"I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW" johnny nash
I'm amazed as to the number of positive remarks concerning the Painesville Oversight Committee this blog has received (and also to my personal email address). I must have let that one out too many times.
Schools seem to be in the forefront of most peoples' concerns. What kind of education and at what price will it (or should it) cost us. They are looking for people who "Know". Maybe some of us should tour a school during a regular school day to see how it operates?
Second, Utility bills and problems. Someone please explain how the "Power Factor" is formulated on your electric bill? Maybe a sit-down with a bill and someone from the administration on just how that figure is compiled?
People no longer believe they are living in a city with low utility rates.
Many of you have heard of AMP-OHIO and the Meigs County power plant, yet many have no idea how we got involved in it. None of us knows how much we are going to ultimately owe.
Every resident that left a comment about the rusty waterlines agreed on one thing. Fix it!
Illegal immigration... well, where do you want to start? I don't believe the city is presently acting as a sanctuary city, and the Rally group seems to have their finger on that issue.
Finally, two of you want the city manager to abate your property like she did downtown. One of you claims to know her. I don't think that will be enough, then again maybe it is?
It seems so many of you have lost faith in the city's leadership. The fact is so many do not trust what you are being told.
There is only one process in changing the present administration... and in November you can make a start.
posted by terminator1 @ 8:35 AM
51 Comments
51 Comments:
Glad to see the POC-PAC has gotten off the ground and is working towards making Painesville a better place. I regret to say (and you know this), I haven't been at the last couple/few meetings. Was out of town for one and the past three days I've spent under the hood of my piece of crap Dodge trying to fix it.
I hope all is well and I look forward to being at a meeting soon...
I, too, am thrilled about this PAC. I want to say, however, that leaving the issue of illegal immigration to small bands of people, instead of everyone fighting, is why we are losing America to the illegals.
I also want to put my two cents worth in about my electric bills. They are outrageous. When you have high consumption (I am heating with low-wattage electric heaters), the first part of your electric charges goes down with more usage, but the second part does not, and it is very high. I'm getting raked over on that, and the reason I decided to heat with electric is because they keep telling us how cheap our electric is. Really? Not at my house. The only thing I can say about it is that it is cheaper than gas. And that ain't sayin' much.
So now city employees receive a 2% raise? 350 employees times 2%= One new water line?
Hope they enjoy it Senate Bill 5 will make it along time until the next one.
Low wattage are they 240volt if not they are high wattage
9:35
Good point about raises. Public employees seem to want to be at the head of the line for raises while the rest of us suffer with pay cuts or lay offs.
Immigration.
I think Term may have burned a few bridges with the Rally Team. Doubt either one wants to work with the other now. Why attack illegal immigration AND the group that is againt it?
Shame, both seem to want the same thing but someone's personal opinions and negativity will end up keeping these groups from working together unless someone other than Term asks for the two to get together and try to work together.
Clevland will have a 82% cost increase to cover new water lines.. will Painesville follow?
Now before we get into a debate about state cuts to the city budget here are the four ways you solve it.
1. Raise taxes levies,costs to residents ect.
2. Layoff employees until you get to an amount you can budget.
3. Across the board cuts to everyone working for the city 5% 7% whatever it takes.
4. Freeze wages and make employees take unpaid days off every other Friday, Wednesday for others.
What do you want to bet that the only solution the administration will come up with be No.1?
Wouldn't be surprised in water rate increase. We have to protect the city workers raises more that the quality of water. Just how many city workers will take their money and run to their homes outside the city. Why not. Our tax money is just a bottomless pit. Let the other guy pay for it.
From the illegal immigrants to the administration's high pay and benefits, who cost the taxpayers of Painesville the most?
Time for the public or city employees to open their eyes to what the rest of us are going through. We can't just keep paying more and more in taxes while taking pay cuts or working less hours just to keep our jobs. I have never seen a public employee protest or picket to save my job. Don't they know they are really protesting against the rest of us who pay taxes. I have had to cut my expenses and so must the government. I make less now and the government is taking in less in taxes too.
