The Publisher's Page BY HAROLD T. BECK

JUNE 22 - 28, 1998

JUNE 27-28, 1998

There are no updates this weekend.

JUNE 26, 1998

The Truth, or just the appearance of it?

Jim Buck of The Bradford Era recently reported that Jay Paul Kahle was paid $128,000 annually. That was patently untrue. It was false. It was either a lie or a careless misstatement. Either way, Mr. Buck owes Mr. Kahle and the readers of The Era an apology.

At the commissioner's meeting last Monday Jim Buck noted that the solicitor's budget was higher now than it was under the previous administration. Larry Stratton said: "He does much more for Sena Kean Manor. Some of the things that are put in his budget aren't actually money that is paid to him. Some of these are areas that he over sees and they are expenses. There is extra money in there in case we have appeals."

Mr. Buck answered: "I understand that, but his salary is higher from the figures that I received from Tom Ball."

That was when I pointed out: "It might appear to be higher, but I don't think it is. I have seen a copy of what Tom Ball gave you and I would disagree with its accuracy because as with Mr. Pecora, Mr. Kahle's salary is made up by being paid by allocations from Sena Kean Manor, CYS, and the County Commissioners, as well as various other offices he represents. I think our part of the budget for Mr. Kahle is $11,000 a year and while it appears that it is $30,000 in addition to other payments, that is not accurate."

I offered to take time that day and sit down with Jim Buck. "I don't have the figures in front of me, but I will be happy to go with you into the Controller's Office after the meeting and break those out for you."

Mr. Buck never took me up on my offer. Instead, he erroneously reported an over inflated figure that made it appear that Mr. Kahle was the highest paid salaried lawyer in the county. He in fact is not. John M.Cleland, with his limited, if not nearly non-existent history of being in court until he was appointed Judge, is the highest paid salaried lawyer in the county.

Still, even with the offer on the table, Jim Buck persists in his zeal to attempt to expose something that does not exist. If he wants to look at costs, he should look at the Court. Debbie Babcox is paid $12,000 a year for each day of the week she works. She works four days and is paid $48,000 a year. Joann Bly, the Court Administrator, a secretary with a title, is paid almost as much as the County Commissioners in the area of $34,000 a year. Mark Caldwell and Gary Seefledt are now either just below, or over $50,000 a year.

Cleland's budget for salaries for his administrators exceed many of the largest counties in the state. He will give us the usual bunk about the heavy case load to justify himself. He will say how McKean County is unique. He can even put one or two of his twenty to thirty thousand dollar surveys on the table, or call on one of his experts to justify how he needs a second judge and say how his people are overworked. That is a bunch of bull.

Cleland would have us believe his situation is unique. He is right! What is unique about his situation is the startling lack of genuinely violent crime. We are way below the state average. Cleland never had it so good! He has an array of senior judges to help him so he can, at the taxpayer's expense, attend conferences, sit on boards all over the state, and use up his generous vacation. That, in addition to generally working three days a week. Every lawyer in the county knows that if you want to reach him on Monday, you need to call him at home.

If Jim Buck wants to play Jimmy Olsen of  The Bradford Daily Planet and really come up with a story, he should look at the court. He should look at how the judge shifted expense items from his budget to the budgets of CYS and the Public Defender but still insists that he have total control. Jimmy Olsen, or Jim Buck, either or, should look at the fact that the Court System and all related functions within the county (not including the solicitor's budget)  account for 83 cents of every tax dollar paid by property owners. That's a story in light of the fact that we really don't have drive by shootings and daily murders and an epidemic of rapes and kidnappings.

You will never see that story in The Daily Planet. Perry White is a buddy of King John and nary a harsh word shall be printed. King John is President of the Board of Regents at the University of  Metropolis at Bradford and he is well thought of, and he sits with the high and the mighty.

