| Author | Message | ||
     joel dranove Citizen Username: Jdranove Post Number: 454 Registered: 1-2006 |
An excellent summary. jd | ||
| MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 4036 Registered: 5-2001  |
FYI...The number of signatures, both online and hardcopy continues to grow: http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html If you are able to help gain additional signatures, please send an email to: notaxesfortau@gmail.com | ||
| Lucy Supporter Username: Lucy Post Number: 3672 Registered: 5-2005  |
bump | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 337 Registered: 5-2005 |
Bump | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 421 Registered: 5-2005 |
267 online signatures.... How many more do you have signed in person? | ||
| talk-it-up Citizen Username: Talkitup Post Number: 229 Registered: 3-2004 |
Why is it that the Trustees and the Baird Art Gallery think that all this is so worth dividing the town. Why was there no proposal for the Tau that might have considered all the residents? Why is it that the Gallery is dictating the location of art in the Village? Reasonable suggestions that might have brought a happy face to the residents: Is a Tony Smith Sculpture a good thing. Perhaps. If it is then who should pay for this gift? Perhaps the fundraising should have continued until all the dollars were raised. One committee member indicated that she had all the knowledge and connections to do this. If the dollars were raised for the sculpture then,....where should we place it? I would think one would look for a location that allows a sculpture of this scale to be viewed from a distance as well as close. Someplace that has enough space and landscaping around it. A place that might have architectural elements that do not conflict with it. A place where it can be viewed easily by police officers to reduce the amount of vandalism that will occur to it. I would select a site that required THE LEAST COST TO PREPARE THAT WAS CONTROLLED BY THE VILLAGE. What I would not do is let the person donating the sculpture DICTATE or the GALLERY DICTATE the location. The logical location IS on South Orange Avenue near 76 SO Ave. The amount of money saved - do not have to remove the gazebo and fountain which is costly because it will have to be carefully disassembled. Did anyone look at the roof on that thing ? Looks like a fake slate tile? Lots of $$$$$. After you disassemble then they want to reconstruct it at Valley Street. (It would be MUCH cheaper to purchase a small scale gazebo and install it, much cheaper). Now the village does not have to put out ANY money and the Gallery will have all the time it requires to raise the money. The Trustees will not have to push money around that should not be. So, doesn't this meet all the requirements; The work and dollars spent on the gazebo are saved and an appropriate structure remains in a very historic area - The dollars to disassemble the structure and demolish the fountain are saved- The residents do not have to spend tax dollars except for site prep at 76 SO when the funds are raised for the sculpture (if that is what the 250,000 is paying for?) (If it was good enough for the Statue of Liberty I think that is a good enough arrangement for us) The people that congregate around the gazebo are happy (lots of kids do that during the summer especially) The residents that have worked on obtaining the Tau will have a different central location to show it off- BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IS A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING THE TAU ARE BASICALLY CONTINUOUSLY INSULTING THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTH ORANGE WITH THE BACKING OF THE TRUSTEES. RATHER THAN COMPROMISE IT IS TURNED INTO A BATTLE DEFENDING ART. ONE GROUP AGAINST ANOTHER. HOW IS THIS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIVERSITY OF SOUTH ORANGE. HOW CAN WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ALL HAVE SPECIAL INTERESTS AND NEED TO RESPECT THESE INTERESTS WITHOUT RUNNING OUT OF CONTROL. The trustees should be busy finding a process to a reasonable solution, not allow the residents to be at the mercy of the gallery's wishes and desires. THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE GALLERY. IT IS PUBLIC, FOR THE TOWN, MADE UP OF ARTISTS FROM THE TOWN (or so it should be). THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL CRUSADE. PAID EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE FOLLOW DIRECTION FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE VILLAGE AND THE TRUSTEES, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. Trustees be brave, you can do it. Stand up for OUR rights.Tau needs to walk up the avenue and wait for the fundraisers to forfill their committment. THE SHOULD PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH HAS BEEN. (Personally I do not think that much has been raised. Looking at the pictures in the ad in the Newrecord of the grand event it appears that many people are represented in more that one, two or even three pictures). | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 423 Registered: 5-2005 |
