New hire!

The Budget Manager submitted a letter of resignation on April 15, 2011 effective May 20. 2011. Since the retirement of the Accounting Manager in December 2010 the Budget Manager assumed the Accounting Manager responsibilities. Due to the Budget Manager resignation the Accounting Manager position will need to be filled to meet the demands of the Accounting office. A review of the job responsibilities and pay scale was conducted by the Finance and Management Services Director with the Human Resources Director to determine the appropriate placement in the County classification system. The recommendation is to reduce the pay scale ofthe position from NX00410 ($69,230 -$88,327) to NX00390 ($65,944 -$84,125).

Muskegon County employees get 58 paid days off every year!

Wow!
What a county!
24 ("annual leave") + 18 ("sick leave-portable") + 4 ("personal days") + 12 ("holidays") = 58 DAYS OFF EVERY YEAR!
With pay!
For you math challenged, that's:
Almost 12 WEEKS off every year.
More than 1 day off EVERY week.
Darn near 3 months off EVERY year.
Next time you hear of a need for more money to continue "essential services", remember this-58 paid days off!.

Remember this next time you vote!
                                                                                    
                                                                                     These 4 days were just added this year!:
                                                                                     February 3, 2011 Page 2 of2

Personal Leave
For contract years 2010/2011 only, to be used by September 30, 2011, add 4 personal days effective upon execution of the contract for employees hired prior to January 1, 2011.

County apportionment meeting Wed. May 4 9:00AM!

County commissioner phone numbers-Call them!

DISTRICT NO. 1
KENNETH MAHONEY, Chairman (D)
(H) (231) 894-8608

DISTRICT NO. 2
ALAN JAGER (R)
(H) (231) 821-0510 (Cell) (231) 821-0368

DISTRICT NO. 3
I. JOHN SNIDER, II , Vice Chairman (R)
(H) (231) 744-0449 (W) (231) 727-2600

DISTRICT NO. 4
JAMES DEREZINSKI (D)
(H) (231) 788-4849

DISTRICT NO. 5
MARVIN ENGLE (R)
(H) (231) 865-6116

DISTRICT NO. 6
LEWIS COLLINS (D)
(H) (231) 739-3200

DISTRICT NO. 7
SCOTT PLUMMER (D
(H) (231) 709-8597

DISTRICT NO. 8
ANTHONY LONGMIRE (D)
(H) (231) 343-5420

DISTRICT NO. 9
RILLASTINE R. WILKINS (D)
(H) (231) 733-1581

DISTRICT NO. 10
BENJAMIN E. CROSS (D)
(H) (231) 366-4360

DISTRICT NO. 11
ROBERT SCOLNIK (R)
(H) (231) 798-2828

Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus's and Hansen and Hughes?

Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus's poster for their greedy union rally

This far left organization, festering in Ottawa county, is planning a rally next week to demand more of OUR money.
Nothing new in that except that they are listing GOPers Sen. Goeff Hansen and Rep. Holly Hughes as "invited speakers".

I'm sure the socialist caucusers haven't turned objectivest in the last few day so what's up with their invited speakers list?

Why not invite Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin and Clarence Thomas?
Now, that's diversity we can believe in!

(HT to Paula V)

Pray for Sen. Goeff Hansen's son Collin, and family

"Senator Goeff Hansen's son, Collin, is currently going through tests at Mayo Clinic for stomach cancer. 
Goeff is with Collin. 
So far tests show it is very serious. 
Please say prayers for Collin, Goeff and Tami and their family. 
The doctors are to give them the results of the test tomorrow afternoon. 
We will know more then."

2011 Senate Bill 278 (Require periodic review of state regulations )

2011 Senate Bill 278 (Require periodic review of state regulations ) - Michigan Votes "Introduced by Sen. Goeff Hansen (R) on March 17, 2011, to require state agencies and relevant legislative committees to review each regulation promulgated by an agency every five years to determine whether there is any increased impact on small business since the rule was adopted or the last review, and whether the rule is still needed, duplicative, overly complex, complaint-ridden, etc." Not just an excellent bill, this type of review ought to be part of every bill! Good job Goeff!

Michigan House Fiscal Agency director to explain budget issues in Muskegon Monday March 28.

Michigan House Fiscal Agency director to explain budget issues in Muskegon MLive.com Michigan House Fiscal Agency Director Mitch Bean will present Gov. Rick Snyder's 2012 budget at a town hall meeting 7 p.m. Monday Mar. 28 at Muskegon Community College."

Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, Rep. Joe Haveman and Rep. Holly Hughes will be in attendance.

Hughes invites local residents to office hours

MuskegonPundit: • April 22- 8-9:00 a.m. - Toast n Jam - 3462 Henry Street, Muskegon. • April 22- 1-2 p.m.- Russ’ Restaurant- 3225 Henry Street, Muskegon' Better late than never......."

Eric proved all of us wrong! How cool is that!

I did post a few screeds in support of Eric Rothoff in his quest for an appointment to our Muskegon road commission and in condemnation of the thuggish libs who opposed his appointment but...

I told Eric that he had NO chance of getting appointed to the road commission.
He had my support and  many others who thought he'd be an excellent choice but I (and everyone else) "knew" he was chasing a no win dream.
But Eric Rothoff didn't seem to listen to us "smart folks" and continued to attend county meetings, dressed in a suit.
Writing intelligent letters to The Muskegon Chronicle.
He continued to keep in contact each commissioner with his soft charm.
He never gave up.

