Wasted tax dollars

[Guest Ponderer]

Everyone is in a rush to cut/slash the budget of public safety, but I would rather they be there and never need them, than to have less than adequate police and fire protection.

BUT, my question is, what the HELL is going on with that monstrosity on Belgrove Drive? I am not against the kids having a new fieldhouse, but they would have been quite happy with a rectangular replacement to the old one that someone, oh, I don't know, ACTUALLY KNEW HOW TO BUILD!!!

It is a disgrace that this "building" is approaching (may have exceeded) $1 million dollars. Do we not have an engineer in the Town who could oversee this project? At what point do the contracted firms (read political hacks for the Mayor) get held accountable for not doing their jobs???

DPW, Police, Fire wasted money, maybe. But, this new fieldhouse is EXACTLY the type of stuff that defines "wasteful spending."

Mr. Mayor???

[Guest Lucid Larry]

I attended the public meeting at town hall when the plan was proposed. The new fieldhouse will include bathrooms, radio booth, concession area, storage space, but it's not at all that big. It's actually smaller than the one at Harvey Field.

Price tag is high because it's a "green" building that uses less energy. It was all paid for with grant money from federal and county governments because of the green elements.

Why reject the grants? Your proposal would mean settling for a no frills, replacement fieldhouse box that would cost the Kearny homeowner because it would have to be paid with property tax dollars.

Sounds like the current project is a no-brainer to me: a state of the art facility with not a penny of property tax dollars used.

[Guest phil kearny]

I guess we got it for free. LOL

[Guest Guest]

I keep forgetting that grant money falls from the sky and has NO COST to the taxpayer. The government makes NO REVENUE; all that they have (including grant money) comes from you and I.

[Guest Lucid Larry]

The money comes from 300 million people across America. So if Kearny's 40,000 or so residents can get a free field house, why turn it down? Would yo prefer that the money go to some other project in Kentucky or Texas or name your State?

If you want to end federal grants, assistance and earmarks, you can make that argument and try to convince your federal legislators. Problem is both Democrats and Republicans enjoy giving out federal grants and earmarks so you have a very steep uphill climb.

But in the meantime, don't punish the kids and adults who are going to use the new Veterans Field field house in Kearny.

[Guest Guest]

I keep forgetting that grant money falls from the sky and has NO COST to the taxpayer. The government makes NO REVENUE; all that they have (including grant money) comes from you and I.

Also, the future maintenance of this green monstrosity will be paid for by you and me.

[Guest Guest]

"But in the meantime, don't punish the kids and adults who are going to use the new Veterans Field field house in Kearny."

I don't want to punish the kids, or parents, I want them to have a NEW fieldhouse. BUT, to contract for a fieldhouse that apparently NO ONE knows how to build, is in fact, wasteful. The engineers in this town are paid handsomely, and several construction projects have been done with significant over runs and less than sufficient results.

Does anyone remember the firehouse in S. Kearny? IIRC, land donated by River Terminal, $5 million price tag, and the building is sinking into the meadows.

Go right ahead, build the fieldhouse, but expect accountability from professionals in town; particularly those with ties to the Great Alberto.

[Guest Lucid Larry]

I'm not sure what you mean by "no one knows how to build". What's wrong with the construction of the facility? Most of it is done. What part of it is built wrong?

The South Kearny firehouse was in 1994 under Mayor Vartan. It is a sinking disaster which was paid with $2 million in Kearny tax dollars, only the land was at no cost. Also, since then there have been several construction projects by the town of Kearny, all of which were completed and are in use.

As to professionals, Kearny's engineer had no role in the project. The Council did an open competitive process for the selection of an architect. At the Council meeting I attended, the merits of each architect's proposal were discussed publicly. It doesn't look like you attended any of those meetings.