No, instead The Daily Planet will send its minions out to attempt to expose something that does not exist. Jim Buck has not called me or attempted to understand the solicitor's budget. That is a shame because I have written three budgets and if anyone would understand where the money was allocated, it is me. I know each expense and why it was put there.

Instead of writing the truth, we will see what they want us to believe is the truth. It has been happening for a very long time and the people are on to them. Maybe they should wake up.

JUNE 25, 1998

Making Government Smaller

Few people would say that the Federal Government needs to be larger than it already is. Many would say that it actually needs to be smaller. Many more would point a finger and say that it wastes our tax dollars. It would be hard to find supporters among us who would argue for larger and more expensive government. That is why I have a problem understanding why local leaders would stand in opposition to lower costs for the people they represent.

The Mayor of Bradford and City Council voted unanimously on a resolution not to sell the garbage dump. For some reason, they feel that having a bureaucracy (The Solid Waste Authority) own and operate a garbage dump to preferable to private enterprise. I would have to ask, in all seriousness, if it was a vote against selling the garbage dump, or a vote against me? Is it because of  my open opposition to their policies that are hurting people?

Is it because I remind the mayor that she has turned on everyone who helped get her elected mayor? Is it because I remind her that the allies she has embraced were her deadly enemies when she took on the powerful machine of Boss Nelson? Is it because I exposed the fact that they were dealing in secret with the school district to give ARG a tax assessment of one dollar on their property and shifting a six million dollar burden to tax payers who are already over burdened?

Who did Mayor Cavallaro think was going to pay the extra six million in taxes? Did she or Ray McMahon care that the people at the Senior Center that they call their friends were going to have to share the burden of a six million dollar tax break for the millionaires who bought the refinery? Did they bother to ask the people they called friends at the Senior Center if they wanted to accept higher taxes so they could give the refinery a tax deal?

Of course they did not! They never asked. They even denied that it was going on when it was exposed that they were in fact doing just that! Can we trust them? Can we believe them? Now they expect us to swallow that they know what is best for the people when it comes to garbage.

Why should the people of Bradford pay more for garbage removal than the people of Ridgway? Is it better to pay more just to say that we own the hole in the ground where our garbage is being dumped? Is it better to have a bureaucracy that pays no taxes or fees to the county own the garbage dump than it is to have a private company that will pay over $500,000 a year back to the county and the taxpayers?

If owning a garbage dump is so great, why then didn't the City of Bradford take over the refinery when Witco left? That was never even considered. Why? Owning a refinery is the business of private industry and the City would not dream of even attempting that. The same is true about owning a garbage dump! If it wasn't, why are we in debt to the tune of $15,660,000? That is allot of money!

The City of Bradford can save $128,000 a year right now by taking garbage to Greentree Land Fill. They can save more by going to Cattaragus County. What is wrong with lowering fixed costs like how much it costs to put garbage in a dump? Where is the prestige in owning a garbage dump that is really a 16 million dollar albatross around our necks?

Why do the Mayor and City Council oppose saving money? Let them explain that to the same people to whom they wanted to shift ARG's $6,000,000. Let the Mayor explain why that wouldn't have increased their taxes. Let Mayor Cavallaro meet me at the Senior Center and tell them why it is better to own a garbage dump and collect no taxes and fees. Let her meet me at the Senior Center and tell the people why it is bad for the county and the tax payers to collect $500,000 a year in taxes and fees. Let her tell everyone why the taxpayers should not realize an immediate $2,800,000 profit on a garbage dump and then an additional $14,800,000 over the next twenty years.

City Council's vote against selling the garbage dump was an insult to the people who elected them. Next year when the Mayor and Council vote to increase taxes to pay for pay raises and increased costs in services I will be here reminding them that they could have saved money today. They could have but are too short sighted to see the forest for the trees. Maybe some day soon we can name the County Garbage Dump after Mayor Cavallaro.

