Editors note: In light of the new legislation being proposed by the Village of Cobleskill to increase inspection of rental apartments, we decided to shine a positive light on some of Cobleskill’s model landlords. With each new edition, Slums Along the Mohawk will showcase a Cobleskill Village landlord whose citizenship and vigilance is truly making a difference.
Mark Raymond is the owner of an apartment building on Campus Drive in the Village of Cobleskill. He’s one of the landlords who has questioned the need for increased registration and inspection in the Village of Cobleskill. Raymond has never believed in government regulation and has always felt that the free market was capable of solving problems on its own.
This Winter, Raymond decided to do something to address both the mounting challenge of global climate change and skyrocketing fuel costs. Raymond has voluntarily decided to cut back on the amount of heat his tenants use. As a landlord who pays for his tenant’s utilities including heating costs, Raymond is in a good position to reduce consumption of harmful fossil fuels on his properties. And the best part? This relies on entreprenuerialism, NOT government fiat.
Mark Raymond is the owner of an apartment building on Campus Drive in the Village of Cobleskill. He’s one of the landlords who has questioned the need for increased registration and inspection in the Village of Cobleskill. Raymond has never believed in government regulation and has always felt that the free market was capable of solving problems on its own.
This Winter, Raymond decided to do something to address both the mounting challenge of global climate change and skyrocketing fuel costs. Raymond has voluntarily decided to cut back on the amount of heat his tenants use. As a landlord who pays for his tenant’s utilities including heating costs, Raymond is in a good position to reduce consumption of harmful fossil fuels on his properties. And the best part? This relies on entreprenuerialism, NOT government fiat.
However, if Village officials get their way, daring entrepreneurs willing to think outside the box, such as Raymond would be prevented from trying such new ideas. Instead of being able to make decisions about how best to manage his properties, the new law would effectively place Cobleskill Codes Enforcement officials in charge of these decisions. Raymond asks slyly, “how can I help stop global warming by depriving my tenants of heat during the wintertime with Mike Piccolo breathing down my neck? It’s like their deliberately out to stifle innovation”.
Raymond say’s he’s been watching his tenant’s fuel consumption rise in recent months and decided that their wasteful ways were directly contributing to global warming and rising oil prices. Rather than merely complain, Raymond decided to do something about it. The best part: who’d have guessed that doing what’s right for the environment and the economy would be personally profitable? Mark Raymond, that’s who.
That’s why Raymond is our “Model Landlord” for this issue. Keep up the good work!
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