>>
Coming up on "Need to Know",, part two of our discussion
with the county executive candidates.-
This time with the Republican standard-bearer Maggie brooks.-
A one-on-one interview with Maggie brooks on the way on "Need
to Know."-
We shouldn't be looking at ways to get more tax dollars.-
We need to focus on things that take us away from taxes in any
direction, in any case.-
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[Captioning Made Possible by the U.S. Department of Education]-
(For "Need to Know")-
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>> Thanks for joining us.-
I'm Michael Caputo.-
Advertising has its place in the political season as do press
conferences and public endorsements of candidates and let's
not
forget the polls we see time and again but sometimes it is
worth hearing directly from the candidates without
interruption.-
So "Need to Know" is continuing with the series of
programs
covering election 2003.-
These are programs designed to give you direct access to those
running for public office locally.-
Let's give you a quick rundown of the coverage ahead.-
On October 16 the Voice of the Voter will present a county
executive debate.-
That is a collaboration in the Democrat and chronicle, W.XX.I.
and WOKR-TV.-
Then we will have a debut analysis on "Need to Know."-
Then we will have on the 23rd a district attorney's debate and
follow next day with "Need to Know" that looks at
the heart of
campaigning.-
A week ago we sat with mayor bill Johnson the Democrat who
wants to be the next Monroe county executive and talked about
finances, the future of the economic status of Rochester and
a
host of other topics.-
Today we welcome as the Republican opponent county clerk Maggie
brooks.-
We will talk about the issues today and the Dell Democrat is
put on hold until next week.-
Maggie brooks first bail known here as a broadcast journalist
and in 1995 see veered off into politics winning a seat on the
Alexandria Appalachian.-
Then the Monroe county clerk in 1990.-
We welcome you to the table.-
Thanks for being here.-
-
>> Thank you.-
-
>> I will give you the same question I gave your opponent
last
week.-
Why do you want this job?-
But let me ask it this way.-
Plenty of Republicans could have carried the same message that
you are carrying.-
When was it that you decided I want to be the one to do this?-
I think in the past year and a half it has become apparent to
me that the approach we take to governing in this community
and
the style of leadership in place currently doesn't do the job.-
We are not getting things done in the community.-
So I thought that my strength would be to come to the table
with a different approach, a different style of leadership,
maybe a different personality than some of the people currently
in power at this point.-
And I felt that I could make a difference.-
That's truly what you have to come back to.-
-
>> Plenty of peel could have done it.-
There must have been a point sitting around the kitchen table
and you said I do want do this.-
I'm ready to go.-
Tell us about that moment.-
-
>> Well, that moment was exactly what I described.-
A moment when I realized that more so than any of my colleagues
in Republican politics at this point I had the style of
leadership, I have the personality, I have the approach that
represents change in the community and I do feel we need a
change.-
That was a moment when I felt I could step you to the plate
and
really, really get the job done for not only the party but the
community.-
It was a tough decision.-
It is not an easy decision to put you on the line to walk into
a race that represents a time in our history when we face
extreme challenges on a number of different levels.-
So it is not easy to walk in and say I'm the one that can make
change, I can make a difference but I believe I can.-
-
>> What concerns you most about the last year or so?-
What surprises you?-
-
>> Number one that people are so well informed about the
issues.-
When I got into politics in 1995 it amazed me when I went door
to door running for county legislature people didn't know what
the legislator did.-
They were foggy about what county government provided in this
community.-
So, I guess I'm grateful that people this year clearly
understand the issue in the county executive's race.-
They clearly understand how important a position this is.-
They recognize that this is a government that impacts them most
directly and that they really need to be involved in that.-
-
>> You have run before but this has to be more intense
than the
last time.-
-
>> It is.-
My challenge this year, quite honestly, has been to let peel
get to know me on another dimension.-
People have watched me in the media.-
They have had the ability to watch me work in the community
since 1977.-
The people dealt with me on the legislature and people in the
clerk's office saw me solve problems and apply inknow ration
to
our approach to customer service.-
So they have seen my record there but they have never heard
me
take issues on positions like tax ability in the community and
economic development.-
So it has been a challenge to let people know I'm not a
one-dimensional individual.-
I have a platform and ideas for the community.-
Above and beyond that I have the ability to take the ideas from
the table to reality and implement them.-
