Muskegon County union contracts-the fix is in!

The fix is in.

Imagine you only had 1 week to determine how you would spend 75% of your entire budget.

And imagine that you would be locked in for 2 or 4 or even 6 years of spending. Spending that would automatically go up every year in three different ways.

Well, that's what our county commissioners have planned for the union contracts that account for 75% of all county discretionary spending.
All contracts will come due the same day and will be negotiated in secret (as always) from us taxpayers until the unions ratify them.

We then get 1 week to contact our commissioners to try to have any say in the never ending increases that have set our county on the brink of more taxes, bankruptcy or both.

And then we are locked in for the duration of the contracts.
As you can see, only 4 of the 10 current union contracts are posted on the Muskegon County website (link below)
The plan to have all county union contracts come due on the same day is already finalized.

County administrator Hammersley assured me, personally, that all the county union contracts were to be posted on the county website.That was over three months ago.
The county's link has only four contracts that are currently in force.

The other 6 contracts are expired or perhaps continuing until some date that us poor taxpayers don't understand.


But the plan to have EVERY union contract expire...and be reset on the same day is the union's holy grail!
The scheme is to have all union contracts due and re-approved on Sept. 30 2011.
 Imagine the luxury of only having to explain and atone for 80% of the county budget once every 4 or 6 years.
Rather than have contracts be examined by citizens (those who PAY for the contracts!) every 6 months or so.

http://co.muskegon.mi.us/humanresources/laborcontracts.htm

Brookhaven AFSCME                          4/22/08-9/30/2010
Brookhaven LPN                                  3/9/10-9/30/2010
CMH Aide Unit                                   12/7/10-9/30/2011
County Sheriff-corrections unit              9/14/10-9/30/2011
County Sheriif-Command unit               2/6/06-12/31/2008 (the new contract was authorized on 12-21-2010...they musta just forgot to post it?)
County Sheriff-Deputy unit                    9/28/2010-9/30/2011
District Court Unit                                 6/24/2008-9/30/2010
General Employees Unit                        10/26/2010-9/30/2011
Michigan Nurses Assoc.                        8/21/2007-9/30/2010
Wastewater Professional & Clerical       11/22/2005-12/31/2008

And don't forget that sub-RINO GOPers John Snider, Bob Scolnik and Marve Engle voted FOR every one of these contracts.
Just as every one of their big union supporting democrat friends on the county board did.

More to come!

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Learn how to appeal your property tax assessments by ordering the DVD of our Property Tax Assessment Workshop."

No Muskegon county meeting Thursday

They've worked too hard so they need a 6 day vacation.
I've got a funeral to attend so I'm glad.
I won't be at Carmen's either on Thursday.
See you next week Tuesday and Thursday at 2:20-3:20 just before the commission meets to spend more of your children's future income (they've already spent all of our taxes so borrowing on our kid's backs is the new "new" for our leaders)!

We don't need fewer Muskegon County commissioners

Letters: We don't need fewer Muskegon County commissioners MLive.com
Redistricting, reapportionment, gerrymandering.
Whatever you call it, in Muskegon County, it really means that the Muskegon Democratic Party controls which county commission district you will live in for the next 10 years.

The commission consists of Democratic Treasurer Tony Moulatsiotis (chairman), County Clerk Nancy Waters, Prosecutor Tony Tague and Democratic Party boss Steve Keglovitz.


The lone Republican, GOP chair Christina Achterhoff makes it 4 to 1 Democrats over Republicans on the board.
The voters gave the Democrats the votes and the power to redraw district lines in any manner they choose.


But this commission isn’t only about gerrymandering your district for purely partisan purposes.


They will also consider reducing the number of commissioners from the current 11 down to 9 or even 7.
You might ask the Democrats why 7 or 9 is a better number than 11.
So far they haven’t offered a reason.


Although there is talk that the reduced number of commissioners would quietly split the current group’s total pay by the new, smaller number, thereby giving themselves a stealth pay increase.


I think that the reduction is a terrible idea for additional reasons.
The most obvious reason is it would effectively disenfranchise every voter in the county.
With fewer representatives, your vote and voice is worth less.
And their power increases.
County regions will lose a voice concerning issues specific to their areas.
Some commissioners currently have as many as six municipalities within their districts.

Fewer commissioners will mean an increase in the different cities and townships they must represent.
It will make connecting with their residents more difficult.
And it will surely make it harder for those residents to communicate and connect with their commissioner.


