E and A Passes 18.62 Property Tax Increase

[Ralph]

OK……Eliminate The PS Commish & DPS Commish positions and you can also eliminate their secretary.
Next we drop Angelo Roefaro (why he makes $60k is BEYOND me)
Ditto Paul Buckley…face it, running around with a video camera can be done by interns from UC or MVCC….useless.

And while we’re at it, who really needs a Deputy DPW Commish…….@ $47,598.00?

Ready?

That’s $598,191.00…..salaries alone!!

That does not take into account unemployment payments the City has to make against their wages, nor health care, 401k, retirement, etc. And of course their vehicles will no longer be needed, thereby saving insurance, gas and maintenance costs.

And not for nothing, but why did the Mayor’s travel budget jump from $500.00 last year to $5,850.00?

[Clipper]

The ambulance service is a profitable business if not for the corrupt politics that exists within the area's controlling group that decides whether an ambulance service is needed or is allowed to be licensed. That committee is composed of private ambulance company owners and is nothing short of just plain corrupt and protective of their own financial interests.

While Kunkel and Joe Taylor from Rome are both great providers, and dedicated to their patients, they should not have the ultimate authority to protect their turf in the manner that they are able to presently. The city CAN make money off the ambulances, and it keeps the firefighters actively working for a profit, where in the past they simply responded WITH Kunkel and were not paid for their EMS work.

Kunkle can make enough doing transports and working outside the city as he does in providing ALS and other services to the outlying areas. He does not need to have a monopoly in the city of Utica to survive. That is a political chokehold that needs to be corrected. Utica has totally qualified paramedics and EMT's and should not be restrained in providing a service that is needed with personnel that are already on the clock and being paid whether the city recovers anything for their responses or not.

[Clipper]

As far as the DPW deputy commissioner, I can't see any justification for that position, seeing as they have foremen that are in charge of supervising the shift workers and I am sure that they can assign work quite efficiently without another layer of management to kick start their "to do list".

Other than snow removal, the DPW workers could be thinned, and utilized to their maximum potential with less personnel necessary. The city could look at hiring "winter temporary help" like the surrounding towns do, simply to handle snow removal. Towns hire snowplow drivers, and wingmen just for the winter and lay them off in the spring, rather than to have a fulltime force, and have to scrounge for something to keep them busy during the summer.

Angelo is part of the friends and family plan. If the mayor were to do HIS OWN job, there would be no reason for Angelo to hold the position that he holds. I think that they should change places, and Dave should be the mayor and work at city hall, while Angelo works at the funeral home on the ROEFARO PAYROLL, not the city's. It is like Roefaro got elected and then "subcontracted" the duties of mayor at the expense of the taxpayer, while he continues to run the funeral business.

[clarencebunsen]

Clipper,

In order to provide any new medical service in New York an organizatiio has to get a certificate of need. For example, St Luke's can't start a heart surgery program unless they can demonstrate that the area is not adequately served by the St. E's program plus those in Syracuse & Albany. I think the original idea was to control health care costs by avoiding duplication of services.

When Utica first started their ambulance service, I didn't understand hoe they had demonstrated a need for another ambulance service. There didn't appear to be any excesssive wait times or lack of coverage in Utica. Later, I saw that they had taken advantage of a provision that allowed them to operate for a year before applying . When the time came they applied and still couldn't demonstrate a need for the service they wanted to provide. Utica's need for revenue didn't factor into the decision.

I don't think it mattered whose friends were on what boards, I don't see how Utica can get a certificate of need. The decision is in appeal but I don't have any expectation that Utica will prevail.

[Clipper]

I understand the process and the "certificate of need" thing Clarence. I rode an ambulance for many years as an EMT. I simply never understood why it would pertain to an ambulance service as long as they could meet the standards and protocols for treatment. I simply think it is a serious conflict of interest to allow those that own ambulance services, and those that would be in competition with a new provider, to make the determination as to who would be allowed to provide service and who would not.