-
>> You talk a lot about the contract that you think you
might
bring to the job.-
I will ask you to contrast your style to the current office
holder, jack Doyle.-
-
>> I think as I have demonstrated as county clerk we have
a
very open approach to government.-
You cannot not have that approach in the county clerk's office
because we deal most directly with the public.-
You have to be accessible and interact with the public and with
the customers that use the office.-
I think I represent an approach that would be a more open style
of governing.-
I have always had an open door policy -- -
>> Tell me what you mean by that.-
-
>> I think we need to engage the public more in the problems
of
the community.-
Government doesn't to work in a vacuum, the county executive
doesn't get elected, go in the office and close the door add
say I'm going to do in and this and solve the problems.-
It is a team approach and I think we are seeing that this year
that people understand that and want to be part of the solution
to the problems in the community.-
The business community this year is showing more leadership
than I have ever seen since I have been involved in
government.-
People at our colleges and universitieses are doing such
positive things.-
They want to bring the things to the table.-
So I think that what sets me apart from my other colleagues
of
mine that might be running for this position and from those
on
the other side of the aisle is I have the ability to connect
the dots of all of those positive things, bring people to the
table and move us forward.-
It's an open style of governing that engages the public, gives
everyone a voice in what we do as a community, and kind of
removes -- I don't want to say heavy handed because that is
meg
active but kind of removes the controlling aspect of
government.-
-
>> But I think the people who appreciated jack Doyle and
his
style of governing, those people would say there are times when
he is just going to stand up.-
He is not going to let anybody tell him any differently.-
He is going to stand on a principle.-
I know that you have been campaigning as a unifier, somebody
to
bring people together but give May one policy where you will
stand your ground that you are not going to wave.-
-
>> That's easy.-
Property tax stability.-
And a lot of people will say that is just, you know, a rehash
of Doyle's message.-
And I don't see it like that.-
I see that as a critical message for the community.-
It is not a Republican message, not a democratic message.-
It is a community message.-
It is what people want us to do.-
And that's the issue that becomes harder and harder and harder,
especially on the campaign trail when you have pressure from
all over the place, to waver on that commitment.-
That is one instance where I as a county executive candidate,
I
as a county executive and leader twoff hang tough and say we
are not going to waver from this position because it is the
right thing to do for the community.-
-
>> Did you like how jack Doyle dealt with -- and I will
put it
in the context not so much of critiquing him but you will
probably face the same situation did he with the budget
process.-
It will be a lean year.-
You will have to call for something to be cut.-
How would you approach the legislature when they say we are
going to have to raise taxes a little bit?-
-
>> Certainly you have to have a working relationship with
the
legislature.-
The loge Appalachian is the reviewing body of the budget, if
you will, and ultimately it comes down to the legislature's
decision whether they want to stay with the county executive
and whether they go out on their own.-
We saw that in Albany this year.-
The legislature chose not to stand by the governor.-
-
>> But the governor also took the full period of time
to go
around the state and say this is the wrong way to go.-
Jack toil didn't do that.-
He took about two hours to veto then they overrode the street
tofmente would you have taken the 10 taste and say why we can't
raise taxes?-
-
>> Absolutely.-
And that goes back to what I was talking about my different
approach and talking about issues.-
I would very much take my message to the community because I
think that is critical for understanding and certainly for
information as we talk about these things.-
Oftentimes in a nonpublic forum.-
The legislature is a public meeting, but a lot of times people
don't come.-
We don't get a lot of coverage on those issues.-
So we have to take the moge out to people.-
We have to make them aware.-
We are talking about something very important in your lives
so
I would do that.-
But let me go back to the jack Doyle-Maggie brooks comparison.-
At some point we have to realize that jack Doyle, I respect
him
as a leader, I think he has done some great things for the
community, there are certainly things that he has done that
I
support and would possibly mirror his efforts on a number of
different issues, taxes being one of them.-
But beyond that, that is the past, this is the future, and
whoever takes office January 1 inhitters the budget that is
being created -- inherits a budget created by a different
administration, which will ultimately be yea or nay from the
county legislature.-
The bottom line is January 2, when a new county executive takes
