It appears Mark Evers and Ernie Kern have been afflicted with a rare and previously unknown paranoia which we are dubbing “Main Avenue Madness”. The paranoia first manifested itself at the Board Meeting last Thursday when Evers declared that the town should refuse a State Grant potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars because areas of Main Avenue are so severely contaminated that work conducted under such a grant might identify the contamination. Once identified, the contamination would be so severe as to pose a eminent risk to public safety which would in his view, cause a “shutdown of Main Avenue businesses”.
Kern decided to weigh in on Evers declaration, he said out of concern for senior citizens, whom he declared, would be “forced out of their homes” because of the contamination and remediation would require evacuation. Kern was not concerned about the consequences of allowing these unsuspecting seniors to remain in their homes and continue their exposure to this contamination and presumably their life threatening consequences. Ernie and Mark would apparently rather leave this massive contamination undiscovered and un-remedied for fear we might not be able to buy a hamburger at McDonalds. They would rather we be too sick to eat the burgers? Even worse they are planning another community celebration on Main Avenue this summer which could expose thousands of people to this underground contamination. Now that’s brains for you!
Yet all of these unsupported claims about serious underground contamination have not caused Evers or Kern to alert town residents, town employees or even State or Federal Officials to his claims that potentially life threatening contamination exists on Main Avenue. Evers failed to state exactly what kind of contamination exists or precisely where that contamination is or how he knows that it exists.
It is our belief that Evers and Kern simply made up the outrageous claims without realizing the consequences of their actions. Their motive appears to be to simply find a way out of voting to accept a State Grant that his adversaries managed to secure to benefit Main Avenue, its residents, business and community alike. It would of course be scary if Evers and Kern really believed the story they told at this board meeting and we believe the community should be fully alerted to their claims so that we can all demand answers.
Kern decided to weigh in on Evers declaration, he said out of concern for senior citizens, whom he declared, would be “forced out of their homes” because of the contamination and remediation would require evacuation. Kern was not concerned about the consequences of allowing these unsuspecting seniors to remain in their homes and continue their exposure to this contamination and presumably their life threatening consequences. Ernie and Mark would apparently rather leave this massive contamination undiscovered and un-remedied for fear we might not be able to buy a hamburger at McDonalds. They would rather we be too sick to eat the burgers? Even worse they are planning another community celebration on Main Avenue this summer which could expose thousands of people to this underground contamination. Now that’s brains for you!
Yet all of these unsupported claims about serious underground contamination have not caused Evers or Kern to alert town residents, town employees or even State or Federal Officials to his claims that potentially life threatening contamination exists on Main Avenue. Evers failed to state exactly what kind of contamination exists or precisely where that contamination is or how he knows that it exists.
It is our belief that Evers and Kern simply made up the outrageous claims without realizing the consequences of their actions. Their motive appears to be to simply find a way out of voting to accept a State Grant that his adversaries managed to secure to benefit Main Avenue, its residents, business and community alike. It would of course be scary if Evers and Kern really believed the story they told at this board meeting and we believe the community should be fully alerted to their claims so that we can all demand answers.
The cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites can bring businesses into a community, thereby increasing tax revenues, and employment opportunities.According to the State DEC website, grants such as the one Evers and Kern want to lose involving revitalizing a community states: "Brownfields are idle and contaminated properties that pose environmental concerns for local residents and legal and financial burdens on communities. Brownfields can diminish the property values of surrounding areas and potentially threaten the economic viability of surrounding properties. However, after cleanup, these sites can again offer economic vitality, jobs and community pride." Several of these sites were identified in the town's application for the grant, signed by Evers and unaimously approved by the town board. Now apparently, the contamination is too dangerous for us to clean up or accept the grant.
Let’s understand what the pair are claiming in simple direct terms. They are opposing a State grant which helps communities determine if there are any sites with contamination which require remediation so that, in this case, a business district can be more fully developed and upgraded as part of a community revitalization and economic growth. Their claim is that the grant once awarded would expose serious contamination of such a magnitude it would “shut down Main Avenue business” and potentially force senior, (and others) out of their homes.
Imagine a problem that serious that none of us are aware of and we are every day exposing ourselves and our children to it because no one is doing anything about it. Evers and Kern claim they know it is there and their solution is simply, to do nothing. Evers went so far as to imply his own family members originally from the Main Avenue area, died of cancer, the implication being the cancer was somehow connected to this unseen and unreported contamination.
Let’s understand what the pair are claiming in simple direct terms. They are opposing a State grant which helps communities determine if there are any sites with contamination which require remediation so that, in this case, a business district can be more fully developed and upgraded as part of a community revitalization and economic growth. Their claim is that the grant once awarded would expose serious contamination of such a magnitude it would “shut down Main Avenue business” and potentially force senior, (and others) out of their homes.
Imagine a problem that serious that none of us are aware of and we are every day exposing ourselves and our children to it because no one is doing anything about it. Evers and Kern claim they know it is there and their solution is simply, to do nothing. Evers went so far as to imply his own family members originally from the Main Avenue area, died of cancer, the implication being the cancer was somehow connected to this unseen and unreported contamination.
We urge town resident to attend the next Board meeting and demand answers. We also urge you to call Mr. Evers at his office at 283-5345 and Mr. Kern at his home at 283-1774 and demand answers. We also ask that you read about the Brownfield clean up program and the grant which North Greenbush was awarded so you can better understand why the claims made by these officials must be either repudiated or affirmed with appropriate action taken.
Here is a link to the NYS Environmental Conservation website which explains the program in great detail. Feel free to call the agency (DEC) at 518-402-9764 and demand answers and an investigation into Evers and Kern's unfounded allegations. Do it soon because they are devaluing your homes by making untrue claims about Main Avenue pollution.
Record Column Buries Evers
Today's Troy Record has a weekly column called Talespin which you can read here. In it, the paper buries Mark Evers conduct in recent weeks since the State audit of Water 14 was made public for hiding in his office and refusing to return phone calls to the press. It is worth the read.
1 comment:
How about as residents are calling Mr. Evers and Mr. Kern they demand that they also pass the comprehensive plan and get us our I-90 connector? May as well make good use of those phone calls!
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