Yes, 76 S.O Ave would be a much better location. It would allow those who want to view and comtemplate it, the chance to stand or sit without being "in the way" of others in the area. It will also fit the location much better. This truly needs to be considered. I understand that the Family "gifted" the rights to fabricate or something like that, but it should not have come with conditions. The town should be able to place it in the right place for the town. I feel this has been handled the wrong way. It is not too late to reverse this, but they need to stop all this "The majority of the town are supportive" stance. I watched a man at the meeting on Monday say that he wasn't even aware of the sculpture until a leaflet was left on his car! The town should not be paying for fabrication etc, this should be down to the TSP. If the town is to be on the hook at all for anything, it should only be for the prepping of the actual site to "receive" the gift, not including removal of any existing item/s should there end up being any, as after all, the town has paid to put those up and should not be required to pay to take them down! If the town has already paid out any money, the TSP should re-imburse the town what it can right now. They have said that they will put in 160K, that should be the first money spent. I know someone said that they had made 50K from the event, and I think I heard VP Calabrese say that they had raised 120K so far. I am hazy on this, but somewhere recently I saw a figure of $101,400 being bandied about but cannot remember if that is a purchase order the town has signed for Tau, or a check they have just sent out for Tau.If it is a check, then the TSP need to cut one back to the town for that money. Tau is being fabricated now, but it can be stored. The agreement seems to be that the town has until I think, Sept 2007 to get this sculpture, and I would like to know if I am wrong. There is enough time for the TSP to raise more money. If as they say, they have tremendous support for this, then let them do the fund raisers. I will write a check, but not while I am on the hook for tax dollars. I also cannot understand why there is a limit to the amount they will kick in, and why the limit is less than the minimum/maximum (depending on which trustee you speak to and information out there as to which one it is) that the town is going to end up paying. By the way, and this is an honest question, has anyone seen anyone looking at or discussing the Tau outside Hunter College? Whenever I go past people are heads down going their own way, or talking to people as they walk past, no-one seems to be paying any attention to it. Also, do we know what other people have paid for theirs, Hunter for instance? Until I found out two months ago about Tau, I always thought it was a modern metal generic artform just to fill a space, so I suppose now I can say I have been educated!! | ||
| MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 4123 Registered: 5-2001 |
talk-it-up: You stated "A place where it can be viewed easily by police officers to reduce the amount of vandalism that will occur to it. " Be careful.....the "anti-lower-tax people" (TSSP) are now going to falsely accuse YOU of "insisting" the sculpture will be vandalized.  SOP: From previous posts, the "anti-lower-tax people" (TSSP) had raised $40,000 back in 2002 and around $50,000 this year. (total of $90k) The $101,400 figure was the Purchase Order to fabricate & deliver the sculpture. Otherwise, I agree with both your posts & encourage you to send them in an email to the "anti-lower-tax people" at TonySmithProject@verizonmail.com | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 690 Registered: 5-2005  |
I've just looked at the petition and again a comment is made about spending money on art when the town badly needs repairs made. So many people have raised this point but we are getting no answers. The vast majority of comments have NOT been anti Tau, but they are voicing genuine concern about the fact that money is going towards a "Luxury item" to quote the last signatory, when we are least able to afford it. http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html | ||
| MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 4196 Registered: 5-2001 |
The list of signers, along with the incredibly articulate & intelligent comments continues to grow on the online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html | ||
| MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 4247 Registered: 5-2001 |
I heard a great slogan today that is very appropriate based on the majority of the comments on the petition: Tau? NOT NOW! or maybe it should be Tau? NOT NAU? | ||
| Doc Daneeka Citizen Username: Mattfoley Post Number: 692 Registered: 6-2004  |
TAU JONES avg. (-500,000)} | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 443 Registered: 2-2006 |
The online petition now has 280 signatures. That's not even counting the hard copy signatures. And they're still signing. Yet the BOT won't change their minds and wait until a better way to finance and a better, less expensive location can be found for Tau. Shame on them. | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 1532 Registered: 5-2005 |
280 signatures, and a good many of them making valid and extremely well thought out comments. | ||
| Nancy - LibraryLady Supporter Username: Librarylady Post Number: 3606 Registered: 5-2001  |
Not a Tony Smith mentioned or shown anywhere.... From last night's 60 Minutes http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/20/60minutes/rooney/main662013.shtml  | ||
| jayjay Citizen Username: Jayjayp Post Number: 698 Registered: 6-2005 |
Interesting item from Massachusetts: The Political Notes column in today's CCTimes reports that [Governor] Romney vetoed the $75,000 needed to complete the statue of martyed President John F. Kennedy planned for Main Street in Hyannis.... Among the governor’s other vetoes were ... $100,000 for a gazebo on Sunset Lake in Braintree. Apparently, other states have statue and gazebo issues too. | ||
| joel dranove Citizen Username: Jdranove Post Number: 626 Registered: 1-2006 |
But not at the same site and at the same time. That is a dimensional transparency issue. Or a space-time continuum conundrum. At taxpayer's expense. jd | ||
| jayjay Citizen Username: Jayjayp Post Number: 703 Registered: 6-2005 |
In light of the recent mailing by the Pro Taxes for Tau group, it seems only appropriate to bump this thread, should anyone have forgotten the site for on-line signatures for siding with No Taxes For Tau. http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 462 Registered: 2-2006 |
