"BEAUTIFUL MESS" diamond reo
Money can hide a host of problems, and the lack of it exposes problems to it's maximum.
The New Revenue that the city administration brought forth Monday, well they all stink!
How about looking exactly what the city gets for all these administrator? In my eye's I see cuts that could add up too 2 or 3 million dollars? That is if anyone downtown has the guts to make them happen.
Over $210,000 for a City Manager and her assistant? Remember 17,000 people. Well payed department heads that keep telling us how much money they save yet utilities keep going up along with services getting worse.
I will leave this forum open for your "ideas".
Why does the city insist to run the cemeteries? Let's see if a private landscaper can compete with a better and cheaper price.
How much do we spend on those utilities collectors in city hall? Ever heard of outsourcing.
Police officers would get paid on commission on arrests, along with fire fighters only getting paid if theres a fire and they save the structure.
Unincorporate the city and make it a Township. Maybe Mentor will annex us.
De-certify the unions and all city employees start a minimum wage
Crazy ideas? NO crazier than I heard Monday night.
Friday in Painesville is a no work day, ask a city employee?
How many people does it take to fill a chuck hole? Do they realize people are watching them? Maybe the city should invest in shovels that stand up all by themselves?
Change the charter to 11 councilpeople all serving for $25.00 a meeting with an eight year term limit.
Are the resident's getting their moneys worth today?
Lets just throw more money down this pit.
Remember the whole purpose of Painesville is to provide 350 excellent jobs with great wages.
Don't like the post? Quit, there's many standing in line to do your job.[At a reasonable wage].
Remember Hogs get fat and Pigs get slaughtered.
posted by terminator1 @ 3:34 PM
31 Comments
31 Comments:
OUCH!
If you're not outraged you're not paying attention!
Glad somebody is outraged!
For those that show up at mindless, time sucking meetings I applaud you as I don't have the stomach for it. Just got stuff to do like take the garbage out.
(which seems to be an impossible task for this city!)
Spending hour upon hour talking about flower boxes and how to paint streets is nuts...... hours, make that months, turning into years and I still don't see no stink'n flower boxes.
If this city were a private business they would have been bankrupt long ago!
Can't help but think all those meetings about Streetscapes and Transportation are just a diversion to keep the multitudes focused on something else while AMP Ohio pilfers the city coffers and Joe Hada and Rita McMahon hold the door open.
Term, you must have hit a chuck hole while the city workers were waving at you....... welcome to P'vlle.
It amazes me that after I read the article in the News Herald your ideas weren't as far fetched.
Your right about one thing, pity the fool that takes on city hall.
Remember your four rules. Wolverine wasn't around when JT. was one of the dirty dozen.
CITY CHARTER STATES we are suppose to have 5 MEMBERS for city council until the population reaches 25,000 people. WHY 7 members with only 17,000 population in the city. JUST WONDERING.
You have gone stark-raving mad. Must be the Swine Flu.
What's next? Mad Cow?
Glad I'm a vegetarian.
5:22 Your probably right but what would happen if no one paid attention?
Your right about the downtown plan and streetscape it was a deverison because the hospital left. AMP- was on the horizon.
I've taken a new view on these meeting... The best comedy for free you can get.
$200,000 condo's on the hospital property site, painting streets, flower boxes, sometimes I catch myself choking on my laughter.
Sometimes a person like Adam posts something here, or in the News-Herald and its something that might just work, but then why does anyone around here want to make it work. What scares me is how many people in town believe this is Utopia.
Your ideas are just nuts.
You can't decertify the unions, get rid of everyone and start at minimum wage. How would you like it if your company did that? You wouldn't take it and you'd pitch a fit.
When was the last time the manager or dept heads have had a raise?
You don't think police and fire do their jobs? How so? The last fire in this city, they saved the building didn't they? What next, only paying EMS if no one dies?
You were one of the first to complain about the cemeteries and what do you expect when employees retire then no new hires to replace them? You cant have your cake and eat it too.
Again, I have always claimed to be a conservative. Not, a fanatic or straight ticket voter, but favor smaller government, less taxes and immigration laws enforced among others.
As said here, 350 employees for the city. I believe the amounts payed in income and benefits for the administration is out of line for the size of our city. There only seems to be talk of increase income from other sources (US) and very little of pay concessions for these people. Same as in the state and federal governments. This is what I mean about a smaller government.
Many here including me want immigration laws enforced. Now, the lame duck congress is trying to slip the Dream Act through.
The Republicans promised to extend the Bush tax cuts. The last election showed many in the country agreed. Now we can expect more partisanship until the newly elected take office. Again, time to focus on the problems and not on what party you belong to.
