Tuesday, July 21, 2009

For general discussion: Darke Journal reader Cookiebird has some questions ...

If it's not Congress, it's the State or Local governments complaining about budget shortfalls. Duh! It doesn't stop at the government level with budgets running short of funds. It's the local business, the residents and everyone else concerned.

One thing that I haven't heard anyone talk about especially on the government level is why don't they just take a percentage cut across the board on everything, including salaries, bonuses, programs and etc.

Wouldn't it make more sense for everyone to share a small percentage of cuts rather than demolishing entire useful programs? And that cut should only be made after all wasteful spending has been stopped.

Just a thought...what do you think?
 
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15 comments:

  1. I feel that all levels of government are overstaffed. This is not the fault of individual employees, but of government itself.

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  2. We should probably start by laying off the commissioners.

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  3. What happens is this: those who had "bulked-up" their departments before the crunch fared well. Those who ran lean, efficient departments did not. The cuts eviscerated the good managers, but were the equivalent of liposuction to the "fatter" ones. Government helps those most, who help themselves least.

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  4. You’re right. In the city fire department they are looking at a 3.9% raise for the fire fighters while trying to replace a $1 million ladder truck and take on the expense of an EMS service that already exists. The county finally figured out there were problems and are now making cuts; maybe too little too late, but still… I wonder when the city is going to figure it out.

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  5. They feel taking on EMS will justify their enhanced continuance after losing at least 20% of duties and responsibilities to the Township Fire Dept. Replacing their million-dollar phallic symbol and the mere suggestion of a 3.9% raise in the current economic climate should be a criminal offense. To enlighten yourself, submit a public records request for personnel W-2's (with names redacted, if necessary)

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  6. The city of Dayton FD is being asked to take a pay cut why is the city of Greenville getting a pay raise?

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  7. Because, unlike Greenville, the fire department has not always controlled City government in Dayton.

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  8. The county is doing everything they can it seems to cut budgets. What in the heck is the city doing ?? Oh I forgot...there to busy worrying about the Townships budget. Just to remind you City of Greenville YOUR IN THE RED. Worry about your own budget the township has a surplus. The township is ripping the tax payers off because they have a surplus ?? PLEASE. They know how to manage there money. They hardly ever ask for levies. There employees are not overpaid and they concentrate on there own budget. The public should get more involved in the City wanting EMS. The public would flip out if they saw how much one of there firefighters was making. There making more than most departments do that do EMS and Fire. The fire department runs the city of Greenville and someone needs to put there foot down. City fire does around 700 runs per year minus the ice storms and wind storms. The Greenville Twp. Rescue does close to 3000 calls a year. The schooling to become a paramedic is 3 times as long. The continuing edcuation is 3 times as much and the work load is alomost 4 times as much but the City Firefighters are making alomost 4-5 more dollars more on the hour. The city of Greenville chooses not to utilize part time and volunteer help at the fire department. WHY ???? Especially when you are only doing that many runs a year. COME ON !! All Fire departments in the area including Dayton area utilize part time and volunteer help. If the city would quit worrying about EMS they would have time to do that research. Utilizing Part time help alone would probably get you out of the red. Greenville Twp. Rescue utilizes part time and volunteers. Thank you Greenville Township Rescue for utilizing my tax money approprietly. The citizens of Greenville are fortunate to have separate services. EMS has come a long way and is a career of its own. Many research suggest that Fire based EMS does not work because the 2 careers are so different. ITS MEDICINE !!! Paramedics no longer just drive patients to the hospital. Firefighers are just trying to justify there jobs knowing the demand for them are fading away. The quality of patient care will suffer if you have firefighers doing EMS. They want it for the wrong reason. The City of Greenville needs to wake up and start doing there job !!!!

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  9. Cut the City Fire department and give the money to the Police Department.

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  10. Just a reminder ... the goal here is to promote discussion, but it becomes difficult when anonymous commenters leave long comments full of factual statements that aren't easily verified. Read and rely upon the comments at your own risk, especially the anonymous ones. The figures in the comments above might be right or wrong, they have not been verified.

    Any comments from the website itself are marked "Darke Journal."

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  11. Instead of trying to take-over something they are by no means qualified to do, I feel the city fire department should work on the [redacted ... you can guess] of its own members.....

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  12. "Read and rely upon the comments at your own risk, especially the anonymous ones."

    This comment is very true. You should look at both entities records and decide for yourself. I think you will be surprised, especially when you see what the city of Dayton and Trotwood are doing with their emergency services.

    Become involved in your community, pull records and look for yourself. Don't just rely on your elected officials to do the right thing, because maybe they won't.

    As for the EMS thing, the city is holding public meetings on the occasional Friday afternoon at 3pm. I know it is hard to make these meetings since most are at work but you should try. It could affect the way you receive emergency medical services in the future. The next meeting is August 7 at 3pm in the city council chambers.

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  13. Think about this: The new school complex that Stegall and others want to build is $2.06 a week for 39 years on a $100,000 property. Fine go 1/2. That's $1.03 on a $50,000 property. There are roughly 49,500 tracts of land in Darke Co. If 1/4 are in the Greenville School District that's 12,375 tracts. Multiply $1.03 by 52 weeks = $5,356 for 1 year on 1 property. Multiply $5356 by 12,374 tracts =$66275144 total on all properties for 1 year. Multiply $66,275,144 by 39 years =$2,584,730,616 cumlative total for 39 years. This is on top of what we are already paying and/or what will get voted in during the 39 years. And how does going to school another month justify this?

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  14. mona.lease69@gmail.comSeptember 29, 2010 at 1:07 PM

    Why don't you print this and let the people know that there are laws in place at the State level that spell out how far anyone can go with the taxation? Do you need a name at the end of this to print the truth? Google Darke County land. Bring up the information on tracts. Work with 49,500 taxable tracts. If 1/4 are in the Greenville City School Districts that's 12,375S tracts. Figure each tract in $50,OOO average value. The new school complex would be $2.06 a week on $100,000. Half is $1.03. Multiply $1.03 by 52 wks in 1 year = $5,356 a yr on 1 property. 12,375 tracts times $5,356 a yr = $66,280,500 total for all tracts for 1 year. Multiply $66,280,500 by 38 yrs of the levy =$2,584,939,500 TOTAL revenue of the proposed new school to house K - 12 grade.

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  15. I am referring to mona.lease@gmail.com and Anonymous..........your math is wrong starting with your 52 weeks times $1.03/week. That is only $53 and 56 cents............not $5,356.

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