“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
On an international scale, our current president’s greatest fault, besides his incompetence and arrogance, is his failure to understand history, what has gone before. He and his cronies have ignored the many painful lessons of futile, far away and colonial wars fought by us in Vietnam, by the French in Indochina, by the Soviets in Afghanistan, by the French in Algeria, even by the British in the U.S. colonies and by so many other conflicts in which the ultimate losers were the people who did not live where the wars were being fought.
On a local scale, the current County Board of Commissioners absorbed a shocking 59 to 41 percent defeat of a millage renewal proposal in the August primary and hastily put together another request for the November general election, only to see that one go down by slightly friendlier numbers, 55 to 45%.
The response of too many Charlton Park supporters immediately after the Aug. 8 results was something like, “Don’t you wanna keep the park open? We’re gonna give you another chance in November, but this time you better say yes, or we’ll hafta shut it down.” With the exception of Mike Callton, nobody on the County Board seemed interested in researching some history to learn just what had happened here and why. It was a lot like the Bush Administration’s refusal to try to understand logically what really caused the Sept. 11 attacks (“Because they hate freedom” is not an adequate explanation). Furthermore, the board didn’t bother to ask a lot of people who voted against the renewal just what their problem was and what it would take to turn around the poll results.
Callton actually learned and explained that the Charlton Park millage renewal didn’t pass by an overwhelming mandate in 1986 or in 1996. Such slim margins should have been warnings long ago to the Parks and Recreation Commission and County Board that the public hasn’t been entirely sold on what some call Barry County’s greatest tourist attraction. He also pointed out that Barry County had exactly zero earmarked millages twenty years ago, but now has five. This is more important than what too many local public officials believe. Please note that all millage requests on the ballot Nov. 7 were defeated.
The commissioners in August were set to go back to the voters in November with exactly the same renewal proposal that went down 59-41 Aug. 8. All that would have done was enable the public to respond with the simple, but effective, “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” At least they had the slightly good sense to roll back the levy from .25 to .2275 mill and reduce the number of years from ten to five. But that, and the larger numbers showing up at the polls in November, just wasn’t enough to make up the difference. There is something fundamentally wrong here, folks, and doing another top-down style campaign on Charlton Park’s behalf is almost certain to doom it. All you have to do is look at history.
There are rumblings that the new board, when it convenes in January, will call for a public hearing or maybe a series of public hearings very simply to ask voters why they’ve said “no” twice, and what it will take to get them to change their minds. Then the board is rumored to be set to make massive changes, if necessary, in the governing of Charlton Park. One more special millage to salvage Charlton Park is a good possibility in August or November of 2007. But before that happens, a lot of changes will be made and some heads may roll.
Don’t forget there still are a lot of people who believe the park should be privatized, even though Irving Charlton deeded the property to the county as a public facility and history shows us that privatizing public services or facilities isn’t always the best option. Private ownership, to my mind, doesn’t have a lot of respect for offering history to children at no cost, rather it would be more interested in making big bucks with little regard to the public's best interests.
My vision for Charlton Park is similar to what Fred Jacobs has advocated in his editorials in the Hastings Banner. I’d like to see a steady stream of school children visiting and touring the park and village on weekdays during the academic year and then use virtually every weekend from April through October for tourist-oriented events such as Civil War re-enactments, bluegrass festivals, car shows or any other money-making adventure that can be imagined. Solid management and some slick promotion might be able to put Charlton Park in the black enough so it wouldn’t have to depend on an earmarked millage. It at least deserves a shot lest this unique attraction fall into the wrong hands and fail to serve as the educational and recreational tool it could be.
The possibilities are great, saving this park is doable. But let’s not live out the warning from Santayana and keep making the same mistakes.
Posts
46 comments:
Check all the dinner tables in Michigan tonight. The GR Press stated Michigan will continue to lose up to 30,000 plus more jobs, and may start seeing something positive in 2008. Please don't ask me for more money.