Owning a garbage dump that is run by an authority is making government bigger. We need government out of our lives. We don't need to own a garbage dump that will ultimately cost all of us when it fails, as all government enterprises do.

JUNE 24, 1998

What do you say about a Judge who lies?

In his zeal to put it to Jay Paul Kahle and the Board of Assessments, John Cleland may have made a serious mistake. Was he fair when he handed down judgments in the nature of a default? Many would say that he was not.

The impact of his actions have yet to settle on the taxpaying public. Keep in mind that many of the plaintiffs in the 25 cases he ruled on in one fell swoop are from his own home town of Kane, PA. Keep in mind that he sees these people socially and could be said to be less than an uninterested party. Consider that this is the same Judge John Cleland who sued the Board of Commissioners over his budget. Also consider, the Board of  Commissioners are the Board of Assessments, too. Could he have been fair under those circumstances? Many would say that he could not.

Was it fair to combine all the cases as he did? What was he trying to determine? Did he even know what he was doing? Those are pertinent questions, too. His actions on June 16, 1998 precluded us ever finding out, at least for awhile. Many would say that he was trying to throw the county into chaos.

It would be fair to say that he was trying to do just that. However, it is doubtful that he will succeed because this is something that will not be taken lightly. We must look closely at his actions and even ask certain questions about his motives. We should look at what he has said. Many would be shocked if they understood what was said and what actually happened.

He said  "....the McKean County Board of Assessment Appeals having been unable to proceed as a result of sanctions imposed against it for repeated and ongoing violations of the Court's orders and the local rules of Court, which violations were documented on the record in open Court; therefore, judgement in the nature of a default is entered against the McKean County Board of Assessment Appeals and in favor of the Appellants."

His definition of repeated and ongoing is where I take exception. His statements of violations being repeated and ongoing  are misleading. Keep in mind that there had never been a pre-trial hearing as he has set forth in his own rules of court. That was the place to place sanctions if Mr. Kahle was in violation. That was the time to fine him if he was not meeting deadlines. Without a pre-trial hearing where issues could be discussed and warnings and fines to recalcitrant attorneys given, his claims are nothing more than a big fat lie.

A Judge must be fair.

John Cleland was not!

As he attempted to embarrass Larry Stratton, Jim Weaver, Jay Kahle, and me, he embarrasses himself and the entire county. His actions are not only unconscionable, they are damaging to every person on a fixed income whose taxes must increase if his rich friends are allowed to get lower Clean and Green tax rates. What does he say to the elderly woman at the Kane Senior Center, or the elderly man at the Port Allegany Senior Center, who had their taxes drop and now maybe they will have to increase to make up for the gift he gave the richest in the county at their expense? How does he justify his actions to the disabled man whose taxes will increase because some lawyer didn't get a paper in on time?

A great line from Miracle on 34th Street was spoken by a cigar smoking aide to the Judge. "Let them tell the people that there is no Santa Claus. If you do it we both will be looking for work the next election." John Cleland was Santa Claus in 25 cases on June 16. He will be Santa Claus to the rich friends of his that he socializes with  as they begin to appeal their Clean and Green rates on the thousands of acres of cherry they own. Yes, he gave them all an early Christmas present.

He gave it to them, and in the same sense, gave it to the rest of us, too. Their gift is our shaft! Our taxes have to increase as theirs decrease. He knew that! He didn't care.

The Judge promised to be fair. He was not.

What are you supposed to say except that he is a liar.

JUNE 23, 1998

Selling the Garbage Dump

Larry Stratton is back and now I can talk about selling the dump again. It is time that the facts are presented and the rest of the garbage is taken out. Here it is.

The Solid Waste Authority and the taxpayers owe $15,660,000 and they generate about $3,200,000 in revenues a year.  It costs them about $3,150,000 a year to operate. They make about $50,000 before they plan for the future expenses of running the garbage dump.

The Solid Waste Authority pay no taxes.