Here's the petition, in case anyone is looking for the online version. http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html (Hyperlink below.) | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 467 Registered: 2-2006 |
About 10 more people signed the petition in the last day or two. Keep it up. | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1966 Registered: 5-2005 |
I thought I looked yesterday and it was 283 - now it's 353.... | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1975 Registered: 5-2005 |
I thought MHD made a very valid point last night about funding. Well, he would have if he had been allowed to read his entire statement. Elaine Harris used her 3 minutes and read the rest of the statement for him. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5623 Registered: 1-2004  |
Two of my neighbors, who are art lovers, were not very happy when they heard about the Tau mess tonight! My talking to them was the first they heard about it. They plan to sign the petition as well as ask several of their friends to. I think one of the things we need to stress to those we ask to sign is the fact until recently those involved with the sculpture made sure only people who would back them up were made aware of what was going on. We also should also point out according to the Village President 100 percent of the town is behind our tax dollars paying for this thing. That despite all those who came out in the past six monhts begging for public discussion and asking for this project to be put on hold until a vote was taken; the BOT went ahead and approved the contract anyway. One of my friends who is for Tau even agreed to sign when I asked why, if the BOT and Sculpture people were so sure the town supported this, wouldn't they put it on the ballot for us to vote on? I then answered my own question for them. "Because they know most of the residents would vote against our taxes paying for it." | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1980 Registered: 5-2005 |
402 and climbing. | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 470 Registered: 2-2006 |
SOParents, I guess the petition must have at least 1100 plus signatories and climbing now, counting the online and hard copy versions. The BOT should reap a just reward for itself by stonewalling and ignoring everyone who signed the petition and by cutting off and rudely addressing the man who presented it at the last BOT meeting on Monday evening. Everyone should watch this incredible display of BOT arrogance by viewing the video from the July 10 BOT meeting available on the Village's website. After watching it, get your friends to sign the petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1985 Registered: 5-2005 |
410.... Maybe the BOT have done a great job in making people aware of the true issue and indeed the petition - after all, the signatures now online are climbing. Thanks BOT! | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1991 Registered: 5-2005 |
468 now... | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 1668 Registered: 3-2002 |
Power to all of those who are reaching out to inform their neighbors about this petition. I've personally been approached by two different friends about this issue in the last 24 hours. I think that Bill and company may have finally managed to mobilize the town more broadly... | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1996 Registered: 5-2005 |
Good, then they are working for the greater good of all residents!!!! MHD for Villager of the year! | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 476 Registered: 2-2006 |
You're right SOParents, except for a small correction: MHD for BOT The online petition is approaching 500 now, plus about a 1000 others. Think 2000 to 2500 are needed for a referendum. Here it is, for those looking: http://www.petitiononline.com/SOtaxes/petition.html After signing, you might check out the SOPAC change order thread. | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 1999 Registered: 5-2005 |
I agree SOrising, but let's up the stakes shall we? MHD for VP | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 2001 Registered: 5-2005 |
481... | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 477 Registered: 2-2006 |
Optimally, signatories should be of voting age and registered to vote. MHD for the Congressional Medal of Honor? | ||
| MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 4405 Registered: 5-2001 |
SOP/SOR, You are way too kind! <blush> | ||
| SOrising Citizen Username: Sorising Post Number: 479 Registered: 2-2006 |
Remember us the next time the BOT beats you up, MHD. Not to mention the 1500+ other residents who agree with you. | ||
| Soparents Supporter Username: Soparents Post Number: 2005 Registered: 5-2005 |
511... | ||
| Elizabeth Citizen Username: Momof4peepers Post Number: 121 Registered: 12-2005 |
So I walked around my neighborhood tonight and got 8 more signatures. What do I DO with the petition that people have signed? | ||
| Spitz Supporter Username: Doublea Post Number: 1836 Registered: 3-2003 |
537. In reading over the names, there are some quite notable long-time residents of South Orange who have done quite a bit for South Orange over the years. I'm sure at least some of the the BOT will recognize them. | ||
| vermontgolfer Supporter Username: Vermontgolfer Post Number: 479 Registered: 12-2002 |
Wow, I've just reviewed the online petition and found many names of folks I know, who I thought may have been supportive of the sculpture and have also spoken to some friends over the past several days, who again I suspected might be supporters, but are not. This is a very strong statement by the residents of this town and the BOT should pay very close attention to what the residents are saying! | ||
| Spitz Supporter Username: Doublea Post Number: 1837 Registered: 3-2003 |
vg - I was surprised as well. It is a very strong statement. |
