Hein ignores resident’s tax questions
Earlier this year I got an Ulster County tax bill indicating I owed a late-payment fine in excess of $400. I was not happy. My long record of paying homeowner taxes shows that I never pay late. What happened this time is that I never got a bill for the tax that was due.
Thus began my long and winding journey to make sure this would never happen again, and to find out how I could get the fine cancelled, or reduced.
I called the phone number on my bill, labeled “County and Town,” only to discover that the fine was actually for unpaid school tax. Because I did not get a bill. At the school tax office I found out that their fine was much lower than what I had actually been charged. After a few more calls hither and yon, I was told that the increase was due to Ulster County adding 60 percent to my local school tax fine and that I should contact the office of the county executive for additional information.
So, I wrote to Mike Hein. I asked if he could credit me for the fine given my past record; why the county does not send out reminder notices during the two months they quietly let pass prior to slamming an additional 60 percent on tax fines; and what the county does with bills that are returned as undeliverable.
He ignored me.
Two months later I wrote again, adding some new questions. I asked him if I could have the record of my past tax payments; how to find out how much I owe if, in the future, I again do not receive a bill; and whom I should contact for reconsideration of the fine.
He ignored me. Again.
With a couple thousand people working for the county I would have thought Mr. Hein could have forwarded my letters to someone who could answer them, nor do I assume I am the only person in the county with these questions.
So, a month later I wrote to Mr. Hein for the third time, saying if my questions remained unanswered I would speak publicly about how he handles correspondence from taxpayers and, suddenly, he found the time to pass my letter along to someone who had the answers. Alas, he did not have my questions: This long-awaited correspondence was from the Ulster County commissioner of finance, Burton Gulnick. He indicated that he had seen only my third communication to Mr. Hein so he failed to address many of my questions. I therefore make the assumption that both my previous letters to Mr. Hein went into his circular file.
Mr. Gulnick informed me that he cannot forgive a tax fine but did not tell me if anyone can. He did cite the NY State law that says it is taxpayers’ responsibility to pay up whether or not they get bills, which in its way makes sense. Turns out, however, to get the mailing dates and amounts due each year, I need to separately contact each local office (there are three) that taxes me. And then contact them all again every once in a while to make sure the annual mailing dates have not changed. In case I don’t get a bill. Unless the dates are set by the county, in which case I need to contact the county — and hope for an answer.
I don’t agree with Mr. Hein that his time is more valuable than the people who pay his salary and in the future I hope his office will be more diligent in responding to correspondence. In the meantime, perhaps he will answer my questions here at the Saugerties Times. And then get them posted on the Ulster County web site.
Ingrid DuBois
New Paltz
Support mixed use for railway
The 38.5 mile U&D corridor was purchased in 1979 for $1.5 million dollars by Ulster County (approximately four million dollars in 2013 dollars). Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) supporters are now urging people to tell County Executive Mike Hein to give “an indefinite lease” to the CMRR for the entire length of the 38.5-mile corridor. Railroad supporters claim the railroad “has the ability to maintain its own line and has NOT been a burden on the county or taxpayer.”
Really? Millions of taxpayer dollars and the conditions along the corridor shout otherwise. Past public funding received, the FEMA monies the county has applied for on behalf of the private railroad company, as well as CMRR’s recent application for well in excess of a million dollars in NYS DOT funding are all public funds — taxpayer monies.
The CMRR and its supporters are trying to have it both ways. As a private company leasing a publicly owned asset, they either are responsible for and capable of restoring the corridor from Kingston to Phoenicia to service without relying on public funds or they are not. They either are responsible and capable for the continued care and maintenance of the entire 38.5-mile corridor (per terms of the lease) without relying on public funds or they are not.
Many sections of this extremely valuable county asset have been allowed to deteriorate significantly over the 30-year period of CMRR’s multiple leases with Ulster County. Contrary to their supporters’ claims, the evidence indicates that the corridor is not being maintained as CMRR is committed to do under the current 25-year lease.
Numerous stretches of track have been undermined, and in multiple cases extensive stretches of track — literally thousands of feet — are completely washed out. Multiple bridges have collapsed, including the Boiceville Trestle and the bridge in Big Indian. The Big Indian bridge infrastructure must now be removed from the creek per DEC requirements. Who is to going to perform and pay for this removal? From their supporters’ claims that CMRR is capable of maintaining the line, does not rely on public funds and is not a burden to the taxpayers, it appears CMRR is prepared to do so. If not, the taxpayers will foot the bill.
After 30 years of leases to the tourist railroad company, it’s time for a new, fiscally responsible approach — an approach long advocated by both past and current members of the County Legislature. Please support Mike Hein’s great shared-use economic development plan to reclaim, restore and utilize the entire 38.5-mile corridor — including preserving the section between Boiceville & Phoenicia for continued tourist train rides, where it makes the most sense.
Please sign the Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail’s petition in supporting the County’s proposal — and ask your friends to do so as well! https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/makethe-catskill-mountain
Kevin Smith
Co-chair, Friends of the Catskill Mountain
Rail Trail
Railway mixed use is best for public good
The proposed use of the U&D rail corridor as a linear park represents an investment in what we know and should hold in great regard as “the commonwealth.” We, as citizens of federal, state and local entities, continually make decisions to fund investments that are intended to benefit the greater good of the people. We use publicly generated tax dollars to fund any number of those kinds of investments—national defense, public schools, fire departments, police forces, municipal governments, colleges and universities and, yes, parks—national, state and local.