Fewer commissioners will require increased workloads for the remaining commissioners.
The increased workload of this part-time job would make it less attractive to new candidates. Or the work would simply not get done.
It likely could eliminate full-time workers from the candidate pool with only the lazy, independently wealthy or retired able to find the time to adequately do what would become a far more challenging job.Do we really want to put in place a policy that restricts the pool of possible candidates and effectively eliminates the citizen legislator?
Finally, as a friend in the restaurant business told me, “If I reduce the number of servers in my restaurant, my customers will have worse service.”
Well, duh!
We the people of Muskegon will suffer the same reduction in service if we allow the Democrat controlled board to shrink our representation.


Call your county commissioner and the redistricting board members and tell them we need greater representation, not less.


Before it’s too late!

County "work session" today 1:30

Our county commissioners are having another "work session" tomorrow at 1:30.
Same location as last month's meeting.
We need you there to show the commissioners they can buy all the laptops they want for themselves but we will still report and remember what they did!
I'll be at Carmen's at 12:30 for any who would like to chat before the meeting.
See you there!
Jim
231-557-9912



2011-65 SCHEDULE A WORK SESSION FOR THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONER
FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011 AT 1:30 P.M.
Moved by Derezinski, seconded by Snider, to schedule a work session for the Board of
Commissioner for Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in the Training Center
Building.

Public safety on the line with millage elections Tuesday in Norton Shores and Egelston and Cedar Creek townships

Public safety on the line with millage elections Tuesday in Norton Shores and Egelston and Cedar Creek townships MLive.com
"“This millage is the opportunity for the residents of Norton Shores to pick what quality of life they want,” said Norton Shores Mayor Gary Nelund.
“Further cuts in public safety are really going to have long-term damaging effects on the city.”"

Vote NO tomorrow!!!!!

Muskegon County board's new district boundaries being drawn by group

Muskegon County board's new district boundaries being drawn by group MLive.com
"Moulatsiotis requested public input on redistricting.
The commission set its next two meeting dates for 9 a.m. Wednesday and 5:30 p.m. Feb. 28, both in the county commissioners’ board room in the Hall of Justice."

Do the republicans on our Muskegon County Commission always vote with the big union democrats?

Well,
They certainly did on EVERY budget busting union contract in 2010 and so far in 2011.
Those union contracts account for 70-80% of the entire county discretionary budget!
The dems, at least, are open and honest about their support for more pay, benefits and spending on county union employees.
But our republican representatives Marve Engle, Bob Scolnik and John Snider......... well, their votes sort of speak louder than their words.

Are they proud of their votes?

Our county is out of money and all of those union contracts have triple pay/compensation increases EVERY year.

Are they proud?

Call them.

Ask them!

Those contracts are killing our county!
http://co.muskegon.mi.us/boardofcommissioners/board_minutes.cfm

Muskegon County Board of Commissioners October 26, 2010
Full Board Meeting 3:30 p.m.
2010-599 APPROVE THE CONTRACT SETTLEMENT WITH THE TEAMSTERS
GENERAL EMPLOYEES UNIT
The Ways and Means Committee Recommends, moved by Nash, seconded by Engle, to
approve the contract settlement with the Teamsters General Employees Unit and authorize
the County Board Chair and County Clerk to sign the labor agreement subsequent to
signatures being obtained from union representatives.
Discussion ensued regarding more information and that an impact schedule would be
appreciated in the future.
Roll Call
Ayes: Engle, Gill, Mahoney, Nash, Scolnik, Snider, Wade, Buzzell, Collins, Derezinski
Nays: None
Excused: McMurray
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Muskegon County Board of Commissioners September 14, 2010
Full Board Meeting 3:30 p.m.
2010-514 APPROVE THE CONTRACT SETTLEMENT WITH THE SHERIFF