The Solid Waste Authority charges us more to use our garbage dump than we would pay to use a garbage dump in Elk County.

The Solid Waste Authority has a flow control ordinance that says we can't save money ($4.00 a ton) and take garbage to Elk County.

The Solid Waste Authority has squandered $4,835,000 on studies since 1990 for a lechate treatment plant before finally building one that is too expensive to run and is not able to handle all of our capacity.

Is it smart to allow the Solid Waste Authority to remain in business?

Consider the alternative.

Superior Waste Management, the owners of the Elk County landfill, Greentree, has offered to pay McKean County $14,000,000 for our landfill. They will post their own bonds and free up our cash bond for closure. We have $4,400,000 in Harrisburg that would come back to us, thus netting us $18,400,000 for the garbage dump.

On day one of the sale, we would make $2,800,000. That money would go directly to the McKean County Treasury.

Superior will guarantee our dumping rates for garbage at $38.00 per ton, a full four dollars lower than what we are paying for ten years. That rate decrease would save the City of Bradford $128,000 a year! At the end of ten years, our rates may increase only by the rate of the consumer price index. This year it was 2.8%, much less than $4.00 a ton.

Superior will pay us a $1.00 royalty on all waste going into the landfill including our own. We will make about $500 a day and about $150,000 a year that we do not make now.

Superior will pay taxes on the fair market value of the landfill. If it is sold for $14,000,000; then the taxes will be about $280,000 a year for the county, township, and school district.

Workers at the landfill will be unionized. They will have job security, better pay, and better benefits. What's wrong with that?  Lowell Ayres admitted that he planned to lay people off. They are the same people that he has believing that they will lose their jobs if the garbage dump is sold.

Many people say we will lose control.

Not true! We don't have control now. The Solid Waste Authority does exactly as it pleases. Taxpayers and County Commissioners have nothing to say about how they run the garbage dump.

Many people say a private owner  will not live up to their promises.

Also not true! All covenants such as the royalty and the freeze on our rates will be part of the bill of sale. If Superior sells to ABC Waste Management, the covenants will go to ABC. It is an iron clad deal.

Many people say more waste will come and the garbage dump will not last as long.

Again, also not true! Lowell Ayers changes his story to suit himself. Modern technology is to bale garbage and stack the bales side by side. Our garbage dump cannot afford to spend two million dollars more for this modern technology. Thus, we roll heavy machinery over it several times and crush it down. A private owner can increase the capacity by three times in the same space by using the same technique everyone else in the nation does.

Many people are afraid of change.

That is true! A bureaucracy will fight to preserve itself. The Solid Waste Authority is a bureaucracy. The change is that we will be financially solvent and not have a potential liability of $15,660,000 hanging over our heads into the next century. I fail to understand how we can in good faith allow this financial mismanagement of the garbage dump to continue. It is time to turn the management over to professionals and get the county out of the garbage business.

The Solid Waste Authority cannot continue to operate without incurring more debt. The taxpayers will have to back that debt and in the end the garbage dump will close and we will be left with what is left over. All that will have been accomplished is we will have been able to say for twenty years that we owned it. That is little consolation if we still owe $10,000,000 or so.

This is the story you will not read in The Bradford Era. This is the true story that surrounds the sale of the garbage dump. It is simple. It is good business. It makes sense.

JUNE 22, 1998

Is Everything Ray McMahon Does Wrong?

Heaven help anyone who disagrees with the Geography teacher turned combination politician, economic guru, and back room deal maker. To question the dealings of Mr. McMahon is Tuna Valley heresy. I guess that makes me the Martin Luther of county because I question most of what he does.

I question what Ray McMahon does because he operates out of the public view and does exactly as he pleases. He is in charge of a whole lot of money and unlike bankers, lends money without review boards. If the OECD likes you, you can benefit with a short term loan that a bank normally would never make.