I will agree that something needs to be done about under performing and over paid for the economy employees in Painesville. How many here wish they had similar jobs and benefits?
Since Painesville is more than 70% Democrat, I am used to the abuse I get. Still, no one really knows how I vote, do they.
Interesting view on tax cuts from a former president.
Go here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEdXrfIMdiU
You might just get a big surprise.
7:10 You claim my ideas are nuts, I agree, but tell me the solutions the city has come up with are great ideas? Never complained about fire or police.
The contracts with any union expire on the date when the contract ends.
Sorry lets not forget "steps" along with how well payed they are already.
Painesville residents are being overcharged already.
Out of the 350 employees, I don't think the guys/gals in the trenches are going to save you any money, not even cutting the union salaries. Either way, these are the folks who are hanging power lines in snowstorms, breaking up the fights in the streets, paving the roads when management says it's okay to. One of those people is the guy who takes care of the power plant when the blowoff valve starts going BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM and we hear it all over the city.
Wanna get some more money from safety forces without reducing salary?
1. PD could start charging for false alarm calls. Give each business/residence one freebie a month. After that, a charge of $50 per false alarm could be assessed against the property owner.
2. FD could charge more for those who repeatedly use the city ambulances as a private taxi service. Maybe they could increase their fee on a graduated rate. First time, keep things cheap. Second time, charge a little more. Third time, double the fee.
Listen to the free online scanner and hear the amount of calls that the police/fire services respond to. I would venture to say that 95% of alarm calls are false alarms and therefore a waste of time. And there are "frequent fliers" all around this city who call the city ambulance for minor things like the common cold.
I wish I could say I'm kidding about this, but I'm not.
Like many local governments, Painesville is top-heavy with administration. Case in point, look at the assistant city manager. What's his purpose? PCLS administration could easily lose two or three jobs in the administrative sector.
That's where the real fat is, folks. Wanna get a fast $100,000? You can trim salaries for all the lower city employees; people who don't even make that much money -OR- you can eliminate ONE management position. Which one is more logical to you?
Term you have tenacity, a noble trait to be sure. A tree growing out of rock should be your logo :-)
I was at a council meeting and watched a guy named Jeff Kosky stand up and question the budget and then stand up again and pitch some pretty good ideas on other things they could do with the budget and even so bold as too suggest a little city planning. Do you see him anymore? The city did everything to run him out of town. What a shame as he had some great ideas, nobody wanted to hear about it.
I watched the inspectors go after you too and a few others in town.
one by one the council chambers grew quiet; just what they wanted.
Badger, your jaw would hit the floor if you attended some of the minority meetings the city is sponsoring, oh but then you're not a minority, sorry. Watch your tax dollars Badger.
You are complaining about police & fire by saying "Police officers would get paid on commission on arrests, along with fire fighters only getting paid if theres a fire and they save the structure".
With your way of thinking they should just sit around for free and only get paid for certain things they do. That would be illegal and you would not do the same.
I agree with the other poster - you are envious of those that have the qualifications to do their jobs, do it well, have been doing it for many years and are rewarded through a paycheck for doing so.
Go out and make yourselves better if you are so unhappy.
does anyone have a answer to 5;41 concern about the city charter. GOOD QUESTION.
Hey Sunshine...can't you detect sarcasm when you see/hear it? Or irony for that matter? I think you are one of those people that stops a good dialog dead in its tracks by focusing on a trivial or joking comment because you just cannot see the forest for the trees. Why don't you get some thicker skin and a sense of humor before you post again.
To 5:13:. Can you please give us more information about "the minority meetings the city is sponsoring"?
Bad
ger, The 1964 Kennedy reduction of the top marginal income tax rate from 91% to 70% (it was enacted after JFK's assassination,
People assume I am rich because I am a conservative American. I am far from it. People assume I am a racist because I want our laws enforced or disagree with most liberals in Painesville. I am not a racist. I am probably treated worse than most ILLEGAL immigrants because I don't blame my problems or demand special treatment just because I don't happen to be one of the minorities you speak of. I am also blamed for many things just because I am a conservative. Politics go from extreme right to the extreme left. I consider myself just to the right of center.
Don't think I don't know what is going on in Painesville. I am fully aware of who gets special programs and treatment. I've seen Hispanics demand and get more toys or food just because they say they are more needy. Why? Do they eat twice as much or need twice as many toys? Maybe, just maybe, there are more people living under the radar in that household. While we are at it, most people can only collect from one or possible two sources. Since they can hide under the radar, just how many sources can the Hispanic collect from?
I have always tried to help those in need but when that crosses the line and starts to become supporting someone else because they feel they are entitled to it because America is the land of the free. Charity is something I give from the heart. However, entitlements are something I chose not to contribute to. We have enough needy people in this country to let more and more just keep crossing the border ILLEGALLY.