It use to be that public employees got job security and nice benefits to retain employees from leaving for the private sector. Now it is the opposite. The gravy train starts at city hall.
I guess if a person ran for council he could be against the city employees. We know at least 80% live elsewhere? Guess they can't vote against you.
Sorry, but I don't feel sorry for them. Where were these people when they were screwing private employee unions? I remember now one educator told my son the labor leaders and unions were part of the mob. What goes around comes around.
People do not need to wait for Term to join the Rally Team to join themselves or to be proactive in the fight against the illegals in whatever way they choose. Every person counts and will add to the voices trying to save our country.
In the Painesville Pride, our city leaders are lamenting how we do not have enough money. Funny thing, no? They invite all the illegals here, and now that we have all the illegals here -- most of whom do not pay taxes of any kind and take and take and take, and gee, we don't have enough money. Wonder why. And have you looked around town and neighboring towns lately? I saw two new Hispanic businesses in my travels around town just today.
Mmmmmm.. just got my 2% raise. I think I'll eat a nice fat 20 oz. Steak for all the uneducated lazy whiney have nots who wanna cry because they chose the wrong career field.
Drivin Ms. Rita.... I can only hope you are a sad joke, or at the least a minority of government workers.
Somehow you have a self entitlement of your importance to this community.
Presently I think you overstated the reason you have your career.
In closing remember who you work for. Not a union, or an administration, but the people who pay taxes here. Presently I don't believe most here could do without you.
I see layoffs in the citys future. They have no chance of passing a tax increase for anything in this city. Plus there is no solidarity between the city or school workers. They will hang out a fellow member to save their own skin.I'm starting to like this new governor.
To Time to Diet: You left out the real long term fix for Painesville. Vote out our County Commissioners and get some in there that will force County Services to fairly and equally distribute low income and poor throughout Lake County.
Most of a City's money comes from income taxes we all pay. When the Median Lake County Income level is $53,849, Ohio level is $45,395 and then Painesville rolls in with $34,060 that is why we do not have enough money.
This is all supported not just by your commissioners who love to have it all in one city, less to worry about, but also by your current council and Admin who support having all the rentals in this city. Rentals in and of themselves are not bad, but we have a huge number of the take an old single family home and split it into four cheap one bedroom apts and rent to Section 8, extended housing or people on SSI.
The city continues to work to make rentals "easier to live with" but have not done one thing to eliminate them. Hada and the Admin group want to keep it this way because historically low income people will vote for those who make their life easier, ergo, freebies, punish the evil landlord, etc.
Yep, lets turn worker against workers and guess who wins! It ain't the workers! If the Painesville Oversight Committee’s mission is to question positions and issues; bring facts to light that will help all voters understand issues that will affect our quality of life in Painesville ...fine! But, if it's to denigrate city workers and their unions, count me out. And, BTW, I'm not a city worker!.
Monday,s April 4 2011 7;30 pm. Council Meeting. council members should have alot of question's on ORDINANCE #4 asking for 2% wage increase for the clerk of court. CITY PAY,S 60% OF SALARY, COUNTY PAY,S 40%. city pay,s 42,866.29 at present time. QUESTION DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD HAVE A INCREASE??. IBEW LOCAL 673 MEMBER.
TO POST 7;54 how about some solidarity between DINALLO, HACH, FOUNTAIN,HADA,toward WERNER,FLOCK,FODOR. we need more workshop sessions. WE MUST REMEMBER WHO WE SERVE. [more BONDING on council. city emp.
Hopefully the days of tax and spend are coming to an end. The school board and this city administration will now have to deal with the same cuts and responsibilities that the businesses and people of this town have hade to deal with over the last 4 years. I seriously doubt they will come to this conclusion on their own. We have 4 members on city council tied directly to the school system. Their answer to any financial shortfall has been to raise fees and taxes. It's time folks for some economic reality. Get some people that have run businesses that understand how to make cuts and get them on both city council and the school board.
The position of the POC is not to denigate any city ,county,. state even federal worker. That's not it's purpose. It's main purpose is to see that residents taxes, and fee are spent responsibly.
