I was unable to attend or watch the Council Meeting and one who did reports this morning that it appears the mil rate will jump 6 to 13 cents to continue the party downtown. This can't be possible except in Suffolk. The average citizen is hurting and it will get worse. Commuting costs are up drastically and will get higher. Everything in the stores costs more. Across the country people are finding ways to do with less. The intelligent side of Congress intends to cut taxes. There is no way to justify increases in the mil rate unless the Council is out of its collective mind. Most Retirees are being clobbered now.
The above is the attitude to take to city hall next Wednesday when you offer suggestions to cut costs or eliminate jobs. Ask what city services will be cut if city doesn't get more money, or what plans for costs can be curtailed, like the restored courthouse for the unneeded Tourist Bureau should have been. And the Phoenix bank. Make them take a hard look at waste if you can find some. It's your wallet or purse.
20 comments:
SNH November 3, 2010 Mayor Linda Johnson said, "I'm very pleased, I look forward to working with Mr. Duman and I think we're going to be moving the city forward". Okay I'll bite, does moving the city forward mean leaving the rest of us behind? IS's Man on Market Street has been disturbingly quiet lately. What gives? Is it next year's re-election campaigns, the school board taking another million and a half, real estate tanking, or is it the Beast of Big Government demanding another pound of our flesh.
Why would anyone expect anything different from the Mayor's crowd on Market Street. She feels little pain at spending your money so you can only expect more of the same that has happened since she has been on council. They say they are only raising the tax by the amount to keep what you paid last year even, but if that was true they would only raise it by 3 cents. So it is about spending not keeping even, and who is keeping even in these times? If Mrs. Martian had won rather than the car dealer we all would have a real champion on council to fight this insanity!
This charade is to prepare the masses for a show better than any found at the SCCA. They purposefully leak out one set of mil-rate numbers that are intentionally high. They feign interest from the public comment, bicker a little to demonstrate they have our interest in mind, then surprisingly they settle on a lower increase or no increase at all. The voters give their councilman a pat on the back, a check in the mail and their vote.
I remember watching the mayor have the previous city manager read a letter from the same "consultant" several years ago about the perils of any decrease to the mil-rate. That was good enough excuse for them to stick it to us and they are about to do it again. Don't bother to talk to Gardy he already made up his mind at the work session. Suffolkians you are being played for a fool.
Insasnity is doing the same thing over and over again, like elect the same tired old politicians term after term to take advantage of us, and expecting them to do something different. They will not, so they will raise taxes.
Or as a famous person said in the movies: "Stupid is as Studid does." The real question is: just how stupid are we all and for how long will we accept stupid politicians leading us? We will elect a mayor and half of council soon, so watch what they do against our interests and for us and vote accordingly. Any politian that will vote to raise taxes in these hard times, does not deserve th lead and should be sacked at the polls. We will soon see who is who and I bet it will not be a surprise to many.
I do not want the budget girl to pull a rabbit out of the hat. I want the mayor to pull a pink slip out of her hat and give it to the City Manager!
This terrible manager has not one leadership bone in her entire body, no matter what awards she may be given. If they are going to raise taxes, I say let the layoffs come first, let the cuts come for pay, let the cars get parked including the big car allowances, let the retirement plans get cut, and close down little needed building devoid of staff.
Just smoke and mirrors. Services and positions will be cut and no rate increase will be had. In the end it will just be a case of "we are your saviours". Sound familiar???
Thank heaven we have the car man to do what we ask him to do. The high brow Martian would not listen to us and given them only problems like fighting the budget and cutting city services and payroll and other expenses. The car man doesn't do that. No he compromises and that is exactly what we deserve. This afternoon I think I'll go down to his office and tell him to compromise some more. Compromise, compromise, compromise, when others won't the Du-man can.
Sitting on the fence for a time isnt a comprise. Duman is more inclined to say PRESENT
The insurance commercial jingle best applies to this council; We are Sufolk, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.
If we are insane to keep doing the same thing over and again and expecting a different outcome, why in this pathetic excuse for a city do we not learn.
Supposedly we live in one of the country's top 100 small cities. Do we deserve to have our taxes raised, our city employees fat and lazy and our public schools inadequate? How about a different approach like cutting taxes, reduce the size of government, force the public schools to improve and promote economic growth.
I'm sure we recall the televised mayoral debate with Ms. Johnson, Debranski, Nixon, Leonard and Damiani. Someone asked her about ecconomic growth to stem the rise in property taxes. She smiled motherly and replied that it is coming soon and not to worry. The follow up question should have when in our lifetime or our gradnchildren? We are worrying and maybe we should do something about it before it's too late.
