Print

[Heaven can Wait]

Bullcan

I have been following some threads and never had a reason to get involved but Bullcan your making yourself look bad.  You have some pretty good thoughts but slamming firemen and stating

Is it overtime to sleep and get paid?

is really a cheap shot.  Those men and women are away from their families and more importantly saying they get paid to sleep is an understatement, their paid to respond within a couple of minutes if you, I or anyone in our community needs help.  Lighten up, attacking firemen in our community isn’t the way.  If hogwild provides some faulty information direct your anger towards hogwild not to the men and women who protect our community.

[Not a Good Day]

Can someone help me out here.  Bullcan mentioned that Iacoangeli blew money on beautification projects and got the city further in debt, how much debt are we talking?

[caspar]

Can't really decypher who Bullcans is for. Kind of have an idea who Bullcans is against. Let me talk this out.

Definitely against Iacoangeli.

Doesn't want a mayor whose name ends in a vowel. Thats a against for Cappuccilli.

Has a lot of good things to say about Burkett. That could be his/her candidate.

Nothing bad or good about McIntyre. That could be his/her candidate.

No other candidate names mentioned. That means it probably is Burkett or McIntyre.

Their choice has to be Burkett or McIntyre. How did I do?

Bullcans, so you do not lose credibility, you need to bring your "A" game to this forum, do your research,  bring facts,  and not spew biased opinions as fact. That firemen comment was way out of left field and plain ignorant.

A couple of personal observations:
From the last two councils, Wetzel and Sabo seemed to be the wisest two councilpersons and had no connections to the good old boys network.

Of the four current candidates. one is a good old boy, one is a wanna be good old boy, one made some of the good old boys mad, and the last one is in one those three categories.

I think this election will be our most hotly contested mayoral race in a long time. 

[sullivan]

Hogwild,

Keep sending in the information. I like to hear all the  information before voting. Then we will have to decide what is fact and what is bull. 

I do think mistakes were made on the ice arena and the closing of the IKO plant.

As I previously stated , IF YOU WANT FACTS instead of gossip regarding the status and cure of the City of Monroe : Go to their web site and really study the results of the Operational Assessment.

 I attended a meeting recently that sadly informed that IF we follow ALL of the measures regarding the cure to our financial problems --we will still be well over a million short of being within budget.

If you were the head of a company with the kind of very revealing "sleeping at the switch" problems of lack of leadership and management we have had for decades--you would probably start cleaning house.

The city spends 85 cents or better of every dollar for wages and benefits to their employees---this must be changed!!

For the rest of us to expect to live in a city that spends so little of their remaining tax dollars for maintenance of our infrastructure and capital improvements and think that our streets and forward progress of the city will improve is truly a" pipe dream".

When a nest has been feathered without question during the numerous years of "milk and honey days" it is rather discomforting to remove soft cushy excess feathers from the nest---but that is the ultimate cure. We are over staffed and under funded--you tell me an alternative??The private sector where most of us reside are faced with job loss,down sizing, reduction in wages and benefits, etc. Do we feel the public sector should be exempt from the same adjustments the rest of us are making???

Leadership requires making tough decisions during tough times and those decisions must be shared by the city of Monroe elected officials, department heads ,union leadership and employees if we are to remedy a problem that is not one individuals fault but has culminated over a period of years.

We can point an accusing finger or we can research the initial remedy ( Operational Assessment ) and take the doctor's prescription for cure instead of what I am seeing , which is ,delaying radical city saving surgery for a later date and hope the life threatening illness goes away.

It is no mistake that the city of Monroe has a disproportionate number of houses and property for sale or vacate as opposed to the rest of the county : The direct result of the way people view property taxes paid as opposed to services received and quality of life and future.

The ones who will scream the loudest are the city of Monroe employees who receive above average and more in the way of salary, wages and benefits---but when they are complaining about having to take the same adjustments all of us in the private sector are already doing---ask them where they live ( for you see most of them have elected to live OUTSIDE the city and are not helping to fund their positions.

I wish we had another way and many of the employees are personal acquaintances that I like --but we are either in this together to resolve as quickly and even handed relating to sacrafice  or it becomes a free for all with no winners and everone losing.
J. Pat Mc Elligott  

[The Fuzz]

Face it all......have you ever watched this group on TV>>>It's the closest thing to a pathetic reality show.  I think the citizens should be embarassed for this entire council and the entire fiasco of the scrap yard prooved it. 

Dorthy should go....she should be replaced with someone in her precinct with better comprehension skills to cast an accurate vote, or not have to have it explained to her multiple times.  I saw many more qualified individuals speak up at the rezoning ordeal out of her precinct considerably more qualified.  That precinct deserves better representation!

Al and Bill......no doubt good ole boys!  I wish Al good luck in his personal battle, but it's time to hang it up.  Replace Al with Bill.....not certain of the value there.....sorry.

Linda....keep listening to John.....its so so obvious!

Brian.....my I suggest a public speaking class?  Your intentions may be good, but it's difficult to bear with your statements that I lose intrest and wait for someone to speak up and fill in for you.

