[Announce] Wanted: Ideas!

Sat Jun 23 17:17:37 MDT 2007

Dear All,

I want to thank Sally for starting this very important thread on how  
will the City replace the funds lost from the revenue from the landfill.

I look forward to a lively discussion on this issue!  I hope everyone  
weighs in, because I KNOW we have many good ideas, and though we may  
not always agree on ideas or tactics, thats OK because thats what  
makes working together so productive and fun.  All we need to do is  
keep talking to each other!

Just a couple of comments in response to Jim:
> you  first survey the members of the Common Council to gather their  
> input
Except for the Honorables Dominick Calsolaro, Barbara Smith, Corey  
Ellis, and Cathy Fahey, Common Council members have no clue about the  
landfill issue.  Dominick Calsolaro has been raising the issue of the  
landfill revenues every year since he was elected six years ago, and  
gotten no response.  If the Council won't respond to one of its own  
members, how can we expect a response to us?

> 1)   An income tax for all city residents and city employees living  
> outside the city.
This was proposed by former Common Council member Sara Curry-Cobb and  
I believe she actually introduced a resolution (which, of course,  
went no where).  I think its an interesting idea.

> 2)   A fee charged to all households and businesses for trash pick  
> up,removal and disposal.
I personally adamantly oppose this idea.  Please check my math - but  
the lost revenues for the City for the landfill would be around  
$10,000,000.  There are about 30,000 households in the City (I THINK  
- there may be less).  Ten million divided by 30,000 households is  
$333 per household per year, a huge sum for my poverty-stricken  
neighbors.  I think we should try carrots to make it easier for  
people to want to reduce, reuse and recycle, instead of sticks.  I  
would be glad to discuss this more, but I do not like the idea of  
making the poor pay for the poor fiscal decisions of the City.  There  
must be other ways to generate revenue.

> 3)   Take through the city's power of eminent domain all
>        abandoned or vacant for three years properties, rehab them and
>        get them back on the tax rolls.
This is exactly what the Honorable Dominick Calsolaro has proposed  
(except, he is not suggesting eminent domain).  In last week's  
Metroland, he proposed bonding to set up a program to renovate the  
vacant buildings in the City.  We should all push Dominick's plan.   
It is an excellent idea!  I tried to find the Metroland article on  
line, but I could not get it.  I strongly suggest EVERYONE read the  
June 14, 2007 Metroland article about Dominick - he is on the front  
page.

> If the city can come up with a few hundred million dollars for an  
> unwanted and doomed for failure convention center then the city's  
> administrators should have no problem at all finding the funds to  
> replace the pittance in comparison monies lost to the city's  
> coffers created by the landfill 's closing.
Oh, you are SO RIGHT!!!

The only thing I would add, is I believe very strongly the City  
should look into getting into the electric generation business with  
renewable generation systems using solar power, wind power and/or  
tidal power.  Some cities make a lot of money doing this, and there  
is no reason that Albany can't.  See:
http://www.albanyweblog.com/2006/09-Sep/09-16-06.html

And lastly:
> For more than a few years I and many others have been providing  
> Mike O'Brien and the other Common Council members with many, many  
> viable options to enhance the city's revenue stream to replace that  
> lost if the landfill is closed. We have encouraged city's leaders  
> at every turn to get out of the dirty, scandal ridden and corrupt  
> solid waste business.
And we have to keep doing this.  It only us people who are going to  
make a change, so it is us people that has to MAKE the government do  
the right thing.  Thats the way it works in Albany, which is  
unfortunately, but, thats the way it is!

I am very glad that Sally is visiting public officials.  I think its  
great!  I hope everyone on this list will weigh in with suggestions!

THANK YOU,
Lynne Jackson

On Jun 23, 2007, at 2:18 PM, James Travers wrote:

> Sally,
>
> With all due respect, what ideas do you have on how to replace the  
> lost revenue that the landfill closing will result in? Surely you  
> must have some. By sharing what your proposals are, we may also  
> avoid making redundant suggestions.
>
> That said, I would suggest that prior to your meeting with Nitido  
> you  first survey the members of the Common Council to gather their  
> input on what they may have thoughts on or have already suggested  
> to offset the revenue shortfall the landfill closing will cause. If  
> any have done so already, this will also avoid redundancy.
>
> Next, and again before meeting with the city comptroller, I would  
> suggest you meet with the Mayor to hear what his ideas he has to  
> offset the lost revenue, if any at all.
>
> Then, after gleaning the thoughts and suggestions of our elected  
> officials, and having completed compiling our input, is when you  
> should meet with the comptroller.
>
> While I find it a bit onerous that we are the ones who are  
> pressured to come up with a way to solve the fiscal mismanagement  
> of the city's finances instead of our elected officials, regardless  
> of this, I will gather my thoughts on this and offer you a few  
> suggestions. But some may be unpopular.
>
> All will in part or completely replace the lost revenue.
>
> For now, here's a few:
>
> 1)   An income tax for all city residents and city employees living
>       outside the city.
>
> 2)   A fee charged to all households and businesses for trash pick
>       up,removal and disposal.
>
> 3)   Take through the city's power of eminent domain all
>        abandoned or vacant for three years properties, rehab them and
>        get them back on the tax rolls. This will restore not only a  
> huge
>        amount of money to the budget, but will alleviate many of the
>        city's problems its blighted neighborhoods present. (Also, it's
>        hard to fairly evaluate an immaculate and well kept home if the
>        adjoining properties are decrepit shells.)
>
> Lastly, in closing I would add that there's really no problem at  
> all in finding the funds to replace the budgetary shortfall.
>
> How's that?
>
> If the city can come up with a few hundred million dollars for an  
> unwanted and doomed for failure convention center then the city's  
> administrators should have no problem at all finding the funds to  
> replace the pittance in comparison monies lost to the city's  
> coffers created by the landfill 's closing.
>
> For more than a few years I and many others have been providing  
> Mike O'Brien and the other Common Council members with many, many  
> viable options to enhance the city's revenue stream to replace that  
> lost if the landfill is closed. We have encouraged city's leaders  
> at every turn to get out of the dirty, scandal ridden and corrupt  
> solid waste business.
>
> Nothing, absolutely nothing at all has been proposed by any CC  
> member to help offset this lost revenue stream in all that time.
>
> Not even an enhanced recycling program has been proposed, as is  
> required in their long term solid waste plan and their current  
> landfill operating permit, because it would reduce the flow of  
> trucks across the scales and hence, their tipping fees.
>
> This administration seems to want to continue doing business with  
> that mob of waste haulers regardless of what the citizens who put  
> them in office think or desire for their city.
>
> I'll be send you much more over the course of next week.
>
> Jim Travers
>
> Sally Cummings <sbgarden at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> To help the City of Albany become financially solvent without using  
> the landfill revenue to support/balance the budget, I am planning  
> on speaking to the City Comptroller to give him the ideas.  I am  
> thinking that perhaps several different funding sources could be  
> suggested that, together would bring in the needed income.
>
> Please email me your ideas as soon as possible.  They still have it  
> on their plans to go ahead with the expansion, in spite of all the  
> opposition.  I have been told that it is a "done deal", so we have  
> to get our ideas in to them soon to try and head them off!
>
> I believe that they agree that it is not the best solution, but  
> they do not know of any other way to balance the budget.
>
> Any ideas you have, however small, would be gratefully appreciated.
>
> Sally Cummings
>
> Happy people don't have the best of everything but make the best of  
> everything they have
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