The U&D corridor is, in the end, a public good belonging to the people of Ulster County. A safe, attractive linear park running through Kingston, out into the beauty of the Catskills, and connecting into a world-class network of miles of other highly used trails in the area has the potential to be of enormous value to us as citizens of the county by all measures (projected # of users, cost to users [free vs. fee], public health benefits, non-motorized transportation, access for kids, economic development).
Given the disuse and deterioration of the majority of the 38.5-mile corridor, contemplating a renewed lease with the railroad company as measured against the public value for all of those that would use the linear park for transportation, recreation, and life-long health habits is an easy decision. While perhaps someday the possibility of a railroad all the way from Kingston to Phoenicia is noble idea, the performance of this company has not met expectations. They have not proven capable at developing and maintaining a railroad beyond a small focused area. It’s time to move on and allow a rail trail on the entire corridor now.
To build the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail, while supporting continued operations of the scenic rail ride on the segment between Boiceville and Phoenicia, is a shared-use win-win and a no-brainer.
John Garesche
Kingston
A big thank you
As chair of this year’s Jr. Post Prom Committee I would like to thank business and families of Saugerties that helped make Saugerties Jr. Post Prom a success. Your generous contribution and donations of time allowed us to provide a safe and fun-filled night for many students and guests. We are truly blessed to be a part of communities that continues to value this event and makes it a part of its annual contribution. I would like to thank the following people and Saugerties merchants who generously donated to the Jr. Post Prom: Saugerties Bowlers Club (Rob Houtman), Greco Brothers Entertainment (Bruce Chargois), Pizza Star, Village Pizza, Slices, Riverside Pizza, Hungry Bambino’s, Sue’s Restaurant.
In addition I would like to thank: Sun Zone, Stewart’s, and Hannaford.
A special thanks to the parents who donated and helped to make this one of the best Jr. Post Prom events ever.
Saugerties residents, please patronize these local merchants. It is people like these businesses who make Saugerties such a great place to live.
Gina Thomann
PTSA President
Battling Lyme
I have been a member of the Ulster County Legislature for nearly 19 years. I write as chairman of the Ulster County Health Committee and creator of the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee. I saw the committee as an avenue to provide the Health Department with experts devoted to a single issue: working to make progress with a debilitating illness. My vision was to include Lyme victims and Lyme literate experts and use these to lead us down the path to better understanding Lyme disease and the debilitating effect it is having on people in Ulster and neighboring counties and states.
It is estimated that at least 26,000 cases of Lyme were reported in Dutchess and Ulster counties from 2002 to 2006 and the number continues to rise. In the meantime, patients suffer from such symptoms as memory loss, inability to speak, pain and a loss of balance, as well as severe palpitations, fatigue and joint pain. What is disappointing is that while these patients continue to suffer, much debate continues as just how Lyme should be treated.
For example, in Massachusetts, $10 million dollars is spent each year to control mosquitoes that spread occasionally causing fatal West Nile virus. At the same time, tick-borne diseases receive only about $60,000 annually and only a fraction of the attention, although Lyme makes many more people miserable for weeks and sometimes years on end. In 1975 Dr. Allen Steere, currently a Massachusetts General Hospital rheumatologist, began investigating a cluster of children in Lyme, Conn. with arthritis, a rare diagnosis at that age. Today, Lyme disease, often transmitted by a deer tick no bigger that a poppy seed, is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in New England. All of this traced back to Dr. Steere’s research.
Because Lyme mimics a vast array of diseases, insurance companies, citing the mainstream doctors’ conclusions, often refuse to pay for prescribed medications that can regularly cost more than $5,000 monthly. In Massachusetts, some doctors that diagnose chronic Lyme and treat these patients have been investigated and sanctioned by state medical boards. According to a report, the issue is so politically charged, doctors rarely advertise they treat chronic Lyme. Because of this, patients find doctors through word of mouth or through an Internet-based system that they must register for to receive physicians’ names.
During the course of our study of Lyme, we found similar stories coming from patients with the disease. According to the report, “doctors on the front lines and the public are often left confused by the polarized debate and lack of a surefire diagnostic test.” Doctor Steere said of his 40 years studying and discovering the disease, “Lyme disease has been a difficult journey.”
Robert Aiello
Legislator, District 2
Unnecessary nuke spending
As a long-term resident of Saugerties who would like to see government priorities be for humane needs like health care and education rather than for unneeded and excessively costly military spending, I urge you to write to your representative and senators asking them to oppose any increased spending on enhancement of the B-61 or other nuclear warheads.
There is no justification for increased spending on nuclear weapons at a time when other essential programs are being cut. I am especially disturbed by proposals to spend billions on modifying and enhancing the B-61 tactical bomb. The proposal seems extremely wasteful, since independent experts have said that any necessary upkeep on the B-61 could be accomplished at a small fraction of the cost. Even more important, it makes no sense to launch this costly program at a time when the administration is trying to negotiate reduction or elimination of tactical nuclear weapons. There is no urgency about modifying the B-61, and the project should be deferred until these negotiations are completed.
Elizabeth Shafer
Saugerties
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