What one word or term would you use if you were trying to gauge how the American people feel about the way our governments - Federal, State and Local - are affecting their lives now, and moreover about what the future may bring? It’s a daunting task while trying to be kind. About the best I could come up without using profanity is, “Uncertainty.”
News programs, radio talk shows, television analytical news programs, newspaper columnists‘ articles, etc., range from slanderous and profanity laced partisan programs, a la some Late Night TV Shows to thoughtful one hour programs that examine issues of concern to the general public.
This effort will concentrate on the state of local feelings of angst and general concerns of the taxpayers of the City of New Britain.
For the past eight months, New Britain has been in total turmoil since the election of Mayor O’Brien. Announcements are made and changed almost weekly how: (a) a hiring freeze will take place, (b) an alleged, ever-changing budget deficit will be reconciled, (c) how and when a departmental reorganization will take place, (d) number of layoffs, (e) what jobs will be done by which department, etc., etc.
One of the most ridiculous ideas put forth so far by the O’Brien Administration is that $3.95 Million in revenue can be realized by assessing absentee landlords an additional fee for trash pickup. To me, this is simply an added tax! Assuming that absentee landlords pay their property taxes, I believe that this idea could be challenged successfully in a court of law as illegal. Why is or would this be different from charging a special fee for each child parents send to city schools? Folks that send their kids to private or parochial schools end up paying an additional “tax” for education. Many homeowners pay taxes covering education yet have no children.
A little research shows that there are 10,463 non-owner occupied units of housing (1 family to 6 family) in New Britain. To get $3.95 Million dollars each one would have to be assessed an additional $378.
Everything I’ve written here begs more questions so, what does O’Brien say about all the questions that people have? “It’s too soon to tell how everything will play out.” In a word? “UNCERTAINTY?” How do you feel?
Lou Salvio
Charging only absentee landlords a fee for trash pick up and no one else is called "Selective Targeting" and is against the law. Lou is right!
ReplyDeletedisorganized chaos is more like it.
ReplyDeleteGood point Lou. Why don't we offer a tax break for parents who relieve the city of spending $15,000 per student by sending their children to private or parochial schools? By footing the bill for about $3,500 per student at the private school, the parents are saving the city $15,000, so even if we reimbursed them the entire cost of the private school we are way ahead, and once you started a program like this, you would see parents fighting for seats in the private schools and then you would be able to completely close a number of city schools and eliminate at least half of the employees at the board of ed and cut their budget by millions.
ReplyDeleteThe Political Obama Campaign,,,,
ReplyDeleteNever Sold The Real Obama.....
It Sold His Idea Of Uncertanity.....
With Candidate Obama Offering....
His Idea For HOPE & Change ?
The Political Obama Campaign,,,,
ReplyDeleteNever Sold The Real Obama.....
It Sold His Idea Of Uncertanity.....
With Candidate Obama Offering....
His Idea For HOPE & Change ?
Hi guys :) im new to this forum, how are you guys doing?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteHi guys :) im new to this forum, how are you guys doing?
we're doing as good as can be expected in this radical city. welcome, and how are you doing?
school vouchers would solve the entire problem at the school system.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they had a voucher system in Del Rio Texas"
Lou,
ReplyDeleteEverything ok? You post is kind of, well, incoherent.
So far it's been all talk. This plan, that plan. When are they going to get the show on the road?
ReplyDeleteHere are the facts of what they have done. Increased the city budget by millions of dollars with no real revenue to warrant it. Borrowed ten million dollars from the water fund with no way to replace it. Pledged to hire 30+ new police officers. Created new positions in the mayors office and increased the mayor's budget by 180,000. Managed to lose all of our top chiefs, fire, police and finance. Threatened to cut the Library budget by 900,000 with the additional threat to close the youth museum sending employees and citizens into a tail spin. Propose to charge non-owner occupied home owners for their rightful trash pick-up without verifying if this is legal. Purchased a toxic waste dump at the top of Main and Broad and forgave the private owner all of the back taxes while sending him a check. Opposes the building of Costco while our un-employment rate hovers at nearly 11%. Appoints tax delingquents to the police commission. Has a tax delingquent on the common council deciding how tax payers will spend their hard earned money.
All of this with no tax increase?
Math 101? You are right Lou, uncertainty. Who is going to be willing to clean up this mess in a year and a half.
Sally Eigenraam
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteLou,
Everything ok? You post is kind of, well, incoherent.
LOU,
THIS PERSON IS APPARENTLY A PRODUCT OF AN INFERIOR UNIONIZED PUBLIC SCHOOL, WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN THE MISSPELLINGS!
HAD HE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ATTEND A BETTER, NON-UNION PRIVATE SCHOOL, HE WOULD KNOW HOW TO POST MESSAGES THAT ARE SPELLED CORRECTLY!
Just like O'Bama, The O'Brien/Sherwood administration is simply promises of greatness with absolutely no results other than negative ones.
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when you take someone who has never run anything in their entire life and give them a city with a $210 million annual budget to run.
ReplyDeleteNo experience=incompetence.
Typical Democrats: promise everything and deliver nothing except more bills for the people who are still dumb enough to work for a living to pay so that more people can live totally free off of their hard work.
ReplyDelete