Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Four to One, One for All.

“The Founding Fathers also used pen names
when they submitted letters and essays to the newspapers.
Anonymity ensures the impossibility of intimidation
and retribution thus ensures free speech."


-Dman, October 19



IN SUPPORT OF CUTS (48)



Worriedsaratogian, Oct 15:

It is sad some Firemen and Police Officers will possibly lose their job.
They serve this city with honor and dignity, but sometimes you have to
cut good employees because of lack of funds.


A Voter, Oct 6:

No one should be immune to pay cuts, layoffs and the like.
The taxpayers have to speak up before it is too late.


Realitycheck, Oct 6:

I for one am ready for the threats of the DPW, bring it on.


Saratogiansince1973, Oct 6:

The cuts aren't deep enough. We need BIGGER cuts and SMALLER tax increase. Don't go all bleeding heart and ask me to support bad contracts and inefficient work arrangements.


Broadway billy, Oct 17:

Nothing but street thugs. This city is in trouble; it's starting to look like mob rule. I'll take the 'layoff' option, please.


Ind_voter, Oct 11:

No group should be taking advantage of their "strength in numbers" and continue pushing for raises we all can't afford. I am not union and quite frankly I don't like the tactics that leaders use to influence and intimidate our elected officials.


Sp12, Oct 17:

Of course the Unions are going to back the pols who will put the interest of its members before the interests of the citizens of Saratoga.


Frodo, Oct 9:

The reason our budget is on the brink of collapse is because we taxpayers pay the Unions. WE ARE YOUR BOSSES! WE PAY YOUR SALARY! And if WE say WE don't NEED you anymore, DEAL WITH IT. The TAXPAYERS of the city do NOT exist for the sole purpose of keeping Unions in business!!!


Voter0129, Oct 17:

The unions only care about three things, take, take and take some more.
There is no more.


Cuts no ice, Oct 12:

I believe give-backs by the unions is the first step and time is not the city’s friend. We need a plan of action...soon. Commissioners should be replaced by people who won't be intimidated by unions or anybody else.


Benfromschuylerville, Oct 7:

There is no more money - a 7.8% increase is not acceptable. Cut, cut, cut –
There is no more money - lower the tax raises to no more than 2.5%.


Ac12, Oct 9:

No one wants lay-offs. These are our friends and neighbors. But, the taxpayers cannot afford anymore costs. Taxpayers can no longer afford their unions and their demands for more regardless of the economic situation.


N & N, Oct 9:

"SAVE THE CITY FROM THE UNIONS!"


Eddie729, Oct 6:

Unions are nothing more than legalized racketeering. For years public service has meant serving yourself with raises and bonuses while adding friends and family to your payroll… all at the expense of the taxpayer and communities. It is time the public servants take less for the good of the community.


Bologna bob, Oct 7:

It’s certainly time for layoffs and cutbacks. What a shame, how grossly overpaid most of our city employees are. The private sector is laying people off, and these people are no different than anyone else.


Crestite, Oct 6:

I've been a union worker for 30 years, and I think governments jobs do not come with lifetime guarantees. Sure, in good times its nice to have the streets swept and our yard waste picked up weekly, but we're broke - destitute, so we have to suffer cuts in service.


Elmer, Oct 9:

What is the reason the unions can't contribute 20% of their health insurance?
If it would save jobs, what is the objection? I keep reading how dedicated you are to serving the public. So prove it.


Kaiser soze, May 28:

The Police Fire and DPW unions have the key to this problem.
Open up the contracts and voluntarily take a cut in pay.


Knapp Comm, Oct 14:

Oh the “cuts” have names? Who knew. Here's a real news flash, taxpayers have names too. When my family starts to suffer because I have to pay property taxes they have names also.


Dman, Oct 7:

If each Union member contributed 20% to their health insurance and if they would forgo STEP increases for this year, and if everyone in city hall except police and fire took a 1-day furlough per month, we could keep roughly 25 of the 28 jobs cuts.


Maxstein, Oct 11:

Commissioners have mismanaged the two biggest departments, ignored the warnings of a revenue shortfall and have done nothing to contain operational costs and out of control overtime in their departments. Poor spending habits and just total mismanagement is leading to the layoffs.


Horatio, Oct 14:

It's time for action, and unless Chief Moore starts thinking up solutions,
he's going to have a cop shop with a few less Indians.


Benz, Oct 7:

Start cutting payroll soon - the deficits are only going to grow.


SD, May 29:

I think we should not only lay off many but bring their pay down
from the stratospheric heights reached in recent years.


