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Duffy Gets "It"
Rochester, N.Y., Mayor Robert Duffy declined his pay raise this year. But it turns out the ability to do so will take an act of City Council to change the city charter. Elected officials locally and nationally have become increasingly sensitive to scheduled pay increases, given the poor economy and massive budget gaps and deficits. But for Rochester to simply eliminate the cost-of-living increase would require a referendum costing the city about $100,000.So instead, it will be an individual choice. If everyone agrees, the city would save about $12,000.Not everyone agrees. City Councilman Adam McFadden is among the dissenters, charging the move would give “a false sense of doing something meaningful.” The mayor and City Council members’ pay schedule is set by city ordinance every four years. Raises took effect Jan. 1, increasing Duffy’s salary from $127,694 to $131,525; City Council members’ salaries from $30,641 to $31,560; and City Council President Gladys Santiago’s salary from $40,641 to $41,560. The city last year partially reallocated the $1.3 million set aside for management salary step increases to pay performance awards. McFadden and City Councilman John Lightfoot voted against the legislation, which passed in November 2008. The city has withheld Duffy’s pay raise so far this year. City Council member Carolee Conklin said she had inquired about doing the same in December but was told by senior staff that it wasn’t possible because the salaries are set in law.“Even in December, things were looking pretty grim,” said Conklin, chairwoman of the City Council’s Finance Committee. “Things got a lot grimmer a lot quicker.”City Council adopted the current salary schedule in December 2005, freezing wages the first year, with increases not to exceed 3 percent annually in the years since. Conklin pushed the issue after reading that Duffy had declined his raise and worked with the city’s Law Department to hammer out a solution that will amend the 2005 ordinance, and thus the charter, inserting language permitting the right of refusal. She said she has at least five other votes to adopt the change.
"....and The Expose' Goes On~~~"
[Man-Oh-Man-Oh-Man!! All the "fluff" seems to be falling away to reveal the crooks that 'The Change We Voted For" has spewed forth!! Will the entire Congress and Executive Branch EVER be entirely seated AT THE SAME TIME?? This will go on'n'on'n'on... til Nerobama's handlers are replaced with competence!!]
The fawning over Roland Burris and whether a black person should be appointed to the seat is tarnished by the revelation that he failed to disclose that he had been asked to raise funds for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich by the governor’s brother, Robert. Burris could have saved himself from adding to the Blago taint but he didn’t. Roland Burris is a smart man; his attempt to get ahead of this mess and clean it up is too little too late. To make matters worse for the Democrats, the Illinois GOP is looking into an investigation of Burris for perjury. In the court of public opinion, the GOP may very well get that support. Burris has been in politics or government far too long far this foolishness. Senator Burris should resign (but he won't).
The Nerobama Costs
[....he continues to "fiddle" while the American economy "burns," actually he continues to do the very most he can to destroy the ozone and to contribute to the mythological "global warming catastrophe!!" Read this to find out about his "day-trips" to Chicago and back to D.C. and the horrendous "carbon footprint" that they contribute. Most don't realize that when Air Farce One flies there are at least FOUR PLANES involved; the actual Air Farce One; a decoy [the back-up] Air Farce One; a cargo plane for the five-ton presidential limosine; a [hopefully, smaller] passenger plane for lower level staff and press. In total, ONE of these "day-trips" costs $125,882.33!! What about all his pissin'n' moanin' about auto execs flying from Detroit to D.C.?? So much for the rhetoric of the "New Era of Personal Responsibility-just so much 'fluff-as-usual.' "]
