COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISI MODE!

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COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISIS MODE!

The world is in crisis and revolution. Nations are toppling because there aren’t jobs and income for people to live on.
America is broke.
Almost every State in the United States is operating by deficit spending. Wisconsin is 6.5 billion dollars in the hole. Ohio is 8 billion dollars in the hole. 
Most cities in the country are facing bankruptcy. San Hose, California is 6.5 billion dollars in debt. Middletown, Ohio is 8 million dollars in the hole and that doesn’t include our indebtedness in bonds and what we don’t know
.
We continue to lose and have lost most of our businesses and those that are hanging on and those few that have come in are not adding any significant revenue.
Middletown’s answer has been to "hold the line" and hopefully it will all go away. Its not going away and our approach thus far will throw the city into bankruptcy if we don’t do something about it now. It may be too late. We have run out of time. The idea of maintaining "the status Quo" is out of sync with reality. We must stop the city from throwing their continued indiscretions, pet projects, incompetent decisions and "high risk" gambles on the back of the taxpayers. They tax us by raising water rates, fining us on trumped up ordinances, avoiding their responsibilities in maintenance, charging us to fix streets (while paying for anything on downtown streets) just to bring in revenue that is never placed in any significant manner to benefit the city. They do this to avoid bringing it to the ballot because they know it most likely will be defeated in this economy. 
It is time to be plain about things. We warned years ago that an economic crisis was coming and our city government and leaders ignored it, in their greed. They have sown the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. It must not continue to be ignored. Our sickening apathetic citizens need to wake up and realize they are the only ones who can do something about it. Citizens need to force council and the administration and our greedy city leaders to prevent the ultimate disaster. Citizens need to speak out in protest as loud and as long as necessary, now, in order to get things under control. Citizens need to vote against any who will not make the strong changes and actions necessary to keep us afloat. Citizens need to be proactive and vocal as they have never been before. If not, they will continue to pay the ultimate price.
It is time for city council and its citizens to change. COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISIS MODE! That does not mean you have to run around like panic driven madmen. It means you need to act with precise determination and make decisions appropriate to the circumstances and in the best interests of all citizens. You need to quit your undemocratic , dishonest, undercover meetings. You need to quit disregarding your constituents and their needs. You need to quit posturing and start doing your jobs and quit specializing in protecting the few favorites. Just stop it! Thousands of taxpaying citizens, men, women and children, are hurting because you are ignoring the true needs of our city and are trying to maintain the status quo. 
Many of us believe that council sees the handwriting on the wall and they are getting ready to bail out and leave matters for others to take the heat. Fine! So be it, if true. The way things are being done it couldn’t make things worse.
What are some things that can be done? 
Cut the fat. Get rid of the large bureaucracy. Use the department heads. Get rid of the city manager, city planner, city law director and Doug Adkins. Use the department heads more effectively. Cuts thus far have been superficial at best.
Stop spending!
Lower taxes.
Seriously, prepare the way for businesses to want to come, provide jobs and prosper.
Quit spending money downtown. Let it happen as it has to happen in every other part of the city.
Negotiate with city employees ( disregarding the binding arbitration and collective bargaining political propaganda), they are reasonable people and will negotiate. The minimum criteria in everyone’s interest should start with:
10% across the board pay cuts.
They pay 20% of their insurance costs.
Pensions are reduced and frozen.
Automatic raises are discontinued until the economy improves and the figures show 
that they are affordable.
We all know that our police and fire personnel are the best and that they lay their lives on the line. We also know that they are willing to negotiate in these trying times. However, lets put it in its proper perspective. They get paid much better than our military, who make greater sacrifices and don’t get paid near as well and whose benefits are disgraceful comparatively. Go to any VA hospital and see. Also, and this will make you squirm, I saw a statistic the other day that said that municipal bus drivers have more accidents and deaths than police and fire employees. 
Outsource everything that can be outsourced! 
We suggested outsourcing the water department. We were told not too long ago that we have needs into the hundreds of millions of dollars In our water/sewer department. I know that that is wrong. and is a tactic designed to instill fear and prevent looking at the use of the fund. I suggested at a recent councilman’s meeting that we outsource it and it was totally ignored. I requested the council members look into it and to this moment they have totally ignored it. I suggested that Franklin and Indianapolis have done it successfully. Chris Amburgy got up and as usual spoke without having his facts (Remember, "Buyer beware"?). I had spent a couple of weeks researching the effectiveness of outsourcing. I asked them to call Jim Mears in Franklin. People don’t know that he is the leading pioneer in the country on outsourcing. In their infinite wisdom they wouldn’t even consider it. That is the kind of consideration they always give citizens. They must be forced to listen to all of their citizens
Have our city employees out fixing potholes every day until we can find the funds to pave our streets
properly.
Get the city finances totally straightened out, transparent and stay liquid. We are going to need it in the very near future and may keep us from bankruptcy. 
Use the county services in every instance possible.
Limit services to safety and infrastructure until things are better.
COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISIS MODE!
Paul Nagy

