Residents and Brookhaven Town employees protested several possible budget cuts during Thursday's Brookhaven Town Board meeting.
The closing down the Holtsville Wildlife and Ecology Center, discontinuing some services in the youth bureau and adult day care, is currently set to automatically be approved on Nov. 20 unless the Town Board amends it.
Adrienne Wilber, of Holtsville, spoke during public comment period regarding the possible closing of the Holtsville ecology site, which town officials have said would save about $900,000 a year just by shuttering the zoo and greenhouse.
"We are very disappointed about the closing. The ecology park provides much enjoyment to the area," Wilber said. "To have it close seems inappropriate and it is unfair to the middle class people in the area."
Councilman Tim Mazzei said that he did not think that the budget affects the park section of the ecology center. However, when Wilber stated that she was not sure if that was believable, Mazzei said that he could not confirm any other details and suggested she call his office in the morning.
Wilber suggested that out-of-Town residents who visit should be charged, and that perhaps the swimming pool could be closed although other residents may want to keep that open as well.
Annette Kattau, of North Patchogue, told Patch after the meeting that she has taken her five grandchildren to the park, and that its closing would be a great loss.
"These are not the things that we should be cutting," Kattau said. She also said that other areas would be more eligible to be cut, and that it also could be an option to raise taxes.
The Youth Bureau, which also faces cuts, had a large presence at Thursday's meeting.
Donna Napoli, acting director for Brookhaven's youth services and a Patchogue resident, said that the proposal takes down her department from eight full time positions to three by the end of the year.
"The biggest thing is the counseling program," Napoli said. She said its the only program in Town that talks with children in crisis. Also being cut is crisis intervention and a camp program that has been run for 35 years. Remaining would be administrative duties and programs that hold drives for holiday toys, food, prom dresses, etc.
Several members that were attending in support of the youth bureau wore a black ribbon on their arm to symbolize themselves.
Also speaking was Mickie Tinkler, the director of the adult day care program that is also facing cuts. Tinkler told Patch there are currently 50 active participants in the program, and hundreds of other families that come and go with it.
"Baby boomers are coming to the front, there's going to be a greater and greater need for these kind of programs," Tinkler said.
Tinkler said that her program is slated to be terminated by the end of the year.
The next Brookhaven Town board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 11 at 5 p.m.
A budget hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8.
What are your thoughts on the proposed cuts? Read more about them here, and talk about it in the comments section below.
When people leave this town, county or state, they don't remember that officials held taxes for "X" amount of years, they remember the sites and services they can't get anywhere else. https://www.facebook.com/SaveHoltsvilleEcologyCenter
To ALL the Complainers: Have you actually read your tax statement? Seriously have YOU? The vast amount of your tax money goes to the schools. Are you all this adamant about taxes at the school budget hearings? Everyone but the teachers are losing pay in actuality or via the cost of living rising. & as residents we can no longer vote on whether the teachers desire the pay they are getting (for about 25+ yrs). As residents we should be able to vote on the proposed pay raises & benefits so that when the teacher feint that the negotiations are staled go to arbitration, the arbitrators should (make it a law) have to take in what the residents say are their ability to pay. Rather than just look at what the district next door got at arbitration & replicate that in a contract. That's insane. That's a perpetual money machine for the teachers & don't even get me started on tenure. What does a HS, elementary or art teacher need tenure for? There are civil service laws that protect teachers from unfair labor practices. On taxes, the average teacher makes almost $20K more than the avg resident in Suffolk.
If the avg citizen is living in Suffolk for $20K less than a teacher, why are teachers getting so much more than the avg Joe & Jane. The next time I hear a teacher's union rep say it's for the quality of the teacher and don't you want the best for your children.. I'd like to slap some sense into them. But this rant will have to do... for now. WE, as in Nassau and Suffolk, pay the some of the highest school taxes in the nation and we have very few nationally ranked high school based upon numerous studies (such as the friend of school teachers, the liberal Newsweek rankings). Are WE on Long Island getting our money's worth? Is this fair to the students? Is this fair to the tax payer? To ALL - NO...
