The goal of ParentAdvocates.org
is to put tax dollar expenditures and other monies used or spent by our federal, state and/or city governments before your eyes and in your hands.
Through our website, you can learn your rights as a taxpayer and parent as well as to which programs, monies and more you may be entitled...and why you may not be able to exercise these rights.
Mission Statement
is to put tax dollar expenditures and other monies used or spent by our federal, state and/or city governments before your eyes and in your hands.
Through our website, you can learn your rights as a taxpayer and parent as well as to which programs, monies and more you may be entitled...and why you may not be able to exercise these rights.
Mission Statement
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The E-Accountability Foundation announces the
'A for Accountability' Award
to those who are willing to whistleblow unjust, misleading, or false actions and claims of the politico-educational complex in order to bring about educational reform in favor of children of all races, intellectual ability and economic status. They ask questions that need to be asked, such as "where is the money?" and "Why does it have to be this way?" and they never give up. These people have withstood adversity and have held those who seem not to believe in honesty, integrity and compassion accountable for their actions. The winners of our "A" work to expose wrong-doing not for themselves, but for others - total strangers - for the "Greater Good"of the community and, by their actions, exemplify courage and self-less passion. They are parent advocates. We salute you.
Winners of the "A":
Johnnie Mae Allen
David Possner
Dee Alpert
Aaron Carr
Harris Lirtzman
Hipolito Colon
Larry Fisher
The Giraffe Project and Giraffe Heroes' Program
Jimmy Kilpatrick and George Scott
Zach Kopplin
Matthew LaClair
Wangari Maathai
Erich Martel
Steve Orel, in memoriam, Interversity, and The World of Opportunity
Marla Ruzicka, in Memoriam
Nancy Swan
Bob Witanek
Peyton Wolcott
[ More Details » ]
'A for Accountability' Award
to those who are willing to whistleblow unjust, misleading, or false actions and claims of the politico-educational complex in order to bring about educational reform in favor of children of all races, intellectual ability and economic status. They ask questions that need to be asked, such as "where is the money?" and "Why does it have to be this way?" and they never give up. These people have withstood adversity and have held those who seem not to believe in honesty, integrity and compassion accountable for their actions. The winners of our "A" work to expose wrong-doing not for themselves, but for others - total strangers - for the "Greater Good"of the community and, by their actions, exemplify courage and self-less passion. They are parent advocates. We salute you.
Winners of the "A":
Johnnie Mae Allen
David Possner
Dee Alpert
Aaron Carr
Harris Lirtzman
Hipolito Colon
Larry Fisher
The Giraffe Project and Giraffe Heroes' Program
Jimmy Kilpatrick and George Scott
Zach Kopplin
Matthew LaClair
Wangari Maathai
Erich Martel
Steve Orel, in memoriam, Interversity, and The World of Opportunity
Marla Ruzicka, in Memoriam
Nancy Swan
Bob Witanek
Peyton Wolcott
[ More Details » ]
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Current Events
In Rockland County, New York, the 2006 Sewer Budget is Confidential
The Rockland County Executive's Office is refusing to release the proposed 2006 budget for the agency that manages sewers in most of Clarkstown and Ramapo saying that there are no facts in it. Time to move?
Rockland keeps sewer district budget plan under wraps
By REBECCA BAKER ERWIN, rerwin@thejournalnews.com THE JOURNAL NEWS, July 20, 2005 LINK The Rockland County Executive's Office is refusing to release the proposed 2006 budget for the agency that manages sewers in most of Clarkstown and Ramapo. C.J. Miller, spokeswoman for County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, denied a Freedom of Information Law request for Rockland County Sewer District No. 1's proposed budget yesterday. Miller said she was advised by Deputy County Attorney Jeffrey J. Fortunato to reject the FOIL request, which was filed by The Journal News on July 12. The newspaper has appealed the denial to Deputy County Executive Susan Sherwood, the county's FOIL appeals officer. Taxpayers who live in the sewer district pay about $100 a year to the quasi-governmental agency. The sewer district, which currently has an operating budget of about $18 million, is overseeing a $94.6 million sewer expansion project in western Ramapo, paid for with a loan funded by county taxpayers. The sewer district's board of commissioners passed the proposed budget Thursday night. Miller said the county Finance Department received the proposed budget on Friday, but that it is subject to review. "It's still a work in progress," she said. Dianne Phillips, the sewer district's executive director, said the County Attorney's Office advised her not to release the budget because it had not been sent to the county Legislature, which has final approval. Robert Freeman, executive director of the New York State Committee on Open Government, said proposed budgets are public record as soon as they exist. A message left with County Attorney Patricia Zugibe last week was returned by Miller, who said she would handle inquiries about the FOIL request for the Law Department. In her denial letter, Miller wrote that the budget met FOIL withholding standards of being "inter or intra agency material which is not statistical or factual tabulation, instructions to staff, final agency policy or determination or external audit." Freeman disagreed with that reasoning. "If it's not a budget with statistics or facts, then what is it?" he said. "It's just silly." Miller's letter also stated that releasing the sewer district's draft budget "would impair present or imminent contract awards or collective bargaining negotiations." Freeman said he didn't understand how the county could cite that exemption, because the sewer district's board approved the budget during a public meeting. The county provides legal counsel for Sewer District No. 1, which relies on the county for funding but does not answer to the county executive on day-to-day operations. |
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