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Paul Nagy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 11 2009 Status: Offline Points: 384	Post Options Post Reply Quote Paul Nagy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISI MODE! Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 11:27am
	COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISIS MODE! The world is in crisis and revolution. Nations are toppling because there aren’t jobs and income for people to live on. America is broke. Almost every State in the United States is operating by deficit spending. Wisconsin is 6.5 billion dollars in the hole. Ohio is 8 billion dollars in the hole. Most cities in the country are facing bankruptcy. San Hose, California is 6.5 billion dollars in debt. Middletown, Ohio is 8 million dollars in the hole and that doesn’t include our indebtedness in bonds and what we don’t know . We continue to lose and have lost most of our businesses and those that are hanging on and those few that have come in are not adding any significant revenue. Middletown’s answer has been to "hold the line" and hopefully it will all go away. Its not going away and our approach thus far will throw the city into bankruptcy if we don’t do something about it now. It may be too late. We have run out of time. The idea of maintaining "the status Quo" is out of sync with reality. We must stop the city from throwing their continued indiscretions, pet projects, incompetent decisions and "high risk" gambles on the back of the taxpayers. They tax us by raising water rates, fining us on trumped up ordinances, avoiding their responsibilities in maintenance, charging us to fix streets (while paying for anything on downtown streets) just to bring in revenue that is never placed in any significant manner to benefit the city. They do this to avoid bringing it to the ballot because they know it most likely will be defeated in this economy. It is time to be plain about things. We warned years ago that an economic crisis was coming and our city government and leaders ignored it, in their greed. They have sown the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. It must not continue to be ignored. Our sickening apathetic citizens need to wake up and realize they are the only ones who can do something about it. Citizens need to force council and the administration and our greedy city leaders to prevent the ultimate disaster. Citizens need to speak out in protest as loud and as long as necessary, now, in order to get things under control. Citizens need to vote against any who will not make the strong changes and actions necessary to keep us afloat. Citizens need to be proactive and vocal as they have never been before. If not, they will continue to pay the ultimate price. It is time for city council and its citizens to change. COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISIS MODE! That does not mean you have to run around like panic driven madmen. It means you need to act with precise determination and make decisions appropriate to the circumstances and in the best interests of all citizens. You need to quit your undemocratic , dishonest, undercover meetings. You need to quit disregarding your constituents and their needs. You need to quit posturing and start doing your jobs and quit specializing in protecting the few favorites. Just stop it! Thousands of taxpaying citizens, men, women and children, are hurting because you are ignoring the true needs of our city and are trying to maintain the status quo. Many of us believe that council sees the handwriting on the wall and they are getting ready to bail out and leave matters for others to take the heat. Fine! So be it, if true. The way things are being done it couldn’t make things worse. What are some things that can be done? Cut the fat. Get rid of the large bureaucracy. Use the department heads. Get rid of the city manager, city planner, city law director and Doug Adkins. Use the department heads more effectively. Cuts thus far have been superficial at best. Stop spending! Lower taxes. Seriously, prepare the way for businesses to want to come, provide jobs and prosper. Quit spending money downtown. Let it happen as it has to happen in every other part of the city. Negotiate with city employees ( disregarding the binding arbitration and collective bargaining political propaganda), they are reasonable people and will negotiate. The minimum criteria in everyone’s interest should start with: 10% across the board pay cuts. They pay 20% of their insurance costs. Pensions are reduced and frozen. Automatic raises are discontinued until the economy improves and the figures show that they are affordable. We all know that our police and fire personnel are the best and that they lay their lives on the line. We also know that they are willing to negotiate in these trying times. However, lets put it in its proper perspective. They get paid much better than our military, who make greater sacrifices and don’t get paid near as well and whose benefits are disgraceful comparatively. Go to any VA hospital and see. Also, and this will make you squirm, I saw a statistic the other day that said that municipal bus drivers have more accidents and deaths than police and fire employees. Outsource everything that can be outsourced! We suggested outsourcing the water department. We were told not too long ago that we have needs into the hundreds of millions of dollars In our water/sewer department. I know that that is wrong. and is a tactic designed to instill fear and prevent looking at the use of the fund. I suggested at a recent councilman’s meeting that we outsource it and it was totally ignored. I requested the council members look into it and to this moment they have totally ignored it. I suggested that Franklin and Indianapolis have done it successfully. Chris Amburgy got up and as usual spoke without having his facts (Remember, "Buyer beware"?). I had spent a couple of weeks researching the effectiveness of outsourcing. I asked them to call Jim Mears in Franklin. People don’t know that he is the leading pioneer in the country on outsourcing. In their infinite wisdom they wouldn’t even consider it. That is the kind of consideration they always give citizens. They must be forced to listen to all of their citizens Have our city employees out fixing potholes every day until we can find the funds to pave our streets properly. Get the city finances totally straightened out, transparent and stay liquid. We are going to need it in the very near future and may keep us from bankruptcy. Use the county services in every instance possible. Limit services to safety and infrastructure until things are better. COUNCIL, GET INTO CRISIS MODE! Paul Nagy