TEAMSTERS CORRECTIONS OFFICER UNIT
The Ways and Means Committee Recommends, moved by Collins, seconded by Engle,
to approve the contract settlement with the Sheriff Teamsters Corrections Officer Unit and
authorize the County Board Chair and County Clerk to sign the labor agreement
subsequent to signatures being obtained from union representatives.
Roll Call
Ayes: Buzzell, Collins, Derezinski, Engle, Gill, Mahoney, McMurray, Nash, Scolnik,
Snider, Wade
Nays: None
Excused: Wade
Absent: McMurray
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2010-545 APPROVE THE CONTRACT SETTLEMENT WITH THE SHERIFF
TEAMSTERS DEPUTY UNIT
WM10/09-172
The Ways and Means Committee Recommends, moved by Collins, seconded by Engle,
to approve the contract settlement with the Sheriff Teamsters Deputy Unit and authorize
the County Board Chair and County Clerk to sign the labor agreement subsequent to
signatures beings obtained from union representatives.
Roll Call
Ayes: Gill, Mahoney, Nash, Scolnik, Snider, Wade, Buzzell, Collins, Derezinski, Engle
Excused: McMurray
Nays: None
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2010-152 APPROVE THE CONTRACT SETTLEMENT WITH THE BROOKHAVEN
SEIU LPN UNIT
WM10/03-53
The Ways and Means Committee , moved by Nash, seconded by Engle, to approve the
contract settlement with the Brookhaven SEIU LPN unit and authorize the County Board
Chair and County Clerk to sign the labor agreement subsequent to signatures being
obtained from union representatives.
Roll Call
Ayes: Engle, Gill, Mahoney, McMurray, Nash, Scolnik, Snider, Buzzell, Collins, Derezinski
Nays: None
Excused: Wade
Commissioner Gill explained his abstention, since he did not get an agenda and did not
have his notes from Committee, he did not want to be inconsistent with his previous vote.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

2010-700 APPROVE THE CONTRACT SETTLEMENT WITH THE CMH AIDE UNIT
WM10/12-208
The Ways and Means Committee Recommends, moved by Collins, seconded by Engle, to
approve the contract settlement with the CMH Aide Unit and authorize the County Board Chair and
County Clerk to sign the labor agreement subsequent to signatures being obtained from union
representatives.
Roll Call
Ayes: Mahoney, Nash, Scolnik, Snider, Wade, Buzzell, Collins, Engle
Abstain: Gill
Nays: None
Excused: Derezinski, McMurray
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Muskegon County Board of Commissioners December 21, 2010
Full Board Meeting 3:34 p.m.
2010-747 APPROVE CONTRACT SETTLEMENT WITH THE SHERIFF COMMAND
UNIT AND AUTHORIZE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR AND COUNTY CLERK
TO SIGN THE LABOR AGREEMENT
The Administrator recommends, moved by Snider, seconded by Engle, to approve the
contract settlement with the Sheriff Command Unit and authorize the County Board Chair and County Clerk to sign the labor agreement subsequent to signatures being obtained from union representatives.
Roll Call
Ayes: Snider, Wade, Buzzell, Collins, Derezinski, Engle, Gill, Mahoney, Nash, Scolnik,
Nays: None
Excused: McMurray

Group Calls For More Transparency in Redistricting

Group Calls For More Transparency in Redistricting Eyewitness News 9
"The redistricting collaborative wants any proposed map to be posted on the Internet 30 days before adoption so citizens can study it and offer their comments."Contact your county commissioner and every member on the Muskegon county redistricting board today!

Tell them you want TRANSPARENCY!

Phone calls ALWAYS get better results!
Commissioners phone numbers and districts:
http://co.muskegon.mi.us/clerk/brd_comm.cfm

Commissioner's e-mail address:
www.co.muskegon.mi.us/boardofcommissioners

Apportionment board members:
Christina Achterhoff (R) (231) 744-2454
Steve Markel (D) 231-722-2254
Tony Tague, Prosecutor (D)
Phone: 231-724-6435
email: archerwe@co.muskegon.mi.us
Nancy A. Waters, County Clerk (D)
Phone: 231-724-6221
email: clerk@co.muskegon.mi.us
Tony Moulatsiotis, Treasurer (D)
Phone: 231-724-6261
email: moulatsiotisto@co.muskegon.mi.us

Muskegon County group charged with drawing up commissioners' districts to meet

Muskegon County group charged with drawing up commissioners' districts to meet MLive.com
"The commission’s organizational meeting, which is open to the public, is set for Thursday in room G203 of the Central Services Building, 141 E. Apple.
The commission is expected to elect a chairperson at the organizational meeting."

9:00 AM tomorrow.

NS millage to cost $12,000

I'm just back from the Norton Shores city council meeting.
Mostly dull except for a question about the cost of next week's millage election.
It is expected to be about $12,000.
Don't forget to vote next Tuesday!
(enter "NS" in the search box, top left, for more info and links)

Editorial: Laptop dilemma: Efficiency, cost savings vs. appearances

Editorial: Laptop dilemma: Efficiency, cost savings vs. appearances MLive.com

"A proposal to purchase laptop computers for Muskegon County commissioners needs close review."

