Response to Detractors
In the past my detractors attended all Borough Council Meetings and approved of all of the actions of the Council. These detractors are all friendly with the Mayor and Council members and yet they question my comments and accusations. I suggest my detractors ask Mayor Green, Council members, Borough Manager\Treasurer Khalife, assistant Treasurer Samilo, Borough Solicitors Mooney and Dietrich and Auditors Long and Barrell if my letters and comments are true. At this point in time I know all my statements have merit and must be true because not one Borough Official, or in fact any one, has replied to them in any way.
The only negative comments I usually receive are from anonymous but the latest negative comment comes with a name. He asks if the Borough is so good at hiding Borough Finances how do I know that Telecom is losing money. I can tell by the following:
1) My Real Estate Tax went from $120 a year to $260 a year.
2) My electric rate is double that of the surrounding areas.
3) My water and sewer rate has more than doubled in the past 6 years.
4) The Borough Council recently voted to borrow $1.3 million to finance Telecom.
5) The Audit Report in the Kutztonian states that the internal Borough is about $13 million but neglects to state that the internal debt is about $16.3 million which makes the total Borough debt $29.3 million.
6) In desperation for funds the Borough illegally bid to sell telecommunication services to Kutztown University even though Telecom Director Frank Caruso stated the Borough can not provide the services.
7) Rather than float bonds to borrow the $1.3 million for Telecom the Borough took a Bank Loan because I think the Borough no longer has a Triple A rating.
8) Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino suddenly resigned to be near his family and a very respected Borough Resident has stated that Telecom has created a house divided.
9) The Borough has no Sinking Funds or any funds in reserve.
It does not take a financial genius to determine that Telecom is losing money and the Borough is broke. Jaymes Vettraino with the votes of the Borough Council raised every service the Borough provides and resigned. In appreciation the Borough gave him a going away dinner. I don’t forget the Borough also gave Keith Hill a going away dinner.
If any one, especially my detractors, can get a copy of the Audit and the Budget I will gladly review them with you and prove all my statements and accusations are true.
Sincerely,
Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
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ARE you living in somesort of fantasy land? Look around at other communities and then compare them to Kutztown. You exaggerate the increases 50% property tax. Tell the people how much that really is. Increases in water sewer refuse electric. You believe this is only in Kutztown. Open your eyes and take a look around the Country!! Did you read the Morning Call Article regarding electric muni's? Did you see where Kutztown falls compared to its piers? of course you will not publish that article because it places Kutztown in the middle of the pack and not enough above the rest to mention
You blast Hometown but you do not tell the public that Kutztown pays 50% less for Televsion, Internet, and Telephone services compared to surrounding communities. Why don't you publish that information? You complain about the cost increases, why are you not praising Hometown for keeping Television and Internet costs in check? Gee, if the electric water sewer refuse business had to compete for customers maybe they could lower their cost as well! Use your head and think forward not backward.
Service Electric did not reduce its rate in Kutztown until Hometown became a competitor. Be honest now, is it true you received free service from Service Eelectric at the time you served as Mayor? Come on, tell the truth!
Do you know why the current Mayor Green does not support Hometown these days? Could it have something to do with the Council refusing to entertain fund transfers to to the mainstreet group?. Maybe some personal motivation, the Internet did ruin her business. How about her relationship with former councilman Strasser and the focus to request transfers from electric water and sewer to pay landlords on mainstreet to upgrade their business, (By the way both have business locations on mainstreet!Imagine that)Strasser quit because he could not get the Council to give his committee money from the utilities to improve mainstreet. Of course you know this but publishing the truth is not one of your strongest character traits.
If you attended any of the community development,planning commission, KCP meetings, you would gain a better understanding and see the motivation of three individuals, Green, Strasser and Snyder.
Wake up and tell the people the whole story. Use facts, not self created interpretations to fire up the public.
I don't understand why you have not written about the Mayor and the Community Development Director. The rumor mill has it they are rather chummy, vacationing together. Ethics, hmmmmm..
For the record, I donot agree with everything the Council does and I donot disagree with everythning they do, I do find it very interesting that Caruso shut down his website. Could it be the powers in control shut him up?
What is that all about?
Maybe you should praise those Council Members fighting for our town and not just mainstreet. Take a closer look at council members and the Mayor, where their business is located, who they are, where they live, you can begin to understand the motivation - pro-mainstreet.
Oh, by the way you would beneift from a mainstreet refacing wouldn't you?
Peace Marino! annonymous
ARE YOU INSANE?
I took it upon myself and called the Borough and spoke to the Finance Director Russ. I asked how I could get a copy of the Budget, he told me to come in and ask at the front counter, he said I could review it there and if I wanted a printed copy or copies of certain pages I could request them, I would have to pay a copy charge for each page. I asked if the 2007 Audit is available and he said the Auditors are finalizing it and it should be available at the end of July.
Russ also told me that I could go to the Boroughs website and view or download the 2004, 2005, 2006 Audited Financial Reports and the 2008 Budget detail report which is also available.
For any of you doubters or those really interested, here is the web link:
http://www.kutztownboro.org/WebFiles/PublicFiles.php
I don't know about you but something here sure does not make sense. The Marino Report has claimed over and over again that "The Borough is hiding information", "They won't give me a copy of the Budget".
All I did was call and I was told what to do. There is one claim that may be correct, The Borough will not give you a copy. You must pay for it if you want to take it with you. If you download it yourself then it is free.
The Marino Report also claims the Borough does not have an Auditor, well the Finance Director told me the Auditor is finalizing the 2007 Audit. So the Borough in fact has an Auditor. Another false claim by The Marino Report.
At this time, everyone should be asking themselves what is the real purpose of Mr. Marino and his constant badgering and dissemination of false information and claims?
I took the time to check out these claims by The Marino Report and I am disgusted in the negativity and constant bad mouthing of our town and elected community leaders. The Marino Report is making this community look like a bunch of country hicks and to quote a former councilman “a most un-agreeable community”.
I no longer will patronize this blog and waste my time.
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