Reminder
Tomorrow is Election Day. Please remember to exercise your voting rights, even if the votes "don't seem that important" in a year where there isn't a national or gubernatorial race. Remember that some of your local town/village/hamlet/parish/prefecture/whatever representatives are likely up for election, and they can have a really big impact on your property taxes.
Here in New York State, there is a proposed amendment to the State Constitution. It's an oddball ballot question, to be sure. But, it must be taken seriously, since it affects the highest source of law in the state.
Here's a brief summary of what's proposed:
New York State defines several areas of its land to be a protected forest. As such, the state isn't allowed to sell off any of it. This makes sense. However, a small town in Adirondack State Park is unable to find a good solution to the problem that its drinking water isn't up to EPA standards. So, the town struck a deal with the state that will allow the state to exchange one acre of parkland for the construction of drinking wells, for twelve acres of other land from the town that doesn't have anything on it at all, which would become protected. The only catch is that, since it requires an exception to the constitutional rule that the state can't sell away protected land, we have to ratify the deal as a constitutional amendment.
I like this legislation for two reasons. First, everybody wins. Town gets water, state gets another 11 acres of parkland. Newsday called this amendment "a benign land swap", and I'm inclined to agree. Second, it's very narrowly crafted legislation. It says what it does, it does what it says, it doesn't have any loopholes or riders or pork attached to it, and it only applies once. Ah, if only every attempt at changing the law was so well written. I have to admit, though, that it's a little trippy for everyone in the entire state to be voting on an issue which only affects one very small, out-of-the-way town.
So, in short, I say, "Yes, let 'em have their water."
Here in New York State, there is a proposed amendment to the State Constitution. It's an oddball ballot question, to be sure. But, it must be taken seriously, since it affects the highest source of law in the state.
Here's a brief summary of what's proposed:
New York State defines several areas of its land to be a protected forest. As such, the state isn't allowed to sell off any of it. This makes sense. However, a small town in Adirondack State Park is unable to find a good solution to the problem that its drinking water isn't up to EPA standards. So, the town struck a deal with the state that will allow the state to exchange one acre of parkland for the construction of drinking wells, for twelve acres of other land from the town that doesn't have anything on it at all, which would become protected. The only catch is that, since it requires an exception to the constitutional rule that the state can't sell away protected land, we have to ratify the deal as a constitutional amendment.
I like this legislation for two reasons. First, everybody wins. Town gets water, state gets another 11 acres of parkland. Newsday called this amendment "a benign land swap", and I'm inclined to agree. Second, it's very narrowly crafted legislation. It says what it does, it does what it says, it doesn't have any loopholes or riders or pork attached to it, and it only applies once. Ah, if only every attempt at changing the law was so well written. I have to admit, though, that it's a little trippy for everyone in the entire state to be voting on an issue which only affects one very small, out-of-the-way town.
So, in short, I say, "Yes, let 'em have their water."