Federal Fiscal Folly Bursts Sunnyside’s Bubble
September 2, 2008 2 Comments
It seems that the community center that Sunnyside decided it had to have, is contributing to the pain of trying to balance the budget. See this article from the Yakima Herald. It seems that just a few years ago, Sunnyside made a deal with the Federal Devil, accepting “free” money to help build the fancy $1.9 million community center. Most of the building funds came from good ole Uncle Sam, which can’t seem to balance its own budget. But unlike Uncle Sam, Sunnyside can’t use inflation to get out of this problem.
The problem is that Sunnyside must pay to operate and maintain this facility. Just like when the Federal Reserve kept pushing money to banks, helping to cause the housing bubble, small towns like Sunnyside that were tempted to take Federal money must now deal with the consequences. Turns out our grandparents were right when they told us that “There ain’t no free lunch.” Our local political leadership seized upon this grant money to enhance our quality of life. Now we are being taxed at ever higher rates because the city can’t balance its budget.
There is no constitutional basis for the federal government to be involved in projects like this. If Sunnyside could not afford to pay cash for this facility, it simply can’t afford it. One popular activity at the center is ballroom dancing. The organizers admit that local church facilities are available to host this, presumably without burdening the taxpayers of the city. However, they prefer to take money from those of us who are working hard to provide for our families, to subsidize their own leisure activities.
To paraphrase one former President: The government that governs best, governs least. I am not opposed to ballroom dancing in Sunnyside. It is wonderful to hear that local churches and other groups are willing to offer up facilities to help support this activity. This is what our founding fathers intended. Friends and neighbors working with each other for the betterment of communities. Please don’t tax me, but rather ask me, to support your activities.
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The thing about the community center is the same as having movies in the pARK. Genuine democrat party ingenuity. Now to go back and look at the community center. You will see that councilperson Stone was a big supporter of this. As she is the one pushing movies in the park. These should all be secondary to running of the city. But being that many on this council have secondary minds. What more can be expected. I must say council person Stone has a green thumb for roses. Maybe she should stick to that for the sake of the community.
Sunnyside residents need to wake up and read the facts. There are several lawsuits pending against the city of Sunnyside. And I am guessing we will see many more on the horizon. Unless of course the taxpayers in this city come to realize that this city council is the PROBLEM! Mayor Paul Garcia, Theres Hancock and Jim Restucci; carryovers from the last council are a big part of our current problem. The lawsuit filed by Tom Paul could have been averted had they voted to let him put his sign back up. But these three voted not to let that sign be reconstructed. This ignorant stand by these three council people is costing you taxpayers alot of money. Although insurance is paying for it. Now, I do not condone what Tom Paul did with his vulgar signs. But, a person can only be driven so far by ignorant people.
I approached Restucci after that vote and asked him why he did not let Tom put the sign back up. He blantantly said he cannot let people tell the city what to do. As if Restucci is a judge. Now if you have ever been to city council meetings. You will notice when a vote came up. That current mayor Aquilar NEVER did vote until the majority voted. Then this man ALWAYS voted with the majority. I ask is this man actually setting on the council for the sake of the taxpayer? Or is he just there to build up his own image and ego? Then you have queen Theresa ! What can I say about her except that she is a wasted council position! What has she done for the city of Sunnyside? Not a thing. But she has sure build up her own image of herself. I suspect her right arm is longer than the left. Being she pats herself on the back so often. She and Restucci both admitted they do not read their council business before each meeting. This also led to another lawsuit against this city. Then we have the outspoken Bruce Epps on the council. He ran to change the city. Change he did. Overspending and plain ignorance towards fiscal policies of the city.
When Stockwell the former city manager was here. Stockwell was looking into privatizing the waste treatment plant and the water systems. Epps was the first one at the podium agueing against the privatization saying we cannot let these employees go. Even though the employees would have had better benefits and pay. Epps did not want to cut the overhead of the city. Epp’s pure ignorance was the start of the fiscal irresponsibility of this city. Then last year 2008 budget proceedings ; the current city attorney Kunkler told them to cut employees or proceed to be in dire financial straits in 2008. All the council members voted to add employees. No cutting because the employees are more important than the city taxpayer. And the city taxpayers voted this clan of ignorance in to run the city!!!!
But now all these council members are using former city manager Stockwell as a scapegoat. Even councilman Restucci admits that when the vote came up to ask Stockwell to resign that he was for keeping Stockwell. It was 4 to 3 in retaining Stockwell as the city manager. But the the three members wanting the ousting of Stockwell told councilman Restucci that they would give him the mayor position if he voted for them. So councilman Restucci reversed his position and voted to oust Stockwell. The when the time came ; councilman Epps and councilperson Stone and Hancock gave the mayor position to Paul Garcia. Restucci got stabbed in the back. And when I asked council person Stone why they gave the mayor position to Garcia was that Garcia is hispanic and being he is the ONLY hispanic on the council. They needed their token hispanic.
We have ignorance like this on our city council. To give Garcia the mayor position because he was hispanic. This is the problem with our city today. Racial profiling to put people in an important position. And the same people are against racial profiling when it comes to gangs.
I have lived in this great town for 60 years. Some of my better friends have always been hispanic. But, I NEVER looked at them as hispanic. I looked at them as friends. I hear our city is 85 percent hispanic. I do not see it this way. I see it as 100% of Heavenly Father’s children. We all have the same blood. And actually if you want to look at it. We are ALL 100% Jewish. We all originated from ADAM & EVE !