Gillieland Retiring

Either she or Husemann will do the double dip for another year, until Becker wraps up his $x dip in Deerfield township, then he %x dips back as city manager. "All The World Is A Stage"....in Middletown, its nothing but theatrics. What's behind the curtains? She did at least get the buildings bought Ms. Mulligan was afraid would be a fle market haven. Some accomplishment. Maybe she'll find her way down to Butler Cty to 2x dip.

Maybe a little talking out at BR last night?

Seems like a good time to try to privatize city leadership.  No doubt there are consulting firms out there who can bring a team in and bring their hatchets with them.  And no bennies to boot.  Quick, someone get acclaro on this!

TonyB wrote: [QUOTE=Bill] Seems like a good time to try to privatize city leadership.  No doubt there are consulting firms out there who can bring a team in and bring their hatchets with them. As if government doesn't waste enough money, now you want a private company with a profit motive to run it? Yeah, they'll bring their hatchets with them and anything that doesn't increase their profits will be gone. Government is not a for-profit enterprise!!! It is such bs to think that a private firm with no outside ties to the community would do anything to help citizens. Haven't there already been enough examples of private firms taking the money and not doing the job? Take a look at the Section 8 program. How many private firms have been contracted to run this program? Take a look at their results and imagine our entire government run with that kind of efficiency. It is the height of irresponsibility to cede control of local, state and national government to for-profit entities. You're not saving money, increasing efficiency or providing necessary services; all you do is provide profit to owners!!! Is that what you want, to be owned?!!!

On the other hand Tony, this town has not had a great track record in managing city growth since the 70's. We have had our share of clusters sitting behind that council desk and occupying the city building. One reason we are light years behind all surrounding communities as to being a progressive community. Frankly, I can't see the private companies that would be contracted for services as doing any worse than what the city does now. Sometimes private industry can do the job cheaper, more efficient and without the city having to be concerned about wages, retirement, health and insurance packages for the employees. May be cheaper for the city taxpayers to go this route. The Section 8 administrators to date have been duds. Both, it would seem, exhibit incompetence in setting up a regulatory system for Middletown's ghetto program. As bad as they have performed, I have also seen contractors that have performed admirably when rendering services. It is strange to hear one defend the performance of any government entity at any level, given the fact that government is usually the butt of all jokes as to wasting money and inept as to efficiency. JMO

Do you think a private company will give a rat's a** about potholes, protection of citizens, improvements to infrastructure?

TonyB

I think that the private company does give a rat's a-- about potholes, protection and improvements if they want to stay in business. When a private company contracts with a city to provide a service, I would find it hard to believe that they wouldn't try to do the best they could. If not, there are plenty of other companies out there that could. Competition keeps an even keel. If a private company performs poorly for any length of time, they develop a reputation and word gets out they are a failure. If that happens, they don't stay in business for long. It would behoove them to do the best job they can, to protect their reputation......to protect their business future.

Yes, profit is on the high priority list for a business, but in order to maintain that profit you must be able to charge a fee to create that profit. If a company has a poor reputation, they will not be able to charge enough (if they get business at all) to overcome the labor and materials costs to make that profit and they go under quickly. You can only do a bad job in the service industry for so long before the phones stop ringing and your business dries up.

I will repeat, if the city can do better at saving money and getting the job done better through a private contractor, that's the route to go. Gotta be as good as or better than the money wasting, paper laydened red taped, over-layered government crap we all have seen for many years. Government has proven they are inept at almost everything they do. Another thing to consider Tony. Private industry doesn't have the never-ending money to throw away like the government does. Private industry creates it's own money by having a decent reputation and providing a reliable service. Government gets it's money by forced taxation of private industry and individuals in a money well that is always replenished. It does not feel accountable when it gets it's money through forced installments.It does not have to earn that money like private industry. By not feeling accountable, we get lousy service and a "who cares what kind of job I do" attitude.

Freedom? Hell, government is the biggest taker of our freedoms. Government is also always trying to make decisions in our "best interests". Obamacare ring a bell? Mandatory seat belt laws.....tax laws.....non-regulation of gas prices....self imposed raises/bennies at taxpayer expense.... absolving immigration laws in favor of illegals....starting wars that get us (not them) killed..... suggesting taking away Social Security ....best interest of the people? I think not.

