Board Spins the Spins the Pension Bill

To listen to the official explanations for the town board asking the Governor to veto the bill the board asked the State Legislature to approve to correct errors made by the town affecting the pensions of several police officers, you'd think they were stunned they couldn't amortize the required one time $221,000 lump sum catch up payment required by the pension system to fix the errors in enrollment.

It seems everyone was aware of it except the town board. The Troy Record said it very plainly in it's original article on the passage of the resolution by the board asking the Legislature to approve the bill and Home Rule message. Folks repeatedly warned the board that the payment requirement due in February 2011 would raise the likely deficit projection to nearly $400,000. Still no one listened.

So last night, we watched as the Board back peddle on the bill and the $221,000 it would ad to the town's 2011 deficit projection. No one appeared to realize what the bill clearly stated. the requirement of a lump sum payment in February of $221,000. Yipes, that would make Lou Desso look bad! He stated at a Board meeting that "He wasn't sure what the deficit was, that he was sure it wasn't $400,000 and that no matter what it was, there would be no tax hike".

The board voted to ask the Governor to veto their bill so they wouldn't have to pay that lump sum in one payment. We wonder though, if the Governor hasn't already signed the bill which is usually bundled in the revenue bills sent to his office by the Legislature.

Here is a story in today's Record.

Nolan's Spin Machine

It's sad to watch folks engage in the kind of spin, manipulation of facts and outright disinformation that characterizes Pat Nolan's contribution in today's Record. Nolan was one of this majority's original choices for the town's impotent Ethics Board. He was one of the unsuccessful candidates of this group of Democrats loyal to Republicans who ran for a Democratic Committee seat. Apparently, he remains a loyal lapdog of the group as evidenced by his untruthful, mudslinging letter in today's Record.

We're sorry to tell Nolan that there was no mishandling of $21,000 in Democratic Party funds by his opponents CB Smith and Dan Ashley. There was however a mishandling of more than $3,000 in party funds by his ally, Jeff Spain. Who says? A JUDGE says and has ordered Spain to repay the money, an order he is refusing to obey. Now Patrick, if the bull you like to smear opponents with had an ounce of truth, someone would be prosecuted or at least, someone would have gone to court as the Democratic Committee did against Jeff Spain and had the facts aired and argued.

As for Nolan's spin on the caucus, the only folks in the Democratic Party that ought to be ashamed are the Democrats who gave away their party endorsement to a Republican. But that's what has been going on with this crew from the beginning when they first got hold of the Chairmanship, they used it to endorse the GOP candidates. They even tried to endorse a candidate at their caucus to oppose Mark Premo, the town's popular Highway Superintendent.

It's hard to read his letter in today's paper and find anything truthful in it. Suffice to say it's a piece of worthless propaganda that Pat Nolan should be ashamed to have his name on. That's really all that needs to be said.