over that's the budget they have to deal with and that's what
is on the table.-
-
>> I mow you have been asked about this before, about
the
declining credit rating of Monroe county.-
And I know that one time you answered that basically by saying
what is important is property taxes, keeping property taxes
stable.-
And you said what is less important is having a stellar credit
rating.-
But doesn't it cost the taxpayer money when the credit rating
drops?-
Borrowing becomes more expense I have, hundreds of thuses of
dollars?-
Isn't that credit rating as upon or more important because it
cost money?-
-
>> Reality is right now that we are borrowing when we
need to
borrow at a lower level than we have in recent history because
of the interest rates.-
So I don't think you can say, you know, because our credit rate
something lousy we are borrowing at a higher rate.-
-
>> The newspaper says rates are going back up.-
-
>> They are going up.-
-
>> You may be faced with higher rates.-
-
>> I think you need to look at the reality of Wall Street's
problems with our community.-
Wall Street gets upset because Monroe county doesn't always
have a rainy day fund.-
And what I hear Wall Street advocating is that we go out and
raise taxes so that we can have a rainy day fund.-
And to me I equate that to saying OK, mike, borrow money from
a
bank to set up a savings account for your family.-
That is ridiculous.-
That is absolutely ridiculous.-
The pressure from Wall Street is very much things that are
critical to Wall Street, but we as community leaders don't
answer to Wall Street.-
That is an indicator and certainly is -- -
>> It has a monetary impact.-
-
>> It does.-
But at the end of the day we have to do what's right for the
people in this community.-
Raising taxes is not right for the people in this community.-
And I don't care what Wall Street says.-
I don't -- we can't govern according to the dictates and
feelings and recommendations of Wall Street.-
We have to balance the needs of what is good for the people
who
live and work in this community.-
So, I believe that even though Wall Street wants to pressure
us
to to some things that we are not quite prepared to do at this
point, if we have a healthier economy here -- and this where
I
go back it my platform of economic growth, job creation and
retention, if we can focus on that, stabilize the economy and
move forward as a community, then our credit rating goes up
because Wall Street is happier about the financial condition.-
-
>> But your Opponents, bill Johnson, I don't know if you
want
to give the opponent label but they will see this is what we
are talking about, the management of county finances.-
If you don't -- you gave an analogy, the other analogy might
be
my credit rating is not very good but I don't care.-
I will have to borrow for a car or house at a higher rate and
it will cost my family more money.-
They are going to say you will cost the taxpayer more if you
don't look at the credit rating of the county.-
-
>> Let's put on the table what my opposition is saying
and
there's a commercial on the air that says, you know, bill
Johnson is going to do this, you know, actually they don't say
what he is going to do.-
They just say that he is going to solve the county's putting,
budget problem.-
I heard him say he will balance the budget at the expense of
taxpayers.-
He has clearly stated I'm going to raise your taxes.-
That's the only thing to do to solve the problems.-
-
>> He is also picking on the credit rating.-
-
>> He is.-
But he has not shown us anything beyond raising taxes as an
approach to solve the problem.-
-
>> How do you improve the tax -- the credit rating?-
Let May talk about my approach and it all goes into the same
outcome.-
So we have a plan on the table and I will go back to a
statement you said earlier.-
You said if you are not going to raise taxes.-
Well clearly you will have to cut services.-
When I go out in the community I take raising taxes off the
table and I take cutting services off the table.-
And here is what I've been talking about loud and clear since
the day after I announced my candidacy.-
We have to be a government that lives within our means.-
There are a number of clear ways to approach that.-
Number one, we need to streamline.-
I have done that in the clerk's office so I know it can be
achieved and I know when you do that you save money.-
We need to look at opportunities to reengineer as we have don't
know in social services.-
Did that happen without pain?-
No.-
Is will not controversy there?-
Yes, there is.-
But we will achieve savings.-
Number two, outsourcing.-
What are things government doesn't do well.-
How can we partner with private agencies, mainly in the not
for
profit area to make sure we are getting the most value for our
county dollar in providing services.-
Number three, we want to look at applying technology.-
In the doubt that's something we have done in the clerk's
office and -- or is consolidation of service delivery,
intermunicipal agreements between towns, villages, that has
proven statewide to reduce the cost of government
significantly.-
Those are the things that we need to focus on.-
If we only go back to the taxpayers and only rely on the deep
pockets of taxpayers in this community to solve our problems,
then we have failed.-
-
