Okay, I can only conclude that the Mayor has been taking acid or that Burgess wrote the memo because this reality, it ain't ours! Alvarez said this in his preamble to the budget memo to Moss:"It is a time for our community to make some perhaps difficult but essential choices about what kind of government it wants to have." (LIKE WE HAVE A CHOICE? If we did, I would get rid of the County Commission in a second).
"Our residents have told us in a comprehensive, factual, statistically valid manner that they are satisfied with the services we provide..." (SAY WHAT? Getting us into the Marlin's stadium deal and mismanaging transit are two examples of crappy service in my book. Yes, I acknowledge they probably fill potholes very well, if that is the 'services' Alvarez is referring to.)
As I said, the water must be laced with something over there. Take a look at the proposed budget, it is posted.
Oh, yes, they also want to raise taxes! Burgess has asked that the Board adopt higher millage rates by July 21st and Alvarez says they are eliminating 1,700 positions.
27 comments:
The air on the 29th floor has been rather thin, for as long as I have known that there was a 29th floor. You know that affects brain function.
The problem with County Hall is the higher your go up the food chain the more likely they are to forget where they come from. It is all about personal self. The Mayor-County Manager's staff is the worst of the heap when it comes to EGO.
One would have to admit that they have a few really terrific people on the 29th and the other floors the mayoral staff occupies, but man-o-man, the rest of them are egoistical, arrogant, and so far out of touch with the real community, you would think that they live on the Good Ship Lollipop when it comes to their grasp of the general population's lifestyle.
Of course, they aren't sweating it, because Big Shots, don't sweat. Actually, they don't give a damn about anything besides their own little world; the county doesn't exist unless a county situation interferes with their schedule or agenda. The real game is to make your boss look good and be his pet.
This is why the county is so dysfunctional, the rank and file are afraid to speak up and disagree with anyone in authority or to point out a better direction to go. The brain trust is always correct, even to the point of stupidity. If the important people in the county thinks of an idea, it will not be questioned, that is, if you want to stay out the 29th floors cross-hairs.
That is one heck of a condescending tone in that quote. I am angry.
Goldman Sachs has set aside $18 billion for employee bonus payments. About $600,000 per traitor, er, I mean trader.
Fired workers in France have set gasoline bombs at the factory where they used to work. They will blow it up unless they receive a $160,000 severance package.
The two ends of a fuse that has been lit.
Get ready America, the big bang is coming.
It is time for me to drink the water on the 29th floor. It works for them, so it should work for unemployed me!
Honey, to get water, you have got to get past the trained attack staff out front, through the security guard, the locked doors, and all the inside attack staff who protect The Man; some with guns and some with words.
The water is in the employee lounge, along with the coradito. No fountain there, though.
Unless you are a lobbyist. then you can try West Dade Office.
And yet there's plenty of money for a Stadium??????
It's disgusting, offensive and really, really mind boggling the level of arrogance they have to come out with a budget like this right after shoving that stadium down our throats.
I'm now convinced Alvarez is way worse than any Commissioners.
Almost all of them need to go, yet they get voted in time after time.
Time to wake up Dade County.
I agree, surrounding yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear will not help make good decisions, but that is much what happens on 29 I agree. In addition, County execs are very reactive and also pathetically fearful of any kind of conflict. That is why they immediately cave in to irrational requests from Commissioners who yell and shout and threaten while Commissioners who don't use these techniques can hardly move anything forward. Department directors and staff who try to resist these irrational requests are not supported by upper level administration and don't last very long.
Although there are some keen insights in some of these comments, there are also some generalizations and lack of budgetary detail and understanding. Understand this: regardless of whether or not that Stadium issue moved forward, or not, has absolutely zero effect on this, or next year's, budget. You cannot take the CDT,TDT, PSFFT, or GOB money and pay for Librarians, Parks Employees, Permit Clerks, Firemen, police officers, Garbage collectors, etc...
As long as there is never a need to tap the General Fund for the Stadium construction, this will always remain the case.
m
M
Your comment was extremely informative, but "splain dis" how can we taxpayer maintain a retirement system that pays individuals in their 40s and 50s, five and sux figure annual retirement pay plus benefits for life.
As for stadium if we over tax tourist (which we are) not only do we encourage them to vacation elsewhere, but we keep money out of the hands of our local businesses, waiters, store clerks, etc etc. . Small businesses create jobs much more cost effectively than government (see Marlin's Stadium).
