Water Authority: It’s Not About The Money
It’s about accountability.
In today’s D&C, Edward Borghi, the CSEA unit chief at the Monroe County Water Authority, accuses the Democrats, who seek accountability, of ulterior motives.
Could it be that those who advocate such a takeover have their eye on the more than $50 million in annual revenue that the authority generates? Yes, that would certainly fatten up the general fund and bridge the county budget gap.
First of all, Carla Palumbo’s essay advocated an investigation and a truly bi-partisan board of directors. She did NOT, as you said: “advocate such a takeover”.
A question for Republicans: Why are you opposed to a bi-partisan Board of Directors?
I fully support a bi-partisan board of directors. Two words: Zero. Oversight. That’s where the MCWA currently stands.
Remember, the Republicans skirt the law (which says the board should be composed of no more than half one political party) by appointing people from two parties: the Republican Party and the Conservative Party. Board members frequently switch from R to C shortly before appointment. Minarik and Brooks are stacking the board with their cronies.
Then the unaccountable MCWA tries to play hardball with the City Water Authority by threatening to build an unnecessary, sprawl-driving, gazillion-dollar treatment facility in Webster. Since they’re unelected, and unaccountable, there’s nothing we can do.
Guess where they got the cash to build a new plant? By overcharging rate payers. Sure, they’re only bilking you for a couple cents per thousand gallons, but it adds up to a pretty nice war chest.
The recent Stanwix corruption should be reason enough to question the current setup of the MCWA. That type of sweetheart deal would never happen with a bi-partisan board. Couple that with the fact that it’s become a strategic wing of the Minarik machine, and you’ve got a darn good argument for the county legislature to assert more control.
hey thanks for the nod of approval
I would like to see the legislature assume complete control of the MCWA. Yes, it is about closing the budget gap with the revenue from the Water Authority, and why shouldn’t it be? What am I missing here?
Good question. Maybe triangulating for a politically palatable position, pre-election?
Isn’t it obvious that MCWA’s union wants to preserve jobs? Ask what’s in it for him. If he has less members because of consolidation, he is not interested. Kind of like Adam Urbanski….
Interesting that the union wants benevolent Republicans to protect them from the cost-cutting, government-shrinking Democrats…
Ha! Score 1 for the Itchy one!
First of all, Carla Palumbo’s essay advocated an investigation and a truly bi-partisan board of directors. She did NOT, as you said: “advocate such a takeoverâ€ÂÂ.
OK. She did not “advocate a takeover” in the piece published today. But she did introduce legislation to do it, sometime in the last few months.
[...] We’ve talked about the Water Authority scandal a great deal in the past. It’s a classic case of local Republican corruption, one in which the law may have been broken. It’s in court now: John Stanwix, former Monroe County Water Authority executive director, pleaded not guilty today to a single misdemeanor charge of violating the Public Authorities Law. [...]