We are usually pretty tolerant of expenditures by any President to travel like a world leader — but why is there such little talk about Nerobama having his Valentines date in Chicago? After knocking the CEO’s for their private jets and their taxpayer paid Las Vegas trip plans, and saying "the party is over" — Nerobama went to Illinois on Thursday. Fair enough. But he was back at the White House that night, to argue for the stimulus package. He then left again on Friday to go to back to Illinois. And he will presumably return to Washington on Tuesday, after the long weekend. We won’t even get into the irreversible damage that the expended carbon from so much to-ing and fro-ing will do to Mother Earth. We just wonder how much it is costing you and me, the US taxpayer. Luckily that guardian of the US Treasury, Henry Waxman, did ask for a study on the costs of Presidential travel back in March of 2006.(He was trying to get President Bush to reimburse the government for using AF1 for campaigning.) Here are some excerpts from that Congressional Report: assumes that flight operating costs are $56,518 per hour for Air Force One . These figures are based on the per-hour cost figures cited by GAO for fiscal year 2000, adjusted for inflation. According to the Congressional Research Service, the President’s domestic travel also involves the use of accompanying cargo planes. This report assumes one cargo plane accompanies the President on each trip at an operating cost per hour of $6,960. It is 598 miles from Washington, DC to Chicago, Illinois. Nerobama’s three trips back and forth from DC to Chicago add up to 3,588 miles – as the crow flies. Which, if our calculations are correct, amounts to at least 5.7 hours flying time for Air Force One. And 7.9 hours of flying time for the accompanying cargo plane. Using these very conservative figures, Air Farce One cost $322,153 and the cargo plane cost $55,494. For a grand total of $377,647 for Nerobama's three round trips. But of course that is just for Nerobama's air transportation. And it doesn’t even cover all of that. For, as is the custom, Nerobama took the helicopter, Marine One, back and forth to Andrews AFB. (And he is usually accompanying by two other helicopters on the short trip.) However, we are frankly too lazy to try to calculate all of the costs involved. But just thinking back to Nerobama chiding these CEO’s about the use of their private jets, when he is spending (at least) $377,647 to hop back and forth and back to Chicago strikes us as a bit irresponsible. And didn’t Nerobama himself tell us that we are in a new age of personal responsibility?
Til Nex'Time....
Monday, February 16, 2009
This'n'That; February 16th[Duffy;Burris;Trips;
Duffy Gets "It"
Rochester, N.Y., Mayor Robert Duffy declined his pay raise this year. But it turns out the ability to do so will take an act of City Council to change the city charter. Elected officials locally and nationally have become increasingly sensitive to scheduled pay increases, given the poor economy and massive budget gaps and deficits. But for Rochester to simply eliminate the cost-of-living increase would require a referendum costing the city about $100,000.So instead, it will be an individual choice. If everyone agrees, the city would save about $12,000.Not everyone agrees. City Councilman Adam McFadden is among the dissenters, charging the move would give “a false sense of doing something meaningful.” The mayor and City Council members’ pay schedule is set by city ordinance every four years. Raises took effect Jan. 1, increasing Duffy’s salary from $127,694 to $131,525; City Council members’ salaries from $30,641 to $31,560; and City Council President Gladys Santiago’s salary from $40,641 to $41,560. The city last year partially reallocated the $1.3 million set aside for management salary step increases to pay performance awards. McFadden and City Councilman John Lightfoot voted against the legislation, which passed in November 2008. The city has withheld Duffy’s pay raise so far this year. City Council member Carolee Conklin said she had inquired about doing the same in December but was told by senior staff that it wasn’t possible because the salaries are set in law.“Even in December, things were looking pretty grim,” said Conklin, chairwoman of the City Council’s Finance Committee. “Things got a lot grimmer a lot quicker.”City Council adopted the current salary schedule in December 2005, freezing wages the first year, with increases not to exceed 3 percent annually in the years since. Conklin pushed the issue after reading that Duffy had declined his raise and worked with the city’s Law Department to hammer out a solution that will amend the 2005 ordinance, and thus the charter, inserting language permitting the right of refusal. She said she has at least five other votes to adopt the change.