Ok Tony....in keeping with the back and forth banter....

"So, How did that work out with Section 8 management? Company got the contract, got the money (profit), and what kind of job did they do? Did we get any of that money back?"-TonyB

For crying out loud Tony, you don't always select the best company. Furthermore, look who selected CONSEC and the current group of clowns running Section 8.....YOUR CITY COUNCIL. Hardly a credible group with success in choosing winners. They are as bad as CONSEC as to competency.

"So, how did that work out for SK Construction? Did they perform poorly? They certainly made a lot of money (profit) with the contracts the city handed out. Where are they now?"- TonyB

I don't know the background as to why SK Const. failed. Perhaps it was mismanaged. Poor management. Poor planning. Poor quality of work. Weren't diversified enough? Overextended in business demands? Owners didn't plow enough back into the business? Don't know why the collapse.

"What about the citizens who live on Lefferson with a half-done job by a company that is now out of business? Think there might have been a little mismanagement going on? How much more will it cost to hire another company to finish the job? How much was SK paid before they went bankrupt?"- TonyB

Don't know. Gotta know the reasons before you can prove or disprove my statement.

"Governments don't charge fees to create profit".-Tony B

Never said they did. The profit thing was in reference to private businesses. Governments don't need profits due to the endless supply of forced taxation. They would have plenty of money if they knew how to manage it,but they throw it around like crap on a stick. Come to think of it, Middletown charges exorbatant water and sewer fees and make a profit on that. That's government charging a fee to make a profit, isn't it? Sunset Pool went under because the city couldn't break even much less make a profit on it. Weatherwax Golf Course is next. Haven't made a profit on it in years, yet keep socking $200,000+ each year into it because their buddies want to play golf there. It should go as it is a money drain on the city.

"Government is about providing the services demanded by taxpayers at the lowest possible cost".-TonyB

Bullcrap Tony! Government is about cronyism, setting their buddies up to provide services demanded (but sometimes ignored by government) Lowest possible cost? How about that toilet seat for $100.00 the government is willing to waste taxpayer money on? Same goes for anything involving money expenditures in government. Biggest wasters of money on the planet. See it everyday at Wright-Patt.

Private companies don't care about taxpayers!!!-Tony B

Private companies ARE TAXPAYERS TONY. IT'S CALLED CORPORATE TAXES AND IT'S PAID ON PROPERTY, BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. Again, if they want to stay in business they had better care about those that support their business.

"How many private companies have raped taxpayers with $1000 dollar hammers and various "hidden charges" like that?"- Tony B

TONY! IF YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DUMB ENOUGH TO BUY A HAMMER FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS, YA CAN'T FAULT THE COMPANY FOR SELLING THE DUMBAS--- THE HAMMER, CAN YOU? IT'S ONE HELL OF A PROFIT FOR THE PRIVATE COMPANY AT THE EXPENSE OF YOUR IGNORANT GOVERNMENT BUYERS. FIRE THE GOVERNMENT WORKER WHO APPROVED THE PURCHASE.

"That is ridiculous!!! Our military is inept?"- TonyB

Yep! Inept. I bring to your attention the Vietnam War Tony. The powers that be in the military had soldiers dying to take the same hill and then give it back to the enemy the next day. Your military left millions of dollars worth of assorted equipment from planes, refrigerators, air conditioners, furniture to clothes to cars and trucks behind (taxpayer dollars mind you) when we left, We were there from 1964 to 1975 and didn't accomplish a dam thing.(except getting 58,000+ kids killed for the politicians pleasure) You wait....the same thing will happen in Iraq and Afghanistan when we finally leave. All the training we provided. The billions of dollars to rebuild the countries, all the supplies, cars, trucks,etc.....all will fall back in enemy hands when we leave. Did in Nam and will in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have a history lately of starting wars and then leaving while still unstable, accomplishing nothing but a temporary stimulation to the economy in this country through the war machine. All inept stupidity.

"What about the interstate highway system? You think a private company would have ever done such a thing?"- Tony B

Tony, private companies did design and build the highway system with government approval and taxpayer funding. They had the resources and your government approved the quoted price to do it. It still is about the profits at private companies.