He never succumbed to the quiet whispers "he's wasting his time".

Eric Rothoff is the classic example of how one person can change the status quo.

I've never been so happy to be so wrong!

Eric Rothoff is a Muskegon Tea party leader who was just appointed to a major citizen appointment by a majority democrat county board.

How cool is that!
Maybe I could learn something from that guy with "no hope"?

Jim Riley

SOS - Campaign Finance Reporting Searchable Database

SOS - Campaign Finance Reporting Searchable Database

This is very helpful in finding out who donated how much to which candidate.
Give it a test run.
Try your own name.
Mine goes back to 1998.
Click on "contribution analysis":
http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/contrib_anls.cgi

Muskegon County's planned tour of prison is postponed

Muskegon County's planned tour of prison is postponed MLive.com
The planned tour of a Muskegon prison by Muskegon County officials has been postponed by the Michigan Department of Corrections.

County commissioners, Sheriff Dean Roesler and other county staff originally were scheduled to tour the soon-to-be-vacant Muskegon Correctional Facility on Friday morning. County officials said state officials, who will lead the tour, may reschedule it for late April.

A reason was not given for the postponement.

This is weird.
They made a big deal about the "tour" at Tuesday's planning session.

Yes, Muskegon Tea Party at Carmen's at 2:00 Thursday!

As always (mostly...) I will be hosting a Muskegon Tea Party chat (open to ALL) at Carmen's Cafe every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:20 PM. Just before each Muskegon County commission meeting.

There won't be a county commission meeting Thursday so that gets us more time to talk about the future of our county.

See you there!

(just ask anyone who works at Carmen's where we TPers are or just holler "hey, Riley"....that works!)

MuskegonPundit: Muskegon County clerk offers Saturday hours this week

MuskegonPundit: Muskegon County clerk offers Saturday hours this week

Muskegon county census numbers

(click on image to biggify)

http://www.michigan.gov/cgi/0,1607,7-158-54534-252541--,00.html

County commission gets it right!

Today the county commission voted to appoint Eric Rothoff to the county road commission.

You may remember the debacle last week ( http://muskegontaxpayers.blogspot.com/2011/03/muskegon-county-board-struggles-with.html ) when chairman Ken Mahoney tried a last minute switch-a-roo to sneak in a union croney but was stopped by most of the board members.

Well today, in good measure because of John Snider, Bob Scolnik and Alan Jager they did the right thing again!
And appointed a "peoples" representative to the road commission.

Kudos to John, Bob, Alan and especially Eric Rothoff for his tenacity!

I do see a bit of light at the end of our long tunnel.
 

Muskegon Tea Party meeting Tuesday Mar. 22, 7:00 PM Whitlow's Banquet Hall

Muskegon Tea Party Meeting Whitlow's Banquet Hall (on Airline Rd.)

EVERYONE is invited!


(Call Jim 231-557-9912 with questions)

A reason for us taxpayers to pay for electric hook-up for the rich?

There are rumors that this enviro-spending is because one of the more affluent county commissioners just bought a $40,000 Chevy Volt.

So he/she could plug in on your taxpayer dime for their free enviro-fuel.

How does that make you feel?

Who is it?

Big Muskegon County meeting tomorrow!

This is an important meeting!
Muskegon County Commissioners will meet in a "Planning Session" 1:00 tomorrow, Tuesday Mar. 22.


The meeting will be held at the old Baker College campus on Apple Ave. (near the corner of Apple and Spring St.) in the Training Center room 202.


It would be easiest to park in the lot behind the complex, just off Pine St.
Call me at 231-557-9912 if you need directions or any other info.

This is very important because chairman Mahoney requested an earlier start (1:00 rather than the usual 1:30) as they will be discussing options for a new jail (higher taxes?) and the county budget which will be in deep doo doo if the projected $1.2 million in state refunding is cut.
As is expected.
So this is a BIG TIME number crunch meeting that every Muskegon resident needs to attend.

Remember, when they operate without any citizen input, they operate for those who already have input and that's why we're broke.

Why are these "planning sessions" important?

Simply because the commissioners have chosen not to publicize these quarterly meetings.
And things get done in the dark.
They want to converse among themselves without us citizens intruding.

Well, I think we citizens ought to intrude because our leaders have driven our county to the brink of bankruptcy on their own.

Maybe we could help our commissioners avoid us all falling off this fiscal cliff?

So if you care about the direction of our county, please plan on attending.

All citizens are welcome!

I'll be at Carmen's at 12:00 if you want to meet and discuss before the meeting.

Then we'll go to the planning meeting.

There is also a full board meeting at 3:30 at the county building.
See you there!
Jim Riley

Representative Marcia Hovey-Wright is hosting a Town Hall meeting about Michigan's Budget

"Representative Marcia Hovey-Wright is hosting a Town Hall meeting about Michigan's Budget.

Monday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. at the Stevenson Center at MCC, room 1100.
Mitchell Bean, non partisan House Fiscal Agency Director will present it.
He is an expert about Michigan's budget -- information we all need to know.

Remember: knowledge is power!
Let's have a wonderful turn-out for this."