>> In the more than $900 million budget that the county
has,
much of what is there -- and I know that you have been saying
this -- isn't in your control.-
The county executive currently has done what he can in terms
of
social services department in terms of efficiency.-
So where do you find efficiencies on, say, $200 million out
of
that $900 million is yours to cut and the regs is public
safety?-
-
>> I equate it to percentage.-
If you look at the bottom line and include salaries and fixed
costs and mandated costs, you are right, close to 79 ministers
of the budget is not controlled.-
-
>> Doesn't leave you much room.-
-
>> No, but that doesn't remove the fact that we have to
be
challenged to find the opportunities.-
We can't just throw up our hands and say we can't solve the
problems, so OK, Mr. taxpayer, Mrs. taxpayer we just need a
little bit more, a modest amount.-
How many times have you heard that?-
nothing is free.-
A modest amount.-
-
>> Inflation goes up a modest amount.-
And I pay a little more.-
-
>> But over time you can tell people I'm evenly going
to take a
little bit more but over time they will feel it.-
And we are going to tax ourselves out of a community and out
of
a future.-
The companion piece to balancing the budget is to go out in
the
community and advocate for economic development, aggressive
economic development in this community, aggressive job creation
measures, working together with the business community,
colleges and universities, making that happen so we stabilize
the economy.-
-
>> We have a couple of off the street questions -- -
>> Man on street.-
-
>> Of course they are on the street.-
-
>> My question is to the candidates what do you want to
do
about the job situation?-
How are you going to help people find jobs and apply the jobs
that they actually want for the right pay rate?-
-
>> If I can tag on to that, we have a very interesting
dynamic
going on.-
Kodak has said we are transforming into something from one base
to digital and you are going off to fight for us whatever we
become.-
As county executive would you give them tax incentives, tax
breaks to keep them hear or would you put that effort somewhere
else?-
Jack Doyle talked about small and medium size companies.-
How do you see it?-
-
>> I clearly stated and number one we need to approach
it on a
couple of different levels.-
Let me answer the young woman's question, then I will talk
about Kodak.-
We need to diversify.-
We have to recognize we are no longer a manufacturing
community.-
As hard as that is to admit for the people that relied on those
high paying jobs we are no longer that community.-
We will not be that community.-
It will always be the heart and soul of what we are but we are
not manufacturing.-
We are high tech.-
Biomedical, research.-
80% of the job growth here is in the small to medium business
areas.-
We need to build on our strength at this point and that means
looking to those strengths.-
We need to adapt our consents incentives that clearly about
--
-
>> Does it mean going away from Kodak and others.-
That is not where our future lies.-
Are you saying that?-
-
>> That's what I'm saying but we don't abandon Kodak.-
We have a tendency to make them the poster child for everything
that is wrong with the economy.-
That is is not a productive stance either.-
We have to recognize that Kodak does have to compete in the
global marketplace and we have to, to the extent we can as a
community, support them because there are thousands of people
that work there who invest in our community, who live here,
who
spend money here.-
We can't just abandon them and we do want Kodak to always have
some sort of presence.-
Maybe it will ultimately be a headquarters presence.-
But the bottom line is ASCO Dakota moves to reinvent itself
we
have to be a supportive partner and not just point the finger
at them and say you are causing all of our problems.-
We need to look to our strengths and start investing in the
strengths.-
-
>> We have another question from someone else.-
This is having to do with social services delivery.-
-
>> I think the biggest question I have is I work on a
daily
basis with the county department of social services, craupping
care unit and I wonder what kinds of changes the candidates
can
make as far as better staffing, the staff they have is good
but
the case loads are exorbitant and it takes six to eight months
to get a medicate application approved.-
I want to know what they are going to do to straighten to out
that service.-
-
>> We have -- she has a good point.-
We can always use a few extra hands.-
I go through that in the department of motor vehicles.-
But I think we can work with better with the not for profit
community.-
There are a lot of people in this region who are the experts
in
what we provide in terms of service.-
So often in the past the relationship between the county and
social service providers has been a top down approach.-
The county is the bank, every year we say here is the dollar
amount, this is what we have and make it work.-
We don't often look to them to ask what are the priorities,
the
pool of money will be smaller each year, the case loads are
going up so we have challenges that probably we can't control
in the short term but what we can do in the short term is work
as a cohesive team and let the experts in the not for profit