"Forced taxation? Is that why the city has to put a public safety levy on the ballot; to "force" you to pay?"- Tony B

Yep, forced taxation.....city income taxes at the rate the city set up, federal taxes, state taxes,social security taxes.....If the safety levy doesn't pass, they'll just jack up the water rates, building permits, parking fine rates, city court costs, put up more cameras, create park fees to use Smith and Lefferson Parks and transfer that money to the fund for safety to make up the difference. They are good at hidden funds transfers. Been doing voodoo financing for years.

"Kickbacks, bribes, lobbying and out and out thievery by our "elected" politicians is what has driven the ineptitude of government".-Tony B

Who do you think is making the decisions for the military, making it inept? Politicians. They decide where the next war will be, when it will start, how we will fight it and how much money we will waste in fighting it. YOUR GOVERNMENT CREATES INEPTNESS IN YOUR MILITARY by the very decisions it makes in attempting to guide it. The Vietnam War is a classic example of why we should NEVER allow politicians to run a war. If they had let the military do its job and kept there noses out of it, we would have wiped the NVA and VietCong out. We had the firepower and technology to do it. The politicians tied the military's hands.

"Governments are accountable to taxpayers who vote"- TonyB

In a perfect setting yes, but you and I both know that governments at all levels in all towns ignore the people. Hardly accountable to them. Hell, look at how the Middletown city government ignores the wishes of the people.

"Governments have always been the impediment to freedom!"- Tony B

Well, at least we agree on one thing.




"Our government is designed to look out for the "best interests" of its citizens; the problem has become the wealthy have corrupted our system to provide only for the wealthy! Think if we had a monarchy you'd get to vote on your rate of taxation? Think a dictator would give a damn whether you could see a doctor or get any health care? Think a theocratic government would provide you with anything if you didn't follow their religious tenets? It could be so much worse than it is; it could also be much better if we as taxpayers and citizens stop settling for what we have and demand better. That's how you create efficiency in government, not by selling it to the highest bidder like we've done for the last 40 years"- Tony B

This is hilarious! So the government has all these flaws and it sucks, but it is the best we have........you sound like the school people at proficiency test time......."our scores are really low and at the bottom of the barrel when compared to other area districts, but they are better than they were last year within the bottom of the barrel. Is there such a thing as the best of the worst, does it have any validity to impress anyone and is it something we want to brag about? Doubtful.

At the polls, there are many people voting and volunteering who I would not assume to be "wealthy" enough to buy government or media. Everyone has wealth of some kind, and it's how you use your wealth to ensure we have a functional government that is proactive and efficient.

Efficient is that what it means when 4 trucks and a backhoe are sitting while running and 5 city employees hang out while a tree crew cuts a single tree down. Had business at the airport and we watched this complete waste of time go on for several hours. Diesel fuel I believe is at 4.10 gal. Is there nothing else in the park that could have been done. This leadership and atmosphere must end.

Different source on city council says Gillieland is staying and has support of 4 council members

Gilleland is going nowhere. She will ask city council to give her a 5 to 7 year contract, taking her to age 62, so she can retire, but double dip, while staying in Middletown. She isn't going to lose her retirement, and by taking it now (or when she can I assume she's 55 and has 30 years in the system), she can make money on the second dip and receive a second pension at age 62, just like Becker and the others do. Then after another 5-7 years in Middletown, she'll then take third dip until age 65-70, but in another area, maybe county.

That's why she hired Robinette and Husemann back, as it gives her a selling pt to council, ergo, pay me my current salary, but I won't cost you benefits.

When Becker became city manager, he started the trend in placing a city manager after his gift from council, of picking a city manager that did whatever city council wanted, reative. That's all Ms. G has done since she's been in office, and why she stays on.

Its actually 7-0 jag, not 6-1.. 

Cowards/Lazy

Middletown29 wrote: Gillieland does not have the support of 3 members of city council. In fact at least one member is trying to woo a fourth to join the other three to attempt a Gillieland ouster.

If true, this would be good news for the city. Although, we still have Husseman waiting in the wings to take over......or, Becker back for another dip in the till? Both not good for the city either IMO. Bad players standing in the wings.

If Gilleland is out, could we take up a collection to buy her a one way Greyhound bus ticket back to Pickerington and give her house on Antrim Ct. to a Section 8 landlord or bulldoze it for some more green space?