July 20th, 2009
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You are:
1. Hiding the tax increase
Seven and a half cents (or 29 cents a day as stated for the tax increase in NSB) is not one helluva lot, until you add it up to $104 dollars a year times 20,000 or so times for the taxable parcels in New Smyrna Beach. It is a huge tax raise in a recession where most of the taxpayers do not have extra money and its sole purpose is to paper over their refusal to adjust salaries. In the Pajama Game musical comedy (1954) the workers are happy with the wage concession of an hourly increase since it adds up to a big raise over the year. That 29 cent per day nonsense by the finance director is how you cover the fact that the taxpayer foots the bill for inflated wages pensions, and benefits not for a lousy 29 cents but for a whopping $104. Add that to the $100 or so from the County, the $60 from the school board, and the $20 from Bert Fish for that mythical $160,000 house and it might even look like real money. That so-called scam of trying to say that it is only a few pennies a day might not look so good when you see that assessment mailed out in August!
2. That huge tax base
Do not be misled by the argument that we have a low millage rate. It is phony. Our tax base is huge, so a low millage rate is all that is needed to collect huge sums of money. That some poor neighborhood has to have a higher millage rate to collect money for government is not an excuse for raising more money than is necessary to run the government here efficiently.
3. Scum Bags
We are not sure who is sending out the E-Mails calling anyone, particularly the Shadow and its contributors, scum-bags. We have a good idea that Grayce and her friends are up to their old tricks, but we must admit that we do not actually have a copy of the E-Mail. Now remember this is the same bunch who do not like the BLOG. Hey, how about addressing the political mess rather than blame the messenger for pulling the tarp off the garbage truck.
“Best Blogs of the Week”
(Edited for grammar and punctuation)
A POTPOURRI OF CITIZEN COMMENTS IS
AGAIN PROVIDED THIS WEEK IN ORDER
FOR YOU TO GET IN TUNE WITH THE
MOOD OF OUR READERS
7/17/2009, 5:37 pm
Fed Up
To 641: you need to read Para 17 again; no where does that para say anything about that the City could loose. It only says it could be expensive. In fact the last sentence of para 16, states that the city would "... ultimately prevail in the courts." As to Gummy's opinion and this one, you are correct they are two legal opinions, but this one is based on ALL of the info either side could produce as well as very comprehensive review of the history, by a law firm with exceptional background in property and real estate law (with no axe to grind), which Gummy does not have, as indicated by his most recent failed attempt of manipulating a property settlement. Throughout this six month battle, Gummey has done everything he could to either stay out of the fray or to only offer opinions that favor the "do nothing" approach by the Commission. As to cost, all we know right now is the Commission authorized "up to $20,000" ; we have no idea what the actual bill for this submission is. No matter which way this thing goes, the facts, and I do mean the facts, are finally in black and white and out of the dark for everyone to see. You should also note that the Anglers were offered an advance review and opportunity to rebutt or offer additional material to the final report (page 2, para 2, )and failed to do so, much like has been their history of no response to anything throughout this crisis and hiding any information of who they are. Whoever this Harvey Mitchell is, we can thank him for getting this sorid, good old boys, backroom deal out in the open for all to see. Grasty and Brewer must be going nuts right now.
This should be interesting as apparently the Anglers are fielding their candidate for Mayor as an end-run on this issues.
Going to be a hot, but interesting summer in NSB, in MHO.
7/17/2009, 2:43 pm
Happy to be HERE!
Web: http://www.nsb.calm
Wow! I just read the City's outside law firm's take on the Angler's lease and it appears it's time for a legal battle. I'm certain the Angler's Club will not go down without a fight or at least some clever legal wrangling. I predict three to five years in court, followed closely by a quick offer to buy the property a the appraised value, the minute prices start going up. It will be interesting to watch.
Nice work Shadow, I doubt my local paper will display all or part of it.
NOTES
1. THE COUNTY COUNCIL SHELL GAME
The Shadow noted a week or two ago that the County Council voted to reduce staff at the fire department. Not true. It seems the vote was for “informational” purposes only according to the Fire Department Chief. In other words , not for real. OK, the Union has another four months to frustrate the intent of that council vote. The budget includes the millions of dollars that could be saved if implemented now will and will probably still be in the budget in September. This message arrived on July 6, 2009.
Dear Sir,
I have confirmed with Chief Tauber's office and Mrs. Connor's office (PR spokesperson for County Manager? ) that the recommendations made at the mini-workshop on June 18, concerning costs savings in the Fire Services Division were for informational purposes only. Nothing has been implemented and won't be until after the budget workshops in September.
It has not yet been determined which workshop will have the presentation for Fire Services, but they are scheduled for September 3 and 17. At that point, decisions will be made as to which cuts will be implemented and when.
Records Coordinator
Community Information - County of Volusia
The message for you, the taxpayer, is they will not confront the Union over bloated staffing, pay, pensions, of benefits probably until after they have voted tentatively on the budget. We assume the current budget does not show savings from these cuts.
2. The reform report from Orange County.
In April, a report for reform of the Orange County Government was presented by a citizens’ group. LINK Look particularly at the sections on the police and fire department.
