New Haven Independent

Posted by: Gary Doyens | September 11, 2008 10:23 AM

Reality Check:
1. Last year's budget deficit was closed with more than $10 million in one time revenue by selling city assets or creating off balance sheet operations which then borrowed money for which New Haven taxpayers are responsible for repaying.

2. The rainy day fund is 3.6% of operating revenues - all the bond rating agencies require a 5% fund balance or they penalize the city.

3. The city's bond ratings are not high, they're average - in fact, they're one step above a huge downgrade from Upper Medium Grade to Lower Medium Grade. There are six categories of bonds above where the city currently resides. The city has not recovered from its major bond rating decrease of several years ago.

4. Of particular note is this statement by the bond ratings agencies: "New Haven's full faith and credit pledge including an UNLIMITED AD VALOREM TAX (property tax) secures the bonds." I'm glad they're comforted by that....fresh off my 14.6% property tax increase this year, I'm not.

Posted by: Sins of New Haven | September 13, 2008 2:33 PM

instead of laying off resident employees the City should be asking who is responsible for the fact that City Police and Fire personnel en route CANNOT see each other's whereabouts in real time, on any screen?

It's all radio chatter and despite wireless laptops on board there is no real-time GPS system that lets cops see each other on a map.

Another sin.

But let's focus on the rank and file who have to take the punishment for their sins. It's a shame.

Perhaps better technology in cops cars would have let the officers avoid a tragedy - see here's the catch - the technology is already there - I believe I see Panasonic Toughbooks in squad cars, correct?

It's the policy that's wrong, including the policy makers.

How hard is it to implement a real time GPS map of new haven with red flishing dots on it with street names so officers can see each other (on a screen)?

layoffs? its not like the money saved with union layoffs is a lot compared to what the City pays its "independent contractors" who look, act, work, dress and function like employees - but make much much higher salaries as "contractors".

Those jobs should go first. The Union jobs are full time while some of the contractors are part time - but they make double the amount of a mid level full time union salary!

and you can also have a pension concurrently too! as long as you do not work over 19 hours, you are allowed to work for the City as a retiree AT ANY RATE THE CITY CHOOSES as a "contractor". Awful juicy....

so lets look at the real issue. Human Resources and Corp Counsel make this machine of contractors run. Someone should get a list of all of them and inspect the public record on file in City Hall. Let's see who is who and who makes what and who is getting a pension meanwhile and take look at the whole financial picture of personnel expenditures, not just what full timers to cut.

A good amount are resident employees.

The financial mess can be avoided if someone inspects all of the personnel expenditures but unfortunately we cannot undue the lack of policy that led to cops crashing into each other while serving the public at all cost...because nobody thought of putting a map with dots on a laptop screen.

the financial mess is just a smokescreen of the deeper sins of 165 folks, you can never take what you see as the whole story.

DEMOND MORE OF YOUR CITY HALL & GENERAL FUND

Posted by: cedarhillresident | September 14, 2008 12:08 PM

First we all know next week the layoffs are coming from parks, publicworks and other public service departments! Why? because city hall refuses to layoff the double dippers!!! JOHN it is time to do what is right! These consultants that already get pensions should be the first to go! I can here it now ...sorry citizens we had to cut the staff because you did not want your taxes raise so service are going to be effected. No not if you cut the contributors of campaigns in no nothing pt positions and keep the lower paid employees that actually do work to keep the quality of life decent in this city!

Posted by: Disgusted with All | September 15, 2008 9:48 AM

Hooray for Cedarhillresident and Sins of New Haven!!! You hit the nail right on the head. The double dipping workers, consultants who already retired but are back with hugh salaries working part time are killing us. Get rid of all the overhead like those, and leave the full time working people with small salaries alone. Then if the budget still comes up short, then you see where cuts can be made. But until then, you have no one to blame but the Mayor, and his high salaried friends. Good thing he didn't win the Gubernatorial race. Could you imagine what he would do to the state????