LETTER: If Elected, Katz Will Institute Paid Parking This Summer

3-12-10

To the Editor:
Make No Mistake – if Joe Booan’s OPPONENT becomes mayor of Cooperstown we will have Pay & Display machines on Main Street this summer.
Even though paid parking machines haven’t been put in yet, that does not mean the threat has gone away.  Quite the contrary. Joe’s opponent stated in a recent public meeting that he feels we can have paid parking downtown as early as August.
This issue has been intentionally held under the radar by Joe’s opponent and his supporters because they want the people to forget about it in the voting booth.  
On March 16, we, the residents of Cooperstown, have the chance to voice our opinion. Right now the village needs Leadership, Structure and Vision. With Joe Booan this is what we will get.
He has the professional training and experience to turn our deteriorating financial situation into a sound one. He can provide a unified vision and has the professional ability to provide the structure needed to get there.
We do not need to keep placing new financial burdens onto the backs of our village residents, our visitors or the surrounding communities, because we do not know how to take a hard look at our spending. More importantly, we have the ability to say we do not want paid parking on downtown streets.
It was stated by Joe’s opponent that until we implement paid parking on Main Street, he didn’t feel that expenses should be addressed. This is another case of being financially irresponsible and trying to raise more revenue at the expense of the village, where a look at the village’s expenditures is what is truly called for. 
With the numbers of people coming to the village declining and downtown businesses struggling, this is not the direction to head in. We need to keep Cooperstown healthy and vital and not discourage shopping downtown or discourage visitors from coming to our village. As the business district slows down, the burden falls back to the village residents through their taxes. 
We need to see the damage that the increase in taxes does to our community – and paid parking is just one form of tax. With the financially sound leadership Joe Booan provides, our community working together can become the wonderful village we love.
It can give hope back to parents that there will be a village years from now that children will be able to come back to as Joe has done, a place our children can afford to live and thrive in, a place where our infrastructure is secure and a place where we can afford to retire.
On March 16, you as a voter have the ability to make your voice heard. We need to plan our village’s future, not simply go month to month and see what happens. Vote for Joe Booan!
WILLIS MONIE, Jr.
Cooperstown