Ambulance Barn

I have few comments on the Ambulance Barn. First, this never should have gone to referendum. This is a matter of public health and safety and it is more complex than appears. I think Town Council should have been more forceful in its support and should have kept it to a Town Meeting vote. I fear that a referendum will become too much of an emotional vote.

I think volunteers will provide a better service than a paid force at the levels of pay a paid force would likely receive. They clearly do this because they love it. We need to show them some respect if we expect to keep them. The current facility is an embarrassment.

To put the cost into perspective. We are proposing to borrow $3,000,0000. Assuming a 20 year payback at an interest rate of 6.5% that is about $270,000 per year. There are approximately 60 volunteers in the ambulance corps. Assuming that number stays constant over 20 years, that comes out to about $4,500 per volunteer per year.

Could we do it for less? Sure. We could put up a building of inferior construction and then pay more down the road when it has to be replaced or constantly fixed. Why not do it right the first time?

As for that rumor of there being 14 bathrooms in the place, not true. There is a men's room, a lady's room and a toilet by the laundry room.

Campaign Headquarters

I keep getting asked about where our campaign headquarters is going to be. I've decided that it will be in between the buggy whip store and the phonograph store.

I don't see the point of a campaign headquarters for a local election. If someone has the time to hang out waiting for people to come in, I'd rather have them out knocking on doors. All of the information you need is on the Internet. The notion of someone dropping by for literature is as quaint as posting meeting notices on the bulletin board at Town Hall. "Meetings" are done via email or at someone's house if necessary. With automated mailing there is no envelope stuffing or addressing of postcards.

A campaign headquarters just seems like a very large and expensive lawn sign. Perhaps that alone is worth the time and expense but I'm not buying it. I suppose the election will provide some indication.

Any thoughts?

Bob K.

9/11

It is very easy in today's hyper-media world to become very cynical about the United States. Then something like the 9/11 memorial ceremony this morning washes it all away.

I'm sure that every citizen of New Milford would have liked to have been there today if they were able. We would like to thank the 9/11 Committee, the various service organizations, elected officials and others who either sang or spoke for representing the people of the town this morning.

Bob Kostes

Mayor's Comments on Pension

The Mayor's comments on the pension are a vain attempt to justify her lack of foresight and planning.

"We do not gamble with our employees' pensions. Do I have to point to Enron or any of those other things where people invest in riskier forms of pensions funds."

To equate a global large-cap index created by Standard and Poors with gambling or Enron is a ridiculous statement. It shows that the Mayor has absolutely no respect for the intelligence of the voters. Unfortunately, the Mayor's glib remark has painted the Pension Committee into a corner. Now, anything they do, no matter how prudent, can be construed as risky.

Even more embarrassing for the Mayor is that New Milford probably owned Enron stock. Enron was in the S&P 500 index until it went bankrupt. Perhaps diversifying over a global index is not such a bad idea.

"We're more than fully funded."

Yes, because we put taxpayer dollars into the fund each year to make up for our inadequate investment returns.

"We have conservative investments that have paid a very good return."

So if Kimberly-Clark says they want to expand the plant, is the Mayor going to say no? Is she going to say that we have enough tax dollars from KC and really don't want any more?

Robert Kostes - NMF

Third Party Enters Race

Danbury News-Times article:

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http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1060696&source=tabbox

Comments of Mayoral Candidate, Robert Kostes, at the caucus

Why am I running for Mayor?

Democracy. Democracy demands a clash of ideas. It is what makes this country great. For a clash of ideas does not mean one wins and one loses. Clashing ideas produce a new idea, better than either of the originals.

There is no clash of ideas in New Milford. A monopoly of political power and thought stifles vision in this town. The monopoly does not discuss the big picture because it does not need to. If you are guaranteed reelection, why bother?

A Murphy/Stillman contest will not elicit the big picture discussion this town needs to have.

I have spoken with many people in front of the post office. Average citizens. Their overwhelming concerns are our unmanaged growth, lack of meaningful economic development and quality of life. These are all related.

When Route 7 is completed we will have a massive pipeline of people and development coming our way. Are we going to be prepared for it and handle it on our terms or are we going to have chaos?

Are we going to have a game plan that attracts quality businesses or will we become an endless stretch of strip malls.

Urban renewal is happening along the Hudson River. People want to live near work with services within walking distance. Are we prepared for that?

We have built numerous expensive homes in the past few years. Are we prepared to provide the quality education and infrastructure that those people expect? Or did we sell them a bill of goods?

The Plan of Conservation and Development is supposed to be our game plan. It is 10 years old. The current Planning Commission has shown no appetite for tackling the enormous task of updating it.

Globalization has opened up the job market. Business is free to locate wherever they want. For this reason, corporate tax rates around the world have been trending towards 0. We need to decide what is more important to this town: jobs or tax revenue. If jobs are more important, then we need to find money somewhere else.

Our Town Council would rather spend 45 minutes debating how to dispose of the excess dirt from the soccer field construction than discuss why our unmanaged pension fund is squandering millions of dollars in potential investment returns.

Even our political boundaries need to be questioned. New Milford, on its own, may not be capable of competing in a global business environment. Are we making the best use of the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials. Rather than fighting each other for the crumbs that fall from the global table should we have joint marketing and revenue sharing agreements so we can compete together for business?

New Milford needs vision.

New Milford needs innovative and inclusive leadership.

Our slate of candidates from all three parties will provide these but only if we ALL put New Milford First.

Great Fair Days

New Milford First had a very successful Fair Days. Many thanks to the hundreds of people who stopped and spent a minute speaking to us. We gave out 1,000 "Wipe Away The Monopoly" handi-wipes which were a big hit.

Our caucus is Sunday, August 5th at the Railroad Station at 7:30. This is when we will announce our slate of candidates. Remember that New Milford First will run its own candidates as well as nominating candidates from the existing Democratic and Republican slates. We endevor to pick candidates who put New Milford First.