Well as most of you know, I am away from my family for a few days in Kansas.
OMG how wonderful and beautiful it is. I have almost forgotten how nice it is to see a slower pace and to travel the wide open spaces. It will be hard to leave and come back to reality in Cheshire.
Although I could not watch the joint budget hearing between the Town Council and the Board of Education, I heard there was at LEAST one Youtube moment!! No, not you Matt Hall!!
I am telling you right now, this town HAS TO MAKE HARD CHOICES. I don’t envy Michael Milone our Town Manager. I do not have time now to do a lot of research, but I am hoping Cheshire does take a clue from Bridgeport, yes Cheshire-you are going to have to do what Bridgeport and many other towns and cities across Connecticut and across this nation are doing-FURLOUGHING!!
And this does not mean certain “departments” are exempt. Even Bridgeport laid off and cut back on their own Police Department. NO DEPARTMENT CAN BE IMMUNE!! Even the B-Port public library has had to cut back their hours for a time period.
I was told that the Town Manager got a little “passionate” Tuesday night when he was talking about the budget. Thank God!! I was starting to believe he ran on Duracell batteries.
When there is pressure to keep taxes down, the money has got to come from somewhere-now normally, I would not believe certain statements about “balancing” a budget. But from what I was told, Michael Milone was very concerned about criticism he has been receiving about this Defined Benefit plan for certain town employees and how it has not been kept up to snuff.
Well, I really don’t know that much about Defined Benefit vs Defined Contribution-our family has Defined Benefits from the State of Ct plan. I also have had Defined Contribution-I like Defined Benefits better!!
Cutbacks are inevitable, no doubt about it. But see for me, living within means has always been part of life for me. I always worked either on my own or in a profession (newspapers) where I knew you always had one foot out the door. So I lived accordingly-no mortgages-sweat equity-giving up things-not being extravagant.
And you know what? I would not have it ANY OTHER WAY!!
If I don’t like a job-I quit!! I don’t have banks calling me!! It is nice. I have a house in New Hampshire, a condo in Florida and a house in Kansas AND THEY ARE ALL DEBT FREE!! They are not extravagant, not by any means, and the house in New Hampshire we are still working on ourselves after 10 years but the house is free and clear and that is what is important.
My spouse and I, because we made these choices and saved-are at this moment putting THREE kids through college-one of them in Canada. And we still have one more.
Now Cheshire-make the hard choices now!!
Number one-ELIMINATE ALL TAKE HOME VEHICLES-AUCTION THEM OFF LIKE GOV RELL IS DOING!!
As I have stated before, one does not need a take home or travel vehicle to do their jobs. My spouse has been driving his own vehicle for the State of Connecticut on Field Audits for 32 years !! NO EXCUSES PLEASE!!
Start furloughing hours at the Town Hall and Library. I know it is unpleasant-but it is something that needs to be done.
And don’t think Public Safety is off the hook-try to trim if you can-you know how-my favorite subject-NO NEW PATROL CARS!!
Even if the department has to double up-it is better than layoffs.
Let’s see what Bridgeport has had to do. And don’t snicker-because 30 years ago, Bridgeport WAS the CHESHIRE of Connecticut!! Well, umm no, Bridgeport people ACT LIKE THEY ARE ALIVE and HAVE A PULSE, that is the difference!!
You will have to scroll halfway down to see the stories on the layoffs and police union agrees to WAGE FREEZE stories.
Unfortunately, a freeze in pay is NOT FAIR to the Cheshire Police Department or any other non education town department because our beloved Bd of Ed union opened up Pandora’s Box (boy there must be a lot of stuff in this Pandora girls box if you think about it), when they recieved a 4.4 percent salary increase over the next few years from our Bd of Ed!!
But, we cannot have every other department taking cutbacks. It isn’t fair.
I am going to speak if I can at the budge hearings in March about this STEP program that should immediately be implemented at the Cheshire Police Department.
This may sound like a contradiction, but I don’t believe it is-the town needs to implement this STEP program so that a few of our Police officers who have been with the department for many many years can earn a living wage and keep up the cost of living. I believe they have not been paid what they are worth. THAT IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION!!
And there also are a few Town Hall employees that are not being paid what they are worth-especially in the Town Clerk’s office!!
Finally, here is the story about the furloughed hours at the Bridgeport Library-scroll halfway down to read about it.
Editors Note: Unfortunately, I could not get the comment from “Robbie” to post so I am going to post it here. The other comment from “Robbie” is under the post “Feedback”
ROBBIE SAYS:
The Cheshire Police Department does not have a quota system for issuing motor vehicle violations. In fact, Connecticut Statutes do not allow quotas. Also, contrary to what some believe, fine money does not come back to the towns from the state – they keep it all.
The intent of traffic law enforcement is to keep the public safe. Statistically, the largest reduction in the number of accidents can be had by educating the driver. So the ticketing process is both educational and punitive. Further accident reduction can be achieved by correcting problem roadways and vehicle malfunctions. What some see as minor violations, may have the potential to cause a serious or fatal accident given a certain set of circumstances. We see it happen almost everyday. In the 70s here in Cheshire, there were years that 10-12 fatalities occurred yearly. It could be you or one of your kids – do you really want local police to not aggressively enforce traffic laws?
Finally, you are absolutely WRONG about what should be purchased by police from the gift fund. Weapons, vests and handcuffs are essentail equipment for police work. The Town should be buying these items from the regular operating budget. The Elim Park gift money for both police and fire departments are extraordinary in their generosity. The intent of the donations has been to allow the departments to purchase items that could not be funded in the operating budget. Over the years though, in tough economic times, the gift fund has been used to purchase or supplement for necessities that should have been paid from the operating budget. The donor of these gift funds do have the right to indicate how they should be used.
From Feedback, 2009/02/25 at 1:44 PM
First, the Cheshire Police Department has had steps for Police Officers for years. Second, if they didn't have them, the Town could not unilaterally immediately implement them - it would be subject to collective bargaining.