community tell us how can we get the best value for our dollar,
make sure people are not falling through the cracks, that the
important services such as day care are being provided.-
-
>> It gets back to the budget question, however.-
Her question does.-
The case loads are more because the county has had to pare it
down.-
How do you know when you have done enough cutting and you might
have to stop?-
Is there a point in social services where we cannot cut any
more?-
-
>> Well, I absolutely think that we probably are at that
point.-
I'm not advocating for cutting services.-
I recognize that you know what are, there are people in need
in
the community and that government can't continue to cut and
cut
and cut.-
And it certainly is when we do cut it can't be across the
board.-
Last year what we saw was very much across the board cutting.-
That doesn't meet the need of the community.-
We should let the experts in the not for profit area tell us
if
we have to make cuts or streamline, you tell us the areas where
we have to go.-
Certainly day care is a clear example.-
We cannot cut day care subsidies any more than we have.-
We have to find a way working with the not for profit and day
care providers to maintain that level of service feels is it
realistic to think we will increase the subsidies in probably
not -
>> That puts a lot of pressure on you when you -- in terms
of
the property tax, let me ask this.-
You basically said you are going to follow suit on the property
tax levy.-
Not raise the amount collected.-
Let's say you bring in more business during your four years
in
office if you win.-
They invest.-
The property values increase.-
The county bottom line doesn't change.-
Right?-
-
>> Right.-
-
>> What do you do?-
You don't realize any of the growth.-
-
>> You can argue that if we had used the rate as the standard
that we would have more to work with and, yes, that's the
case.-
But a majority of people are -- a lot of people would have had
their taxes go up year and year so I go back to freezing the
amount we collect from the levy as the purest standard, the
quickest route to the end game, which is keeping property taxes
stable.-
Above and beyond that let's talk about Albany and what's going
on because when you talk about pressure on me, one of the
biggest pieces of the doubt budget is the Medicaid piece.-
I think we are finally seeing some demonstration from Albany
that they are paying attention, that they finally realized they
can no longer overburden counties with this extreme local share
that we have to pick up of Medicaid.-
We are one of three states that pay as share of Medicaid.-
5% is a huge burden.-
So now we see forward movement that people are willing to say
how can we help.-
-
>> But the state is the in the same boat as county.-
The remedy is the county picks up more of the cost or the --
actually, the county would forgo a penny of the sales tax.-
These are some of the things jack Doyle outlined -- and we
dedicate that to Medicaid.-
Either way the state is being asked to take on more of a cost
burden or you are being asked to take on more after cost
burden.-
Where does a government, state and or county, get its money?-
-
>> Well, what you are ultimately going to see is not one
fix
for the problem.-
You have seen, there's a long list of things on the table.-
I think what you will see is, really, a combination of those
things so that the burden is evenly shared so that there's a
compromise in burden.-
But above and beyond that, I think the state needs to recognize
how things like child health plus and family health plus impact
counties.-
Those are the sweetening of the pot if you will, the going one
step farther, which they are great because they benefit a lot
of people and I'm not saying they are not good programs.-
But I think if the state can, you know, actually have oversight
over how that money is spent and really take a clear look at
what is happening, you know, share the pain if they will of
what the counties have to do year in and year out with their
decision making and budgeting, if the county suddenly has to
be
the decision maker they will recognize or maybe think twice
about sweetening the pot one too many times so we can be all
things to all people versus providing need where if is critical
and not overburdening counties so they have no wiggle room in
the budget.-
>>
You don't feel locked in when you say not raising taxes?-
-
>> No.-
We can not go there.-
We will fail as a community.-
It is a combination, it is a team approach.-
The taxpayers of this community are supporting that message.-
I got the endorsement of the Rochester business alliance, the
greater romp association of realtors.-
Those are two business organizations in this community that
are
saying my approach, my mission, and my platform is the right
message for this community.-
-
>> Maggie, thank you for being here and you can participate
in
this discussion.-
We want to you pick up where we left off.-
There are three ways to comment on what you heard.-
You can visit our website at WXXI.org/NTK.-
You can email us at NEEDTOKNOW@WXXI.org.-
Or you can call us at the response line at 585-258-0250.-
Next week a special Voice of the Voter debate.-
Maggie brooks and bill Johnson on the issues.-
It will air Thursday night at 9:00 on WXXI.-
Please join us.-