EAGLE
Eagle Bulletin, March 2, 2011
EaglE
NEwspapErs
Opinion
ESM takes action to sustain high Put your name on the line quality education, close budget gap Editorial
Manlius Mayor Mark Paul Serafin was in the news again this past week, this time answering questions about his taxes, past residences and living patterns. In the course of his interview with the daily’s reporter, he lamented that he believes the tip that sparked the news interest in his personal life was generated by political enemies. His assessment is probably correct. In what’s rapidly becoming a political rhythm of late, political operatives have taken to sniping confidentially to the press in whispered accusations and tittered tips. They dial in reporters and editors laying open the path to scandal or alleged scandal and then duck back into the shadows to elude being connected to the news tip. It’s a distasteful situation into which news reporters are often drawn. Sadly, that seems to be the case in this latest installment in the word of mouth campaign to embarrass and depose Serafin. It’s very difficult for a public official to battle silent accusers manipulating news reports to serve their interests. To be sure, the mayor has his problems - not the least of which is his pending court date for rummaging in peoples’ trash for returnables. Still, it would be better if his critics would publicly judge Serafin’s performance as mayor. Serafin’s explanation of his tax situation and his residency seems reasonable. The court will decide whether his trash-picking broke any laws. The mayor’s critics, however, would achieve more credibility, if they could muster the gumption to speak out publicly and if they truly believe the mayor has done a lousy job – put their name on the line.
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Eagle Bulletin 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, N.Y. 13206 Fayetteville, Manlius, Minoa, New York Established 1973 USPS 163-660 Phone 315-434-8889 • Fax: 315-434-8883 www.eaglebulletin.com Tami Zimmerman, Editor, Ext. 339 Heidi Tyler, Advertising Representative, Ext. 320 The Eagle Bulletin is a unit of Eagle Newspapers David B. Tyler Jr., Publisher, Ext. 302 Colleen Farley, Associate Publisher, Ext. 315 John McIntyre, Publisher, Spotlight Newspapers Gary Catt, Executive Editor, Ext. 330 Jennifer Wing, Managing Editor, Ext. 340 Lisa Congdon, Business Manager, Ext. 303 Office of Publication: 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206 Periodical Postage paid at Syracuse, NY 13220 The Eagle Bulletin serves the residents of the Towns of Manlius and Dewitt The Eagle Bulletin is published weekly by Eagle Newspapers, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206. Mail subscription rates: $30/$44 per year to addresses in New York state (depending on county}; $48 per year to addresses outside New York state. Senior rates available. Newsstands, 75 cents per issue. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Eagle Bulletin, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206 Eagle Newspapers is owned by Community Media Group LLC, David B. Tyler, Jr., President; Daniel E. Alexander, Vice President; John A. McIntyre Jr., Secretary/Treasurer.
As we continue to plan for the alignment of and responsibility to our taxpayers. Unfortuour resources for the 2011-12 school year and nately, as revenue streams continue to deterioadvocating for the revenue needed now and in rate and anticipated expenditures increase, the the future, I want to provide you with a summagnitude of the budget gap necessitates Dismary of the information we currently have and trict action that impact our programs, services, our ongoing efforts. operations and staffing. ESM is facing unprecedented cuts in educaWe are presently taking the following action tion funding. This has been an ongoing issue steps to address these revenue shortfalls: (which every district in the state is also facing) • Reductions in postage, supplies & materials, for the past two years. State aid and local taxes travel & conferences Donna DeSiato are the two primary sources of revenue that • Reviewing retirements & resignations resupport our schools. State aid was reduced over ceived to date for restructuring the last two years. That reduction was mitigated by the • Reviewing daily non-instructional operations state when federal stimulus funds (ARRA) were used to • Reviewing enrollment, class size, programs & offset the planned reduction. Those ARRA funds expire course offerings in June 2011 and will not be renewed based upon the • Analyzing extra-curricular & summer programs federal fiscal challenges. The governor’s proposed budget • Mandated offerings projects an 18 percent decrease in state aid for ESM. In • Non-mandated offerings addition, the district’s share of the Onondaga County • Driver education fee structure & costs sales tax to support the education of our children has • Analyzing BOCES programs been significantly reduced. All of the aforementioned • Analyzing printing & communications factors combined with projected increased obligations • Analyzing Adult Education programs result in a budget gap of $8.7 million for 2011-12. • Analyzing facilities usage & overtime Simultaneously, the governor has proposed a 2 per• Formulating cost containment & cost saving stratecent cap on property taxes. The New York State Senate gies has approved this proposal. This cap will limit any inOur ability to deliver a high quality education recreases for public education from the property taxes that mains constant. The variable of change is the immediate might have previously offset decreases in other sources need to implement strategies that will lead to greater of revenue. At the present time, New York state has not efficiencies. We continue to welcome your involvement provided any relief for school districts with regard to and value your support. unfunded mandates. Our District remains committed to our priority of student learning and instructional Dr. Donna J. DeSiato is superintendent of East Syracuse programs while demonstrating our financial stewardship Minoa Central School District.