A well balanced editorial from The Chronicle.

An additional perspective:
Best Buy has a high power (3 GB ram) laptop for $350.
The county estimate for each laptop for the commissioners is $1391 with warranty and MS Office.
Open Office, a free version of MS Office is free.

The county's only stated reason for the taxpayers to foot the bill for commissioner's laptops is that it will provid savings on printing and mailing costs.
The county reports $2000 in mailing costs.
The commissioners are in the county building twice a week.
Why are they mailing ANYTHING to commissioners?
Can't they simply pick up all paper when they are in the building?
They can start saving taxpayer's money today.

The county reports printing costs of $3857.
That is because the current policy is to print everything for every commissioner.
Commissioners have told me that many commissioners go to their county mailbox and dump most of it in the trash.
If the commissioners cared about cost, they would only print what they need.
They can start saving taxpayer money TODAY.
Not to mention that most of what is printed is already online for those commissioners who have home computers.

Our county commissioners are paid $16,000/yr plus full medical benefits, including dental and vision care.
And for those who qualify, lifetime medical and pension.
A total cost to the taxpayers of about $25,000 per year.

And these part-time employees want us to pay for free laptops?

Most commissioners already have desktops and laptops at home.

We've heard no cry from them that important information has been unavailable.

They already have the tools.

If laptops would provide such great efficiencies, why has no commissioner brought theirs to county meetings?
(yes, one commissioner brought his last week and flailed around with paper during the meeting.)

Their actions speak louder than their words.

Free laptops are not a "tool" for these part timers, they are a statement from our elected commissioners to us.

I hope we listen to them very carefully!

Update on "the Rosemary Woods moment"

Well,
We finally got a copy of the audio of the Feb. 8 meeting of the full county commission board.
Excerpts will be posted soon.
But it did take four visits to the county clerk's office, after I had already paid for my disk.
We had to use our own flash drive to get the recording so my $5 went to...who knows where.
It must be noted that my first request was to have the file sent to me via e-mail.
A savings to the county.
In a county that tells us they are working HARD to reduce costs.

I'm told that county clerk Nancy Waters has been "stung" by citizen complaints about the clerk's office.

Imagine if our local Best Buy provided similar service:

Day one-I buy my software but ask if they could e-mail it to me. I am told the boss must make that decision and I leave my phone number and ask to have it e-mailed or if it can't be e-mailed, to call me so I can pick it up later in the day.

Day two-No e-mail or call so I go back to the store and am told the only person who can help me is in a meeting. I leave my phone number again and ask that she call me.

Day three-No contact at all from the store so I return, am told that the boss still hasn't ruled on sending me my software via the web, so the nice lady makes me a copy on a disk.
That evening I find the disk is corrupted.

Day four-I ask a friend to return to the store with his own flash drive and try to get the software.
It easily uploads.
Store manager openly laments that unfair complaints about service have been made by customers.

Day 5?-Muskegon County commission opens hearings on "outrageous customer service" by Best Buy.

County Directory - Board of Commissioners

County Directory - Board of Commissioners
"MUSKEGON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS"

Personal phone numbers and home addresses of our county commissioners.
A good start.
With all the talk of free laptops for commissioners, why don't they list their personal e-mail addresses?
Give your commissioner a call!
They tell us that citizen input is important!

I just wanted my CD.....

Last week our Muskegon county commission voted on an enormous smorgasbord of spending items, including a 9 month SEIU contract that included a retroactive, across the board pay raise and 4 EXTRA days off for all of those union members.
That's in addition to the two months off each year they already get.
Read the memorandum for specifics:
The union contract information that has been given to the commissioners (and us taxpayers) is 2 pages (scroll to pg. 13-14):
(http://co.muskegon.mi.us/boardofcommissioners/agendas/waysmeans_11_02_03.pdf)


During the meeting, there were some very interesting questions and answers about the spending that totaled well into the millions of dollars of American taxpayer's money.
And a very important explanation of his "NO" vote on the union contract by commissioner Alan Jager.


But, at the end of the meeting, there was a particularly obnoxious and thuggish call-out of a citizen sitting quietly in the peanut gallery by commissioner Bob Scolnik.


A loss of composure that made clear his contempt for any citizen who would dare criticize county commissioners.

That citizen being ....me.


The official minutes of meetings as published by county clerk Waters have recently and mysteriously "disappeared" any comments by citizens and even by commissioners who want to explain their vote on an item.

