The Observation Deck

The Governor is asking State employees for contract concessions:

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2009/ ... y_req.html

It seems reasonable to ask the same of Lakewood City and School employees.

Returing to pay levels that existed five years ago, replacing sick time with short term disability policies and asking for reasonable copays and deductibles for medical insurance are reasonable requests.

I think Bill always LOVES me dropping in on some of his posts like this,

...being the strong union supporter that I admittedly am.

(actually I like Bill quite a lot personally, this stuff between us is more fun than adversarial to me)

I honestly think that without unions bargaining for the rights of workers, that slavery, or at least serfdom would still be in play in this country.

Job benefits are negoatiated parts of a collective bargaining agreement, and the losing of those benefits require more give-and-take negotiation.

That's the hard-won LAW.

Want the worker to give something back? What do you have to trade?

Employers can ASK, of course, but ask only....

Negotiated, negotiated, NEGOTIATED!!!!

Not, ne GOAT iated!

Where's that edit button?

Jim, I think you've finally got my GOAT!

I know, that was...


BAAAAD!

Gary Rice wrote:I think Bill always LOVES me dropping in on some of his posts like this,

Gary Rice wrote:
You have been called.

Gary Rice wrote:
Employers can ASK, of course, but ask only....

The looming bankruptcy of California was caused by government unions. I am not optimistic that Lakewood or Ohio can avoid the same fate nless someone finally says: No.

Bill.

Section 29.b article 72-$2 of the secret LO by-laws clearly states...

In the event of a fun loving disagreement between two people where Bill Call is one of those parties. Only a qualified third parties is allowed to deem one combatant "called".

As such I claim your calling of Mr. Rice to be null and void.

Bill Call wrote:The Governor is asking State employees for contract concessions:

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2009/ ... y_req.html

It seems reasonable to ask the same of Lakewood City and School employees.

Returing to pay levels that existed five years ago, replacing sick time with short term disability policies and asking for reasonable copays and deductibles for medical insurance are reasonable requests.

I think putting more competent and honest people in charge of budgets and finances would have a much greater impact on Lakewood’s finances

Jim DeVito wrote:Bill.

Section 29.b article 72-$2 of the secret LO by-laws clearly states...

In the event of a fun loving disagreement between two people where Bill Call is one of those parties. Only a qualified third parties is allowed to deem one combatant "called".

As such I claim your calling of Mr. Rice to be null and void.

I defer to your judgment. (Just this once. )

Pay and benefit cuts are already being implemented in the private sector:


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215257196692249.html

Shelley

I usually take a stance against Bill and his breaking contracts.

However, when a city continues to cut, and funds coming in keep going down, we must all take a hit for the team.

We can argue if they are privatizing or not, and I agree it seems like a strange time to get new equipment, but...

Something has got to give, and at that time, we all have to give.


.

This is the first time in 12 years we have had a person in the Office of the Mayor who has a realistic view of where we are as a City and where we need to go. Neither Cain nor George were preparing for our financial future during their terms. The only thing I wish Ed would have done was fought harder for the long-term strategic planning model that Denis Dunn, Mary Louise Madigan and I had advocated for and the reserve funds that he wanted to establish years ago.

Part of our problem in Cleveland is an unwillingness to embrace positive change. Until we change that cultural ethic we will be doomed to the same fate of continual job losses, zero growth, and intellectual flight. Keep voting for the same old guys and the same old ideas and you get the same result.

Shelley, everyone on the Council and the School Board is well meaning. I will agree with you that they have a variety of competencies; however, I will not let you just assume that everyone is dishonest and by implication corrupt. These charges are routinely leveled from administration to administration and council to council. These people are your neighbors. The day you get elected you will go from honest everyday Josephine to corrupt, dishonest, and egotistical. It will not matter what the truth is, that is American politics. It has been that way since 1776. But why participate in degrading the people you don't know. You are a pundit, a Monday morning quarterback. You have never had to look someone in the eye and tell them that you had to cut their job.

I assume you were a former unionized city worker. So I can understand your view as you are used to yearly wage increases, frequently at higher rates than the private market, that seemed guaranteed from year to year. Times have changed and public officials are under great pressure to change business as usual at city halls around the country. In my opinion, you should try harder to understand the working environment of these elected officials. Times are changing, and they are changing quickly, we must adapt.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Shelley

I usually take a stance against Bill and his breaking contracts.

However, when a city continues to cut, and funds coming in keep going down, we must all take a hit for the team.

We can argue if they are privatizing or not, and I agree it seems like a strange time to get new equipment, but...

Something has got to give, and at that time, we all have to give.


.

The arguement would be rather pointless...its clear they are
INTERVIEW INFORMATION:Date:January 10, 2008
Phase I

They are looking at outsourcing this function in the future.

INTERVIEW INFORMATION:Date:January 10, 2008
Phase I


They blame the refuse department for

“The FD attributed the City’s difficulties to a combination of having significant turnover within the FD position (new person every 2 years) and the city providing more services to citizens.

Which B.S....we pay less then other cities for our Superior service

City Hall seems to have no clue that we have Cushman service...

INTERVIEW INFORMATION:Date:January 10, 2008
Phase I

the citizens are not required to haul trash to the curb. Rather, the City’s employees will walk behind the house of a citizen and carry the trash to the truck waiting in the road (backyard pickup

And ...
Is overtime a problem within fire department?"
...

The Mayor was not sure why.

Come on please!

The problems with our budget and finances do ineed require "something to give" And NOW

You know what bothers me most about all this ...
I had hoped to learn for you guys. I Honestly thought that shown the information on which I base my lack of trust and oppostion to thses changes people would relize RESIDENTS are not getting the whole story.

I am truely befuddeled that nothing matters but supporting the AGENDA.

Shelley Hurd wrote:You know what bothers me most about all this ...
I had hoped to learn for you guys. I Honestly thought that shown the information on which I base my lack of trust and oppostion to thses changes people would relize RESIDENTS are not getting the whole story.

I am truely befuddeled that nothing matters but supporting the AGENDA.

edit:

to learn

FROM

you guys

Shelley, there is a lot to learn on this forum. My concern is that you are using studies from City Hall that were internal. For example, we asked for a comparison study of the Refuse Dept. services with outside contractors. We were provided with an internal study by Slavik and Beno. Now, what motivation did they have not to present the City in the most favorable light? The study was not done by an unbiased source. So from that I have to judge the study by how well I trusted the competency of these individuals. Given the nonsensical nature of the old collection routes and the professional background of the individuals, I judged that the study was invalid. Neither of them had the professional background to provide the proper statistical data that reflected actual costs.

Also, what are the INTERVIEWS that you are referencing.

Ryan Patrick Demro wrote: I assume you were a former unionized city worker. So I can understand your view as you are used to yearly wage increases, frequently at higher rates than the private market, that seemed guaranteed from year to year. Times have changed and public officials are under great pressure to change business as usual at city halls around the country. In my opinion, you should try harder to understand the working environment of these elected officials. Times are changing, and they are changing quickly, we must adapt.

You assume WRONG. I am not nor ever have been an employee of the City. And that you politicains with greater political asperaztions continue to spew NO ONE BUT EMPLOYEES care about how you guys are planing to screw up Lakewood.. sickens and saddens me. Are you guys truely that clueless?

And as for you guys who actively try to deny and intimidate Lakewood employee's who are also residents from feeling they have a right to an opinion, is down right WRONG. And that is what you are doing everytime you guys spew that

I assume you were a former unionized city worker