Who Should Pay for the Chamber’s HQ?

Just weeks after becoming the president and CEO of the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, Peter Bardunias might be on track to gain a new lakeside office, funded in part by taxpayers. While many local officials have praised the project, at least one Putnam politician has decried it as symptomatic of a culture of dependency.

Bardunias, who until the recent restructuring of the chamber served as its part-time executive director, said a $400,000 federal transportation grant funneled through the office of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer would go toward the construction of an “economic opportunity center” in the heart of Mahopac.

The proposed center will house new offices for the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce and for local nonprofits. The project will also include expanded parking facilities and is projected to relieve traffic congestion, Bardunias claimed.

Putnam County Legislator Mary Ellen Odell, a candidate for county executive, said earmarks such as the federal grant slated for an “economic opportunity center” on Lake Mahopac are “political ploys by political hacks.”

“Schumer and all these guys are pretending to give us money that we really don’t have,” Odell said. “The bottom line to all of this is there is no money. All these politicians are doing is buying their next election, by making people think that they care.”

“I support any of [the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber’s] efforts 100 percent,” Odell said. “They are spot on when it comes to promoting business in the county, but the reality is that the state and nation are broke. If they believe that that money is anything more than Monopoly money, they’re wrong.”

Bardunias defended the proposed project.

“The chamber of commerce has been spending a lot of time and effort to take care of a lot of functions in this county that the government has quite frankly abdicated,” Bardunias said. “This was an opportunity to bring taxpayer dollars back to our community. It seems to me to be common sense and good stewardship … so I don’t understand why it’s necessary to criticize us. I think our local government should spend its time getting its own affairs in order.”

As reported in the Courier last week, Carmel Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt said an additional $650,000 for other Carmel projects approved by the state with the assistance of State Sen. Vincent Leibell, Odell’s opponent for county executive, will allow the town no longer to exist as a “donor community.” So-called donor towns collect more in taxes from local constituents than they receive from state and federal government coffers.

But Odell criticized the earmark culture both in Washington and Albany. “If there are 60 counties in this state, and if everyone had the idea that we need to grab all this money, how much money is that? That’s the mentality that has gotten us into this trouble.”

“Yes it’s great that our VFWs get $5,000 every year,” Odell said, referring to popular recipients of member items, or earmarks. “But let’s not forget about these foundations and trusts that get hundreds of thousands of dollars” from state taxpayers.

“Until we correct that mindset we’re never going to get out of this mess. ... Who’s paying for it? We are. They use it to confuse us to make us think they are doing something when all they are doing is adding to the debt.”

But Bardunias said in his role as president and CEO of the chamber he does much to facilitate networking and job creation. He said the chamber will have to raise additional funds, including from private sources, to fund the entire project.

When asked whether the chamber had evidence of how the economic opportunity center would create 60 jobs,as has been claimed, Bardunias said, “I have an issue with the whole premise. The chamber of commerce believes very strongly that the chamber will help create new jobs. I believe that as the chamber grows we will create jobs. Simple math says if even half of our members create one job each that’s 250,” much more than the projection of 60.

Will having a new headquarters for the chamber lead to the creation of news jobs? “That’s part of it,” Bardunias said.

Nan Hayworth, one of the Republican candidates seeking to oust Democratic Rep. John Hall, expressed concern about the earmark culture. “Simply put, the federal government takes far too much money from our taxpayers, including our businesses here in District 19 and their clients and customers,” she said. “I am running to grow our economy and increase jobs by reducing taxes and reducing federal spending. In the meantime, I am in no way seeking to change the support that the Chamber has already arranged via New York’s lawmakers.”

The seeking of handouts from Washington “illustrates the inversion” of values, which promotes the notion that “it’s actually best if the federal government allocates funds.” But, Hayworth added, “the essence of being American is to be free,” rather than seeking assistance from government. She said she was opposed to earmarks.

The Courier contacted Sen. Schumer’s office to determine how this project would create 60 jobs and how could a facility housing only nonprofits be called an “economic opportunity center.” The senator’s office has not responded as of press time.

Now that the bill containing the grant for the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber’s economy opportunity center has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee it will be forwarded to the full Appropriations Committee before reaching the Senate. From there the Mahopac legislation will be discussed in a conference committee with the House of Representatives before it reaches President Obama’s desk for his signature as part of the 2011-2012 budget.