To the Editor:

There they go again.

The latest mailer from the Elise Stefanik campaign alleges, again, that Tedra Cobb “voted over 20 times to increase taxes” “including higher property, sales, and mortgage taxes.” These charges have been refuted by me, the Watertown Daily Times, and the Glens Falls Post-Star, but this is the Stefanik campaign’s story and they’re sticking to it.

Let’s look at the record. Property taxes go up if assessed valuations go up. Further increases are due to an increase in the tax rate, the amount you pay per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. In the 2004 and 2005 budgets, under Republican control, the tax rate increased by 18.46%, from 8.1237 to 9.6237. During the next six years, four of which were under Democratic control, the tax rate decreased by 13.35%, from 9.6237 to 8.3390. It’s on the record. You can look it up.

Actual spending increased almost as much during those first two years as in the next six. Even so, the Republicans cut the budget in important areas. Tedra Cobb, in her first year as a county legislator, fought to restore the funding for home repair for the elderly, dental care for children, and public libraries. I support her priorities.

As for the sales tax and mortgage tax, the county asked the state for authority to enact increases in the future. The votes were always bipartisan, and sometimes unanimous. The actual tax increases were enacted after Tedra left the legislature.

Stefanik’s mailer makes three more allegations:

• “Tedra Cobb supports government run socialist health care which would cost taxpayers $32.6 trillion over ten years.” That is how much we spend on health care already. Google it. Tedra supports a single payer system. If “socialism” means less money for the insurance companies, I’m for it.

• “Tedra Cobb supports banning guns even though she has admitted ‘I cannot say that’ because ‘I won’t win.’” As we all know, Tedra was referring to assault weapons, not all guns. As a county legislator, she voted against requiring permits for purchase and possession of antique firearms, and she twice voted against making renewable every five years pistol permits that were previously issued for life.

• Tedra Cobb “participated in an illegal closed-door session in violation of New York State Open Meetings law while serving the St. Lawrence County Legislature.” The county legislature routinely went into executive session to discuss appointments, pending litigation, contract negotiations, personnel issues, and disciplinary actions, all of which are specifically allowed under the Open Meetings Law. Exactly which one of these executive sessions the Stefanik campaign refers to is a mystery to me.

I am quite weary of the scurrilous attacks. We deserve better than this.

Richard Hayes Phillips

Canton