 20 million people go away?”

That’s a good question - it deserves an answer. Over 80 percent of Americans demand secured borders and illegal migration stopped. But what would happen if all 20 million or more illegals vacated America? The answers may surprise you!

In California, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico, it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school systems, bankrupt hospitals and overrun prisons. It would leave highways cleaner, safer and less congested.. Everyone could understand one another as English became the dominant language again.

In Colorado, 500,000 illegal migrants, plus their 300,000 kids and grand-kids…

Elmira Proposed Budget Concerns

While many neighbors seem pleased with Elmira’s Proposed 2008 Budget, others are not happy.

I didn’t know that Nina and I were neighbors, but since we were the only non-city employees at the meeting, I guess we are.  Nina gets some good quotes in, but alas, does not work ‘ielmira.com’ into any of her conversations.

Magic-wand school of public finance

http://statepolitics.lohudblogs.com/2008/01/03/magic-wand-school-of-public-finance/

State Senate Republicans today wheeled out a plan that would seem to answer the prayers of property-tax payers around the state. They want to triple the property-tax rebates that were mailed to taxpayers this year, and over five years eliminate all school property taxes for homeowners.

What is the catch, you ask?

Well, there is a minor issue known as cost. The tab would be $11.6 billion after five years.

There’s no indication where the money would come to pay for any of it. A spokesman said it would come “out of the budget.’’ That would be $4 billion to be found somewhere next year, and then an additional $1.9 billion a year for four years after that.

The state is already facing a potential $4.3 billion deficit for the fiscal year that starts April 1.

Public asked for budget input

People in Elmira will have the chance next week to share their input on the city’s proposed 2008 budget.  Here is my input guys, open the budget to a random page, tear out the page, repeat 100 times (200 if you want to show you are serious).  Take the torn out pages, strike those items from the budget
, if any of the items run to multiple pages, please go back and tear out those remaining page.  Take the political heat necessary to excise those torn out pages from the budget, citizens then get to bask in the glow of not having a deficit, and their taxes going down by 50 to 75%.

Do you have a better idea?

Elmira Budget Update

City officials say Elmira’s deficit could be going down.  Now really surprise me, cut spending by 25%

School Budget

The Elmira School Board did not come up with an answer Wednesday night about whether there would be an increase in next year’s school budget.

These people are pro’s at this, they will be unsure up till the very last minute, then it will truly pain them, but for the good of the chillllldruuuunnnnn, they will unhappily recognize that a tax increase is necessary.  Sure, The holy family school system runs about $5,000 a kid, and the public school is running at about, what, $14,000 a kid, but I am sure the public school is doing oh so much more for the students than Holy Family.  Sigh.  And the really sad part is, people will fall for it.  And guess what, next year, when they do the exact same thing, people will fall for it again.

Housing Money

More state aid is coming to Elmira to help some of you fix up your home and improve the look of your neighborhoods.

Also, can someone tell me what I need to do to grow one of these free money trees?