| Author |
 Topic  |
|
aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 6:46:56 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Carlos
Like I said Ignore him and he'll go away
You know Carlos it is very hard but I won’t drop to his level. You know the saying: Don’t argue with an idiot bla bla bla.
A Proud American |
 |
|
|
Carlos
Regular Forum Member
195 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 7:24:53 PM
|
| APA, I just filter him out like annoying spam. Good to hear the commissioners may be willing to respond to questions. |
|
|
|
curious mind
Senior Forum Member
19922 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 8:32:51 PM
|
Carlos
APA emailed a list of questions he has to me through here - if you have any of your own - send them to me and I'll incorporate them into the list
Ms. Bemiller has always responded to my emails and phone calls in the past, and I have no doubt that she and Mr. Stockberger are sincere in setting this time aside to answer all questions they can at the meeting, and will get back to me with those they can't right at that particular time. Am pleased with this level of communication.
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
|
|
|
|
aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 8:38:13 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Carlos
APA, I just filter him out like annoying spam. Good to hear the commissioners may be willing to respond to questions.
LOL. That's good!  I just hope they're willing to look at the big picture and what the county may lose. Not just employees but business, citizens inconveinience and their safety.
A Proud American |
|
|
|
aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 9:22:09 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by curious mind
Carlos
APA emailed a list of questions he has to me through here - if you have any of your own - send them to me and I'll incorporate them into the list
Ms. Bemiller has always responded to my emails and phone calls in the past, and I have no doubt that she and Mr. Stockberger are sincere in setting this time aside to answer all questions they can at the meeting, and will get back to me with those they can't right at that particular time. Am pleased with this level of communication.
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
I'm glad they want to meet, I just hope they don't get defensive about the questions. I feel the taxpayers should know what they spend our money on. Why we are short now and how do we stop it in the future. The county needs to prioritize spending, make some cuts by employee furlough days and equipment/ supplies. I heard there are around 900 county employees. If they take 8 furlough days off at an average of $18.00 per hour it would save $1,036,800.00. The employees agreed and have or will take off furlough days this year and also next year. They department heads have also made cuts in their budgets. So either the commissioners need to transfer some of the money in other funds to the general fund or enact a .25% sales tax. Failure to do so will result in our government offices having shortened hours/weeks, less criminal prosecutions, inconvenience to public needing assistance, laid off employees, and a diminished Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Detective Division. How attractive will our county look to people wanting to move here? Will our property values go down? Will businesses look elsewhere? The commissioners have the ability to solve the problem. Of all the surrounding counties, only Holmes County has the same sales tax as us. The rest are higher at 6.75 or 7%.
A Proud American |
|
|
|
aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 09:42:46 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by aproudamerican
quote:
Originally posted by curious mind
Interesting - no response from the Commissioner's office yet....that could mean one of two things:
1. They're still consulting on how to answer my questions, or
2. They have no answers.............
will give it a bit more time..........
p.s. never mind - seems to be a PAID holiday - they obviously haven't given those up in these harsh economic times...............
p.s.s. the more I think about this, the more disgusted I become - the Commissioners, demanding that all county offices come up with a 20 percent reduction in expenses, are sitting home today, being paid to sit at home today, rather than foregoing that holiday pay and working on a SOLUTION to the fact that the county's broke? (because of THEM)?
oh wow..............I'd like to see them justify this one 
...
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
Hey CM I just did some math and I think it will really set you off. If the Commissioners work 16 hours a week with 2 weeks off they have 800 hours for year. $43000.00 / 800 =
$ 53.75 per hour... If they work 20 hours a week with 2 weeks off they make $ 43.00 per hour. They don’t have to worry, their wages are protected by State Laws unlike their fellow county employees. So even if our county goes down the toilet they will still get theirs! Now I see why they value their positions dearly. Who would want to give up a guaranteed income?
A Proud American
UPDATE The population for the county is 58,890. That means the commissioners make
$ 55,524 a year. That’s not bad for part time, working about 18 hours a week.
At 18 hours a week for 50 weeks that equals $ 61.69 per hour. Now mater what happens to the county, they are guarenteed this for 4 years!
