"I AM A LINEMAN FOR THE......"
Just received a paper in my mailbox where the City of Painesville has proposed an negotiated 3% raise for the Painesville Electric Department union employees. Do they deserve it? I believe they do. The question is the people that pay the bills can they afford this in the economic timers we are in? People on fixed incomes, layoff, hours cut, pay decreases, who do you know getting a raise in 2009? Not only individuals but large and small companies, the hospital closing, what is the city leadership thinking?
This plus the longevity pay for all employees sec.12.08
a)All employees who have [10] years shall receive a [2 1/2%] percent increase on their rate.
to
d)All employees who have [25] years of service with the city shall receive a [10%] percent increase on their rate.
Someone on Council or with the administration please explain why other cities are cutting pay, and layoffs and Painesville seems to be going full speed ahead?
A final note to the city employees and council read that contract very carefully a lot of things including some of your rights are being stripped out of that contract. Good Luck.
posted by terminator1 @ 7:13 AM
44 Comments
44 Comments:
isn't 3% the normal cost of living increase? So can it even be considered a "raise"?
Just further proof this city operates for the employees and not the citizens. The CM will give all these raises and than tell you we need to pass a safety levy because we have run out of money. Maybe if they cut out utility bills 3% maybe we could afford a new levy. Hell will freeze over before I give them another dime. What arte city employees mini-AIG workers?
When I read every city in Lake County is cutting back and Painesville is not even blinking. I have to remember all the utility increases voted by council last year, Yes I can't wait for November remember all the council people that raised your rates will want your vote.
Nothing in town is normal! Laws, employees, ever wonder what some of these people do all day? Oh, theres a blog. out there that helped explain that.
Also wait until November when we have -20 wind chill and blinding snow at 3AM and your elect. is out, and the city Elect. crews are out front, on top of a pole doing there best to get you back on, so your sorry ass, does not freeze to you easy chair, 3% please every time they do this they should get a 3% raise.
Now it all makes sense to me. You are forced to work as a Painesville Power worker, or a Painesville Police, Fireman, Snowplow driver. Please give us the names of all these public servants that were forced into their jobs. Here's a surprise ALL of you are REPLACEABLE.Professionals? all of you are union lackies. Please get over yourselves.
N.L.P.
Does that include meter readers who can't read meters? and the lady that answers the phone when my power goes off for the third time this month.
We are trying to figure out how to pay our electric bill as my husband just took a 15% pay cut and I was told by the Governor I will be taking 10 unpaid furlough days, which works out to about $150 a month, about the cost of our electricity.
Maybe we should apply to work for the city.
Wake up Painesville officials and smell the rancid coffee at city hall.
Wow, watched the woman at Artful Hands pack her trailer up yesterday. Truly a sad sight and the liquidation sale is Tuesday.
Another vacant downtown building. Please drive around and count the empty buildings.
Will there be anyone left to turn the electricity on for?
I will never begrudge anyone a pay raise but folks these are trying times for the best of us! We can't pave the roads but we can give folks a little increase in wages?
We are all tightening our belts, do you know anyone who is not?
Getting interesting out here ..........
Mad Potter.....
and one other point.........
really tired of folks bashing the blog and blog master.
Where are we supposed to get any information on what is going on in town? The News Herald does not do a very good job on investigative reporting and the Painesville Pride is a glad rag.
I just disconnected AT&T fiber optics and tuned into channel 12 after a 6 month abscence .......... which was still in-audible. My husband and I laughed out loud and said; Well nothing has changed!
I am asking a serious question. I don't have the time to sit in on meeting after meeting. I go to the city's website and have a hard time finding the information I need. When my electric goes out I call the plant and never get a straight answer.
I visit here once a week time permitting and read the topic and comments and take most under consideration then try to figure out a thread of truth.
So blog bashers what do you suggest we do to get a forum on what is going on around town? Personally I like this one.
Mad Potter
The funny thing going on here is it seems most people are bashing the employees but not the employers offered them the money. How many of us honestly would turn down a raise? The problem isn't the employees but the employer. Think about it. Wonder if council has to approve these contracts?
Karen R?
"Where are we supposed to get any information on what is going on in town?"
The key word here is "information". More accurately this blog is rumors, falsehoods, misleading statements, and half-truths.
Again Help explain the rumors, falsehoods, half-truths, and misleading statements?
The question is that linemam working out on that pole what is his pay at 3:00a.m. in the morning for being out there? O.T. comp time hourly wage, fill us in?
so answer the question......
if you are so intent on bashing the blog suggest a place with investigative reporting based on government transparency at the local level we can go too.
Personally I love www.mapthemess.net as I follow the Cleveland mess.
Mad Potter
Do you classify this blog as investigative reporting? Because it seems pretty light on the "investigation" part.
Well its not the Painesville Pride but one thing you have to remember, you just can't make some of this stuff up. Investigation in Painesville?
I'm all for the utilities division getting a raise. Might be the wrong time to be giving out cash, but if anyone deserves it in the city I would put it squarely on their backs. They work well with antiquated poles, lines, etc. and get our power back on rather quickly, I think.
On the other hand, public works should have their pay CUT until they can figure out how to pave a damn road in this city. Had a front shock blow out on my car as a result of the potholes on Richmond Street last December. Of course the city claimed they had no prior knowledge of the pothole and claimed "sovereign immunity".