GTFOH, LOL, GLTB, MIA, DOB,BTW,WTF
Just thought adding all those abbreviations would help my post look smarter.
M-I think the point is not what funds are used for the stadium, but the time and effort the mayor, manager, staff, and commissioners expended, at the expense of working on a budget crisis that everyone knew was going to hit the fan.
The Stadium will be a great place to go when the beaches are no longer swimmable because we keep forgetting about our inadequate handling of sewage. Our tourist advertising will have to feature the empty stadium because beaches with feces all over them will no longer be appealing to the taxed tourist. The truth is, of course, that they will find the beach they are seeking somewhere else besides South Florida.
How about we use those tourist tax dollars to maintain the very thing that the tourist are here for in the first place.
The other M
Cato
2 things: 1) That retirement system is the Florida Retirement System (FRS) and it is governed by State Statute (Laws passed by you legislators in Tallahassee). All 67 counties, all state employees, and most school boards, choose to become part of the FRS, because the larger pool of money to invest, usually results in a better return for the money. The County Commissioners have "zero" say in the pension terms established under the FRS. Your locally elected commissioners can only choose to be a part of FRS, or go it alone and fund their own pension system. If they choose to go it alone, it would most certainly bankrupt the County as it may very well do in the near future to cities like Coral Gables and Miami who are went on their own pension programs. If you hate the FRS, blame your state legislator, as they are the ones who can amend its benefits, not your county commissioner, or Mayor.
2) As for over taxing our tourists. Have you been to New York City, San Fransisco, Europe, or any other major competition for us? $8 Big Macks, $200 rooms at the Holiday Inn, and the poor dollar vs. Euro exchange rate still leaves South Florida as an amazing bargain. Additionally, we are not instituting additional Tourist Taxes, we are just utilizing capacity within what is already being charged.
m
Last anon. Yeah, New York City is very expensive but there are Broadway shows to see, extraordinary museums to visit and Central Park where one can relax and enjoy a stroll or picnic. Miami is overbuilt, the little scenery of the beach is gone now covered with high-rise condos everywhere. Museums? Unless you exhibit some of our senile commissioners, there's nothing worth to see. All attractions cost an arm and a leg. Lots of free shows at Times Square. New York is worth every penny that you spend there.
Mark your calendars. There will be a demonstration to protest excessive taxes and cuts in service, etc. on Tuesday, July 21, at 5:00 pm in front of the Government Center dowtown. If you're disgusted with the lack of respect from our county leaders, attend this demonstration. Letters and phone calls have no effect anymore.
M
Then why all the hoopla about raising taxes in a time when everyone except govt employees (and don't cry to me about 5%) is taking a real haevy pounding.
Truth is compared to their brothers in the private sector public sector workers have it great (thats why lots of folks want a gov job).
I am aware of all you stated regarding pensions and tourist taxes, but I live in reality and reality is broke right now, truth is with stock market down 5000 points plus, ALL public pensions are exposed (with Feds being a possible exception) and soon taxpayers will be asked to pay the piper. Europe is in the crapper and tourism is down everywhere. Where did you learn economics Neverland U?
Bottom line is Stadium Deal Sucks and Tourist ain't coming like they use to.
LMAO, SOS, ESP,KLM, OMG (Added for gravitas effect only)
Well, I certainly did not see any one at County Hall asking the state of Florida for a public referendum to be able to use those untouchable tourist dollars on an emergency basis to help stabilize the community.
I am tired of the "untouchable" money argument. Our mayor and others could have put the same amount of energy into capturing that money to stabilize the tourism support structure of this county. The public WOULD have supported that unlike the stadium project.
There will be no tourism for tourism dollars if the crime is rampant and beaches are nasty. So, in the end, the general fund WILL be raided and we will have a minor league team, a whiny team owner and a empty stadium.
So, there will be a cycle---
no tourists visiting = no tourism taxes = empty stadium = no service jobs = no small business jobs = no need for houses and condos = foreclosures = no construction jobs = need for higher social services = need for more county employees = need for higher taxes = raid on general county fund = residents moving away = start all over again
The county is heading for bankruptcy as sure as we are sitting here. I don't want to hear it is anyone fault besides the people who have been in power. Penelas is gone, Shiver is gone, all the previous county managers are gone... The ego machine was too busy working their own businesses (yup, county execs work jobs outside), while setting themselves up for social events and jobs. They were too busy to get a grip on the county status. We have very few elected people who "get it". (and where "the buck stops" is even worse.)