From the mailbag Vote Hopkinson for village trustee
To the editor: More than ever, we need good village government in Manlius. I urge everyone to vote for the Vision Party slate of three candidates for trustee. Harold Hopkinson brings more experience than anyone along with a very analytical approach to difficult problems. Scott McGrew has been on the right side of all the important decisions made during his tenure as trustee and like Harold makes a special effort always to attend village functions. Nancy Pfeiffer is a life-long resident and former successful village business owner. She is energetic, organized and dedicated to the best possible future for the village. I urge you not to vote for Marc Baum for three important reasons. His under-the-radar write-in campaign last election worked, but it still feels unethical to me. Baum’s subsequent claim that voters should always have a choice just makes no sense since most of us didn’t know he was even running. To me these actions make Baum unworthy of the public trust in any elected position. Secondly, Baum and his baumites are deeply engaged in the politics of personal destruction. To demonize and vilify elected officials does not advance any positive agenda for the village. His website seems to serve no useful purpose other than to target other village officials with personal attacks. I keep looking for a positive agenda, but there doesn’t seem to be much of one. Criticizing what other well-intentioned elected officials are trying to do for all of us is not a positive agenda. I believe people who do this should be marginalized by not being re-elected. Thirdly, and most practically, Marc Baum’s contributions as a trustee seem minimal. He seems rarely to bring useful initiatives to the board or be working on much of anything except advancing Marc Baum. I cannot in good faith vote for a candidate who has had his chance twice to engender my support by his good performance as a trustee and both times has miserably failed to do so. Please vote for the Vision Party candidates Hopkinson, McGrew and Pfeiffer. Steve Chamberlain Manlius
Defend education in New York
To the editor: Please write a letter to Albany to help save education in Central New York. The cuts proposed in Albany are ludicrous. Just as an example: Our district (East Syracuse Minoa) has been working for years to better ourselves, to teach the whole child, the whole community. We are a 21st century school. We have all the core academics and strive to expand outside what’s required, especially in science and math. We finally have decent class sizes. We have a business program and a hotel and restaurant management program including a cooking class incorporating chemistry. We have a class build and sell a house in the community each year. We build, from scratch, and or restore a car we raffle off each year in our auto class, one of 11 auto tech classes left in the state. We have a large cosmetology lab, set up just like a beauty parlor only bigger. They do hair for senior citizens once a week. We have an award winning art program with portfolio and art history classes that are college level. We just produced and sold out 6 shows of “The Phantom of the Opera.” These programs and thus the character of our school district and all other districts are threatened by Cuomo’s proposed cuts. We are a struggling blue collar community; big business leaving, houses being foreclosed on, sales taxes dropping and our community still supports us. The community understands the “hands on” experience and the “creative” experience, and they want their kids to have that, especially the ones who struggle with academics. We want to teach everyone. This is what we are going to lose. How can we absorb a $3.7 million state cut without any notice, plus federal cuts, loss of sales tax and property tax that used to come from now closed big businesses. We can’t. Changes being proposed will put many of our best 21st century teachers out of work during a time of enormous unemployment. People who spend the $35 to $40 to $45,000 on their taxes, first house, first child, they See Letters, page 5