That Painesville gets as much "bang fot the buck' as it can.
Presently many here feel we're not even close to reaching that goa12:48 made their point I only can hope that's not the general feeling of public service employees.
As per 8:00: Fodor is part of the McMahon, Hada, etc. crowd. He'll say and vote whatever way he has to for them. That is where his concern is, not for the residents of Painesville.
This blog is a JOKE, you all are haters
Yes we are haters... of waste,lies, smoke being blown our way.politicans that don't do their jobs, schools that fail to educate.Yes 5:16 I guess we are haters. We hate failure.[and rusty pipes]
Another thing I hate is hearing the news that another downtown business will be closing soon.
Art Infusion on Main St. will be closed for good around the middle of April.
A business that added a little touch of class to downtown. Sorry to see them leave.
D.Nagy will now go out in search of a buritto stand to fill that vacancy.
Term 6:12: Before I got to the end of your post, I was thinking that soon a Mexican business will take over that space. Got to the end of your statement, and I realized that you were thinking that, too.
I think 5:16 is a Mexican. I think the Mexicans post a lot of baby-crap on here. So between the Hada, McMahon, etc. supporters and the Mexicans, they keep the ridiculousness running at a pretty rapid speed on this blog.
7:22 I don't think you nor I is a clarivoyant. It just we play the odds.. empty building Painesville = Mexican restaurant
Yes, probably another Mexican restaurant. I had a woman tell me that she wasn't the TYPE to go to a rally against the illegals -- it just wasn't her THING. She said she just went ahead and moved out of Painesville because she did not want to live in a Mexican city. (I don't have anything against Mexican cities, per se, I just want them to be in Mexico where they belong. This IS America, after all.) I explained to her that the problem was growing rapidly, and if she didn't stand and fight with us here in Painesville, then soon enough they would be in her new city. And if she didn't fight there, then there soon would be no place left to go, except maybe to Mexico where they have ghost towns because all the Mexicans are here. Now, in just this short time since that conversation, I see that they are spreading rapidly across our other nearby cities and across the entire nation as a whole. So, yes, probably a new Mexican restaurant soon.
as per post 12;31 you have a good point, Hada wanted Fodor to run for council to take votes away from Murphy, it worked. WE need change on council THIS YEAR. ALEX.
8:41 Just how many unoccupied storefronts does Mr. Smith and others presently have in downtown Painesville?
It is comforting to know he doesn't need Mr. Nagy though.
Art Infusion was a plus for Painesville, we will probably revitalize our downtown with businesses such as Art Infusion.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
------------------
This "Pledge of Allegiance" must confuse the crap out of foreigners. If, they must ask themselves, America is "indivisible," why are there 50 states governments, each with its own petty dictator, trailed by his or her own royal court? And why are there thousands upon thousands of dinky little county and Podunk-size cities, each run by its own gang of corrupt politicians. Surely, the foreigners must say, there's a whole lot of government going on. Wouldn't a central government that runs the whole shebang be more efficient and save America billions upon billions of dollars in the long run.
Of course, these foreigners don't understand our freedoms, or that state and city ruling authorities aren't considered part of "government."
You know, Painesville already had such a bad reputation before the city council invited all of the illegals here. Now that we have a city full of people who do not belong in the country and cannot be accounted for, I don't really see any way out of this. The illegal numbers are growing daily, and we had a blogger tell us that we are now getting all of California's illegals because they cut off their free benefits there. It is seeming pretty hopeless to me, so I am glad there are people like you, Term, and Murphy, Tony, etc. that still see a vision and are still fighting to make this a great city again.
Term, I was doing some number crunching on the City's budget (found on the City's website). I only did the Police and Fire Budgets because it is MIND NUMBING to get through the entire budget. A lot of people have been talking about the greedy public employees. Anyone have any idea what a single police or fire employee costs a taxpayer each year, month or day? I did. This includes their salary and benefit package:
Police: $7.30 per employee per year per resident
$0.015 per employee per day per resident
It costs each citizen in Painesville $205 per year to cover the costs of wages and benefits for the ENTIRE police department.
