“You may choose to look the other way
but you can never say again that you did not know.”
William Wilberforce
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Could you imagine what this world would be like if the mindset was always to accept the “decision” of government? No matter how wrong headed it may be?
The great 18th century abolitionist William Wilberforce captures why it is important for elected officials and citizens to speak out against bad decisions made by government. For 18 years Wilberforce brought before the House of Commons a bill to end slavery.
“Bill, what are you doing? The decision on slavery has been made. We have voted. It is time to move on.” It took him 18 years before his bill was finally passed in 1807. Afterwards he bowed his head and wept.
In yesterday’s Post Star Editorial¹ titled “(Kevin) Geraghty is right person to lead board” the paper wrote:
“He has talked to some of the more outspoken supervisors about being able to move on after a decision has been made. Geraghty acknowledged that continuing debates over issues such as the airport and nursing home are a distraction. He assured several supervisors he would listen to concerns, but they also needed to move on once a decision had been made.”
This little statement may seem harmless at first, but it captures the culture at Warren County that has existed for decades and has perpetuated bad decisions costing taxpayers millions of dollars. This mindset that the Board of Supervisors cannot be wrong because the board has voted; and decisions once made should not be questioned even if new facts and information come to light can have tragic consequences.
During my four years on the board I was told “Mark. The decision has been made. It has been voted on. It is time to move on. Why are you questioning it?” Simple: Because it was a bad decision that was made without all of the facts. Facts mind you that came to light after the decision was made because they were not available at the time of the vote.
In my newsletter titled “Shame” I outlined ten reasons that led to my voting no confidence in the county administrator – http://www.westcottupny.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/114-Shame-11-29-15.pdf. In The Post Star editorial Mr. Geraghty mentions the nursing home and airport became a “distraction” and that supervisors “need to move on once a decision has been made.” Let’s talk about this.
The Westmount nursing home sale:
This was a combined $2.3 million deal that did not achieve ONE objective set forth in the board approved RFP authorizing the sale and terms. Not one objective achieved. All negotiated behind closed doors and then backed by the Warren County Board of Supervisors except for a few of us who chose to speak out.
The nursing home sale was in deed a sweet deal. For the buyer that is. Not the county taxpayer. LLC #1 was set up to buy the building and property. LLC #2 was set up to buy the nursing home operation. Three years LLC #1 will pay off the real estate investment of $1.5 million paid by LLC #2 the nursing home operation, which will just add the $500,000 a year rent to the cost of running the facility. Who do you suppose will pay for that?
The nursing home sale was the bad deal of the year for Warren County and that doesn’t even include the analysis and concerns over the buyer’s performance record at other facilities.
“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”
The Airport Runway Expansion
Most reasonable people can agree to disagree, but what should be unacceptable to all is the misrepresentation of the “facts” being used to justify a decision.
In the case of the runway expansion it became clear there was a lack of substance behind the claims that it will bring in “millions and millions” of dollars in economic activity. For example the county can’t even tell us how many aircraft use the facility now. How can they claim there will be millions in economic growth for the region?
In my newsletter titled “Airport Questions” I run down a list of questions at the airport – http://www.westcottupny.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/68-Airport-Question-8-8-2014.pdf; and in my newsletter titled “Will they listen?” I document the response from the public – http://www.westcottupny.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/72-Will-they-listen-10-24-2014.pdf. ;
The idea that just because a decision has been made and voted on by the Warren County Board of Supervisors that it should not be challenged afterwards when new facts and information come to light is just wrong.
Look at the Burn Plant. Warren and Washington Counties passed it.² Essex County backed out before the contract was signed. Here’s the rub.
Hundreds of people in the community rose up and spoke against it. What did Warren County do? The county sued them and scared the wits out of them, and the burn plant went forward. Reports state over $100 million in cost when looking at construction, interest, operation and maintenance.
“What are you questioning? The vote has taken place. The decision has been made.”
It isn’t just Mr. Geraghty. It is the culture that has existed at the county for decades, and it is too bad it exists at all. We all make mistakes. It is how we deal with our mistakes that define us much more than our victories. This is true in our personal lives and our business lives. Why shouldn’t it be true in our public lives? That acknowledging a bad decision and changing course is the right thing to do. But for some reason this does not apply to county government?
That mindset can have devastating consequences for individuals personally and financially for the county taxpayer. Like with the burn plant and the Siemens energy contracts. Where citizens were sued and/or derided publicly for speaking out. This made life miserable for some people and cost taxpayers millions. Yet years later they were vindicated.
There has been great progress made at the county over the past four years to open up and challenge the status quo. But that wasn’t always the case. Those that spoke out early were often derided and made to look like obstructionists. And we the taxpayers were left footing the bill.
Let’s not go backwards to the ways of the past. We should go forth and challenge. Question decisions and do the needed research. Even if the vote has already taken place and even if it can’t be stopped. And inform the public.
“You may choose to look the other way
but you can never say again that you did not know”
Mark Westcott
1. Source: http://poststar.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-geraghty-is-right-person-to-lead-warren-county-board/article_e16558db-d84a-551c-86ed-97688357b5cb.html
2. Supervisors Betty Little (Queensbury) and R. Harry Booth (Easton) voted no to the Burn Plant.