Strikeslip gets it

[dgriffin]

Another great entry on Strikeslip's Fault Lines blog.

Post yesterday, "They Don't Get It ..." comments on some of the dumb ideas coming from those we have chosen as our leaders.

I hope Strike doesn't mind one quote from the article:
"I'm sick of these politicians spending our money on harebrained schemes. They basically want to use the stimulus to do more of what they have already been doing: growing government, growing government dependency, and growing government control where it is not needed."

strikeslip.blogspot.com/

[concerned]

I wonder after all this money goes to the States to begin all these programs to jump start jobs,etc what happens when all the money is spent and that same amount of money plus more is needed to sustain all the programs that were started.

[frankcor]

I remember when Valeski was first running for the state senate and promised he was going to make a difference.

It didn't take long for him to start thinking and talking in senate-speak, did it?

[clarencebunsen]

Concerned,

I think that was the point that Bobby Jindal was making yesterday. These funds don't just come with strings, they come with ropes & cables.

[Deleted]

The county will piss away the stimulus money as they did with the tobacco settlement funds. Our taxes will rise, the county payroll will continue to be a patronage mill for the well conected, & county politicians will continue to play the blame game in pointing fingers at Albany for the stupidity & wasteful spending that is the rule of thumb in O.C. It will be business as usual in O.C., as it has been for the past 30 years.

[frankcor]

The arrogance of Tony Picente and the Legislature is staggering: Picente wants most of county jobs cut restored

I suppose all that grand posturing last month about serious budget problems was just theater. And we all bought tickets.

[Clipper]

I saw that article last night in the Sentinel Frank and was going to post it this morning.

That is total BS, and I hope that the legislators stand up against it. He is playing a game, and any legislator that stands up against it, will be villified by the employees unions and county employees. I am hoping to see Larry's opinion of this strictly political move by Picente. I can't believe that Picente is this transparent and blatantly ignorant of the REAL NEED to cut those positions that are not filled at present. If we are functioning without them, we can continue to function without them. He simply wants to pass the blame to the Democrats or to those legislators that stand up against hiring.

I know it has been said before, but I will repeat it. Picente's staff should be the FIRST cuts to be made, and then Picente's salary should be cut in half. Other legislators would most likely be willing to give some portion of their salary back if the county exec started the ball rolling.

[frankcor]

And if you think the legislature won't rubber-stamp this proposal, you've been living in Tennessee for too long.

It's so painfully obvious reading Picente's words, that he just doesn't get it:

Picente said no position requests are being forwarded by him to the Board of Legislators for approval unless a department head can document that the job is essential and critical to the operation of vital departmental functions.

There is no thought of the plight of taxpayers. Only to vital departmental functions. We are screwed, glued and tattooed.

[dgriffin]

All together now. EVERYBODY vote No for any incumbent. It's a blunt instrument, but it will shake up the status quo.

[snickers]

Feb 24, 2009 6:20:25 GMT -5 @kracker said:

The county will piss away the stimulus money as they did with the tobacco settlement funds. Our taxes will rise, the county payroll will continue to be a patronage mill for the well conected, & county politicians will continue to play the blame game in pointing fingers at Albany for the stupidity & wasteful spending that is the rule of thumb in O.C. It will be business as usual in O.C., as it has been for the past 30 years.

....tune in this same time in about five years, when "kraker" will be able to say......what he just said. 'Cause it'll STILL ;D be true and relevant.

[Clipper]

We already predicted this when the money was put into contingency funds instead of being struck from the budget. Now we will see how it shakes out. ANY legislator that stands up against hiring to fill these positions will garner votes, and any legislator votes to fill them, it will go against them. While Picente shuffles the walnut shells around, keep your eye on the money that went into the contingency fund, and see if Larry can track that for us. The voters that will vilify the legislators voting to abolish the positions themselves or voting to leave them empty, will be the band of county employees that are affected by the cuts. The legislators voting for abolishing the positions and against filling them, will be the legislators that will need our support in order to offset the votes lost by through their honesty and true concern for the taxpayer.

The fact that the money was not simply taken out of the budget gave us all a clue that the money would be hidden away for some luck patron or pet project to play with later. If these departments have a real need these positions, let them shuffle their own departments and eliminate something else in order to accomodate the need for this "all important" position.

Yes Frank, you are most likely right about the rubber stamp, but I hope we are able to see the results of the voting and WHO actually votes to restore the positions to the payroll. The voting record of an incumbent is what I want to see when I vote for or against their re-election.

[frankcor]

I'm going to speak to the legislature tomorrow night. I really wish I could just go home, watch TV and relax, but this motion is just too insulting.

The way I see it, the legislators have two choices -- vote no if you're on the side of the people, vote yes if you're on the side of nepotism, patronage and business as usual. They need to know that not everybody in this county was fooled by their theatrical move a few weeks ago -- cut the jobs but keep the money in the budget so we can restore them later. How stupid are the people of Oneida County to keep getting fooled over and over again?

Does anybody want to join me? Maybe even a tiny bit of acknowledgement from the gallery may be enough to show the legislators I am not a lone wacko.

[bobbbiez]

Frankie, I would love to join you but have a very important meeting tomorrow night I have to attend with the Neighborhood Watch Groups.

Guess it leaves you and I bitching loud and clear but on different government levels. ;D

Good luck with yours and you know I'll do my best with mine.

[Clipper]

Wish I was there Frank. I attend all of the county board meetings here, with very few exceptions. Not only do I feel like I am doing a civic duty to my neighbors by keeping track of business being conducted (they all still work and I am retired), but I have the satisfaction of knowing what is going on and I am informed when I read something in the newspaper, or when an issue is discussed. I ask questions and by doing so, I can see who is truthful on the board, and who hems and haws and skirts the issues. Once I have established who is good and who is sneaky, crooked, and patronizing, I MAKE SURE to question their every statement, and pin them down on every detail.

Surprisingly, the gallery is usually quite full for the meetings. (30 or 40 on the average). I have attended Oneida County meetings in years gone by, when there were only 5 or 6 taxpayers present.

They all know who I am, and when one of them is trying to pass off pure bullsh**, they will sometimes look at me for my reaction. It is humorous. I give them that "yeah, right" skowl, and they quickly avert their eyes to someone else.

Can't wait to hear what you have to say tomorrow. Hopefully we will get a report from Larry Jr also.

[dgriffin]

Frank, can Larry videotape it?