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 12:15pm
	All good Paul. Problem is.....the people who will agree with this will not carry this to the polls, vote for quality individuals (who we still need to field) and remove the ones responsible for the hiring of the city manager, who, in turn, is responsible for the hiring of people like Kohler, Landen and other problem children in the city building. IMO, for your plan to work, we would need to replace most of council, who, in turn, needs to remove the city manager, hire a competent one, who would then start the firing/hiring process with a competent Law Director, Planning Director and fill other deficient individuals in our city. We're not going to get anything done until we remove the people responsible for the current dilemma. All the complaining, all the blogging, all the Citizens Comments, all the Letters To The Editor will not change a thing. Change must come with removals of certain city leaders on Council and in the city building. None of this will happen UNTIL the majority of citizens become voters and exercise their displeasure at the polls while voting for people who are NOT members of the inner circle. The stranglehold of the small group of influentials must be broken by placing people who will not be intimidated by them in charge. JMO

acclaro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878	Post Options Post Reply Quote acclaro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 12:48pm
	Paul, all sound ideas----which will never be implemented in Middletown. Middletown is built upon entitlement, the city workers are generally ones whom were laid off or got cut at Armco, they are union entitled. Larry Mulligan's dad was at Armco, so many others. Ron Olson was 5X the city manager Judy Gilleland is, and he wasn't terribly effective. No matter what PAC or Cincinnati State does, it will have limited or no effect on the city. Look at all the signs springing up around where Sawyer, Ellis, Union Savings Bank used to be by Chase Bank on Grand, and up and down Briehel. Businesses and people want out. I've said many times, council is reactive. They just get on to put something on their name for civic involvement if with a large law firm, or to spend some spare time after retirement, aka Becker, others. They don't look forward, they look back. As for water, Middletown could get a deal like Hamilton, but water is the "cash cow", they make a > 10% return, and they hit you with the increase as a hostage. There won't be cuts in Middletown in the city. And you know why these levies pass everytime? Because the bulk of the voters in the city are public servants, teachers, administrators, ublic servants, union workers, who just let the city pillage themselves, without caring about the consequences. Your ideas are commendable, just the type of blueprint a progressive city like West Chester followed. Middletown will do the opposite, and you see daily, the outcome. Take a look at the booming Renaissance area, the downtown, and the audacity of the city manager having 2000 people apply for a job for 75 openings over at MUM, knowing the jobs are already filled, in all probability, hand chosen by city and friends of city. Only one way to change Middletown, and that will begin by Kashich. You sw the union moving in across the country to take over Wisconsin's capital: that's how Middletown is run by "friends and family."