Nice idea to have Suffolk change, but it just is not on the lexicon of the present Suffolk Leadership. Just look at how poor of a city manager they chose. I am certian that if the city manager were to run by vote for her job, she would be dead last behind almost anyone, even Charles Brown or even that idiot Treasurer we have that can't even keep track of the money he takes in or budgets for.
As we watch the world implode and riots in the streets elsewhere, here in Suffolk the poor pols just sumber behind failed policies and high taxes. Begging is not going to change that it will only be done by revolt at the polls and actively holding the dumb ones on council accoutable. But that is not going to happen in what little of my life is left. At almost 70 now, I will suffer and grumble, but I will vote for anyone but the incumbents that have ruined or fine City, just to line their own pockets or fluff their egos at our expense. Just by example, please, please have someone explain why we needed to spend $1,000,000 for Ms. White to have her new offices in the Old Courthouse? Doesn't that look pretty stupid now that we need more money for the budget and they want to raise the MILRATE? I know, yes, but look at how great it looks and we can now serve all those thousands of TOURISTS coming to spend money and time in Surpirsing Suffolk! The best show is to watch everyone laugh at us for being so stupid.
Sorry for the rant, just go back to sleep now. zzzzzz
City administrators have said they have cut operating cost for the city and I suspect they have cut cost. These cuts are probably those that are relative easy to cut and some not so easy with the loss of a few staff members. It is the building of new facilities that is where the cuts should take place and learn to do with what you have and I know as we grow more buildings may be needed but they don't have to be a Taj Mahal.If the city feels it cannot cut further and more money is needed, then all taxes, fees and charges that the city has the authority for determining should be raised the same percentage whether it's the property tax, meals tax, lodging tax or whatever tax goes into the general fund so the pain is spread as evenly as possible and not have the total burden on the property owner.
Linda can be found at the Prudential Offices on Harbourview Blvd. Stop in and let her and associates know just how much you appreciate the low cost of living and the quality of public education your children are receiving.
I bought a house from Linda Johnson a few years ago and heard her speak of how great out community was and how whe loved to be involved as one of the leaders.
I now know that she sold me more than a house, she sold me a load of other smelly stuff. If she passes for a Mayor in Suffolk, we all rea in real trouble. Then I meet Mrs. Martian during her run for Council and must state that I was very impressed. I just wondered if she was more talk and little action like Linda? I voted for Mike Duman and I did so witht he expectation that he would be differednt. Will you Mr. Duman or can we expect more of the same, high taxes, big spending, and poor policies that make little sense? Time will tell.
I bought a car from Mike Duman a few years ago. How fortunate he is to have most of the city come to him to buy a car. Even high level city officials buy cars from Mike. Just look around at a red light, there is a Duman slapped on the rear.
Mike, you have sold many of us cars over the years and we expect you to be honest and fair now that you are on council too. After seeing the show put on by a Mr Rose of Davenport, I want to know if you will be fair with us on the budget? I have heard that you are business minded and tight with a dollar, I hope so with mine too. We need to fire about a third of the people who work for the city. We do not need all the fire stuff the Chief pushes on us at huge costs. We do not need a gold plated project for everything like the dog-gone old courthouse that the tourist people now use. We do not need to pay for retired medical contracts and retirement plans that are to good and too much. And on and on. That is why taxes are going up, not because we don't already tax enough. So what will you do? Speak up for us or seat on your hands and quietly agree with the spending driven Mayor and the rest of her guys?
Help us Mike. Be a loud and strong voice for cuts, cuts and more cuts and no new tax increases on Suffolk Families paying huge for gas, food, and everything now.
The current City Manager runs the show by firing employees first and then asking questions. In 2008, jobs were eliminated in several departments for the sake of "efficency". Two years later the City discovered a surplus and gave employees a one time bonus. Take a look at the number of department heads that suddenly resigned during the last few years. How much of the budget has been saved by not filling those vacant positions for months? Keep up the good work in Suffolk, the leadership at the top needs to be replaced.
Exactly who's money was given away as a bonus the city's or our's the tax payer. When that message is understood by the city administration and the budget officer fired then we have taken the first step in the right direction. I bet they would love to have those bonus dollars back in the general fund.
I totally agree that the giving of the bonuses really looks like a really bad idea now. Wonder if the Mayor or Council have asked our wonderful city manager how she could so miss that one? Want to bet not one word has been placed on that one?
We need to fire this imcompetent woman and find a real manager that can lead, not just follow. Maybe someone that has some real business experience?
Post a Comment