Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Earth To Glenn

The Ulster County Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee has approved contracts for ancillary workers in both the Ulster County Sheriffs Department and the Ulster County Community College.

Committee Chairman Alan Lomita noted that the three and a quarter percent wage increases were already anticipated for and included in the County budget.


The number of workers involved was much smaller than other County employees units and the increases were right in line with what has been approved in the past for the larger groups.

To his credit, Lomita reasoned that, “I didn’t really think it was fair to use them as sacrificial lambs.”

The only committee member to vote against the increase was Republican Minority Leader Glenn Noonan. He stated that the County could not afford to give this group the three and a quarter percent wage increases given the current economy.

Earth to Glenn, the money was in the budget for this already.


It is easy to try to pick pocket the little guy for what probably amounts to a personal burden of .06 cents a year to each taxpayer and make believe you are a fiscal genius.

In a multi million dollar budget, we think you could save somehow, someplace and sometime without taking it out of the mouths of the working people - especially after the money was put aside for it.

Some of our "leaders" have only two talents - fighting with the other party and taking away from the working person.

......and both of those acts are getting old.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Make sure you folks remind the CSEA when they are giving their endorsements this year who is with them and who is against them. In the past, they sometimes have lost their way with endorsements.

Example: They did not endorse any Legislator who voted for the budget Mike Hein presented that included layoffs,then supported Hein when he ran.

Many of the Legislators who did not get the CSEA support last time out, worked very hard to restore those jobs and none were lost because of that work.

Let's lose the double standard.

A Progressive Hudson Valley Union said...

10:19 You are on the mark about making sure all of labor endorses those who look out for the working people.

There are quite a few who give lip service every election cycle and then there are those that truly understand and care.

Can you point out some that you think should be on top of that endorsement list because they are always there for the workers?

Lets give them credit right now.

Anonymous said...

Phil Terpening did not get endorsed two years ago. He has turned out to be one of our strongest advocates in the legislature - writing letters and speaking up for workers in his capacity as chair of the labor committee. He is actually trying to introduce legislation to help workers and his commitment to labor is genuine.
Hector Rodriguez - lip service. He has the chairmanship of a committee that directly affects workers and can't be bothered to rein in the UCDC or IDA, much less return phone calls.

A Progressive Hudson Valley Union said...

Agreed - Hector is all about lip service and his ticket is about to be punched because his phoney act is past getting old.

Would love to see copies of those letters Phil wrote. Phil should contact the building trades and other labor leaders in the county to share his letters, thoughts and plans.

We have some issues we would love him to get behind.

Working people need real help on real issues and maybe Phil hasn't been getting his due for his efforts.

In reality, most politicians are never really there when the tough issues are playing out.

I think it is safe to say that we are done with the lip service acts.

Anonymous said...

I am a member of the OPAP at SUNY Ulster. I sent letters urging passage of our contract to every single legislator on the ways and means committee, many of my co workers did too. The only legislator who responded to every single one who I checked with was Majority Leader Cahill.

Frank Dart gave us a hard time for sending him the same letter even though he holds himself out there as a big labor man. I was very insulted by his comments. There was another one who gave a hard time too. A white haired man who I do not know who he is.

A Progressive Hudson Valley Union said...

Pay attention right here because this blog is going to do exactly what it says in the heading - promote those who support labor and expose those who don't.

The time for bullshit is over.

Anonymous said...

I'm a member of one of the local Teachers Unions and I am so glad that we now have the Hudson Valley Labor Report. Having a forum to discuss the candidates, politicians and issues. It is a great tool to help to spread the word about who is against labor and its goals and who really supports the working families of this area!

Thank you

Anonymous said...

These politicians who claim to be friends of labor better start saying it outloud and really doing something besides faking their way through it.

Some heads and asses are gonna roll in November.