Fire: $3.65 per employee per year per resident
$0.01 per employee per day per resident
It costs each citizen in Painesville $149 per year to cover the costs of wages and benefits for the ENTIRE fire department.
$354 per resident per year to pay for the wages and benefits of our entire safety force employees. These numbers are from the 2011 budget using the population from the 2000 census. With 2011 census numbers these employees actually cost less. How much do people pay for their cell phones, etc. each year?
Silence Dogood. Could you along with these numbers show us the formula to arrive at these numbers?
Not all police and firemen are payed the same wage. I have tried to do this math and can't get it to work.
I can't figure your formula out.
2:34, remember that illegals are counted in the census and they would not be paying for the police and fire so you have to add their share to all us taxpayers. CPR
Let's also remember that there must be millions upon millions of illegals in this country that were NOT counted in the census, neither in Painesville nor the rest of the country, and we are paying for all of them, too.
Term,
Budget is confusing but if Im doing the numbers correct here it is:
Total budget for salary and benefits for fire division= 2,611,974. Divide that by 17,500 residents=149 per resident per year. 149/365 days=.40 per day per resident. .40 divided by 26 (number of full time firefighters)=.015 per day per resident per full time firefighter.
BTW this number uses the TOTAL salary and benefit numbers for the division but only divided the full time firefighters because I couldn't figure out how to take the chief, admin. staff, part-time,etc. out. Even if you do include everyone it still works out to .01 per resident per day per division employee. Hope my math is right. If not please let me know as I don't want to put out poor information.
4:39: good point but even if you only had 10,000 residents the cost per firefighter is just under 3 cents per day and about the same per cop using the numbers in the City's budget.
I would love to know what it cost's the city to support the illegal immigrants that don't pay their fair share of taxes to the city....or the schools. Why do they get to use the services that the taxes pay for when they don't pay their fair share. I would venture to say it is more than we pay for the police and fire departments combined. Maybe it is time to stop letting them hide in Painesville and make it illegal for them to be here.
I'm not saying that illegal immigration is not a problem. I will say that the Hispanic population is not even close to the top of the list when it comes to who is using our safety forces the most and im certain they are not using our social services the most either They are also not the reason that the water lines are eroding away or our streets are not getting paved. Stop electing the same people to council and just maybe things can improve. A fresh perspective sitting in City Hall wouldn't be a bad idea either. Take a look at the department heads in the city. The vast majority aren't qualified for the positions they hold and are terribly fiscally irresponsible. Who hires and retains them? We all know the answer to that.
For a population of about 17,500 Painesville has a city manager, assistant manager, 7 council people, and 11 other administrative managers (according to the Painesville City Web site directory.)That doesn't count 'working' people. That's just management - overhead. Sad to say the first cuts will most likely be to our safety forces. Cuts to people who actually DO something for us every day. We should NOT allow this to happen. Citizens should demand cuts at city hall first.
Kathy I agree to many chiefs and not enough indians.
I expect the administration to tell us if "you" people expect to get water with the proper amount of pressure and not have rust in it we will have to raise your water rates?
Maybe the answer is we have an administration that can't operate utility departments? Rusty waterlines, AMP-OHIO ect.
Lets see plans like hiring an assistant manager for $85,000 little more then three years ago and in three years is now making $93,000 doesn't sound like a place that should be having a deliberation over rusty pipes?
You voters get to decide every two years to change either 3 or 4 people that have decided to set Painesville course.
Oh my comment about the buritto stand? Ask Mr. Nagy or the fine entrepreneurs at Jalapeno Loco about there taco trailer and how they disposed of it? What they told this unsuspecting buyer. Guess you can't trust anyone?
Current population. 17,500??
Well, just how many pay taxes. How many city employees live in city and pay property taxes. So you are telling me that we meet each and every illegal at the city limits and collect the taxes. How do you collect from the children? They pay each and every day they go to school? Does the tax man show up at the hospital when a baby is born to collect it's fair share of taxes.
