44°
To the editor:
What's more destructive to Yorktown; ‘zombie’ foreclosures in your neighborhood or having ‘zombie’ politicians in office? A ‘zombie’ politician is someone that puts themselves above the law and others. They’ve lost their ethical compass and been reduced to being an empty suit with a smile.
A ‘zombie’ politician primarily focuses on taking care of special interests and self-promotion. A ‘zombie’ politician pays no taxes, wheels and deals and seemingly contributes only what’s in his own best self-interest. A ‘zombie’ house is a hollowed out empty shell of a formerly nice home that's been mortgaged to death, neglected to the point that it has no value and is totally useless. A 'zombie' house pays no taxes and drags down the property values of others.
What will cost you more in the long run; a 'zombie' house on your block or a short-sighted, self-serving, free spending, tax delinquent politician in office? Let’s talk specifics. Supervisor Michael Grace's lobbying efforts on behalf of millionaire land-developer’s profits at the expense of taxpayer's property values is a real conflict of interest. Grace now apparently serves 2 masters with opposing interest. Grace has enabled land developers to build 12 unit apartment buildings right next to one family homes. That will undoubtedly pull down those home values much more dramatically and permanently than any ‘zombie’ foreclosure ever could.
What will Grace’s activism for land-developers ultimately cost Yorktown? How many lawsuits will Yorktown be forced to subsequently defend against? Yorktown’s unaddressed tax delinquency problem cost taxpayers $4,000,000. The impact of ‘zombie’ foreclosures is just a fraction when compared to that. State, county or local governments have yet to address Yorktown’s tax delinquency problem. Some elected officials have been the biggest offenders. Senator Murphy’s recent ‘zombie' foreclosure report is just another political puff piece. Where’s Murphy’s detailed report on combating the growing tax delinquency problem? Supervisor Grace and Senator Murphy should take the first 2 steps toward solving Yorktown’s tax delinquency problem and pay their own long overdue back tax debts.
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