There is a large difference certifying a surgery program for an existing hospital and allowing free enterprise by someone that wants to invest their own money in equipment and hire qualified personnel to work for them.

We are wandering from the original subject, but I DO believe that the city should be able to recoup money from the services provided by having EMT's and paramedics riding every rig on every call. It is my understanding that EVERY firefighter in the city is required to complete an EMT course. Maybe it is time to send Kunkel to the suburbs and allow the city to take care of the city calls unless Kunkel is requested.

There were always more than one option for ambulance service in years gone by. Unfortunately, Hinckley and Wurz didn't keep up with the times and became second rate. That is not a problem with the city's equipment. Regardless, there was a rotation system back then, and Kunkel used to jump the calls constantly. The city should be on rotation with Kunkel and both should be offered equal numbers of calls.

Anything less is political and a monopoly. City taxpayers should be up in arms, and backing a city ambulance service to raise revenues from insurance companies and medicare and to lessen the budgetary burden of fire protection costs.

[clarencebunsen]

Not really commenting on the fairness of the system, just on how I understand it to be. From what I understand, the city is in the position of a person who has put up a building knowing it to be in violation of codes & then retroactively asks for a varience. If their appeal loses, this will have been an expensive venture.

My understanding of the current rotation system (I'm working from memory so I won't feel bad if someone corrects me.) is that the city gets all calls if they have a rig available & Kunkel gets any overflow.

[bobbbiez]

But doesn't it still hold if the person calling can still request who they want to transport them?

[clarencebunsen]

I believe you are correct.

[bobbbiez]

Then even with a rotation system no matter how it's set up, it is still the choice of the people. I see no problem with that at all. Actually, I feel it should be the decision of the person who is being transported and who has to foot the bill. They should have a choice.

[clarencebunsen]

I don't have a dog in this fight. I just don't see how Utica can win their appeal.

[bobbbiez]

Don't know about the legal end of this but I do feel Kunkel shouldn't be allowed to have a monopoly in this business.
Being a taxpayer and a resident of Utica I do want to have a choice on who I want to transport me especially since I'm the one who has to foot the bill for the service.

[Clipper]

I agree with you Sunshine. Even if there were a second private ambulance it would be different. It is just not right for Kunkel to have the monopoly, and for Kunkel to be able to help determine the "need". Of course he and Joe Taylor are going to vote against any city run ambulance services in Utica or Rome. It is not a case of Joe or Kunkel being less than qualified to run their services, but it is a conflict and unfair that the taxpayers do not have an input into whether their taxes should provide a city service or not.

I have to believe it is just one more case of NY State over legislating and interfering the public's right to choose. Who the hell cares if there are 10 or 15 ambulance services in the city. They will compete and either survive or fail on their own merits. It is called free enterprise. Only the good will survive. Fly by nights will be bankrupt in a short time.

[Swimmy]

Mar 13, 2010 23:36:19 GMT -5 bobbbiez said:

Agree with all except I thought the ambulance service through the UFD was making the city money.

I thought I read somewhere back when the ambulance service was being disputed that it was actually losing money and the city was using taxpayer monies to subsidize its existence, one of the reasons many people were against the city entering the private industry of medical transport services. No?

[bobbbiez]

Mar 15, 2010 18:14:14 GMT -5 Swimmy said:

Mar 13, 2010 23:36:19 GMT -5 bobbbiez said:

Agree with all except I thought the ambulance service through the UFD was making the city money.

I thought I read somewhere back when the ambulance service was being disputed that it was actually losing money and the city was using taxpayer monies to subsidize its existence, one of the reasons many people were against the city entering the private industry of medical transport services. No?

Geez Swimmy, I don't think the city is losing money. There was an article in the OD in recent weeks where Russ Brooks (UFD Chief) stated it actually was saving the taxpayer money.
Sorry, don't remember what date it was but it was a full article concerning this issue.

[Swimmy]

That's cool. I just thought that was what I remembered reading awhile ago. I'm more involved in other issues so I defer to others on this one.