Let me get this straight I am making 20k more than the average citizen of Suffolk County?? I respectfully disagree. I would say I am the mid to low average of my neighbors. As for the raises, most of the teachers unions have given back or have accepted 0 % increases, I cannot say the same for the administrators. I am not seeing a raise this year, like many Suffolk county residents, my salary is actually less than it was last year. I am not complaining, I am thankful to have a job. Also, please remember all these horrible people that you are bashing that are teachers are also tax payers too! The 2% effects every municipality; towns and school alike. If you think that people have not been complaining about the school taxes then you have obviously not set foot outside of your house in the last 4 years. This article has nothing to do with the teachers or school. This i about the proposed budget from Mr. Lesko that aims at cutting a valuable resource for ALL members of the Brookhaven community.
I knew the first to respond would be a teacher, a relatively new one at that (not at top pay &/or you do not have all your certifications) or you live in an area above what you can afford (maybe you can being married or you rent, etc). When at top pay and have your extra certifications you won't be able to say that. Until then enjoy the weekends, summers, all holidays off. (We need year round schooling. After all the teachers want what's best for the kids & year round has proven to be best everywhere it is in place.) The VAST MAJORITY here on LI that do not make close to what a teacher makes live just fine, find one of those neighborhoods. I was at a meeting where a union rep once gave the audience the national average for what teachers make (sadly low). She was called out on that when someone read from the district budget what the average was for our district, which was double the national average. The article is about taxes - and maybe some teachers are not pressing the issue for a raise now but the fact remains that our tax bills are 55-65% (depending on district) the school budget and over the years as that % increased, government services decreased. SO it is about all taxes.
The school budgets are driving out people that once thought to retire here on Long Island and currently preventing a lot of people from selling their homes. Haven't you seen the ads on TV by the National Association of Realtors that question high taxes and older people hoping to stay in their homes? It's a commercial focused here in the tristate because of horrible house sales (worse than elsewhere). LI is the king of foreclosues & seizures from the elderly for nonpayment of taxes. My house in central Long Island I pay close to $13K a year in taxes. A larger house in a much better school district (& without the potholes & litter and more) down south I would be paying about $2000.
They laugh at us up here. I even heard a school union rep while handing out black arm bands to show they were 'in mourning' over the contract offer they just received and potential budget cuts to sports & other activities they were to tell the kids because of district residents with no kids in school and the old like their grandparents is why they were wearing the black arm bands. REALLY? Teachers get the kids involved in this? I haven't seen this much passion (as reported and in above comments) at a school board meeting in over 20 years. Yeah people complain, but shamefully do little like vote on the budgets. That 2% law is a joke. It can be overrode by vote. Here the 2%+ budget passed with just over 600 votes in favor, out of a district population of over 200K. The law should read unless say 50% of the residents vote, the vote is void and 2% is all you get. 600+ voters? That roughly equals the parents in the PTA that are fed the propaganda of the teachers & their union. Go figure.
Shame on the district and those that complain I ask them immediately if they did not vote they should be silent. Lastly, the last time I was 'leaked' a list of teachers salary (about 18 years ago) in this district the average salary was $54K with many teachers near or over 100K (yes some did extras like coaching). SO... If I had to contribute $10 taxes to make a $100 salary I would. That's what you as a teacher who pays taxes does (just made up #'s there, but the point is valid). When the tax ponzi scheme, I mean pyramid is lopsided up and civil service workers make a much higher living than the average resident, something is seriously wrong. So stop whining about you also pay taxes. You almost sound like Bernie Madoff's wife. BTW I noticed you never touched the statement about highest taxes in the country and not getting back the best schools. I thought that's what the teachers & unions said we were getting for our $, smarter students? Low test scores, throw money at it, that'll fix it.
No wonder teachers hated No Child Left Behind & are on strike (Chicago & elsewhere) over teacher performance evals that involve student performances. If we here on Long Island were getting the students performances that we PAY FOR, guys like Randy Altshuler would not have a business outsourcing jobs overseas, not to mention be a multimillionaire, outsourcing Long Island jobs to not high tech countries, but to third world countries whose school systems are better on average than many on Long Island and the USA on a whole. YOU and your ilk are hurting this countries' future (schools are not the only problem, but are the biggest) and making guys like Randy millionaires. So keep having your union give $ to Tim Bishop for congress... he's as much of a problem as teachers with their head in the sand like you.