3. The Children’s Advocacy Center
The Children’s Advocacy Center has lost its office. It needs space. We have suggested a small space possibly at the Babe James center which is also there to help Teens. Contact them if you know of space they might use. See LINK
DEAR KHALID
As we have stated in the past, we realize that the City Manager is limited in the resources available to him for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help him out and provide draft letters for his review. As we have said this will free him up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions.
TO: Mayor Mackay
FROM: Khalid Resheidat
Dear Sally,
I have been in contact with four or five realtors in town who want to handle the sale or lease of the Angler’s Yacht Club property. What should I tell them ?
Khalid
INTIMIDATION?
The Shadow was informed by the Minister of Delay (in this case the City Clerk) that City employees were “intimidated” when asked direct questions by the Shadow about information that is subject to public scrutiny. If so, they should resign because if they feel that their activities have resulted in something that they do not want to have the taxpayers know they have no business working for a government that must be open to its real employers—the taxpayers and voters. We think the only thing that has intimidated them is the fear of the Ayatollah and her hench ladies .
But then there is the ‘newspaper’ reporter who told the Shadow that he did not understand what the Shadow was talking about when the Shadow complained that the City was withholding information. He said that no information had ever been withheld from him. The Shadow responded that he never had anything withheld because he never asked any important questions. Nothing he ever asked we figure even bordered on an investigation of the City’s finances, spending, purchases like Esther Street, etc. Guess who? Guess which paper?
BUYING BEER FOR THE GOLF CREW—YOU PAY
We looked at the proposed 2010 budget. Not an easy task since it was not put together for you to easily follow the projections as to how the city will balance its budget. But the micro issue here is why the City is subsidizing the purchase of beer for golfers’ . We backed into this by calculating the purchases for alcoholic beverages as against the income from sales of alcoholic beverages. Cost projected for purchase is $35,000 and revenue is projected as $56,000 (golf statistics—Cityofnsb.com, (Departments, finance, open budget proposal, control/end, and scroll up about 15 pages, rotate until you can read it). Also, the budget is not paginated!!
Now when you add the cost of running the restaurant, this is selling beer at less than the fully distributed costs. Cheap beer at under the combined cost for product and the overhead, no wonder they are losing money. If the restaurant is losing money, the suds are subsidized and then your increased tax for buying a glass with a head on it for a hot golf player is only 29 cents today, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, and….
Sorting out the proper solution to disposing of the Angler’s Yacht Club property is not all that difficult. It will be messy because the 90 all white members have snubbed their collective noses at the City for many years under the belief that the benefits they received by neither paying appropriate taxes nor lease payments were owed to them by the taxpayers. Certainly they can not be evicted without a fight because they will not be satisfied with only sixty years of ripping the City taxpayers out of millions in taxes and lease payments. But in the end, the taxpayers will be paid a fair amount.
There are several factors to keep in mind. The legal opinion is very narrow, stopping with what the lawyer determined was necessary to answer the question and noting but not issuing an opinion on a host of other issues. Secondly, if the lease is determined not valid, the low assessment of the property by the County Appraiser will no longer be valid because the property would be free and clear for who ever buys it and not be burdened with 35 more years of a low lease payment. . The Shadow is not in the appraising business but the value of a property that should generate income of a few hundred thousand dollars if run by a real business is in the millions. Any way you slice it the City and County are likely to have their annual tax and lease receipts increased by $50,000, $100,000, or more. You know chump change.
The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) bought Park and Recreation a $9,000 Christmas Tree. That is a lot of breakfast’s for poor kids, money to keep Babe James open for teens the whole weekend, and even put a few bushes along Live Oak where many tourists enter the City.
We were thinking of including the purchase of a $9,000 Christmas Tree by the CRA in our article of the waste of taxpayer money. LINK But then this one stands out as a really sore thumb even compared to the Animal Beauty contest funded from taxpayer money. No doubt the City would have an enhancement of its celebration of the holiday season by another Christmas tree, particularly if they put it in front of the Babe James Center which is in a part of town that can always use a little extra. But they are raising your taxes to pay for these frills, with a justification that it is only a few pennies a day for each of the 20,000 or so properties in the City that will be hit with the increased taxes these appointed officials want to spend.
THE SHADOW’S LAST THOUGHT IS: WHY SPEND $40 0R $50 ON A CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR. THE CITY HAS SPENT $9,000 TO PURCHASE ONE FOR YOUR PLEASURE. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD ONE, TAKE YOUR PRESENTS TO THE PEOPLE’S TREE AND SHARE THEM WITH YOUR FAMILY. SALLY WILL NOT MIND!
NEGOTIATIONS OF THE UNION CONTRACTS
The City held an “executive Meeting” to determine its position on the new City contracts with employees. The so-called executive meetings are charades for formulating the City’s bargaining position on the Union contracts. They will not ask the Volusia County Sheriff before hand what he would charge the City to provide the same or better police service. We believe it would be half the price given what he said he would charge Edgewater. Could save $3 million. That is what they should put on the table the next time an $88,000+ (salary excluding 59% benefits package), policeman demands a 2% pay raise.
Also they should ask the County for the statistics for those fire stations that have only two to a shift as against those that have three to a shift. There is no statistical difference and no enhancement of public safety with the three to a shift the Union demands. Could save $2 million. That is what they should put on the table for the fire department Union contract.
The City’s bottom line negotiation position is supposed to be secret. With four Commissioners in the Union pocket the only ones who will not be in on the bottom line is the taxpayers.