TonyB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631	Post Options Post Reply Quote TonyB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 2:16pm
	There is no doubt about the crisis facing this city or this country; however, the claim that we are broke simply is not true!!! Why would I say something seemingly so outrageous? Simply put, we pay our debts with dollars. There is only one entity in the world authorized to print US dollars: our government!!! Would it devalue the currency? Most certainly. Would it bring about the removal of the dollar as the world's reserve currency? Probably; however, since many countries in the world are doing there best to make that so anyway I see little risk in the approach. The real problem with our debt is indeed spending more than we are taking in. Seems like simple math; revenues must equal expenditures. Yet no one will explain how reducing revenues by cutting taxes will balance the budget!!! While we give the wealthiest 2% in this country tax breaks, we ask the other 98% to sacrifice. When has it ever been the policy of this nation to cut taxes AND wage war? Also, do not give me the tired excuse that the top 2% are the "job creators". They've had this tax break for a decade; where are the jobs? Overseas, where the top 2% can make more money and not have to worry about regulation or fair pay. I wholeheartedly agree that we need a new approach to how government operates. We certainly no longer have a democracy; we have a corporateocracy, where politicians are bought and do the bidding of their corporate masters. If you don't believe that, go take a look at campaign contributions to candidates and their voting records if elected. Whether Democrat or Republican, our representatives look out for the people who financed their campaign at the expense of the general public. That is just as true on the local level as it is on the state and national level. The idea that somehow, all our problems are public employees and unions fail to recognize just how small a part of the overall problem they really are. (As an aside, unions are now "incorporated" as well) The income disaprity between the top 2% and the rest of the country hasn't been this large since the beginning of the 20th century. No modern economy can survive this disparity. While most of our workforce fights for a smaller part of the economic pie, the rich get richer. I agree with Mr. Nagy that we need complete financial transparancy in our government. We desperately need that same transparancy in our political system. So long as anonymous donors can influence public opinion to benefit only themselves, the citizens will continue to suffer the economic deprivation that we are being subjected. If we cannot awake the general voting population to what is happening, then we have only ourselves to blame. If government is the problem and we have a government of the people, by the people and for the people; then it is logical to say that people ARE the PROBLEM!!! That is a notion that I totally reject!!! The problem stems from misinformation, disinformation and the total lack of will our elected representatives show in fixing the problem.

acclaro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878	Post Options Post Reply Quote acclaro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 3:18pm
	TONYB, I was going to attempt to write a rebuttal on macroeconmic theory, but I am uncertain I even know what you have stated above. In Middletown, approximately 75% of capital outlay annually is salaries, so therein lies the problem---its salaries. In many industries, airlines in particular, these legacy costs have bankrupted them several times over. Add that to the $5.00/gal we'll be hitting with the uncertainty of Lybia, Eygpt, Jordon, Turkey, and other middle eastern countries, and we are in a really dire scenario for years to come. You are correct about apathy of the voters, and I take exception, miinformation, disinformation, and no information, has caused the problem. I think in Middletown's case, its quite simple. You either own the business that others work, or you are the worker that works for the owner. This blue collar mindset of lack of control and responsbility has caused apathy that has drifted, indeed, immersed Middletown, for several decades. There is a leadership void, and citizens just expect someone else to pick up the pieces, combined with a continued pattern of lower socio-economic demographics that has caused a rather low end 'transcient" society in the city, that people just don't care. They don't care about city council, most could not even tell you the name of the city manager, my wife inclusive, and have checked out. In turn, a few hundred, if that many, run the city, the first to run to the gala balls, say to the world, "we're grand", and we are a model of envy to others. Its dilusional of course, but that's reality. As for the 2% on a global macro view you elude, you negate to consider the small busness owners filing Schedule C's, and their hit on taxes. The US has the highest corporate tax on the planet, and raising taxes was never a solution which worked. As Reagan said often, our problem is we don't tax too little, we simply spend too much. Cut spending, and taxation will just be fine. Take an evaluation of your cell phone bill, and the 14% you pay monthly. Evaluate your state taxe return. look at your property tax. Now lets add in the 6.5-7% sales tax. You think taxes are too low? The very rich have private investment bankers that shield their taxes, the "rich" small business owner would not hire workers without the lower taxes. What's keeping employment from riing now? Obama's uncertainty with the constitutional aspects of healthcare. Companies are awaiting the federal judge's ruling if a stay will be in force on ObamaCare as he ruled it unconstitution, applying to about 27 states.

TonyB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631	Post Options Post Reply Quote TonyB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 4:44pm
	acclaro, thanks for the post, the simple part of the macroecon above is that our debt is in dollars and our gov is the only one who can legally print US currency. Therefore, so long as you can print the currency in which the debt is owed, you can't be broke. It would be different if we owed 14 trillion euros for instance, because no matter how many dollars we created, they would have to be converted into the currency in which the debt was owed. As for the 2%ers, I think you miss the point. Small business is the worst defined phrase that you hear. A business with billions of dollars in annual sales can be called a "small business". It is the number of owners in the business that classifies it as a small business. You make the point that the very rich shield their incomes from taxes. So what is the point of having millionaires pay 32% when they shield most of their income and pay 16%? I don't think taxes are too low, I think the current tax structure is unfair!!! It isn't uncertainty alone that is keeping small business from expanding and it isn't just healthcare. It is the very fact that if you can't make a profit, there is no point in investing!!! Quite frankly, that is why we need single payer health care in this country. I'm not talking socialized medicine, I'm talking about using our current healthcare system in a more efficient manner without people who contribute nothing to the care of patients making profits off the injured and ill. I'm talking about a tax structure that is simple, easy to understand and is the same for everyone!