Right. As if the city didn't know the roads were bad. Anyone been down West Walnut Street lately? Apparently not the city manager, who lives right around the corner...
nobody said the pride was a beacon of truth, but are you only here to counteract the pride? because you would be admitting your only goal is to dump on painesville.
nonetheless, apparently someone made up a farfetched story about an alleged affair and the bs was furthered by this site. are you going to claim you investigated that before allowing the rumor to be spread on this site? you helped to hurt innocent people. you should be ashamed.
If you only had an idea how many posts I left out about that farfetched story you may be surprised. My comment was how that blogger got into the citys email site and what other information they had access to. My comment to the city and most other posters were for someone to get to the bottom of the story and clear peoples names. I didn't want to post the site here but after the site had 500 hits whats the point. Innocent people I would think would want their names cleared, not just hope it all go away. What other information did that blogger retrieve from the citys web site? Has the city decided to do anything about it?
Dump on Painesville? How about opening eyes in Painesville.
G.E.
investigate. ask someone. you might be pleased with the result. But instead I think you are afraid to discover the truth if it means there is no scandal there and everything was safe. Is that why you don't ask? Is it because you might be forced to admit the city officials are not a bunch of evil-doers?
Anonymous, are you saying the story about the affair is untrue? You are sure about this?
Term should be ashamed? Maybe someone at city hall shouild be ashamed and held accountable for letting this subject fester? No investigation no findings, no guilt. If he'd had the guts to post my comments this would have ended already.
Why does the city hire a $300.00per hr. law firm when the city has Mr. Gurley and Mr. Lyons? Are they not competent? In the city budget the city manager stated she was bring more legal issues in house? Maybe if she can't negotiate, the $300.00 should come out of her pocket.
Anonymous, are you saying the story about the affair is untrue? You are sure about this?
How should I know? I know you guys assume the worst. Most likely it is not true. But you guys defy the odds and assume it is. You are biased against the city and any city official. Any reader here can tell that.
"Why does the city hire a $300.00per hr. law firm when the city has Mr. Gurley and Mr. Lyons?"
Well nobody was talking about this, but again you only make accusations. You don't investigate and you assume the worst. If we want to avoid legal fees maybe we shouldn't be asking the city to explore legal issues that are beyond its jurisdiction or just an obvious waste like golf carts.
Wondering about Lawyers and Legal stuff? Go to the Lake County Clerk of Courts and do a search on our Council names. While your at it, do a search on council wanna be names also.
This site is filled with Painesville apologists. Second lowest ranking by Cleveland Magazine, at the bottom in school ranking, crime and drugs, illegal, gangs and some of you want everyone to ignore the problems like you do. Wake-up its bad and getting worse maybe you should run a study on it. This city needs new leadership NOW!
Hey, don't forget flooding basements, roads that look like they have been bombed out, homes that should have been torn down[Millstone] downtown ghost town but we have a light plant!
Did you hear that every student in the city is receiving free breakfast and lunch now whether they financially need it or not?
What was offensive about my free lunches email? I know it went through.
Verifing "Free Lunch" thats all
as any school parent. they all received letters notifying them and the "free lunch for all" started today, april 1st.
Yes the story was on the POLS site. Little nervous being how some people plant fake storys on April 1st.
The free meals are funded by a Federal program. I think it is great, we are finally educating our kids on proper eating and nutrition habits.
Think how much healthy our generations would be today if we were encouraged to eat properly all through school.
The way we eat is a habit, kudos for the schools trying to form the right habits!
Funded by a federal program. Who do you think pays for these federal programs?
Who wouldn't want a child to get a proper breakfast and lunch? My question than is what happens on Saturday and Sunday, and in June, July and August? It seems like it takes resposibility away from parents to make sure their child is receiving proper nutrition. What happens when the pilot program ends?
my problem is that children from families that can afford to buy their own are getting free meals. Why are we paying for those? This is money that could be going for people who need it, not those that are just using the system.
A $300hr attorney…an overpaid city law director…wasteful spending. Maybe you should inquire why the city hired another attorney as a prosecutor for the police department, but he is so backlogged with cases that the city has allowed a senior police administrator (who is not an attorney) to review cases and determine who gets charged or not, shouldn’t that be the law director’s job?? Did I mention city law director is also a police prosecutor for other cities, except for ours. I guess living down the street from the C.M. has its privileges and job security.
Your remarks are partially incorrect about the longevity pay. The majority of city employees receive a lump sum payment which is substantially lower than the percentage amounts. The percentage system was removed from the contract several years ago to:
1. Save the city LOTS of money;
2. Used as a bargaining chip on
the threat of layoffs if it wasn't approved.
Every contract year, the City comes up with some sort of bargaining tool to take away money and incentives on the threat of layoffs. And you wonder why you have such disgruntled employees..
Mr. Gurley is a part time employee, most cities put a bid out to hire a law director, does Painesville. Mr. Gurley is also law director for North Perry, and asst. for Mentor-on-the-Lake.plus he has his own practice. Tell the people of Painesville with all these other jobs why this part-time employee redeives full medical benefits?
Mr.Rellik
review cases and determine who gets charged or not, shouldn’t that be the law director’s job??
NO. Learn the legal system before you make such ignorant accusations.
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