Sorry, Silence Dogood, your formula just doesn't make any sense. Add all those I mentioned above and the fact that almost half of the people in the country don't pay any income taxes, (probably higher in Painesville) the amount the rest of us pay is a whole lot more. Just compare the average income in Painesville to the rest of the county.
Time to come up with a new formula.
11:10 you bring up some excellent points. I'll do some digging and try to get some numbers to see how many actual taxpayers pay into the city's coffers. Please tell me though: How many illegals do you think are actually in the city? Just guessing but I bet it is a lot less then we all think.
Hard to say. You can drive around town and see houses full of many unrelated Hispanics who just come and go. As far as families go, how many single parent households do we have? How many Hispanics with tons of children?
Silence Dogwood is right about the number of illegals being less than most people think. It sounds like many on this blog think everyone with an Hispanic surname is illegal. That's like saying everyone with an Italian surname was born in Italy. I think you'd also be surprised by how many of those folks of Hispanic descent speak unaccented English. But then again, folks don't hear what they don't want to hear - what doesn't fit their preconceived notions.
I think you would be surprised to find that the illegal population is a lot more than you would imagine, not to mention their children -- lots of children -- who are now considered legal. We pay for the prenatal care of these mothers and then WIC and every other benefit to these kids. And, yes, they are using our services a lot. Just ask the safety forces how they are forced to transport them to the hospital at a cost of $700+ per run for very minor problems such as toothache, sprains, etc. Yes, they are costing us into bankruptcy. Ask California.
I think if we really knew how many illegals are in our city, we would be aghast. Watched an elementary school bus unload. Almost all Hispanic. And I would bet that 99% of them are on every social free program they can get on, and that is all of them. Really, I think we'd be shocked, and I think the numbers are rising pretty rapidly. And why not? We pay for their entire pregnancies, the entire health care of the child through to 18 years, and probably behond, we've made them citizens. All for free. So all the thieves that come to this country illegally to steal from all of us are rewarded greatly. We educate them. We feed them. We need to start calling for the impeachment of every official in the city, state and federal governments that does not do their legal duty and get these people out of our country. If it isn't done soon, it will be too late. Soon they will have the votes to take over.
The following news article was written Monday April4,2011 in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.[page A4]
Recent immigrants brings skills,youth......
The Hispanic community grew by 40 percent in the eight-county region last decade, to reach 112,307 people. That was largely because of Hispanic gains in the hard-hit cities of Lorain,Painesville and Cleveland.
Hispanics helped Painesville grow by 12 percent. They steamed into a shrinking Lorain to become 25 percent of the city.
No mention of the number of illegals to any community or to the cost of this imjmigration to these areas.
Illegal Mom & Dad & USA 7 kids
we pay for them all, watch them spend there food stamps.
SB 5 ?????
I have an interesting thought.
What if we replaced the city manager with a Kasich like manager who could also oversee the school board. One who would make tough decisions to get city and school budgets under control. One who wouldn't resort to levies or tax increases to support the top heavy administrations. Get the automatic raises and can't be fired for any reason come to an end.
I believe the people of Painesville would be against anyone who was a Republican. The people might accept a Democrat except those who work for the groups mentioned above.
Now, those in any union would be or be told to be against either one. Interesting point, someone's only true experience is as a union organizer.
Since we have more taxpayers than city and school employees, who the this affect the most. When was the last time you got an automatic raise? Do you have to work next to someone who does almost nothing while you work your butt off to keep your job? When layoffs come and the other worker is kept just because of seniority and you are sent packing. How many have had their hours cut and or pay cut? How many are lucky enough to have employer pay at least some toward health care, let alone complain if they required to pay no more than 85% of your health care. Forget retirement packages.
Yea, I wonder when the likes of Michael Moore or Jesse Jackson go to Wisconsin to rally for the public workers against "THE MAN". Let's see, Moore is worth more than 50 million dollars and Jackson is worth 10 million. So these two are complaining about "THE MAN".
When the likes of people like this complain about "THE MAN" they are talking about the average taxpayer, because we are "THE MAN" when it comes to public employees.
It's all about the money, period.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home