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Putnam Valley to 'Attack' Global Warming Issues
Editor,
Putnam Valley residents should be appalled at the time and effort their Town Supervisor is requiring the Town Board to spend on contrived "environmental issues". Every minute the Board spends on any issue is at some expense to tax payers. In a recent Town Board meeting, an inordinate amount of time was spent on environmental issues which actually have little or no impact on the quality of life in our community.
As most, I believe in a good, healthy, strong, safe and clean environment. My family and I live in Putnam Valley. But nothing in government comes without cost. The Town of Putnam Valley's priorities on environmental issues seem totally incongruous with the size of our community and larger issues at hand. Almost everyone agrees that the tax burden is ridiculously high on residents of this and neighboring communities. Yet the Town of Putnam Valley is being led by it's Supervisor down a road to monitor and fix global warming! Our town Supervisor is proposing the town join a little known European organization (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) which will show Putnam Valley how to monitor and reduce greenhouse gasses. Where will the funding will come from to test, monitor and fix air quality in Putnam Valley? The US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) develops national programs, technical policies, and regulations for controlling air pollution and radiation exposure. It is not Putnam Valley's authority or responsibility to monitor air quality. We are already paying state and federal taxes to understand and improve air quality. National air quality standards are in effect. Furthermore,
air knows no town boundaries. Monitoring must be done on a larger scale for that very reason. Mr. Davis should review and understand the volumes of air quality data available to the public and make a strong case why Putnam Valley needs to take on a task of global proportions at the expense of Putnam Valley taxpayers. One reason that our taxes are so high is that local governments can be highly inefficient when operating uninformed. Our elected officials should have the vision and leadership to address problems that matter locally and can impact us uniquely as Putnam Valley residents.
This is not an anti-environmental statement but rather a pro Putnam Valley request. Let's focus local government on local issues and leave state and federal government to manage state and national policies.
Peter J. Porpiglia, Ph.D.
Putnam Valley
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