Accolite2, Oct 11:

To the PBA Union Chief: The taxpayers would like to know what your Union proposes for reducing expenditures for Public Safety.


AbusrdInToga, Oct 17:

We live in Saratoga Springs, where the most violent situation you'll ever see downtown is the occasional fight, and with an excess of cops, it usually doesn't last beyond a single punch.


Brad, Oct 6:

If we have another water rate increase there will be torches and pitch fork gatherings at City Hall!


Bucky, Oct 16:

On Caroline Street? Ten cops with black gloves on breaking up fights and getting paid 100,000 a year? Who needs these power freaks?


Crescent, Oct 17:

Whatever happened to the walking beat cop? We need the cops but that department is so top heavy. We need to cut some of the top fat for sure.


Dave1125, Oct 7:

The answer may be a complete overhaul of staffing and perhaps if you saw police walking the beat you could be led to believe their presence is necessary.


Dustoff6, Jun 2:

None of us has time to waste at City Hall street demonstrations, and if we did,
we would be urged to "Move Along" by Saratoga Springs Finest.


Flowride, Oct 6:

Something needs to be done about the overtime incurred by the SSPD. I saw some of the salaries in the paper. I realize they are asked to cover city events, such as concerts and festivals, but what about hiring an outside firm for that.


Frank Tomax, Oct 16:

US citizens are much more pliant, fearful, and obedient toward the government. The days of spending and fear-mongering about all things being terror related are over. Our senior citizens have been told to get by without a cost-of-living increase this year…surely it isn’t too much to ask our public employees do the same.


I'm a Saratogian, Oct 14:

SSPD salaries are insane. What's a big call for SSPD-- 2 guys fighting on Caroline Street. Let's call in back up and get 4 guys on OT to watch one officer make an arrest. I have respect for our PD but come on, between 80 & 100K somebody is milking the system. Somebody has to take a stand, it's got to stop, and don't let the Fear-Mongers tell you "Oh my God the city is going to be unsecure!"


LiveFreeOrDie, Oct 14:

August’s 216,000 decline in payrolls was close to market expectations of a 233,000 drop, but the unemployment rate rose higher than the 9.5% level expected. How many of these job loses are in the gov't sector?? Why should gov't employees be excempt from job cuts? If the private sector can survive with fewer workers, why can't gov't?? Final question - how the hell did those before us survive without all of the gov't services we now have??


Pauliewankenobi141, Oct 15:

State employees are underworked and overpaid. I work at the state, and I can see the lack of effort everywhere. You can trim just about everones salary at the city hall level by about 50%. We need to hold those who are in their office accountable for every dollar and fire the ones who do not perform. Simple solution. "


Please..., Oct 7:

If we lay off more DPW workers the remaining ones
won't have anybody to ride around with.


Putter26, Oct 15:

We need to change now and run this government like a business
rather than free spending fools that spent away our future.


SpaCitizen, Oct 12:

We need to cut the fat, so a few police officers need to go. But how about some transparency into what and how much the police union is looking for with their contract?? Let's have that published somewhere so we can see how much they're sticking it to the city taxpayer!


Syratogian, Oct 7:

Cuts in the PD are so long in coming. These guys are parked in bunches more than they are on patrol. DPW - do we really need to have the street cleaner running everyday? How much does that cost? Why does the DPW sweep the sidewalks on Broadway on a daily basis?


TmackofSaratoga, Jun 2:

Who paid for those beautifully printed demonstration signs? The Union? And where does the Union get it's money... from dues? Dues that come from salaries. And where to salaries come from? Taxes. So they used taxpayer money to buy signs to protest saving the taxpayers money.


TyrannyinSS, Oct 7:

Layoff some cops; layoff some firemen. We'll survive. It's not like there are gun fights in the streets here in Saratoga! These cops act is if they are working the streets of Philadelphia. And on top of it, some are making $105,000/year! When will you politicians realize that we, the taxpayers, don't have any more money for the government to confiscate? It's the taxes, Stupid! Stop the spending!


Wary, Oct 6:

The usual 'threat' of layoffs. Unions are not exempt from the real world. If layoffs are necessary the older people should be offered retirement, perhaps a little early, but keep the young 'FIT' members of the fire and police depts.


Weird, Oct 14:

Departments were asked to cut months ago, and they didn't. Ivins did it for them. I don't want to see people lose their jobs, but unfortunately the blame is not on Ivins.


Wh4135, Oct 6:

No cost-of-living increase, no merit increase, co-workers layed off, and a 10% pay cut is my world in 2009. The benefits and retirement costs are a HUGE chunk of the city budget. Most of us taxpayers pay for health insurance and contribute to a 401K plan.


