-799226.jpg)
There is a move afoot to balance the City of Kingston budget on the backs of retired Civil Service Employees by taking away their current health plan and giving them a lesser plan. This idea is brought to you by the Common Council and Mayor James Sottile.
Sottile says he supports "discussion" on the proposed elimination of the current plan called the "Empire Plan", which is a plan used throughout the state for retired public work employees. Sottile said that "everything is on the table" when it comes to possible budget cuts. He makes the point that the proposal was raised by Common Council members, not him.
According to the Daily Freeman,Sottile told them via e-mail that "This will be decided by the council and made part of their budget adjustments if they so choose."
The telling part of all of this is that the Mayor also states in the email to the Freeman that "This is for CSEA union only," and "We cannot apply this to the other unions."
So, is it "we" or "they"? Or is it "you"?
Why is it that it CAN be applied to one group and CANNOT be applied to another? What about the contract language that surely must be part of this whole issue? Wanna explain that one?
It appears that the Mayor isn't supporting cutting the budget as much as he is administering some sort of payback to the CSEA.
Before any cuts are presented for any working person, here is what should happen and we have said it before: Let the Mayor and his upper management, non-union cronies step up and offer to CUT FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS off of their salaries and increase their OWN CONTRIBUTION to their own health plans. Let the Common Council members cut their salary and do the same to any health coverage they have that the people are paying for.
Let's see the "support" for that.
After that happens, hit the ground running and make legitimate cuts to everyone and every department - let's not just hit the banks that Jesse James thinks are easy to rob.
Right now, they are all just tapdancing around.
PUT YOUR OWN MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS AND STEP UP AND BE LEADERS.
8 comments:
Once again Sottile and the Common Council thinks they can pick on the defenseless retiree's.
When will they take responsibility for there actions. They voted for the reval in Kingston. They voted for the tax shift away from the business and on to the home owner.
They approved these contracts for free health insurance for the retiree's.
CSEA's contract was held up for two months while the council, led by Al Teesel, scrutinized every inch of it before approving it and saying they could afford it.
Bullhorner you are right. Let the Mayor and the Council lead by example and cut there salaries first. Let the Mayor get rid of his Empire plan and use his wifes health insurance paid for by the Roundout School District, not City of Kingston Taxpayers.
The savings would be so miniscule that it would have little impact on the budget or taxpayers. If Mayor Sottile wants to cut expenses, he should look at the fire and police departments too. These retirement benefits are promises that were made to current retirees and employees. They expected these benefits and took their jobs with this promise in mind. If Sottile wanted to cut benefits for future retirees, he should do it for new hires only. The state has Tiers, the city can too.
The mayor should be looking elsewhere to make significant cuts. And when he's done with that, he can move on to finding someone other than Finkle who is a total waste of money - he's done nothing for economic development for this city.
Maybe if Sottile wasn't "palling around" (to use a Sarah Palin term) with the likes of Spada and Oliveri, some businesses would actually be able to come to Kingston. Instead, Al and Pat have their hands out and demand a cut for every project, locking businesses out. And then they grease the palms of many along the way...
It's corruption that's bankrupting the city, not the CSEA.
theoctobersurpriseforkingston.blog
I agree, let the high paid ones eating out of the city trough offer up their own dollars first.
Fat chance.
Sottile give it a rest. You can’t sue every blogger that criticizes your administration.
With Robins and Ashdown leading the way the retirees have nothing to worry about. These two men fight harder than any union reps i have ever known. The Kingston CSEA are lucky to have them sticking up for the rights of the work force.
Before they got here deals were offen cut in bars and country clubs.
I have been following this issue, from afar.
What is surprising to me is that your Common Council members are asking for input and it seems that the CSEA is providing it.
But they and your mayor do not seem to be listening.
Get rid of Finkle there's 75000 off the top.
Post a Comment