Jon....what were you thinking with the pass.  Unbelievable!  My guess is that the ole head took some impacts at Western and during Golden Gloves that has come back to haunt you.

Ed.....you appear to be the highest level of intelligence with a business and accounting background.  Hope you can stay!

You guys should consider Mark Worrell in some sort of advisory capacity....he appears to me to be one of the few in town who understands how to deal with the state, and demonstrates fiscal responsibility that I don't think the rest of the crew up there in those leather seats are comprehending.

This city needs qualified leadership.....too bad we just can't get the right people to run. 

My mayor selection......John is the most qualified by his professional experience.  If this town votes in Bill or Al over John,,,,,then I thank you for the continued entertainment on public television.

[Not a Good Day]

I have to say I am some what confused, wouldn’t be the first time and certainly won’t be the last.  Sullivan (J. Pat McElligott) mentioned he attended a meeting that basically said if the city followed the plan they would still be a million short of budget.  I remember when I reviewed the plan it said if the recommendations were followed the General Fund would save $1.4 million yearly.  It continued on to say the estimated budget deficit for 207-08 was estimated at $1.5 million.  My math says that if we follow the plan cut expenses by $1.4 million, we would be short $100,000.  Where does the $1 million come into play?

Thanks

[The Fuzz]

With declining revenue projections it shouldn't be a shock that the city deficiet would grow accordingly.

Saw a recent clip in the Detroit news reguarding city mergers......now a forward thinking town our size with the Township and Frenchtown surely would realize there could be significant economies of scale along with lower overhead/administrative costs by a consolidation.

I've only been here 10 years or so, but I'm sure there are some really silly reasons driven by tradition that would be compromised that a select, but powerful few would never let happen.  What a shame....that's where the biggest bang for the buck and local economy lies!

[Hogwild]

Bullcan

You started off with what I thought were some thought provoking question regarding work hours.  You progressed to ask the difficult questions regarding stations and the dreaded volunteer question.  But alas you slipped again. 

Your thoughts for Mayor are just that your thoughts, but what makes you think John has money handling problems?  My gosh have you ever taken the time to put forth the slightest bit of effort looking for facts before blindly stating something.  In the City of Monroe’s Comprehensive Annual Fiscal Report for the year ended June 30, 2005 it clearly states “Fund balance for the General Fund increased $210,341 to $3,207,222.  Of the increase, $106,016 was related to budgeted funds that were not expended, but were encumbered.  Those funds transfer to the 2006 fiscal year as budgeted expenditures, making the net increase in fund balance available for appropriation $104,325.  This was done at the same time state-shared revenue was reduced by $58,000."  I would like to tell you to go to the City website where I obtained it but it's no longer available, of course either is the one for 2006 or 2007, does that tell you anything?  While it may not be readily available I sure the document is either at the library or the city clerk has it.

but Al has served his time and John, even though he has good ideas, he has money handling problems and lacks people skills, similar to a dictator.

As for his dictator like people skills,  it appeared John was intolerant of a certain council woman, nothing unlike the treatment a current council woman receives today.  And maybe he had his differences with some of the staff, I don’t know this for fact and am only basing this on your comments.  The only thing I know for sure was the way he treated constituents when they appeared on TV at council meetings, and it didn’t appear it was with an iron hand.  He appeared interested while they were speaking, not making hand gestures, holding head in hands, reading something on the dais, or generally looking as if he should be doing something other than listening to a certain landlord again.  So what rational are you using saying John lacks people skills, similar to a dictator?

[Paula Wethington]

bullcans asks <<Is it possible to have a smaller number of firemen on duty and utilize some sort of volunteers as backup, if and when a major fire breaks out?>>

I don't cover city hall, and I've only seen a couple of council meetings in person or on the television. So I have no helpful background or experience on the Monroe mayor's race, city budget or the municipal staffing needs.

But I do have a pretty good feel for the state of non-profits and volunteer groups in Monroe County, because that's my reporting beat on Community Page. I think detailed research into the potential volunteer pool and its availability should be done by any group or agency that is considers shifting necessary services, no matter the schedule or number of occasions, away from paid staff to volunteer staff; or for any group that is starting up and will rely on volunteers to help provide its services.

The reason: it can be really difficult to recruit and retain enough volunteers to run a charity, mission or non-profit organization.

The MEN, as a public service in conjunction with the United Way, runs an entire page of volunteer requests from non-profit groups once a month. It's called the Helping Hands section. We also list an occasional "volunteers wanted" announcement on Community Page for other requests. For example, this week's Monroe Kiwanis Club report mentioned they are still trying to fill volunteer spots for a fundraiser event that is taking place Aug. 19.

There are other groups that fill key spots by word of mouth or formal recruiting campaigns .... and / or put way too much responsibility on certain people to keep the organization going.