A Proud American |
|
|
|
Steve.Deserved.Better
Regular Forum Member
107 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 09:58:05 AM
|
| Where are the hours for working only part time coming from? |
|
|
|
larry
Regular Forum Member
146 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 11:57:33 AM
|
The commissioners cutting their benefits? They're supposed to be county leaders? |
|
|
|
larry
Regular Forum Member
146 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 12:00:59 PM
|
| Oh yeah, I forgot Morrow county is in TOTAL chaos. STAY AWAY, people,for Gods sake STAY AWAY!!! |
|
|
|
tmm071571
Moderator
1239 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 1:02:30 PM
|
Ok, I can't sit here anymore and read this crap. I am so tired of hearing about "look at Morrow County, it's the wild wild west, it's falling apart, people are making fun of Morrow". If you don't live in Morrow County, shut up. People joked about Morrowtucky LONG before I moved there and I have lived in Morrow County for 12 years. It's a VERY rural area. Guess what? You don't get the LE in a rural area that you get in a more populated area. People move out there to get AWAY FROM THE CITY. Yea, crime happens anywhere. You know what you do? You lock your doors and keep an eye out for everyone. If you get robbed while you are away, what are detectives going to do? KEEP YOU STUFF INSURED. Things that are that valuable to you, lock up. Morrow County is not the wild wild west. Give me a break. Do you seriously suggest we pay detectives huge wages to investigate a house getting robbed while no one was home? What can you do to stop this when you live in a VERY rural area? Think cops are going to be up and down your road if there isn't a cut in LE? NO. As for county offices that have cut hours. Seriously, some of the county offices, if opened for 40 hours a week, how many of those hours are spent using utilities and paying people to sit there while not helping people coming in. I am not talking about SO, or PD's, I am talking clerk offices and such. What is the harm in reducing the hours for these places? They have limited hours of availability anyway. If you need to go to their offices you generally have to take time offwork or leave work early anyway. Seriously, you act like if you don't get this 1/4% increase that everything is going to be destroyed and everyone will run amuck and chaos will rule. Stop using living in Morrow County as an example. Crime is not out of control there. Don't use that as your example for why to increase sales tax.
As a side note, there isn't much business and industry in Morrow County. Where do you think a chunk of their business is being done? KNOX.
Tracy
tmm071571@knoxpages.com |
|
|
|
skillet30
Regular Forum Member
214 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 1:22:49 PM
|
The Commissioners have said that there will be a 11% cut for every dept. A 11% cut is a big difference for the Sheriff's Office rather than a cut for the clerks, records, courts, etc. The Sheriff's Office runs 24 hours a day 365 days a year. You can't cut back hours at the Sheriff's Office, pretty much the only option the Sheriif has is to cut employees.
I think the biggest concern is that the Commissioners have carelessly spent the tax payers money and the only way to dig the county out of this mess is to apply then temporary sales tax to get back into the black. After that the voters should take a good look at who are Commissioners are and replace some of them.
Just my seven cents that NRM wants me to donate. |
|
|
|
curious mind
Senior Forum Member
19922 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 3:03:40 PM
|
tmm - the "harm" in reducing work hours is
It will take longer to process your requests - you think the line at the BMV, Title Bureau or other govt offices is long now? just wait- the court docket will back up - the prosecutor and LE would have less time to investigate crimes that have been committed - with a court docket back up there may not be sufficient time to bring some criminals to trial, resulting in charges being dismissed; divorces would take even MORE years to get through the system; the same with civil lawsuits - there's more, but I hope you're getting that particular picture
oh yeah - and when hours are cut, so are employees - I guess since this won't affect you, that's aokay - but it's going to affect a LOT of others - so, a rise in unemployment, more people applying for benefits - on and on and on and on....and just before the holidays, too........wouldn't that just be peachy?
am not willing to take a chance on any of that happening because the Commissioners screwed up - a temporary tax of 25 cents on every hundred dollars spent is more than reasonable, if it allows everything to run as it is and allows people to keep their jobs........
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
|
|
|
|
tmm071571
Moderator
1239 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 3:21:04 PM
|
My point is companies are slowing down, business is slowing down, peoples hours/benefits/jobs are being cut all over the place. My ex husband has lost paid holidays, PTO time, and even drastic cuts in pay. It's happening. What I am saying is it's better to KEEP people in jobs, even if it means cutting back hours than laying them off. I am also saying that many needless hours are spent at places. How many hours at the BMV are they staffing 3 or 4 people and maybe a few people trickle through. Honestly, I have been to the BMV many times and never waited more than a few minutes. Now a Saturday, yes, there is a HUGE wait. There are always "down" hours where not much is going on. It's being made out that if we don't get this 1/4% increase in sales tax that that will be the reason for all these jobs lost. A better use of hours is a better solution in these tough economic times.
And Skillet, if you notice, in my response i wasn't talking about cutting SO hours. I mentioned you can't cut that.
Tracy
tmm071571@knoxpages.com |
|
|
|
curious mind
Senior Forum Member
19922 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 3:39:20 PM
|
TMM it has been stated by more than one division head with certainty that without the slight tax increase the layoffs WILL happen - and I believe them
this isn't some "fear tactic" - it's the reality of the situation
I'd rather pay the extra 25 cents than be responsible for someone losing their job - especially just before the holidays -- I don't give a rats ass if layoffs are occurring everywhere else - if the tax increase will keep even MORE residents from hitting the unemployment line, I'm all for it
just my opinion kiddo...
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
|
|
|
|
larry
Regular Forum Member
146 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 4:07:30 PM
|
tmm, I'm in no way making fun of Morrow county. I'm making fun of the same thing you wrote. People think it's the wild west, crime is rampant, and there are robbers and muggers around every corner, oh my!! You make some very valid points. If cuts have to be made, so be it. cm, as far as "temporary tax" Amen NRM!
|
Edited by - larry on Oct 15 2009 4:09:49 PM |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
All Forums
1/4% sales tax increase
New Topic
Printer Friendly
