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Mayoral shell game
By adamg on Wed, 03/04/2009 - 9:12am
Kevin McCrea details why he (and apparently most municipal unions) think Tom Menino is crying wolf over municipal finances.
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Comments
Budget watchdogs?
There may really be a crisis this year (Shady?) but this is the problem when you cry wolf every year - nobody trusts you. Even more amazing - I emailed almost half the city council (including Flaherty and Yoon) trying to get YTD budget numbers through Jan or Feb if available. They all told me the same thing - they didn't have access to those numbers. How can you be a city councilor in charge of the budget(or esp. candidate for Mayor) and not go knock on the budget director's door and say you want a copy of the YTD numbers v. budget and prior year on your desk by the 15th of every month. I've served on the boards of a few tiny non-profits and we even do this. Go Kevin - we need a businessperson running the place for a change.
Does the Boston Finance Commission have that data?...
Does the Boston Finance Commission have that data?...
Boston Finance Commission, email
jeff.conley at cityofboston.gov
matt.cahill at cityofboston.gov
or contact the commissioners
By the way, who are the commissioners on the Boston Finance Commission?...
Government Documents Division at our Boston Public Library
Another good source of information is former City Council candidate John Devine and his colleagues at the Government Documents Division of our Boston Public Library http://www.bpl.org/research/govdocs email govdocs at bpl.org
Menino may have cried wolf before...
...but we're looking at the real deal now.
Even if the immediate budget numbers aren't as dire as the Mayor claims, the situation is bad and will worsen. You cannot separate the city's finances from the economic meltdown occurring all around us.
It's a shame that previous posturing from City Hall makes it more difficult for Labor to know when to trust what's being said. I don't blame the unions for being skeptical, and I'd demand more accountability. But I also hope that if the unions look at the numbers and conclude that give-backs are necessary to save jobs, they'll propose a sound plan.
How can anyone expect people
How can anyone expect people to give up wage increases they expected without seeing all the information?
The situation may be dire, but unless people can see it with their own eyes, it is difficult to get folks to concede.
I hope that even if McCrea, or McCrea-lite (Flaherty) don't get elected, that transparency is something which triumphs going forward.
Agreed, though...
...Boston + transparency are like oil + water.
Maybe the difficult times will compel people to put aside the posturing and the cloak & dagger stuff and actually shine a light on the budget figures. Maybe it takes a situation this crappy to get to that point.
I agree with Tom Menino, for once.
I don't necessarily agree with how he's voiced his concerns lately, but I have to say that I agree with him as far as a pay freeze...emphasize the word freeze, not cuts. Why is it that City employees are exempt from having to tighten their belts financially during this recession? People in the private sector have had to. My Christmas bonus was laughable, but it was expected because of my company's lack of profits. City employees have no incentive to work any harder than they have to, (not saying that most of them don't work hard, I have the utmost respect for police, fire, and TEACHERS for what they do everyday) Everyone else has made less money because of the state of the economy. Private sector workers are all chacing after the same dollar, but that dollar is simply not there. I personally don't feel bad if they (unions) have to take pay cuts, the rest of us have. And who pays government workers' salaries????? Oh yeah taxpayers.
In principal I agree...
In principal I agree with you. My concern is that the way this usually works is that if you force a concession on them mid contract - they use it when times improve to get your back against the wall. If possible I'd rather eat the increases now and then press harder when contracts come up (I think usually every 3-4 years). This is one for the pros - you need labor lawyers to guide you on this. If it won't cost us - go ahead and freeze away.
well said
well said steve
Fifth Mayoral Candidate Enters Race for Boston Mayor!
Last night on Neighborhood Network News, a fifth Mayoral Candidate entered the race to become Mayor of Boston.
His name is William Freegbeh and he resides in Brighton.
Freegbeh's announcement speech can be read at his website at:
www.freegbehformayor.synthasite.com/index.php
Mayor Menino has yet to announce whether he seeks a fifth term.