Whynow, Oct 15:

Another raise in property taxes - too bad our incomes don't go up automatically to accommodate this. Too many chiefs not enough workers makes for inefficiency.


Silly Puddy said...

Cut back on these cops OT and we taxpayers will be spared a huge tax increase. Also they should have to pay a few bucks a week towards their benefits.


Not a Mayor said...

LAYOFFS! NOW!!!!!!!!! When will we -- the RESDIENTS / TAXPAYERS -- finally have someone sticking up for us? Paid parking is NOT the solution. CUT PERSONNEL and BENEFITS! NOW!


Anonymous said...

It is time to renegotiate the union contracts for the city to mitigate the layoffs.


Anonymous said...

Do the same thing that their hero, Ronald Reagan, did to the air traffic controllers; fire 'em all.


Anonymous said...

Layoffs are threatened, and it brings to mind the threat made earlier this year by the PBA president at a city council meeting. "we will get you in the fall" meaning the election. If they want our respect for their jobs, they need to show professionalism at all times.


Anonymous said...

Why are two cop cars parked in Congress Park with the drivers chatting away for hours at a time? Why is there a cop car in the northern end of the BOCES parking lot at 5:30 am every morning?


Anonymous said...

OK how many of you PSD supporters live in the Saratoga Springs? How many police does it take to enforce the laws of this city patrolling, what 16-18 square miles? Why can’t we depend on some mutual aid when it comes to fire coverage?


Anonymous said...

Union contracts are unrealistic for both the size of this city and for its overhead burden. We can't pay for all those benefits anymore. Concessions and layoffs or more layoffs. Overtime oversight. Residency requirements for city employees! Salary ceilings for jobs.


Anonymous said...

Here we go again. Layoffs are threatened, and it brings to mind the threat made earlier this year by the PBA president at a city council meeting-- "We will get you in the fall" meaning the election.


AGAINST "ESSENTIAL SERVICE" CUTS (12)


12345678, Oct 9:

There are those on the council that always give the City employees the back of their hand publicly at every opportunity. A total demonstration of disrespect and lack of understanding of the dedicated service of city workers to the public. The City Unions are nothing more than your own city employees and are your own community fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters etc.


Chubbs, Oct 9:

Police officers and firefighters who risk their lives daily are going to lose their jobs, and I have to sit in a city council meeting and listen to some jack asss representing the DBA get up and talk about the sacrifices they make as Broadway business owners. That is disgusting to me.


Emsrocks, Oct 7:

As a tax payer in the city, I personally would rather pay a bit more in taxes than risk not having a police officer around if my house is broken into or a firefighter if my home is in flames. Bottom line is someone is going to get hurt and it may be one of our own family members if we ANY of our essential services personnel.


FaithToday, Jun 3:

I proudly support the men and women who work VERY hard. Their salary is not the highest. The majority of them did not go into this work for the money. They went into it to help YOU. So have some respect and say thank you instead of calling them street thugs.


Gerard Hawthorne, May 28:

If we get rid of even a few police officers we will feel it! Getting rid of any of them is unexceptable. To layoff police and fire men and women is a bad idea and will surely blow up in our face.


Jeff566, Jun 2:

To the police officers that work in this city, my hat is off to you.


main431, Oct 9:

This entire layoff endevour is to break the backs of the cities unions in an effort to close the negotiations that are overdue and over-paid. This is a seripticious way to "union bust".


ProudSSPDGirl, Oct 16:

I dont know where you people get all your ideas from but the Police and firefighters didnt wrong you. All they are trying to do is make a living and what they love. Cut and dry, plain and simple. You all can sit in the comfort of your own homes and then call them when you need them even as you trash them now.


Putter26, Oct 12:

Dept. of Public Safety and Public Works are two of the largest departments in the city. Cutting back the budgets of these two departments the way Ivins has been doing makes the City 1. a little less safe and 2. Cuts back on services that you would probably be complaining about when they happen.


SOS, Oct 15:

As a wife of someone who got cut I ask everyone to re consider your comments. My husband worked very hard for the city. No matter what was asked he did it. We can walk on our sidewalks in the winter because a city worker cleared them. "


Togaguy, Oct 14:

We need these firefighters and Police officers on the job. Let's not play the "what if" game with the safety of our community.


Steelybv, Oct 14:

Police officers and firefighters put their lives in danger every day. Ivins is playing political games with our Public Safety Department. HE is the one who needs to go.