I can understand intimidation at podium with a rank and file county employee and a commissioner ranting. But to find that same atmosphere within county offices, where employees are afraid that the long fingers of the county manager or mayor are going reach down and snatch them out of a job for not blindly following political commands is disgraceful.Those officials should be protecting rank and file from politics, not intimidating them because of politics.
The county should hire the ones who understand the needs of the county and let them work. Screw the touchy-feely strategical planning meetings and go knock on doors. Genius posted the list of those upcoming touchy feely meetings. Maybe we should go and give them our last 2 cents. Except, we would be fussing at staff, (who already know the truth, but has to deny it) not the ones who need a kick in the tush.
thanks fed up - i am tired of untouchable money too
I'm not buying the "tourists won't come here argument". Through the 80s and 90s we had 3 riots, German tourists getting shot, Cocaine Cowboys shooting up Dadeland Mall, you wouldn't be caught dead (or maybe actually dead) on South Beach after 6pm, old people eating catfood at every other hotel on the beach, Xavier Suarez and Joe Corollo, the City of Miami on the verge of bankruptcy, Time Magazine extolling: MIAMI...PARADISE LOST?
and guess what? The tourist kept on coming.
It's the sunshine and still the beaches folks. Except now you also have celebrities, models, yes museums, sports entertainment to watch, etc...
Stop with the doomsday scenarios.
m
M - Sometimes you tick me off.
M
it's not doomsday it's simple economic fact, just look at lead post in the Eye today and you will see everything wrong with Miami and Miami Dade County Governement. I'm also tired of "untouchable" revenue but when it came to transit tax most commissioners put there grubby little hands ALL OVER IT. Enjoy your pension while it last M.
No person has ever, in the history of American Employment, said: "I want to get rich, I think I'll go to work for the Government".
M
There are haves and have-nots on the county pay scale. And it isn't always determined by skill or education or ability or experience.
Enough said?
"No person has ever, in the history of American Employment, said: "I want to get rich, I think I'll go to work for the Government"."
M
DUDE after viewing this list I think more than a few people are lining up at city hall for a J-O-B
beats the lottery that's for sure and the pensions these guys are going to get WOW!!!!!! Maybe Regis should host Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at city hall......
Few people realized that they could avoid college and join the fire department (or police department) and work three days a week and become multi-millioniares. Who knew working for the government would pay 100% to 500% better than the private sector?
Carlos Alvarez is dense. Someone must explain to him in simple words he can understand that 4,000 County employees must be fired.
Alvarez and Burgess should be indicted for the taxpayer bailout of the Marlins.
First off, anyone who thinks that policing comes without extensive class room and practicum is not a member of the police department. I know that both police and fire require extensive classroom training at a college level, by the way, to graduate the academy. If you fail a test at MDPD police academy, you are gone. Their education continues throughout their careers. They have to be current on law and techniques and are tested on the classes.
Secondly, the time to "fire" the people was back when Alvarez came into office, and then that should have been by eliminating jobs as the vacancy occurred, rather than filling it. They (Mayor, Manager and Commissioners) failed at miserably at that. The Mayor and County Manager's Offices are not separate offices, by law, remember we approved that several years ago. When the voters did that, we made those guys the personnel department, so that falls back on them, not the commission.
The mayor campaigned on the typical anti-big government platform. He was going to help downsize. Hmmm.
He also said that "they who control the budget" control the county - great what that meant was the only way that the commissioners could control the size of the county was to keep cutting back budgets, since the mayor was in control of hiring people. Each year, I believe the Department Directors have been asked to cut their budgets, (twice during each year). Each time 5 to 15% (give or take a %), so the Department Heads have been going backwards in their budgets.
Where does the hiring stop? Last year employees were moved all over the place while hiding their salaries in the wrong department.(oh, we cut those 2 positions from this department)
In fact, this has been a game for years. Commissioner Seijas called Alvarez on it. He still got away with it. How do think politicians get their staff? Someone should ask for a line item job list by department and then make sure includes the funding source and who they really report to. (Not that you ever would know the truth, since no department director in their right mind would confess to having a member of the mayors staff buried in their budget.)
So like Youbetcha said earlier this week, it is an annual shell game. Except the high stakes are up the food chain, the rest of the employees are pawns.
Oh yes, if any employee doesn't give the taxpayer their full dollars worth of work, whatever job, get rid of the position. It isn't needed. Think about this: Does the mayor earn the money he earns and is he any different than any other employee who is on call? How much hands on management does he do? How much more hands on management does any Department Director do at less salary?
Post a Comment