Protect me from the likes of our Benevolent former County Commissioner who wants to continue to "serve", but only on the one committee that offers health and retirement bennies. We need to rid OUR County of these people.
Wayne Adams and Don Nevins should also take heed, you represent us, not dictate to us. Find out what we really want, need, and can afford, and then WORK FOR US! I wish both would come on here and list their accomlishments since they have been on the Board. Then we can respond on their lack of accomplishments.
To all the new and old I ask, "Come together as a whole and work together for the betterment of OUR County." You can always resign if not up to the task. Give it your all.
Before Charlton Park, I say more deputies, more Prosecutors, less committees, more efficiency, more harmony. We need you for US not YOU!
Pol,
Your vision for the park is admirable.
Along with Mr. Jacobs you have purposed something that the people of Barry have agreed to before.
Nothing has changed. Except the willingness of the voter to be tapped for money in a repeated fashion as is has been in this case.
A way of financing the park without having to go to the voter over, and over again would be beneficial. The present condition of our state is a perfect example for why it is an advantage to make permanet fixes to the little expenses that pop up. I do this in my own home.
My budget actually is fluid and takes into account money shortfalls that can come up. If I have a problem in the budget that makes me short on my bills, I must cut from other expenses such as entertainment. I don't tell you this to be a horses ass, but in order to point out that there seems to be alot of other prjects in the county that may not hold as much esteem as Charlton does. Do we need some of the other things in the budget as much as we need the access to history that many feel is important?
If the park is to survive its present fiscal situation, there will have to be a way of drawing more money from other projects permanently, so that the voter is not put into the position of having to make the call every 5 years. As you have seen it doesn't always work out.
3 has a point. Listing priorities is the first start, and those that want to save Charlton are going to have to fight others to be on the top of that list, in order to make the vision a reality.
Ag3,
As usual, your homework is lacking and off subject. The Road Commission is not a Committee of the County Board of Commissioners. Interestingly enough, if you had done your homework you would have learned that the County Road Commission has a mandated obligation as part of the maintenance of Charlton Park and that is why they have a statutorily mandated seat on the Barry County Parks & Recreation Commission established by State Law.
I will continue to hammer on the fact that there is NO such thing as a Charlton Park Board or Department. I have a letter from Dr. George Shannon that states that unequivically. We need to get one established as a first order of new business, and staff it with the kind of people that understand how to run a business.
Charlton Park is not a museum or a charitable operation. It is already by any definition a theme park. If you haven´t ever been to one, visit Bowens Mill.
Dr. Shannon is not a businessman. Neither is Clare Tripp. Neither of them have a vision of Charlton Park entertaining over 90,000 visitors next year. Anybody who can´t see clearly how to attract this many people to the Park has no business continuing to drag it into the hole.
Every Commissioner I have discussed this issue with agrees that the current group of people mean well and should be encouraged to remain involved, as volunteers. That includes Dr. Shannon, who would be very stupid if he hasn´t sent out at least a thousand resume´s by now. Somebody must be able to aford an archeologist, somewhere, and someday we may be able to afford one as well.
I just checked and my plan for the Park is still posted as a comment at the bottom of my blog since August 17. It could be dusted off, but why bother.
I am sorry, but the failure of these millage requests falls to a lack of salesmanship. The first group of "salesmen" to blame is the outgoing 2006 Board of Commissioners. They voted to put it before the voters, but they did a lackluster job of selling it to their constituents. If they had confidence enough to put it on the ballot, they should of been beating the bushes and on the stumps campaigning for this proposal.
You then have to combine this Motley Crew with the rag tag lot called "Friends of the Park", and any effort is pegged for disaster.
Supporters let the opposition define them. They had no answers for the opposition, nor could they formulate a strategy or articulate a clear message to the voters of the plans/needs of the Park. The only line coming out of CP was that they could not operate based on current revenues.
After the first defeat, supporters said that "the public did not know what they were voting on". Instead of taking this as a call to action to better educate and campaign out in the community for CP, they went back to utilizing the tools that didn't work for them in August. Complete Lunacy.