"....and The Expose' Goes On~~~"
[Man-Oh-Man-Oh-Man!! All the "fluff" seems to be falling away to reveal the crooks that 'The Change We Voted For" has spewed forth!! Will the entire Congress and Executive Branch EVER be entirely seated AT THE SAME TIME?? This will go on'n'on'n'on... til Nerobama's handlers are replaced with competence!!]
The fawning over Roland Burris and whether a black person should be appointed to the seat is tarnished by the revelation that he failed to disclose that he had been asked to raise funds for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich by the governor’s brother, Robert. Burris could have saved himself from adding to the Blago taint but he didn’t. Roland Burris is a smart man; his attempt to get ahead of this mess and clean it up is too little too late. To make matters worse for the Democrats, the Illinois GOP is looking into an investigation of Burris for perjury. In the court of public opinion, the GOP may very well get that support. Burris has been in politics or government far too long far this foolishness. Senator Burris should resign (but he won't).
The Nerobama Costs
[....he continues to "fiddle" while the American economy "burns," actually he continues to do the very most he can to destroy the ozone and to contribute to the mythological "global warming catastrophe!!" Read this to find out about his "day-trips" to Chicago and back to D.C. and the horrendous "carbon footprint" that they contribute. Most don't realize that when Air Farce One flies there are at least FOUR PLANES involved; the actual Air Farce One; a decoy [the back-up] Air Farce One; a cargo plane for the five-ton presidential limosine; a [hopefully, smaller] passenger plane for lower level staff and press. In total, ONE of these "day-trips" costs $125,882.33!! What about all his pissin'n' moanin' about auto execs flying from Detroit to D.C.?? So much for the rhetoric of the "New Era of Personal Responsibility-just so much 'fluff-as-usual.' "]
We are usually pretty tolerant of expenditures by any President to travel like a world leader — but why is there such little talk about Nerobama having his Valentines date in Chicago? After knocking the CEO’s for their private jets and their taxpayer paid Las Vegas trip plans, and saying "the party is over" — Nerobama went to Illinois on Thursday. Fair enough. But he was back at the White House that night, to argue for the stimulus package. He then left again on Friday to go to back to Illinois. And he will presumably return to Washington on Tuesday, after the long weekend. We won’t even get into the irreversible damage that the expended carbon from so much to-ing and fro-ing will do to Mother Earth. We just wonder how much it is costing you and me, the US taxpayer. Luckily that guardian of the US Treasury, Henry Waxman, did ask for a study on the costs of Presidential travel back in March of 2006.(He was trying to get President Bush to reimburse the government for using AF1 for campaigning.) Here are some excerpts from that Congressional Report: assumes that flight operating costs are $56,518 per hour for Air Force One . These figures are based on the per-hour cost figures cited by GAO for fiscal year 2000, adjusted for inflation. According to the Congressional Research Service, the President’s domestic travel also involves the use of accompanying cargo planes. This report assumes one cargo plane accompanies the President on each trip at an operating cost per hour of $6,960. It is 598 miles from Washington, DC to Chicago, Illinois. Nerobama’s three trips back and forth from DC to Chicago add up to 3,588 miles – as the crow flies. Which, if our calculations are correct, amounts to at least 5.7 hours flying time for Air Force One. And 7.9 hours of flying time for the accompanying cargo plane. Using these very conservative figures, Air Farce One cost $322,153 and the cargo plane cost $55,494. For a grand total of $377,647 for Nerobama's three round trips. But of course that is just for Nerobama's air transportation. And it doesn’t even cover all of that. For, as is the custom, Nerobama took the helicopter, Marine One, back and forth to Andrews AFB. (And he is usually accompanying by two other helicopters on the short trip.) However, we are frankly too lazy to try to calculate all of the costs involved. But just thinking back to Nerobama chiding these CEO’s about the use of their private jets, when he is spending (at least) $377,647 to hop back and forth and back to Chicago strikes us as a bit irresponsible. And didn’t Nerobama himself tell us that we are in a new age of personal responsibility?
Til Nex'Time....
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