Badger 1:55 is right and today is the top rate anywhere near 70%? What was the national debt in 1964?
I am getting tired of listening to rich people whine. I must be jealious of them also. Again I'm starting to understand how easy it is for the administration to pull the wool over some people's eyes in this town. If they don't get the my sarcasm on this post your not to hard to fool. Jealious? Wonder why I didn't hear from a city employee that posted his/her name and told me they were worth every penny they made working for Painesville. I'm positive there are some very good employees out their. Attack the city and they will attack YOU instead of proving their worth.
Maybe we should get a budget and break it down into wages and benefits? 4:28 Is on the right track. Simply put we have to many chiefs and not enough indians working in town. I will follow up on the breakdown as soon as I get the numbers.I apoligize to anyone I made "uncomfortable" I was just trying to make a point.
Sunshine get a life. Go out and do something quit sitting in front of the fire.
Minority Meeting? I thought we practiced diversity in town? I will try to find out what, and who makes up these meeting and there purpose.
As far as 7 council members instead of 5 I guess they can have as many as they want. Look at a map of the wards we have doubled the size of the city,granted alot of it is marsh land I mean highly valued future development sites.
Jealious? Envious?Resentful? try Fedup!
where do I get a copy of the city charter?
to 5;41 and 7;00 dec 2 the city charter was changed nov 8 1983 for council to have 7-members. article 11 legislative authority heading. joe hada was elected in 1981 probably setting up his power base. HOWEVER ALSO IN ARTICLE 11 section 5 election it does mention 5 members if the population was under 25,000 in detail very interesting.
The Charter is available online at Painesville’s website.
Go to www.painesville.com
On the left side – click CITY CODE
Then click FRAMES
Click on the PLUS SIGN in front of Codified Ordinances of the City of Painesville
Half way down in this list is CHARTER of the City of Painesville
5:07 City Hall. Pick-up your copy there. THANK-YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE CITY. Former candidate for city council J.R. Murphy
Hey Term, would you be willing to pay city income tax on your Teamster pension? Willyou walk the walk or just talk the talk, talk, talk and talk????
SBK, I would be glad to! I believe that would be be more fair then to charge some resident a quarter or a half percent more on top of the 2% he's paying somewhere else. The council will figure out to tell seniors this won't affect you, along with people like myself that live and work in Painesville. Let's go after that person who lives in Painesville but works in Mentor or Bedford. Divide and conquer, people.
You have to wonder what those city managers discuss when they meet four times a year? Hey, let's charge homeowners insurance policies $500.00 a fire? They do it in Painesville and soon it becomes the norm. I believe that's how E.M.S. charges came about?
Hey, just want to give a shout-out to John Murphy (Dec. 3, 1:04 p.m.). Hi John, got one more run for city council left in ya?
Alice, I have a very tough skin and a terrific sense of humor. That's why I'm Sunshine!
You don't know beans about me. And for Term: What's that supposed to mean? I am a very happy person and I have a very busy life that is both satisfying and rewarding.
You and Alice sound a lot alike.
hey sunshine & alice do you live in painesville city? the reason i asked i wonder if you think if it is smart with a budget of 12 million dollars to spend over 10 million for police & fire & health insurance for the other city employees FROM OUR GENERAL FUND ??? let us know what you think.
To 3:55 No, I do not think it is a good idea to lump in the health insurance into the general fund. I don't know if this is standard procedure with a public budget but it seems to me that since each of the utilities has its own budget then the health care should be worked into that, just like in the private sector. If the utilities can't pay ALL of their own bills then those (for lack of a better word) sub-budgets should be examined much more closely. I realize that tax dollars are required to pay for services that an individual would not have available or be able to afford on their own but taxpayers are not cash cows either. Those budgets should be able to stand alone with ALL the expenses incurred, including health insurance. And yes, I do live in Painesville City and have for quite some time. I was raised in Eastlake back when it was just converting over from a summer cottage community with new housing developments like Surfside. That dates me I'm sure, but the point is I'm a long-term resident of Lake County.
To Sunshine (7:54 pm);
You are absolutely right, I know nothing about you other than what you choose to make available here on this blog. If my first impression is wrong then I apologise, but I have nothing else to go on. And you may also be right about Term and I sounding alike on occasion but I assure you that I do not always agree with him and my spelling and grammar are much better.
Anonymous 3:55 PM- I am a city resident but sorry I can't comment as I do not know if the facts stated are factual and at this time of year I have no time or desire to research them.
Maybe next year.
Maybe next year,will probably be too late.
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