Will it ever warm up? That is the query that Cobina had on her lips, honey bunch, over the weekend when it felt like Ole Man Winter was gonna stick around for more than a little while. The forecasters say it’s gonna warm up this week, but I ain’t so sure. The lumbago is still kickin’ up, meaning more cold.
Tennyrate, here in God’s Li’l Acre the public got a lit’le taste of the power of the Municipal Accountability Review Board with the rejection of a contract that the city’s emergency dispatchers had hammered out with City Hall. It was rejected 5-4 by the review board and will never git to the City Council.
The reason for the rejection: the city can’t pay fer it. That’s a perty good reason. Now the boys and girls go back to the negotiating table, but it does put the union as a decided disadvantage. What exactly could the city afford?
But the thing that caught Cobina’s eye, and was reinforced by Sammy Bluejay, who perched himself outside the confab was the talk of consolidating the city’s two remaining independent fire districks. This has been discussed over and over again, and the taxpayers in those districks will have to vote in favor of it before anything can happen.
What I wanna know is, how in blazes is that gonna make the city government more efficient. The two remaining districks are independent, and don’t cost the city anything excep’ collecting the taxes. Why would the MARB git involved in that political firestorm?
The city has the former Allingtown department under its wing, and quite frankly, it ain’t exactly been a windfall for the people in that borough. In fack, the thing the entire issue has proven is the naysayers in the two remaining districks are right: home rule is abandoned, the taxpayers lose their voice, and the accountability is nil.
Effen the people in the West Shore and First Taxation Districks want to abandon the departments to the city, there is a mechanism fer that. I don’t know why the MARB would git involved as it jest puts more expense into the budget. Maybe they should deal with things as they are and not speculate into things as they might be. Jest a thought.
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There was another bit to come outta the MARB meeting last week. It seems that herroner is coming up with a newer, thinner budget addendum to be passed by the council. It has to address the $8 million shortfall. The state is givin’ the city money to tide it over, but somehow or t’other it has to come up with some way to fill that gap on its own or cut spending.
Hold onto yore hats, this is gonna be a bumpy ride over the next few months. With MARB having all the power, there are gonna be some decisions that ain’t gonna go over well.
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Demmies in town are lookin’ at the train wreck in the making in the 116th Assembly Districk. As yew know Michael DiMassa has that seat now, winning it two years ago. Well, given the fractured nature of the majority party, there is a question as to who and how many candidates are gonna be lookin’ to git into that seat.
We know that Sean Brown has announced his own intention to run in the districk – he the son of Carroll and Ted – Iyam told. He more or less said he don’t care who supports him, he’s running. That ain’t set well with some in the party who like to keep a tight lid on things.
So, right now there are two Demmies lookin’ for the nod there, DiMassa as the incumbent and Brown as a challenger. Word is there might be at least one more who might seek the nomination, which will put the entire issue into question. Three-way races are very open-ended affairs and don’t exactly turn out the way the powers that be might wish.
Keep watchin’ this fracas. It could be a very interesting sideshow to the machinations that seem to follow the Democratic Party in this berg.
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That collective sigh yew might’ve hoid last week was of taxpayers after seeing that the city is – once again – gonna employ the “boot” to those who haven’t fulfilled their duty of paying taxes. The city announced that after next week, April 15 to be exact – the city has contracted with companies to scan license plates and see who might or might not have paid their taxes and fees. Those who haven’t will have their gassamobuggies made unworkable by attaching a boot to the tire.
This is at least the thoid time the city has done setch a thing in the last few years, and each time it is met with consternation by the public. It ain’t the way things are supposed to work. Even Eleanore Turkington over at Gripe Vine has got some complaints and queries about it.
The pernt is, sez the wag, effen yew owe money to the city yew better git it cleared up – or at least make arrangements to pay it off. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. It usually brings in a lotta kopecks in the beginning. We shall see.
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Nelly Nuthatch fluttered in t’other afternoon and sez that the high school is a bevy of activity. The courtyard area has been ripped up and a pile-driver is being used to break up the bedrock therein. That must be driving the teachers on that side o’ the building to distraction. Nothing like the ka-thump, ke-thump of piles being driven to “drive” one koo-koo.
Word is that the parking area is semi-fenced in, and that many teachers’ spots have been lost. That means parking in the school area is at a premium now, and it looks like it’s gonna be that way for about a year and a half. That’s gonna make traffic in the back of the school – which is supposed to become the front o’ the school – a nightmare to be avoided at all costs.
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Meanwhile, our lit’le idea of freeing up $1 million by getting rid of the nine coordinators and using teachers to coordinate subjects has some traction amongst some. The school system is smaller, why spend so much on middle management? Nine people, six-figgered salaries plus benefits. It should be a no-brainer. Maybe the Bored of Ed should be looking at it.
And, the accreditation report came out on the high school. It’s got great spirit, we are told. It all goes downhill from there. The school gits reaccredited, but with many conditions.
I wonder what’ll happen when the new school is finished? D’ya think that has something to do with it? The people who come in from places like Ridgefield and Westport seem to think money is no object, and have thought that for some time. It’s affected the way they view little ole us.
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I hear-tell that something is happening on the carousel front. Mikey Mercuriano and his group have worked for getting a carousel in the Savin Rock environs for a decade or more. There might be something that actually happens. More details are supposed to come out shortly, and we can’t wait to find out jest what the details are.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,