I have many teachers that are friends and that are upset about the state of the schools and the students not being prepared for life. (Most school cirriculums have not changed in 30+ years, for example: Why are students still being taught Italian? They should be taught Chinese, Russian, Japanese, etc in place of. Why are kids in elementary school in China being taught the basics of writing computer code and not here the birthplace of computers?) One (a friend since 7th grade) who voiced his concerns constantly was just fired after 27 years teaching for mere violations of procedures (that the union had him agree to minor reprimands over about a 7 yr period that were then all summed up as if he were a screw up, yet not one of his students ever failed the NYS History regents over this period) because the union, best buds with the school administration, threw him under the bus, a school bus, and barely defended him. Yet, they avoided a NYS review of the case by avoiding to apply to repeal his teaching certification, hhmmm why not revoke his creds?. He is now suing on his own $ in federal court to get his job back. So many honest & caring teachers stay silent ... just in case they may ever need union help, it might not be there when they need it.
I love my career. I would have NO problem with school going year round. So again don't assume. Students of today are ill prepared in part do to the lack of parenting and support from home. As a teacher there are many issues that I must cover that have nothing to do with my subject but must because its not covered at home, The other problem is parents like you. It is not uncommon to hear, "listening I don't call you when he doesn't make his bed don't call me if he doesn't do his homework".
Also, school in AMerica must educate EVERYONE the same can not be said for other countries, many of which you named. If you know so much about the schools, how to fix them and about teachers then go work for the department of Education, because they seem to enjoy employing clueless people. As for your friend the only 3 teachers that I know that we're removed without their due process, did exactly what they were accused of, that's why there was nothing that anyone else could do for them. Now back to the TRUE issue at hand- the Ecology Center should not be closed!!!!
Dear Jamie It is still about ALL taxes and the Ecology Center should not be closed. Years ago there were never talk about cuts like this. The ONLY taxes out of control are the school [portion of the taxes. Hence the problem with the closing of the Eco Cntr. Since I played the assumption game... I can tell you you live nearby & at 350K your house is above avg for Ronkonkoma. The only way you and your husband make less than your nabes like you say, is if your husband makes less than you do especially in Ronkonkoma or the nabes have some income not reported as more than a few of my nabes do. Even if your spouse makes the same as you you are head & shoulders above most in Ronk. I drive a 10 year old car and want my wife in a better more reliable one that is now 3 yrs old. Both foreign made and far from luxury class. Our CC bills are almost nill and are used for sudden expenses like a car repair. The parents that do not care are a very small %. And you do not need a parent over some kids shoulder to inspire a student to learn, that is in the classroom. The homework will fall in place. Other kids need intervention and extra help... plenty of time in a school day for that with or without a parent sitting there.
The board & dept heads of your district needs to talk frankly to such parents instead of letting them hear a PC answer, that's what they get paid for. Do you go against the status quo or do you advocate for change for the student? Give me an example, I've already given many I try to push for. Look at the private and religious based schools and what they spend on education which is far less than public schools per student. "Parents like me"??? When my kids did something the 1st words out of my mouth was what did they do wrong? We were at every meeting and call in. We had 1 honor student & 1 picked on (overweight & glasses) who barely graduated. The school blamed his home life for not doing well in school. UNTIL we pointed out the honor student sibling lived in the same house...Opppps. Could not be being picked on that was NEVER addressed by the school until I started to file police reports. The Dept of Ed on a federal level needs to be eliminated.
I advocate for change, I have other jobs to be able to pay my taxes. My fired friend: late once, wore a t-shirt (allowed) to a summer session with military writings on it (no students saw it & was covered upon walking in the door, and he posted personal pictures of himself in military uniform in Bosnia and Iraq to inspire his kids through adversity. His very liberal bosses said they disliked the military and to take down the pictures, the following year they made a policy banning personal pix form the classroom and charged him with it. they tried to make him out as a potential PTSD threat to the kids. No names but his case is on the internet catching fire over his improper firing. He is guilty of all 3 charges, but should he be guilty to the point of firing? No, which is why the federal EEOC is helping on the federal side of his lawsuit but he foots the entire bill on the state side of the lawsuit. You are too close to the subject of school taxes and dependent on them to discuss it honestly and the impact they have on life on Long Island.
