Facts Are Straight Re: CSEA Matter

Dear Editor:

I greatly enjoyed the in defense of Peter Harckham. I guess Harckham could not defend himself.
The very partisan Democratic chair claims to live in a "world with facts" and then goes on to list several "facts" about the controversial CSEA litigation. Remarkably, several of Yablon's "facts" are just plain wrong.

Frankly, this letter to the editor from a Democratic party hack demonstrates that his real agenda has little to do with "facts" and everything to do with protecting his political buddy Harckham, who is facing a very difficult election this year due to his rubber stamp voting record in support of Chairman Ken Jenkins, who has misused his office for the past year to do nothing but block County Executive Astorino's responsible reform agenda to reduce government spending and recalibrate county government for modern times. Harckham has been Jenkins' right-hand man in blocking fiscal reforms in the county government.

Yablon claims the Board of Legislators was sued by CSEA. Wrong. The Board was named as a necessary party and no claims were made against it. Yablon then claims that the County Attorney declared a conflict due to comments by Astorino's attorney. This is quite a fib and if Yablon were still in school he might get detention. The County Attorney declared a conflict because Harckham's political ally Jenkins sent a letter (February 3, 2011) to the county attorney and told him to file cross claims against the County Executive in support of the union, thereby taking the union's side against the taxpayers in this lawsuit.

Yablon fibs again by saying the 38 workers did not cost the taxpayers any money. Actually, the county did get money from the state for them, but not enough, especially when you factor in benefits. The actual cost to the Westchester County taxpayers was about $500,000 per year.

Lastly, several Republican Legislators have called on the Board of Legislators to join Astorino's effort to dismiss the lawsuit. Has our county legislator Harckham joined this effort - of course not.  Would he ever take an action to upset his pals in the CSEA union?  I am proud to be an Astorino supporter and think we are lucky to have a County Executive who is really committed to cutting county government and slashing county taxes.  Those are the facts pure and simple.  

Peter Michaelis, Katonah