6/7/2011 council meeting

The biggest news out of the meeting was that Sarah Mills is leaving to take a position with the City of Kettering. I feel that Ms. Mills will be sorely missed and that our loss will be Kettering’s gain. Having Ms. Mills waiting in the wings would have made it easy for a principled city council or a new city manager to summarily discharge Les Landen. (Landen has to go if Middletown is to have a prayer for a recovery.)

During the Council Comments portion of the meeting, Mayor Lawrence P. Mulligan, Jr. informed us that they “talked about the budget upstairs”, and he assured us that there are some difficult decisions to make and that council will “deliberate very carefully”.

Thank you for that informative description of the discussions, Mr. Mayor, but you failed to mention what was said that council was too afraid or too ashamed to say in council chambers in front of the TV cameras. 

Acclaro:

From the Journal......

26 full-time jobs at risk in city cuts
City leaders propose job cuts, including 5 seasonal jobs, to help fill $3.7M funding gap.

The police and fire departments — which account for 71 percent of the city’s $30.5 million annual budget — would take the biggest hit.

Two vacancies in the fire department would go unfilled, and eight firefighters would be laid off.

But layoffs are not the only cost-cutting measure proposed. The fire department would add a “wireless surcharge” for dispatch calls and send residents to collection if they don’t pay their EMS bill — measures the proposal estimates could generate $117,500.

WOULD $117,500 REALLY MAKE A DENT IN 3.7 MIL?

Likewise, police officials
said adding red light cameras, collections from the police impound lot and increasing the cost of items in the jail commissary could bring in another $120,000 annually.

WAIT A MINUTE......WE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS WERE TO PROMOTE SAFETY, NOT AS A RELIED UPON REVENUE GENERATOR. ARE THEY NOW ADMITTING THAT WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG? AGAIN, $120,000 WILL MAKE NO DENT ON 3.7 MIL. GRASPING AT STRAWS HERE BOYS AND GIRLS.



Beyond the five full-time, one part-time and five seasonal jobs that would be cut in other departments, City Manager Judy Gilleland said the city likely would reduce mowing and eliminate Saturday transit routes, saving $40,000

AGAIN THE GRASPING OF THE STRAWS

“In my 8½ years in government, these are the most difficult times I’ve witnessed,” Gilleland said.

WELL JUDITH, YOU AND YOUR PALS HAVE CREATED SOME OF THOSE "DIFFICULT TIMES" WITH YOUR FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY AND IGNORANT DECISIONS AND HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF, LADY. WHEN THE FED AND STATE HANDOUTS YOU RELY ON DRY UP, AND YOU HAVE NO CORPORATE AND PAYROLL TAXES TO RELY ON BECAUSE YOU WERE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL IN YOUR FAILURE TO BRING IN DECENT JOBS AND THE TAXES THEY PROVIDE, BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

None of these cuts take into account the 0.5-percent public safety levy. It generates about $2.8 million for the police and fire departments and is set to expire in 2012. Law Director Les Landen said the city has until Aug. 10 to put a renewal issue on the November ballot.

AHHH, THE SALES PITCH

Three other officers promoted will be recognized during a pinning ceremony at 9 a.m. today at the police station. Lt. Rodney Muterspaw, will be promoted to major; Sgt. Jim Cunningham will be promoted to lieutenant; and Officer Ed Sensel will be promoted to patrol sergeant

FOR MUTERSPAW....WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN? DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD JUMP FROM LT. TO MAJOR?????? HE HASN'T BEEN A LT. FOR VERY LONG HAS HE? HE'S ON THE FAST TRACK... GROOMING FOR NEXT POLICE CHIEF PERHAPS? NICE GUY...FORMER NEIGHBOR.

VietVet wrote: From the Journal...... 26 full-time jobs at risk in city cuts City leaders propose job cuts, including 5 seasonal jobs, to help fill $3.7M funding gap. The police and fire departments — which account for 71 percent of the city’s $30.5 million annual budget — would take the biggest hit. Two vacancies in the fire department would go unfilled, and eight firefighters would be laid off. But layoffs are not the only cost-cutting measure proposed. The fire department would add a “wireless surcharge” for dispatch calls and send residents to collection if they don’t pay their EMS bill — measures the proposal estimates could generate $117,500. WOULD $117,500 REALLY MAKE A DENT IN 3.7 MIL? Likewise, police officials said adding red light cameras, collections from the police impound lot and increasing the cost of items in the jail commissary could bring in another $120,000 annually. WAIT A MINUTE......WE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS WERE TO PROMOTE SAFETY, NOT AS A RELIED UPON REVENUE GENERATOR. ARE THEY NOW ADMITTING THAT WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG? AGAIN, $120,000 WILL MAKE NO DENT ON 3.7 MIL. GRASPING AT STRAWS HERE BOYS AND GIRLS. Beyond the five full-time, one part-time and five seasonal jobs that would be cut in other departments, City Manager Judy Gilleland said the city likely would reduce mowing and eliminate Saturday transit routes, saving $40,000 AGAIN THE GRASPING OF THE STRAWS “In my 8½ years in government, these are the most difficult times I’ve witnessed,” Gilleland said. WELL JUDITH, YOU AND YOUR PALS HAVE CREATED SOME OF THOSE "DIFFICULT TIMES" WITH YOUR FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY AND IGNORANT DECISIONS AND HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF, LADY. WHEN THE FED AND STATE HANDOUTS YOU RELY ON DRY UP, AND YOU HAVE NO CORPORATE AND PAYROLL TAXES TO RELY ON BECAUSE YOU WERE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL IN YOUR FAILURE TO BRING IN DECENT JOBS AND THE TAXES THEY PROVIDE, BAD THINGS HAPPEN. None of these cuts take into account the 0.5-percent public safety levy. It generates about $2.8 million for the police and fire departments and is set to expire in 2012. Law Director Les Landen said the city has until Aug. 10 to put a renewal issue on the November ballot. AHHH, THE SALES PITCH Three other officers promoted will be recognized during a pinning ceremony at 9 a.m. today at the police station. Lt. Rodney Muterspaw, will be promoted to major; Sgt. Jim Cunningham will be promoted to lieutenant; and Officer Ed Sensel will be promoted to patrol sergeant FOR MUTERSPAW....WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN? DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD JUMP FROM LT. TO MAJOR?????? HE HASN'T BEEN A LT. FOR VERY LONG HAS HE? HE'S ON THE FAST TRACK... GROOMING FOR NEXT POLICE CHIEF PERHAPS? NICE GUY...FORMER NEIGHBOR.