Last week took us to historic Holland, named for the Dutch land company that first took title to property throughout Western New York, and struggling Alden, which has seen better days.
Here’s a brief clip of Kevin’s talk in the Village of Alden.
In different ways, each stop revealed the progress we’ve made in enlightening citizens about the need for change, and the challenge that remains in getting politicians to enact it.
Kevin arrived at Holland Town Hall Wednesday (as usual, a bit late and full of energy), and bumped right into Town Supervisor Mike Kaperczak. A genial man, Kaperczak carried a sheaf of papers which he described as “preparation material” for Kevin’s talk. It was a brochure entitled, “Dealing with Difficult People.” We all laughed, until Kevin realized that the supervisor had scheduled his presentation a half hour before the start of the board’s meeting, thereby insuring that no town resident would hear it. It’s a little depressing that this late in our tour, politicians still cook up ways to limit Kevin’s message.
In the Village of Alden on Thursday, a nice crowd of citizens turned out. Kevin asked one my colleagues, Dan Lesniewski, to deliver a portion of the presentation. Dan was excellent. Then after Kevin completed his talk, a vibrant discussion took place on whether Alden Village was better or worse off since a 1996 referendum to merge with the town was defeated.
For me – without even having to review our research on our declining population and prosperity – that question was answered in seeing Alden’s condition as we drove though it on our way to the meeting.
But as residents listened in disbelief, one village trustee insisted that Alden was doing fine. It made me wonder how much more economic decline we must experience before our public servants agree to change.
Here’s a brief clip of an Alden Trustee responding to Kevin, followed by a clip of Dan Lesniewski giving a portion of the presentation.
July 29, 2008 at 9:53 pm |
Dear Kevin,
I attended your report at the Rotary Club, Buffalo. I am a resident of the village of Alden. I am convinced of THE COST and ready for change. In the July 17, 2008 Alden Advertiser… “Trustee Michael Manicki noted an interesting article in the current issue of the NYCOM magazine explaining the process of dissolving villages in New York State. Contrary to what Kevin Gaughan called for both in his presentation to tne Village Board and in an article published in the July 10th Buffalo News, the NYCOM article never uses the word “merger.” Villages can only dissolve and dispose of their assets. Village voters voters soundly defeated a dissolution proposition in 1996 by a 3 to 1 margin.”
The proposition referred to was submitted by a resident of the village who was angry with high village taxes and duplication of government. The town government said that if the vote was for dissolution the town had no plan to accept the village and we would not receive any services. This is why it was defeated – NO PLAN – the village was threatened with abandonment.
Tonight is a Town Planning Meeting for the Future. I will offer that the village of Alden be dissolved into the town with a PLAN. That is my vision for the future.
Sincerely,
Margaret Rose