It is amazing what our local newspaper prints and what it never prints. What do we mean...you ask?
At last Thursday nights Council meeting Councilman Price questioned why Messer was voting on his raise. Ulrich recommended he not vote on it, but Councilman Messer said he was going to because he was an elected official and his constituents wanted him to.
Now isn't that a crock?
Why didn't Messer just come out and say: I'm voting on this because my union wants me too and because I plan to run for Mayor and I need the police department employees votes?
Have you looked at our council's voting record?
Then Mrs. Garry announces they might have to come before the Council before June of next year we are not going to have the money to pay for this building.
What she was really saying was "we're not going to have the money to pay the rent here."
So, we ask why shuffle all these numbers around so you can report to the newspaper we have balanced the budget?
You haven't balanced the budget. Did you just move the numbers around on paper to say you did, when you didn't?
Has any one of our readers looked at the city financials lately?
What gets us is we see City Attorney Gibson one month made a lot of extra money and here we thought he was on the city payroll?
We still haven't figured out why John Mattingly received a $2,900 check from the city yet this year.
One week we read things are getting better for our city. Then a few days later we read the mayor threatens of: cutting service and laying off city employees.
We say do it Doug, but we know he won't!
Do you other taxpayers feel held hostage by our city?
Then the following week he's bragging how the Industrial Park is booming and the business will bring in all kind of revenue and jobs.
What our Mayor doesn't bother telling the newspaper is because of his promises he then will turn around and have council members approve tax abatements for that existing company.
How can you bring tax dollars into our General Fund if you give every Tom, Dick and Harry a tax abatement?
The first year they pay NOTHING!
NO Taxes...
Have any one of our readers taken a drive over on Mt. Tabor lately?
You need too.
While the Industrial Park has nice new sewer pipes, stormwater pipes, fresh level paving the rest of our city looks like crap!
This city has became an obstacle course. Not only do you have to dodge the pot holes, but you know have to dodge the workman.
We also suggest you drive down by the Amphitheater where most of the time all you see is workers standing around shooting the breeze.
Go check it out yourselves and see.
"They smile and wave and then go back to shooting the breeze with their buddies."
As they say, time is money!
Maybe we need to invest in time clocks, but that wouldn't work they'd just have office staff to clock them in and out while having a beer at the Market Street VFW!
LOIT Tax:
That's a hot issue right now.
After reading Friday's Guest Columnist: HAUB; FOP leader writes to dispel local tax, police "myths" by Paul M. Haub: we had to ask ourselves if this guy "lives paycheck to paycheck" how can he afford that big boat he bought?
"Overtime?"
Doesn't 84% of our General Fund matter to this guy?
We have never read anything about citizens calling them "greedy" but hey Paul now that you mention it "You are greedy!"
You are as "greedy as the drunken sailor we have in charge of our Tax and Spend" administration!
Because if you weren't...you'd not be bitching about this new LOIT Tax.
You would be beating down the Mayor's door and asking him WHY he's spent all our tax dollars on campaign promises and standing with taxpayers on this issue.
If our General fund is around $16,000,000 million and the police and fire get about $13,000,000 how can this administration run the city on about $3,000,000 million that's left?
This issue sounds just like those Ford, GM and Chrysler Ceo's on TV this week. "They want it all, but they are not willing to make ANY concessions.
Right?
Why can't our police officers drive their own cars to work? Why don't they drop a couple of paid holidays? Are they logging their mileage correctly? Are they separating their call logs on personal calls and police calls?
This city works for the taxpayers!
We bet you if it was their money they might be singing another tune.
We all see our city in "big trouble", but, certain citizens think a new day is dawning.
Well, we would like someone to have the guts to take an audit and see where we really stand!
Why do we need more staff?
We have a Deputy Mayor and he's not even legally the deputy mayor. If the Deputy Mayor was not established according to Indiana Law, how can the Mayor expect the city to follow and to finance the plans laid out by the Deputy Mayor?
