Here is a quick glimpse of some recent events.
€ To cover or not to cover: In a memo, effective Aug. 1, all employees of the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office are required to cover all tattoos on the body. This should have been done years ago before hiring people that had tattoos or soon after hiring them.
The sheriff never should have waited this long to try to implement this new rule. Now the unions are seeking to “negotiate” the new policy with the sheriff. How do you negotiate the covering of tattoos? Do you suggest only covering half the tattoo? Or how about only covering them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays? To determine what's offensive, we could establish a Sheriff's Tattoo Review Board. How does someone cover up an existing tattoo on their neck? If there is a serious issue with tattoos then there should be a grandfather clause for those that have been hired with them.
€ Time to clean house: The terms of five of the nine members of the Auburn Industrial Development Authority have expired. So they have less than half their members. But that's OK because they've stopped having meetings, too. The chairman of AIDA, city councilor David Dempsey, has called on Mayor Tim Lattimore to simply re-appoint everybody.
The purpose of AIDA is to encourage and assist new and existing businesses in acquiring, expanding, constructing and maintaining facilities. Do you see any of that going on? Maybe I missed it. All I've been seeing are a lot of boarded up windows with companies running off to Mexico.
So which is it? Should he go after economic growth or not? Maybe AIDA needs a whole new batch of people appointed instead of reappointments.
€ Health insurance: Auburn's health insurance payments were about $600,000 over budget at the end of the fiscal year on June 30 because of unforeseen claims, according to city comptroller Lisa Green. Why didn't our paid officials see this coming? The taxpayers are paying the bill and we get the least amount of information. We need to have explanations when money is being moved from general fund to sewer fund to water fund, etc.
€ Endless entitlements: Auburn has been informed by the state that it owes another $230,000 in pension payments than was planned in the current budget. Is there a possible link between pension increases and overtime by city employees? Are these employees padding their pensions? Who will be the first politician to stand up in public and say that entitlements are breaking our backs and that changes must be made fast? We must continue to focus on these issues, otherwise people will continue to take advantage of the taxpayers. It's time to investigate and crack down on these kinds of things.
Ducayne's column appears
Tuesdays in The Citizen and
she can be reached at
sacredheart6005@hotmail.com
The sheriff never should have waited this long to try to implement this new rule. Now the unions are seeking to “negotiate” the new policy with the sheriff. How do you negotiate the covering of tattoos? Do you suggest only covering half the tattoo? Or how about only covering them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays? To determine what's offensive, we could establish a Sheriff's Tattoo Review Board. How does someone cover up an existing tattoo on their neck? If there is a serious issue with tattoos then there should be a grandfather clause for those that have been hired with them.
€ Time to clean house: The terms of five of the nine members of the Auburn Industrial Development Authority have expired. So they have less than half their members. But that's OK because they've stopped having meetings, too. The chairman of AIDA, city councilor David Dempsey, has called on Mayor Tim Lattimore to simply re-appoint everybody.
The purpose of AIDA is to encourage and assist new and existing businesses in acquiring, expanding, constructing and maintaining facilities. Do you see any of that going on? Maybe I missed it. All I've been seeing are a lot of boarded up windows with companies running off to Mexico.
So which is it? Should he go after economic growth or not? Maybe AIDA needs a whole new batch of people appointed instead of reappointments.
€ Health insurance: Auburn's health insurance payments were about $600,000 over budget at the end of the fiscal year on June 30 because of unforeseen claims, according to city comptroller Lisa Green. Why didn't our paid officials see this coming? The taxpayers are paying the bill and we get the least amount of information. We need to have explanations when money is being moved from general fund to sewer fund to water fund, etc.
€ Endless entitlements: Auburn has been informed by the state that it owes another $230,000 in pension payments than was planned in the current budget. Is there a possible link between pension increases and overtime by city employees? Are these employees padding their pensions? Who will be the first politician to stand up in public and say that entitlements are breaking our backs and that changes must be made fast? We must continue to focus on these issues, otherwise people will continue to take advantage of the taxpayers. It's time to investigate and crack down on these kinds of things.
Ducayne's column appears
Tuesdays in The Citizen and
she can be reached at
sacredheart6005@hotmail.com
