OVER RIDE? AGAIN?

OVER  RIDE PUSH, AGAIN!

From the Newburyport Daily (political  advertizment) News;

· April 11, 2011

· Port schools hope for tax increase

Port schools face staff cuts next year

· NEWBURYPORT — To plug an anticipated $600,000-$900,000 shortfall next year, school officials are planning to cut between 8.8 to 15 positions across the district. They range from the high school dean position to special education teachers, right down to kindergarten and elementary classroom teachers.

· But after laying out a plan to restore the schools to pre-2007 program levels, making cuts is not what Superintendent Marc Kerble wants to do. He'd rather the community rally behind the schools and support a Proposition 2 1/2 override — a property tax increase — and that's what he plans to tell the School Committee and residents tomorrow in Room #118 at Newburyport High School at 6:30 p.m.

· How ironic. The same problems exist, namely money, but a different face pushing yet another over ride attempt. Bringing the school program BACK four years will cost almost a million dollars? And then will it work? It did not four years ago, why now? Economics are not being taught or praticed in our schools, politics are though. They are PLANNING a shortfall for next year. That folks is illegal! after all we are not talking Snow Removal!

· For the ‘children’ is still the mantra. But who gets the cash? The children? They are not even getting the education in subjects they will need in their future! A new Mayor, and a new Superintendent and the same broken system. A one sheet song, Gimme More and more and politics will give you the right to do it all over again next year and next.

· How about paid parking at the High School and Paid Admission to the Stadium for free running dogs? At least the fertilizer would be free!

Sounds like a real Holiday wish! Just click your heels three times Dorothy………..and Mr. Kerble should expand his ‘community contacts’ to include community members that cannot afford to cough up more money to a promise of fixing something that runs on pure money anyway.

When is this Mayor's 'Management Style' going to place a non educated director in this Superintendent position to save money and use common sense in it's management just like she is doing with the DPS and Board/ Commission placements? After it's her Method Of Operation, isn't it? Look at how many positions she has created, and the cost, to run the city now. Less is more? More or less!

Let's look at the line items cost over the past several years. Especially labor and overtime. Increases the basic pay scale of what was approved by council when presented. Now let’s look at the political hirees. Hum....er, a correlation to spending patterns? U Bet! Even a relationship with astronomical attorney fees! Got to take care of fellow lawyers.

Speaking of the 'Community Rallying behind the Schools', just who does this collagen think has been paying the freight for the schools during their trial and fail era? The same people who cannot afford to pay their mortgages due to the exasperated needs of the Politian’s who misguidedly have backed programs that have left Newburyport in the path of some substantial capital improvement costs over maintaining our infrastructure and investment. Poll the 25 people who came out for this Mayors community meeting last month. Great community involvement and/ or interest in the items projected by Dona! Parking, Dog Poop, Free Water and Sewer for the wishes of Dona! Now, her presentation of yet another over ride attempt! Good grief! What an education will not get you these days!

You would be reading this in the Daily Snooze, but they block my posting of comments. An agreement with the Mayor or something like that I'm told! As an ex' city hall insider, they call my opinions and observations SLANDER.....go figure!

WHO'S WATCHING THE PIGGY BANK?

The and more I am seeing of the balance sheets of the City of Newburyport , I am finding the process of mismanagement and the path to over spending behind the scenes emerging more so than usual. How about a public internal audit? Soon?

newburyportwwtf New plant updated information.

2008 report on $125.00 expected increase in ewer Bills Old news, new is what $350.00? Is that with drainage system set for waterfront properties? less than 10% will see benefit on the dollars 7000 will be charged.

http://www.cityofnewburyport.com/WaterDepartment.htm

http://www.cityofnewburyport.com/pdf/dps/Neighborhood%20Meeting%20No%20%201%20Notice%20Apr%2013%202011.pdf More uncounted expenses overseen by a GED Director and a diminished Sewer Commission. the Financial leadership of the Sewer Commission, Melanie Hession and Kate Muray were dismissed by the management style of the Mayor.

For years the Water and Sewer Commissions have set rates that provide for the operations of the Water and Sewer Departments service. By Law the commissions are nonpolitical (or where until the Wicked Witch of the West took over). I see now why she needed Brendan O'Regan dismissed along with his administrative assistant (me).

How about the Mayor publicizing the list of non utility payers? Lets see some of the high and mighty elected officals, commission members and friends of the system that have had over due utility bills for years now. It is the law and is being avoided by this administration.

Going over city line item expenditures for FY 10 and the present FY 11 and I find that the Ratepayers are funding Newburyport Drainage issues, with funds allocated by ratepayers outside of Newburyport! How fair is that to the Sewer and Water users in Newbury? Thanks Mayor, now I see the light. Newburyport cannot support Social Services on the tax base alone, and a new drainage order from our own good Uncle Sam, so movement to change the way these commissions operate and oversee is before the Newburyport City Council. Letting the shortfalls in the Water and Sewer Departments be covered by raising the rates and not the taxes. Gone are the days that the Sewer and Water Commissioners sought to protect the Public Health by assuring that politics did not get in the way of the financial needs of providing the services. Now your Utility Bills will compete with which ever program the elected Mayor and Council deems as needy (paid parking for special interests, doggie parks becoming the need for kitty parks and then more Kiddy parks, . With the New construction and updating of the Water and Sewer systems bring gigantic increases in rates, count on it, and no educated managers overseeing the rate (er.. Tax) payers interests anyway. Counting on Tony to comprehend the financial needs of the city with his GED from Mass Ed is a stretch of even Dona’s management style. And the Goofs she p[laced in management positions at a cost of who knows how much is embarrassing enough. One from Haverhill that does not have the education that was advertized for his old drain system manager position and the other that was hired on the old nepotism system sets Newburyport back dozens of years in the evolutionary chain from the old days when a relative who could not find work anywhere else ended up on the city books. Like a few of the close relatives employed now. So who will notice a few bucks off the top for non Water and Sewer issues. Certainly not the ratepayers from Newbury. Who is going to represent them? Who would not doubt that these employees would lie and cheat to retain positions that they could not keep if an honest manager caught up with them? What kick backs will go to Newbury’s drainage needs or other give away programs they might not need?

Bend over and grab your ankles, again, when O'Brien and Holaday pass this one on to your rates the rest of the council will follow along, blindly as usual. Each seeing the positive cash flow as necessary.

With no one watching the spending, the DPW has become rich enough to pay uneducated managers enough to use pencils in accounting for your money since O'Regan has been gone. No more monthly reports to the commissions, only to the Mayor and Auditor!

See you in court..........soon.

An embarrassing turn out at a Boston Labor meeting last week may send Dona back to Portsmouth sooner than she expects. What will she do when she will need to explain her mis-actions publically to the voters. Her hate has no place to vent, and doesn’t belong in Newburyport anyway. More meetings are planned, I hope she is up to the challenge, physically and mentally so we don’t lose even more tax dollars to settlements that should not have had the opportunity to grow into law suits under good solid management practices that were in place for years. One by one her minions are giving her up to rid their minds of involvement and loss of supporting her ‘likes’.

Do the Taxpayers or the Rate payers of Newburyport really want politics’ directing their sanitary systems operations? I think not! It will take an act of the State to enact, so let your representatives in ouncil and State know of your concerns before Dona is seeaking yet another turmoil term. Soon, because it is being ramrodded through City Council as I write.