Really, it isn't a bad concept. Banks aren't all that nice.They are out to make a profit and not take chances. They don't care that you are a nice guy and need help. They only care about making sure they comply with what the auditors are looking for in their guidelines for making loans. Ray and his OECD don't have those restrictions.

One e-mail contributor wrote to us about Mr. McMahon.

"The OECD was formed by a group of citizens called the Citizens Minuteman Committee when then Mayor Nelson and the Bradford Redevelopment Authority went at odds with each other over the firing or resignation of Mr. McMahon from his job as director. The OECD was funded at the beginning by a $10,000 grant from Witco and various other companies and individuals. It is a separate body unto itself and not a government agency  as it tries to pass itself off as. It is the contractor of funding for the City of Bradford in that it applies for, receives, and spends federal and state grants and allocations. There is no elected or appointed governing body overseeing it. That is why the city kept the BRA board together albeit with new powers to use for the OECD. Hence, the Mayor would have as hard a time firing Ray McMahon as you yourself would. He is employed by the OECD and it answers to itself (McMahon). It is not an arm of city government."

We cannot verify if that is true or not. Secrecy surrounds McMahon and McMahon. It was mail and I am reporting the letter here. It stemmed from the luncheon I had with former Mayor Nelson who told me about the closed ended contract for the City with Mr. McMahon which gives him employment until he decides to retire. That explanation is as acceptable to me as was Mayor Nelson's.

I also received mail about the OECD buying the Onofrio Street property from Tim Slaven. Some people have alleged that Slaven and McMahon had dealing in Florida and the Onofrio Street deal was a payoff and icing on the cake. I have had several letters that have said just that. I have found no truth in any of those allegations. However, as I did investigate, I found something that I thought was very interesting. I saw this as a good deal for all parties involved, including the people in general. I thought Ray did good this time.

Tim told me that a thank you was over due. He asked me to print it for him. Here it is.

"We would like to take this time to thank OECD and the people of Bradford for their vision. The purchase of Onofrio Street and the plans OECD have for the street will once again prove fruitful. The purchase price of $228,000 may have seemed excessive, but in the long run, it will prove to be a bargain. The sale was approved in October of 1997. Unfortunately, it took longer than expected to close. Thus the unfortunate misunderstanding of some people that the property should have been sold at the Sheriff Sale in April.

Precautions were already in place so that would have never happened. If this program proves successful, and I have no doubt that it will, other blighted areas could be and should be targeted for the same kind of rehab. When people work together anything can be done and it will benefit everyone. Returns from this street when the rehab is completed should be many times more than the initial purchase price. We all pay taxes and I for one don't mind when they are used to improve our community. Again thanks. The Slavens."

I agree that this was a good expenditure of public funds because of the location.

The rumors began when land speculators got involved. Who was buying the land across the street? What did he want with it? He saw an opportunity to make a bundle. Stan Pecora is no dummy. He wanted it too. He knew how valuable all of this would be in the not too distant future. That is why he was so interested in the tax sale possibilities.

This is prime property because of its proximity to Pitt. As Pitt grows that will only increase the value. As the recreational center is enlarged and completed, as various large activities are held and the complex becomes a geographical center, the commercial value will quadruple each year. This is good for Pitt. This is good for Bradford. This is good for McKean County. Everyone wins!

However, there is a difference between the way McMahon does business and other areas operate. Why is everything secret? If he is representing the interests of the public, then why didn't he make his intentions public? Hiding behind closed doors and dealing in secret makes people ask who is making what at who's expense? This whole matter should have been put in the paper and made public. When the Sheriff Sale became a possibility, the deal that was already on paper, should have been made public.

It wasn't. Tim was embarrassed. McMahon kept his lip sealed and once more the rumors flew. I refused to touch this until I could talk to Tim. Good deal for us, bad form, as usual, for McMahon even though it is a great deal. That's a shame. What do you expect?

---

If you have a comment on this article please click here.

[ Top ]  [ Home ]