Did you see today's PT story on the potential impact of the City Manager's Union agreement for pay and benefits?
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Remember in my email last week -- I mentioned that City employees were mistrusting of the whole deficit deal?
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Even today -- Janet Wright is saying that maybe the City's money problems are not as bad as they say they are.
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On top of that... Burroughs thinks the benefits package is too generous and not enough to help the ailing deficit.
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This is the same guy who said Joe Prevratil needed the money more than the City -- and before this so-called budget crisis was upon the City -- bragged that the City was in great shape.? In closed session with the council he admitted that the City was on the brink of insolvency -- but when he came before the public -- Jackie Kell had to drag his behind the scenes comments out of him.
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Still -- this same auditor has not produced an independent audit of the General Fund, Tidelands and Insurance Funds -- nor has he spoken with any significant influence or interest in how the residents' services will be impacted.? He got on the train for the 3-Year Plan -- with not so much as a slice of critical analysis.
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And I don't mean reports where they are just adding up the numbers. It is ridiculous that while we have a multi-million dollar City Auditor's office -- consultants have to be hired to get facts?
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I can see why the City Managers? unionized -- because they weren't getting any straighter answers either.
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That said -- no one down there gives a hoot about services. They haven't for about 20 years.? The focus was on tourism -- not neighborhoods, not streets, not sidewalks and sure wasn't about setting up a reserve for the boodle of money the city shoveled out of the Gas Utility -- while they were still running a deficit.
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City Council can't vote against ANY union pay or benefit increase because its political suicide. Or rather -- government has evolved into an industry where elected public servants represent high-paid staff/management public servants. Clearly when you look at the chart provided by Deukmajian -- you get it. An independent commission would get the council off the hook -- but there's the rub of how to control and the need to control -- non-elected but appointed officials.? You see, the political game never ends when it comes to WHO IS REALLY BEING REPRESENTED?
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For more emphasis on this issue of representation -- I thought the May issue of Harper's Magazine might solicit some interested parties.
?
The cover story is entitled: ''What Democracy?? The Case for Abolishing the United States Senate'' by Richard N. Rosenfeld. Its not online -- so you'll have to buy a hard copy. However, you will see in many ways -- how what is happening Federally -- in terms of who is really serving who -- to see how it trickles down (heavily) to the local level.? All the corporate scandal stuff shows us is that being greedy is easy until you get caught and have to restate your earnings. It is also a demonstation of a democracy where corporate ethics don't exist unless someone blows the whistle or millions of people get burned because of a few greedy people at the top. Americans are so used to it.. that it hardly responds with outrage.? The same goes for lying.? Americans are so used to it.. that they hear lies so often they actually start believing them.? ?
?
Locally -- you might wonder when the 3-Year Plan is really gonna get off the ground.. or if they are playing a game.
?
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Traci Wilson-Kleekamp
By Traci Wilson-Kleekamp
?
Remember in my email last week -- I mentioned that City employees were mistrusting of the whole deficit deal?
?
Even today -- Janet Wright is saying that maybe the City's money problems are not as bad as they say they are.
?
On top of that... Burroughs thinks the benefits package is too generous and not enough to help the ailing deficit.
?
This is the same guy who said Joe Prevratil needed the money more than the City -- and before this so-called budget crisis was upon the City -- bragged that the City was in great shape.? In closed session with the council he admitted that the City was on the brink of insolvency -- but when he came before the public -- Jackie Kell had to drag his behind the scenes comments out of him.
?
Still -- this same auditor has not produced an independent audit of the General Fund, Tidelands and Insurance Funds -- nor has he spoken with any significant influence or interest in how the residents' services will be impacted.? He got on the train for the 3-Year Plan -- with not so much as a slice of critical analysis.
?
And I don't mean reports where they are just adding up the numbers. It is ridiculous that while we have a multi-million dollar City Auditor's office -- consultants have to be hired to get facts?
?
I can see why the City Managers? unionized -- because they weren't getting any straighter answers either.
?
That said -- no one down there gives a hoot about services. They haven't for about 20 years.? The focus was on tourism -- not neighborhoods, not streets, not sidewalks and sure wasn't about setting up a reserve for the boodle of money the city shoveled out of the Gas Utility -- while they were still running a deficit.
?
City Council can't vote against ANY union pay or benefit increase because its political suicide. Or rather -- government has evolved into an industry where elected public servants represent high-paid staff/management public servants. Clearly when you look at the chart provided by Deukmajian -- you get it. An independent commission would get the council off the hook -- but there's the rub of how to control and the need to control -- non-elected but appointed officials.? You see, the political game never ends when it comes to WHO IS REALLY BEING REPRESENTED?
?
For more emphasis on this issue of representation -- I thought the May issue of Harper's Magazine might solicit some interested parties.
?
The cover story is entitled: ''What Democracy?? The Case for Abolishing the United States Senate'' by Richard N. Rosenfeld. Its not online -- so you'll have to buy a hard copy. However, you will see in many ways -- how what is happening Federally -- in terms of who is really serving who -- to see how it trickles down (heavily) to the local level.? All the corporate scandal stuff shows us is that being greedy is easy until you get caught and have to restate your earnings. It is also a demonstation of a democracy where corporate ethics don't exist unless someone blows the whistle or millions of people get burned because of a few greedy people at the top. Americans are so used to it.. that it hardly responds with outrage.? The same goes for lying.? Americans are so used to it.. that they hear lies so often they actually start believing them.? ?
?
Locally -- you might wonder when the 3-Year Plan is really gonna get off the ground.. or if they are playing a game.
?
?
Traci Wilson-Kleekamp
By Traci Wilson-Kleekamp
