"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
"The dog did nothing in the night-time."
"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.
--Arthur Conan Doyle - Sherlock Holmes, "Silver Blaze"
It seems a curious point: those who most deeply deplore the proposed raise for the City Clerk have all contributed to the thundering silence regarding raises for other individuals (despite my comments on this months ago...no one listened)
Those individuals who are raising the largest squeals (like the pigs they are) were curiously silent while Mayor Picard (and the City Council) approved a $25,000.00 raise for our Finance Director...they were also similarly silent whilst the Mayor and City Council gave a similarly obscene raise to our City's Human Resources Director (Never mind that we have few Humans...and NO resources).
No, forget about all that. "It's all in the past", as my Red Sox fan-friends tell me.
NO, JACKASSES -- THE PAST AFFECTS OUR FUTURE!
If you can't figure out that we haven't any "wiggle room" left, you're too stupid to be a voter...go back to your couch and turn Fox News back on (to tell you how smart you are). Beyond that:
NO, JACKASSES -- THE PAST AFFECTS OUR FUTURE!
The City Clerk hasn't got a raise since 2005...and this is the only time a raise can be asked for. Debbie Collins has seen her (unionized) employees get raises...one gets nearly the same as she does.
Also, since 2005, the State of Connecticut has given her office new responsibilities while expecting our taxes to pay for those responsibilities...it's called "unfunded mandates": perfectly legal, but honestly dishonest.
When you couple this with the fact that Himself twice tried to be rid of Mme. Collins ("Can anyone rid me of this troublesome Clerk?" - apologies to Thomas Beckett & Henry VIII) the point is clear: Miz Collins (as our local kitty litter liner would parse her name) is on the outs with the Powers That Be...and only those on the Inside get the goodies.
This ain't right...and it's sure as hell no way to run a City. We the taxpayers will pay for these "games" in the end.
I've looked into this matter: I saw Collins's justification, and was refused the Administration's rebuttal (imagine that!). Here are the facts:
The Clerk in Milford, and the Clerk in Hamden (two towns near West Haven with nearly -- OK, somewhat more -- than our population), both make about $16,000 per year more than the West Haven City Clerk. And neither the Clerk in Milford nor the Clerk in Hamden has to put up with the bull crap that we give to our Clerk (and her office.)
One final factoid: Debbie Collins employs the brother of her recent opponent. Debbie Collins -- though she could fire the guy -- will not end that employment.
That alone should tell you how she runs her office...and it's a pity the rest of our City government isn't run the same way. We'd pay less taxes, were our City run like our Office of City Clerk.
This says to me that Collins puts her duties above her politics. Wouldn't it be grand if West Haven had a Mayor that did the same?
I think, in this case, a raise (though not necessarily at the rate requested) is more then justifiable.
No, forget about all that. "It's all in the past", as my Red Sox fan-friends tell me.
NO, JACKASSES -- THE PAST AFFECTS OUR FUTURE!
If you can't figure out that we haven't any "wiggle room" left, you're too stupid to be a voter...go back to your couch and turn Fox News back on (to tell you how smart you are). Beyond that:
NO, JACKASSES -- THE PAST AFFECTS OUR FUTURE!
The City Clerk hasn't got a raise since 2005...and this is the only time a raise can be asked for. Debbie Collins has seen her (unionized) employees get raises...one gets nearly the same as she does.
Also, since 2005, the State of Connecticut has given her office new responsibilities while expecting our taxes to pay for those responsibilities...it's called "unfunded mandates": perfectly legal, but honestly dishonest.
When you couple this with the fact that Himself twice tried to be rid of Mme. Collins ("Can anyone rid me of this troublesome Clerk?" - apologies to Thomas Beckett & Henry VIII) the point is clear: Miz Collins (as our local kitty litter liner would parse her name) is on the outs with the Powers That Be...and only those on the Inside get the goodies.
This ain't right...and it's sure as hell no way to run a City. We the taxpayers will pay for these "games" in the end.
I've looked into this matter: I saw Collins's justification, and was refused the Administration's rebuttal (imagine that!). Here are the facts:
The Clerk in Milford, and the Clerk in Hamden (two towns near West Haven with nearly -- OK, somewhat more -- than our population), both make about $16,000 per year more than the West Haven City Clerk. And neither the Clerk in Milford nor the Clerk in Hamden has to put up with the bull crap that we give to our Clerk (and her office.)
One final factoid: Debbie Collins employs the brother of her recent opponent. Debbie Collins -- though she could fire the guy -- will not end that employment.
That alone should tell you how she runs her office...and it's a pity the rest of our City government isn't run the same way. We'd pay less taxes, were our City run like our Office of City Clerk.
This says to me that Collins puts her duties above her politics. Wouldn't it be grand if West Haven had a Mayor that did the same?
I think, in this case, a raise (though not necessarily at the rate requested) is more then justifiable.
(More on the Tax Collector issue tomorrow)...
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