With the tough economic times and everyone's taxes going up, plus the talk last year of a Sales tax increase...how does the county legislature support 3 years of raises. This is beyond me and most of the taxpayers of the county. These raises were past 10-4, at least 4 had some common sense. Voting against it were legislators Kevin D. Acres (R-Madrid); Mark H. Akins (R-Lisbon); Vernon "Sam" Burns (D-Ogdensburg) and Sallie A. Brothers (D-Norfolk). Mr. Burns a union man from day one did not support these raises and Mrs. Brothers, Chair led by example by voting NO!
10 comments:
Raises were not the problem. Its the legislatures lack of doing anything to prevent spending. They threatened layoffs. This met cutting some services and they were reluctant to do this. There are jobs on the County payroll that can be cut but until the legislature steps up and faces these facts they cant try to balance the budget on the backs of employees.
The big ruccus over the car usage has come up with no action.If these employees are using cars they should at a minimum be putting the gas in them.
All non mandated job must be looked at with no exceptions.
Dept heads must be made accountable even the elected ones. In order to protect their turf they lie and exagerate their positions and reasons for maintaing them. Give them a budget and tell them to run on that budget and not one nickle more.
Dont be two faced to the employees as Forsythe was. I give credit to the four that voted against the raises. They were really in the minority but stated their positions and believe in them.. forsythe agreed with the unions told them so and then stuck a knife in their backs when eh left the negotiating table. Cant be this way
Pay Hikes is just one of the problems! THE LEGISLATORS THAT VOTED FOR IS THE OTHER PROBLEM.
Gov. Cuomo has laid his agenda out, which includes zero percent pay raises for all state employees.
The exception appears to be the deals made by the OPD, Ogd. Teachers Union, and St. County Employees which are liberal raises during a economic crisis. We may be pricing some employees out of existence come next year... layoffs maybe the only way to bridge the deficit.
Time for everyone to step up and give back but that is not the case in St. Lawrence County. Just have to raise property taxes, or increase sales tax or add another fee to solve the budget shortfalls.
Ritchie and Blankenbush are supporting cuts evenly across the state. Not just north of the thruway, as it was when Aulbertine represented our district. Maybe we should be thinking that way in St. Lawrence County.
Local government has many uncertainties with state reimbursements. With 10 billion dollar deficits local government and education may fall short on making ends meet.
In acting raises at this time are ludicrous and unreal based on uncertain economic times.
Ritchie and Blankenbush are hot air and are saying what popular for the crowd. Once they establish such a record we can believe it.
Legislators in SLC have the power to impose a contract. Why didnt they do this. Cutting raises isnt the answer. Cutting some services and jobs is a partial solution.
When I am told things like accounting depts in almost every department exist one can only think Why? Why not one accounting dept. Headed by the County Treasuer
Why are county vehicles going home ? Emergency as stated by Sheriff Wells and Hwy Superentendnt DAshnaw.. Bull.... Why isnt the gas being paid for. Other employees in the County dont have this benefit. .
An article in the paper stated the County Administrator was going to fix this somewhat. When?
Do we really need a four day week per say..Five seven hour days for employees always worked..
Endless sick time being used. Why no policy put in place?
There is cases when employees dont even come in, or come in late or leave early and never get charged any time.. Why no time cards to punch? Its impossible to track people without them.
Raises arnt the problem its the operations of each and every department and its the responsiblity of the legislators to demand better from their department heads and other elected officals..
Aubertine can be hammered all you want for the next two years, but I gaurentee you one thing. Ritchie will only be our Senator for one term and you all will soon find out that Aubertine may have danced to NYC Democrats but Ritchie is alrady sleeping with downstate GOP and there is no difference.
You are handicapped 543 and very ignorant. You anons f#*;ing kill me
I dont think I am the handicapped one Bruce.. What do you have in mind to help with this problem.. Man up Bruce and tell us the solution.. Let see let me guess
Duhhhhhhhhhh.... I dont know?
Bruce seems just like another an internet tough guy , all bluster , big hat , no cattle with no solutions . Don't get angRy with anons we've ATTENDED AND TESTIFIED in front of the city council and county leg MANY TIMES WITH significant issues that were either paid no attention to or were marginalized because of lack of courage to stand up to Albany
C'mon what solutions do you offer TO SOLVE the problems ?
Don't get piffed because we offer solutions you don't agree with.
It looks to me like you agree with what is going on and want to DEFEND the status quo.
C'mon Bruce show us your thinking on the ISSUES not the posters in this blog . Stick to the issues ,
So what d'ya got ?
legislators and department heads are very "cozy" st hilaire used our money to hire a lawyer to get herself and her buddies a raise legislators are not paying attention to their own LAWS maybe its time they start.
Bruce do you have any input for here other than slamming anom. Some of your local politicans post here anom and all of them read these blogs. Those like Michael Powers have written several commentarys mostly during trhe prison debate.
Anon is strickly about being afraid of retrubution which can be swift in the case of small towns..
Appearances at City Hall result in the mayor timing you for five minutes and then telling you that your five minutes are up.. None of them answer any questions you may pose. If your not friendly with the status quo they are allowed to take shots at you and your credibility for as long as they wish.
I dont know you Bruce but if you post negative like you have your doing so protecting the status quo and giving us possible solutions to our problems is fruitfull either.
Bruceis much like our politicans. Hot air and says what popular at the moment. No substance and no clear agenda. All of our local politicans seem to have this quality and it shows. Take a walk around the Burg and talk to people. Look at the slums, watch the slime walking the streets. Why?No cops, they are all retiring with this new retirement package the best in the state. The new people will have to work so much overtime they will burn out after five years and thats a stretch. Landlords dont care what their property looks like. High Rent and dont fix anything. Evict the tenants blame the condition of the house on them. Take them to court for damages and DOSS will help them pay for the damages which were the landlords responavility anyway..
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