Think about it:

• Many Monroe County residents commute to another city to work. So that drive time eats into their free time.
  Local kids are very involved in sports, clubs and music programs after school from preschool through high school. So mom or dad typically drive the carpools and / or dedicate their volunteer and fundraising efforts into projects their kids are involved in.
  Junior high and high school students seek out community service opportunities for a variety of reasons, but many can't drive or are too young for certain duties. So their assistance can be put to use in only some assignments. And those volunteers are only available for a couple of years before college and / or work responsibilities begin.
  Given today's demographics, today's parents and middle-agers are lucky if they have a break in their life between raising their kids and handling caretaker responsibilities for older relatives. So many of the "empty nesters" have family responsibilities.

Obviously, some of the local non-profits are quite active and quite successful. One-time events such as auctions and dinners often get positive response from potential volunteers who need or prefer short-term assignments. And news events often inspire people to contribute one cause or the other - examples from recent years include the local reaction to the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina.

But the question remains for any community leader or prospective volunteer: how will you locate, recruit and retain enough volunteers to meet your goals and mission?

[Hogwild]

Bullcan, good morning

Take some responsibility before making accusations that’s all I am asking.  For you to say

Does this figure take into account every financial aspect of the city, or are you just hiding the real money situation?

You are the one making the derogatory statements with no facts to back them up and now you want to accuse me of hiding the “real money situation”.  All I simply did was answer your concern and proved it through the financial report. 

There were other funds depleted as well, but I'm not exactly sure which, maybe vehicles and equipment? 

According to the financial report the Stores and Equipment fund had a total net asset of $1,448,572, so obviously this fund was no where near depleted.

I am not an accountant or any type of finance person, all I can tell give you are the figures presented in the financial report.  The General Fund balance was reported as $3,207,222 and the Other Non Major Government Funds is reported at $7,512,908.

I also heard the ice rink was refinanced about three years ago

I do remember something about Ms. Manns negotiating a better interest rate and saving the city, but I can’t seem to locate that information right now.  But rest assured since the statement was made I will do my best to provide the facts supporting or refuting  it.

[The Fuzz]

I would like to ask the question one more time since there appears to be folks on this string that are in tune with city politics.

Why could there not be a merger of the local governments of Monroe City, Frenchtown, and Monroe township?  Some of the Detroit suburbs are investigating it as it has been done in some areas of the country with success.  The advantages in consolodation appear to me to be quite substantial.

I imagine automony would be an issue, but I can't help but to believe that this would help the community with transparent borders a great deal.

Again....I am new to the area (10 years or so) and do not know the local history.

[The Fuzz]

I feel it is irresponsible of local politicians not to consider the value of such a proposal in light of the struggling local governments of the 3 affected city governments.  I understand it wouldn't be easy, but to at least not open it up for discussion to determine if it is feasible or not is not doing a service to the taxpayers.

We must face the fact that the revenue from the state, and the decline of the automotive industry's contribution to the tax base is not going to be cured anytime soon.

Drastic times deserve drastic measues as the saying goes.  This proposal looks to have merit to me and there should be a study initiated much like the city just did to examine their organizational woes!

[Griff]

I would like to ask the question one more time since there appears to be folks on this string that are in tune with city politics.

Why could there not be a merger of the local governments of Monroe City, Frenchtown, and Monroe township?  Some of the Detroit suburbs are investigating it as it has been done in some areas of the country with success.  The advantages in consolodation appear to me to be quite substantial.

I imagine automony would be an issue, but I can't help but to believe that this would help the community with transparent borders a great deal.

Again....I am new to the area (10 years or so) and do not know the local history.

Great idea. The governor is already preaching intergovernmental agreements, so why not make all of Monroe County one jurisdiction? We could save on duplication of services and equipment for sure.

I would not be in favor of amalgamation. I would not want my part of the county to exchange its local ordinances and zoning codes for the debt burden of another jurisdiction.

Peace,
Griff

[lordfly]

I would like to ask the question one more time since there appears to be folks on this string that are in tune with city politics.

Why could there not be a merger of the local governments of Monroe City, Frenchtown, and Monroe township?  Some of the Detroit suburbs are investigating it as it has been done in some areas of the country with success.  The advantages in consolodation appear to me to be quite substantial.

I imagine automony would be an issue, but I can't help but to believe that this would help the community with transparent borders a great deal.

Again....I am new to the area (10 years or so) and do not know the local history.

Great idea. The governor is already preaching intergovernmental agreements, so why not make all of Monroe County one jurisdiction? We could save on duplication of services and equipment for sure.

Making the entire county one jurisdiction wouldn't work. You'd be making a community that has at most 20,000 people and turning it into a metropolis of 160,000 (albeit very spread out). In essence you're going from Monroe to Ann Arbor overnight.

It would make sense to fuse Frenchtown, Monroe, and Monroe Township together, as their built-up areas merge. I would only support this merger, though, if the Monroe folks could curb the insane urban sprawl happening in Frenchtown.

Protip: If you're going to invite every single big-box retailer to hang out on your township, make sure you have the infrastructure for it. I'm looking at you, Telegraph and Mall roads...

If the urban sprawl isn't checked, downtown Monroe is doomed. As is the farmland. By fusing the townships and city together maybe they can come up with an intelligent urban growth plan.

[The Fuzz]

What would it take to get the 3 governments talking to at least study the feasibility......pressure from the MEN?