We love them, we love them not
Not to fuel any more rants, but did I read correctly that the Downtown Development Authority will pick up the ball the city is dropping and pay flower-waterers? And pay to rent the city water sprayer too? And the two seasonal workers will be hired through the usual city nepotism pool? Boy, this DDA-city love-hate relationship sure is interesting.
Gee, maybe the DDA also can pick up the tab for a planner while they're at it, and the assistant city manager, and the parks and rec director, and ...
Just a question: Did anyone think of just jobbing it out to a private landscape company. I'd bet it would be a lot cheaper with a lot less liability.
As for graffiti-erasers, I still say a carcass bounty would still be the most cost-effective solution.
Gee, maybe the DDA also can pick up the tab for a planner while they're at it, and the assistant city manager, and the parks and rec director, and ...
Just a question: Did anyone think of just jobbing it out to a private landscape company. I'd bet it would be a lot cheaper with a lot less liability.
As for graffiti-erasers, I still say a carcass bounty would still be the most cost-effective solution.
posted by The Observer at 4/19/2007 12:13:00 PM
12 Comments:
It's about time the DDA did something with the exorbitant amount of tax dollars they get. Actually, the DDA should be paying for more services downtown, to help with the City's budget shortfall. Look up what DDA's can do. They can pay for police patrols, meter attendants, public services, garbage collection, etc. The list goes on.
As for the DDA/City love hate relationship, that can probably be attributed to the Chairman and close up the ass friend of, yep, you guessed it, John Iacoangeli. Between sticking some questionable characters on the DDA board to stack the deck in his favor, Iaco got his votes in place, and has caused alot of misguided anger issues between the City/DDA and also between DDA members themselves. What questionable characters? Former Council bobblehead Jean Guyor, MB&T Pres. who will do whatever you say as long as we built our bank without any snags (and a $400,000 grant)Chaffin, Barry Kinsey, and a couple I can't specifically name, but who do what they're told. Add in a City reject planner, Andrea Jones, who will do whatever she is told, so I guess they did pick up the tab for a planner (although they should have spent their money on someone who could actually bring businesses to town, you know, an actual do-er instead of a plan-er). Put in place an HDC clown, Barb Harrington, who really needs to just SHUT UP. Yes, we know John's a buddy, but come on, you left the City so leave everything in the City alone. Why didn't she move into that Historic Macomb St. house? She sure preaches alot about Historic to everyone else, hypocrite!
Good question about jobbing it out to a private landscape company. Maybe some Ann Arbor or Dexter company? I'm not sure how much liability there would be for some part time help to water flowers or clean up graffiti, but I'm sure that at ten bucks an hour, it will still be cheaper than a private company's contract. By the way, the nepotism pool was used quite frequently by Iaco now that you mention it. Debbie Manns (probably the worst blunder). Then when gone from the City John actually hired Ben (the fax machine) Tallerico. How about the buddy who did the wayfinding study, who will now get paid for doing such a lousy job. I don't have the names of all of the landscape architechts he used that were buddies, but they were certainly co-mingled with Beckett & Rader. Splash park contractor. The list goes on and on.
Can't wait till election time comes around, just to see how many of these puzzle pieces actually get put together. Sure Iaco will have the smear tactics elevated to an all time high for Monroe Politicians.
Peace :)
I think the DDA should have to pay the city to get their roads plowed, streets cleaned, etc.
Using their budget for stupid projects like Altrusa Park just highlights the lunacy.
At least they funded some old movies downtown. Its nice to get something out of them.
Pick up the tab for planners?
Issue with the assistant City Manager?
Non existant Parks & Rec Director?
Jobbing out to a private landscape company?
These issues all seem to fit with someone. I can't seem to put my finger on the name. Could be an Old Village Plat Association member. Any thoughts? I'll give it a little more thought myself.
Don’t forget paying an honorarium to the Ethics Committee to review complains brought by dingbats against honest citizens who only want to help the improvement process. In Monroe, no good dead goes unpunished.
It is time to realize that the tax captured has more than accomplished the purpose for which it is set aside. The nasty First National Band and Kline’s are gone and we have our high rise. Now the whole area should be returned to the tax roles.
I think that the City, in an effort to help all taxpayers in the City, needs to rethink the DDA and whether or not they should just do away with the DDA all together. From what I hear they take in a couple hundred grand each year. That money could be better spent on streets and capital improvements throughout the City, instead of some one day festivals that they put on. I also heard that they want to spend $25,000 on that Ho-down which has attracted nobody, especially when compared to the Jazz Festival's attendance. They need to clean house with the DDA and collect the taxes for everyone.
Same should go for the Port Authority. What is it that they do? Oh wait, they collect tax dollars and then piss them away giving away tax breaks to entice business in the Port. They should just give another politician 100 grand to bring in what, two businesses in two years? I think we're taking it in the ear on the Port.
I totally agree about disbanding both the DDA and the Port.
I thought bringing in business was supposed to lower everyones tax rate and give jobs to the citizens.
In Monroe we actually pay extra, and for what? Frenchtown filled up their industrial park. What have we got for our investment!
Fire them all!
When the Observer is writing about "grafitti" does he or she mean the Monroe Evening News? That crap is grafitti!
Anonymous,
I actually rather enjoyed the Monroe Evening News this weekend.
I was fascinated that John Patterson doesn't feel any obligation to pay his parking tickets, and honestly didn't see a need to rectify the situation.
I guess Patterson feels he is above the law.
Yet another government employee that is mostly useless.
I'm sure Patterson will pony up and pay his parking tickets after that article surfaced. Will he pay with Convention and Tourism monies? I guess yes.
How about Renee Shiflet? She runs the credit bureau which used to send out the notices if you didn't pay your tickets on time, threatening a bad credit report. Plus, I think her husband is a City employee. What's going on there?
Who does Patterson work for? If he did an expense report for his parking tickets who would approve them?
I know my employer doesn't pay parking tickets. I am expected to park legally and still be on time.
Who awarded the credit bureau contract? We may have to refer them to the ethics committee.
It loks like the City may start to boot the cars of these repeat offenders. That would be a reason to pay up.
I think that they would run out of boots. Maybe they should just take the wheels off of the cars. Imagine if you walked out and saw your car up on blocks, and then called the police to report a theft, only to get arrested for lack of payment on back parking tickets. Well, maybe that's too far out, but honestly, other cities can collect, so why can't Monroe? That would cut down on the city's budget woes at least a little. Hey! Then they could fix up a park or buy some useless property or something. Oh, sorry, wrong council.
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