What I do not do is; help children, nurture them, educate them, teach them right from wrong, lift them up, support them, build their confidence and spirit and most of all be there for them in any aspect they might need my help. It feel so good to know that I can single handily destroy the universe. Teachers destroying the economy one child at a time!!!! (Oh and now we are responsible for closing of the Ecology center too)! Insert major eye roll!!!!!!!!
maybe you are just a democrat (very likely assumption), BUT because most teachers today are brought into line of teacher theory by those that dodged the draft of Vietnam by staying in college, most teachers have been fed a steady diet of leftist ideas and surround themselves with people of their own ilk they know not what they preach, even when not teaching. I never said you only care about money; or that you are evil; I did say that when your profession is responsible for an avg of 60% of the taxes sucked out of us YES it is the biggest response factor for the tax problem on LI (get the attack on the system part yet?); from my HS class of over 300, maybe 30 live on LI & that number will dwindle in time for future LI HS Grads; destroy the universe? delusions of grandeur? (a unpleasant decidedly liberal trait); Great line about one child at a time, again a saul alinskyish catchy type statement. School Taxes out of control contributing to the closing of the Eco Center... YES a major contributing factor... are you being sarcastic or are you finally getting the point? Insert major eye roll back at ya...
PROOF there is you never condemned the teachers that dragged their contract fight into the classroom with the black bands and cancelling certain school activities such as class trips to historical sites. They should have been fired on the spot & left to fight for their jobs back (don't think it could happen? Read the Taylor Law - these teachers at a minimum should have been fined 2 days for every day they brought the work action into the classroom, that will not happen by a school board in bed with the teachers). OR #2 In pure liberal/communist fashion when one's response to an attack that is indefensible on a system they are a part of, respond on the personal level. After all, isn't it taught these days that your feelings are yours and yours a lone and therefore cannot be wrong by another person's standards? That's what my kids were taught at school. You teach anything like that? You fell right into the second playbook... as I said.. I knew the 1st to respond to what I had to say would be a teacher. While I added in some personal assumptions about you, the vast majority of what I wrote was against the Long Island School System. You may not be a commie or an admitted liberal,
Jamie, My very 1st post was an attack on the school systems on Long Island and their drain of money for households which leads to stress of the tax base for Town Taxes. When taxes go up unfairly in the Town or County the politicians responsible get voted out especially when services do not satisfy the tax paying base as being worth services provided. GET IT? As the school taxes are out of control and 60-65% of most people's tax bill and the product produced is not in proportion to what we are paying, i.e: Highest taxes in the country and not the highest of HS grads ready for college and/or the world. GET IT? So who do we vote out? The school board? Here the school board has residents that are teachers in other districts serving & friends / of the principles via the PTA & funded elections by the same. Can you say incestuous relationship? SO after the 1st post YOU took this exchange from an attack on the system to very much on the personal level attack on yourself - when did I ever say you were evil? Hmmmm - that means one of 2 things here. #1- If what you say is true about how good of a teacher you are, you feel guilty about your fellow teachers not doing what you do for the students, yet feel compelled to fight back on their behalf.
In your reply to Jamie above, about hanging the varied reasons of why many children are not learning on the necks of teachers (paraphrased here of course), tell me: IF a teacher had say 50% of his/her students constantly failing the NYS Regents, while other teachers say have a 90% pass rate, what would happen to the 1st teacher? NOTHING is the answer. Kids fail today for many reasons not the teachers fault, BUT way too many fail because teachers are not held responsible for the kids that do fail, nor are the department heads, the principles, & the superintendent. ALL should have to explain to that child's parents why he/she failed. Leave out the PC BS and get down to brass tacks and state why. Then develop a problem to address that child's problem. You all are experts in teaching theory, right? Unless that child has a mental defect they should be abe to learn, right? But that would never happen because as we can see from Jamie's responses above it's the students and parents faults because apparently all teachers work as hard as she does (claims) and probably walk on the waters of knowledge.
As of 2010... the last census... "The median income for a household in the county was $103,900, and the median income for a family was $72,112." Household means multiple generations under one roof, or other relatives or siblings. While the typical husband / wife family (like you) is much less. With a masters degree & all your certifications claimed and 17 years experience do not even compromise your integrity by saying you and your husband make less than $72K. You make that, most likely much more by yourself. Man am I shaking my head 'no' & rolling my eyes now!!!!!!!!!!!!!