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| B. Thomas Golisano |
[Tom Golisano, Founder and CEO of Paychex, Inc., had a big row with one of the 'burb's Tax Assessor's Office. He'd built a home befitting his stature in both the local and the business communities and the assessment was way out of line, right from the start. After winning that fight, Mr Golisano conducted a seminar to help others in the community with their assessment corrections. This article was printed in the local 'demagogue and comical' (www.democratandchronicle.com ), October 31, 2010:]
Citizens concerned about taxes must take fight to ballot box.
Tom Golisano
October 31, 2010
Last month, 650 homeowners gathered to vent their frustration with property taxes and the assessment system in and around Monroe County. If we had chosen a larger venue, this number could have been over 3,000. This event took place on Sept. 29 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rochester. I hosted a free informational seminar on how to challenge your home's assessment. I felt it was important to educate homeowners on what they may do to lower their property taxes after taking into account the unfair assessment process, being personally overassessed by 100 percent and Monroe County holding the No.1 spot for highest property taxes in the nation. The response was overwhelming.
So when will lawmakers address this issue?
Outpourings of this magnitude should be drawing the attention of every elected official in the area. Despite several hundred attendees and heavy advertising I failed to witness a single elected official at the seminar. How is that acceptable? A system does not work when politicians are allowed to slip away without any ramifications or pressure to resolve a clearly important public policy issue. Specifically, state legislators should not be able to hide behind the claim that high property taxes are exclusively a local matter. Per usual, you can trace the problem back to Albany. Property taxes are high due to burdensome unfunded mandates, the high cost of education, and the required expenses of Medicaid, Medicare and welfare. There are two issues here — taxes are too high and the method used to calculate them is unequal.
If Albany continues to ignore these issues, as I predict it will, citizens should take the lead. There are two options, vote at the ballot box or vote with your feet. I was a citizen of New York until I chose in 2009 to vote with my feet. The mass exodus out of this state is a reality. New York experienced the nation's largest loss of residents to other states between 2000 and 2008 — 8 percent of its population. I believe migration out of New York is directly related to the unfavorable and uncompetitive economic climate created by state legislators. They've increased the budget by 9 percent and 7 percent, respectively, in the last two years and the Tax Foundation recently ranked New York as the worst business tax climate in the nation.
When states such as Florida have no income tax compared to the 9 percent rate I was paying and a property tax of 1 percent to 1.5 percent compared to 3.5 percent to 4 percent in Monroe County, changes must be made. So if 650 homeowners took the effort to come together, there may be hope yet.
[Any emphasis is the blogger's! I whole-heartedly concur with Mr Golisano; the family goal is to vacate the state about 36 to 48 hours after our two-family home sells!!!]
Wegman Family Buys Political Favors!
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| A typical Wegman's Store |
The Wegman Family own and operate Wegman's Food Markets, Inc., homebased in Rochester, N.Y. The local landscape is pretty well saturated with Wegman's stores. The company also has stores in several bordering states, with plans to branch into both New England and southward into Virginia.
This is much the same as the Walmart story, albeit on a smaller scale.... you know the one.... the Big Company comes into town; gets permission to build; squeezes out the little guy!! Wegman's is already here; the infrastructure is already in place. All that's left is destroying the small retailer!!
Danny Wegman is the grandson of the founder and the current CEO.
Danny's daughter Colleen Wegman--fourth generation management--is currently the Company President. Seems that the Wegman's management team is quite sure insider Andy Cuomo will be elected New York's next governor; they--as a family--donated $90,000 to his campaign. The donations by family member:
Danny Wegman--$25,000
Danny's wife, Konstanze--$37,000
Danny's daughter, Colleen--$28,000
Surprise, surprise!! Cuomo tapped Danny Wegman and other regional business leaders as members of an "Upstate Business Council" should he be elected. The council would advise Cuomo and the administration on business and economic development issues. U-u-u-u-u!!! They'll be right close so they can 'engineer' the demise of the small businessman!!
"I am supporting Andrew Cuomo because I believe he has the knowledge and experience, and the best plan, to move New York forward in this tough economy," Danny Wegman said in a statement. "Thousands of other business leaders in New York state are supporting him for the same reasons."
All these insiders are acting like another insider I know, one who campaigned on fluff; with absolutely no substance..... You may know him as well.... that "Clown Prince" annointed-and-appointed to lead us to his utopian welfare haven in the sky!!!
Til Nex'Time....
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