TonyB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631	Post Options Post Reply Quote TonyB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 5:16pm
	Sorry for the split post; nothing screws up your train of thought like an interuption. I agree with your assessment of the demographics of our city. The apathy of the "disenfranchised" is a serious concern for our city as well as our country. The people at the low end of the economic ladder should be the MOST involved in the political process because they are the most affected by poor government. The leadership void has been filled by those who have an agenda that is at odds with what is best for our city and our country. I keep hearing that our city has a "Master Plan". I'm reasonably sure that very few in this city know what it is let alone how our council plans on getting there. We have leadership that seems to lack in the "Vision" department, either having a vision or articulating that vision to the public. I don't care if the city spends money, but if you spend the taxpayers money; you'd better make it work!!! This whole Cincy State mess smells worse and worse with each passing day. The whole PAC idea seems to have been ill-conceived and poorly executed. I don't see how the city benefits from these ideas if it doesn't fit into an overall plan to expand the economic base of the city and that means business, manufacturing and JOBS!!! I see from this forum a group of people who do care about this city. I also see that we don't seem to be getting our ideas across to our elected officials. If they won't listen, replace them. If they are more concerned with getting re-elected than doing what they were elected to do, replace them. I would rather have an elected official who served one term and did what they said they were going to do than an elected official who says and does as little as possible so they can keep getting elected. I would also like to see a candidate who has a clear idea than one who will just go along with the crowd. Do we have any of those people in this city? If we don't, we'd better find some.

acclaro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878	Post Options Post Reply Quote acclaro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 6:56pm
	TonyB, thanks for the clarity. I know now you are covering the spectrum og global economics, currency stabilization, and the state of Middletown. Let me tackle just a few of the global macro concepts and then square the four pages of context back to Middletown. The yen will end up being the preferred currency if China has their way. The $ is already very low, which can be a good thing, as it makes our imports, or a bad thing, when we import more than export, our current state of affairs. The gold ounce is rising and nearing $1350. as the $ falls. But, inflation will push it up in 2011, but also bring with it a double dip recession. The whole middle east destabilization will be a convenient means to get oil crude to rise, while Obama does nothjing, although Saudia Arabia will put more output to make up for some of the deficit. 2% of the high income earners, including the US tax rate, accounts for 98% of taxes taken in. If I were a CEO, I would be evaluating moving to Ireland where the tax is 13%, or another country for 99% of operations. Mr. Lambaugh is the only council member who seems to take a procative stance. One gun against six doesn't win a battle very often my firend TonyB. The rest are bought and paid for, either by the union, or the city's manner of "ear-marks", albeit business for FB&T indirectly through the school district, or other means. PAC and CS will have limited or no material impact upon the city. See the desperation when everyone at city hall is jumping all over themselves for the jobs already filled at SunCoke. But, to the good news. We have the summer concert and the 2011 youtube Christmas jingle to look forward to, while hundreds of new homes come onto the market, just standing with the FOR SALE sign. Seems like Mr. Bidwell has alot of competition on his house on Central.

spiderjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749	Post Options Post Reply Quote spiderjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 7:40pm
	Council? Infinitely beyiond local, state or national authority. This transcends every level and location at it's core.This is the ultimate conflict--class warfare It is global, and significantly it is fundamental. What started in Egypt was a well-scripted beginning, now copycatted in a rapid spread soon to be spanning the globe. We haven't had the violence in Wisconsin, Ohio or the following states, however "trouble soon come, mon". With Obamas agenda hopelessly awry, he makes this desparate effort to hold power(at the expense of everyone, of course). Can the Republicans pull this off? lol--no f'n way. They could screw up their own birthday party. "My way or the Highway" gunslinger approach will add gasoline to the burn. The intensity threat level should now go from ORANGE to whatever is beyond RED imo. Anyone have an old bomb shelter map? Better stock up on water--batteries--candles--lighting--guns/ammo--locks--long-dated survival foods--paper products--a good radio--an old-syle land line telephone--no TVM--no WPFB--no MJ--no MUSA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBbJufztxeg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ljxpyH4dnA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eEQ34f3czg&feature=related

firewater Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Outsider Joined: Sep 29 2010 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 8	Post Options Post Reply Quote firewater Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 22 2011 at 8:52pm
	SJ, what is WUSA??