So, I thought us citizens of Muskegon ought to be able to hear the exact words of our county leaders.

As spoken by those leaders.

The county has a policy of voice recording official county meetings so the next day I went to the county clerk's office to buy my copy of the recording.


Not too expensive, $5.

But I asked if I could have it sent to my via e-mail and the nice lady said that might be possible.

So I left her my phone number and asked if I wasn't going to get it as an e-mail, would she call me so I could return and pick up the CD I'd paid for.

Next day, no e-mail.

No call.

So I went back to the county clerk's office and asked why I hadn't received my copy of the audio of the county meeting.

And was told that the nice woman was in a meeting.

So left my phone number again and asked if she would call me when convenient.

No call again.

So, the next day I returned again, found the nice lady and asked why the silence to my request.

She told me she hadn't gotten the approval from county clerk Nancy Waters to e-mail the file to me.

Two days had passed since my first request.

She hadn't bothered to call me.

So, I asked if I could get the CD I'd already paid for and another very helpful woman in the office made it for me.

When I got home, I opened the CD, listened and...big surprise!

Everything from about half way, from the start of real commissioner and audience comments was garbled.


Especially commissioner Bob Scolnik's aggressive accusations at a citizen sitting in the audience.

Who'd of guessed?

Now, I'm not a paranoid person.

But this is the third time this has happened to me.

The first was this Rosemary Woods moment:

http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/2010/04/rosemary-woods-moment.html

The second was when I asked to purchase an audio CD of a meeting and was told that "the system just didn't work" that day.

And now I see my $5 bucks only bought me everything but the important words of our commissioners.

I'm going back to the clerk's office tomorrow.

I'm bringing a flash drive so they might give it another try.

Maybe this time I'll get the entire audio.

I'll let you know!

"defriended"!

Wow! My county commissioner "defriended" me on Facebook.
I openly criticized the entire commission for voting on spending items without reading them.
I guess that's offensive to my representative.
Isn't it kinda "13-year-old-girl-hissy-fit-ish"?
The skin is thin for those used to slavish adulation, isn't it.
Sad, because he was a real friend....sorta.

Carmen's tomorrow at 2:30-3:20 Meet me!

It looks like a mostly dull commission meeting tomorrow....so it will likely MAKE MY DAY!

Anyway, if you want to chat about local politics, old Gordo will be at Carmen's every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30ish to 3:15ish.

I'll buy you a nice glass of water!

http://co.muskegon.mi.us/boardofcommissioners/agendas/cd_11_02_10.pdf

http://co.muskegon.mi.us/boardofcommissioners/agendas/pworks_11_02_10.pdf

NS millage public meeting this Sunday!

I would like to formally invite Norton Shores voters to attend a question and answer forum, sponsored by the Citizens for Norton Shores Committee.
This will occur on Sunday, February 13th from 1-4pm, at Pints and Quarts.
The Mayor, council members, administration, department heads and staff will all be there to answer questions you may have.
Capacity is limited to 250.
I look forward to meeting all of you on here.
Joe Kinnucan

Searchable PDF-"waive the hiring freeze"

Muskegon County Board of Commissioners
"Click here if you have a high speed internet connection and would like to view/search all 2011 meeting minutes in one PDF document."

This is an excellent tool.
Simply enter a term in the search box, click and voila!

I entered "waive the hiring freeze" and got 52 items for 2010.
And this is for Muskegon county, the county whose commissioners have voted for a "hiring freeze".
Jepers.
52 hits.
52 weeks in a year.
Who'd of guessed?

Downtown needs to shovel its walks, now

Letters: Downtown needs to shovel its walks, now MLive.com
"In response to your news story, “Downtown Muskegon Now Broadens Promotion” (Feb. 6), I have a fabulous idea: Provide pathways for pedestrians, especially around the Frauenthal Theater.

We attended the concert on Friday night, and Muskegon was not rising.
Instead, everyone was struggling to stay upright.
Very narrow pathways made walking treacherous.
I know Muskegon has been blessed with much more snow than we need, and finding a place for it can be a problem.
However, if the idea is to promote the downtown area, then a solution must be found for making the walks safe and accessible.

And what about the sidewalks around the old Chronicle building at Fourth and Western? Shouldn't someone be responsible for clearing those sidewalks?

It seems to me these are obvious glitches that could have simple solutions.

Marilyn Nygren

Muskegon"

Lot's of talk from city leaders.
But no one to shovel the snow.
Bummer.