If the powers that be get their act together for CP, they have to work at a campaign aimed at grassroots. Since the Commissioners have already squandered two elections on this effort, there will be little prestige for supporters to capitalize on, thus any attempt at another millage rescue for the Park will likely be doomed from the start.
As for privatization...I think that may be too hasty for the Park. What the Park desperately needs a whole PR makeover. The website makes the park look like a redneck wonderland, rather than a "jewel" of the area. It doesn't make anything about the place look attractive (though there are many outdated quotes to try to dissuade me from this position). This should be a destination, rather than an undiscovered country.
If I was the CP director, I'd have that calendar filled with 52 events, one for every week. I'd look to expand the private funding/sponsorship opportunities out there before I'd consider privatizing.
Many West Michigan county parks have succeeded in attracting visitors and business when they have made their parks RV friendly. Not sure if this is in the works for CP. What is in the plans for CP?
That is part of the problem, there really isn't a vision. Until that can be articulated, we are flying blind.
Good comments mostly.
Mike Carlton has said that there are plans to do a good deal of sweeping throughout county government.
On an interesting note, Van Buren County has actually discused no longer paying their Road Commissioners a salary and health insurance, a member observing that they, like us, have some 27 boards and comissions and that the Road Commissioners are the ONLY ones who are paid, and more in beefits than salary.
There is a misunderstanding out there that because the Road Commission recieves it's operational money directly from the state, they are able to set their own salaries. Not true. Not only does the County Commission appoint the Road Commissioners, they also set their pay and benefits.
There also exsists an option to elect the Road Commissioners but with out bedsheet ballot it makes little sense to me.
My best estimate is that salaries and benefits and per deims come close to $60,000 total per year.
Add to that the admitted savings of eliminating the elected Register of Deeds by combining that office with the Couny Clerk,(an option that by law is always open to the County Commissioners) and another $30,000 to $40,000 is easily saved.
So dear friends, without breaking a sweat, $100,000 +-.
Then of course comes the benefit package of the County Commissioners themselves. Their benefits and per
deims exceed their salaries.
In these times when all politicians seem to take up the chant of belt tightening it might be interesting that they check their own waistlines.
Combining the Clerk and the Register's office looks on the face of things to save money. It however does not. Neighboring counties Allegan and Kent have combined, only to see the staffing for the combined department balloon. If you look at it, there are very little synergies between the two offices. Yes, they both handle records, but that is about it. Yes, you may save 40K in the short term, but that combined officer with now double duties will ask for three more staff people, wiping out the "savings". Since the Register's office is one of the few county departments that bring in revenue, I'd hate to see the commission impair that collection through combination.
Realistically, it would make more sense to combine the Treasurer and the Register, since they both work with land, but the State Constitution prohibits that.
Van Buren County did consider combining the offices of Clerk and Register two years ago, and when they did the full cost analysis, they found it would be cheaper to leave things be.
As for Road Commission "salaries", that is a realistic place to cut the budget. However, I do not think we can get quality road commissioners for nothing. They should be able to collect a per diem and get reimbursement for conferences. In as giving them other county health benefits, that's where it seems excessive.
Would that Barry County HAD "quality" road commissioners instead of Mayberry Mafioso getting their dirt roads paved on taxpayers' dimes while collecting paychecks and perks that make my private sector compensation pale in comparison.
Pol, Perhaps we need a post on the Road Commission where we can chat about Charlton Park.
I'm confused Mike.
Not to get off subject but..
$90,000 a year.
Would that equal .2275 mills for five years? Or the original Charlton millage .25 for ten?
Its time to revisit a reduction in the number of Barry commissioners. I think the time is ripe for a positive outcome on that issue. Perhaps that is an issue that can again bring the two parties together. Are the leaders of the two parties willing to work on it this time??
Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, never quite gets it. I don't do homework to write on here, I and others give their opinions through here. Those who want to, and have time to, do "real" research, more power to them. A Latin Newspaper journalist may also be fired as the New York writer was. My problem with your responses evolves around you expecting us to take whatever you rant about without question. But, when we write, we need "Evidence" laid on the table!" Not enough for you that we live the situation 24/7.
When I used to write about Banner articles I had the Banner in front of the puter. The entry about Tripp going for "the position" that had bennies was my only concern. The Banner had been trashed, but as I recalled my one reading of it, that was what it said she was going for? My mention of committee, schmittee, had nothing to do with my comment. Please stick to the meat of a comment, would ya?
As far as reducing commissioners to 5, that scares me a little. Great idea, keep studying. I see many of the Hastings "swimmers" received accolades, I believe in the last Banner? Could the "Olympic size" pool that the people way down the road from Hastings had to help pay for, but can't afford to drive way up there to use, have had something to do with it?
Once again, don't have the paper, GR Press this time I believe, in front of me. But, they're talking huge revenue sharing losses through 2008 I believe. Loss of another 30,000 jobs or more.
I just can't think of improving, etc., any capital improvements until we see what the State has in store for us. YES, look at downsizing government now, we probably will be forced to in the future anyway! Good Luck Mark, Mike, and the new gang (No Ellie, not in the hooligan sense!).
I would be upset to have a Hastings resident represent southern Barry constituents on the County Commission. Maybe 7 Commissioners would be a better start? It's too easy for 3 Commissioners to razzmatazz each other & barely pass something which benefits only a few.
As the area of Barry County outside the city of Hastings has grown in population relative to the city itself, the politcal clout of Hastings has and will continue to diminish. Agitator, this city vs rural mentality is no reason to hold onto more county commissioners than needed to conduct our business. Afterall, while operating at the behest of the entire board, the role of the county administrator is to level the playing field through the conductance of county business to the benefit of ALL county citizens. I think the past effort of old Dem chair Goebel and GOP chair Englerth need to be revived by the current committees. Perhaps this is the issue the dysfunctional Progressive Dems could latch on to and finally gain some badly needed credibility.
Finally, with a reduced county board, the fear of 3 out of 5 commissioners making decisions should not be feared. The state legislature defers many decisions which affect the lives and livlihood of nearly 10 million people to about the same number of people in a conference committee. Surely, five elected commissioners with a full time director can handle the task of running the county's business. Much of their work is done by other elected officials anyways, such as the Drain commissioner, Register of Deeds, etc. As a taxpayer, I think we are getting screwed through over-representation.
Yes, that's it!,... taxpayers are over represented. lol
Its a matter of getting them to work, whether it be a county commissioner or state legislator. We've got more politicians than we need, if only they would be more efficient at what they do. You all have argued about the micromanaging by the commissioners. This is more than I want from an elected official, and I resent having to pay for it, especially when the outcome is not good. Agno, maybe you propose more commissioners then?
M.C.:
I seem to remember a editorial/letter to the Banner where it referenced former Commissioners applying the pressure of the purse on the Apportionment Commission. The former prosecutor was said to have lead the charge to retain the current number.
I have to go through my 2001 Banners to find the article.
In my files I have plans of 5 (Mark's plan) and 7 that would of worked out. I believe the stated "fear" of both alternate plans was that it would mean increased municipality visits for certain commissioners. That was part of the problem. Some members were considering the consequences for the current commission if a 5 or 7 seat plan was enacted, rather looking at it's feasibility.
Now 8 districts do make more Barry County precincts whole as compared with say 7, but the 5 seat plan would of been almost as tidy from my recollections (my binder is at the office). These are all things to keep in mind for 2011.
If we were to look at cuts, would the administrator's office be in the field of consideration?
As to combining the County Clerk and Register of Deed, over a third of the counties in Michigan have done so. Most who surround us have long since made this decision and NONE have ever gone back to the ancient system.
There is no way replacing ONE elected official with one regular level clerk can cost more money. In fact, there are those who can say with authority that the County Clerk has more staff than required to do the job.
As for the statement that we would not attract 'good road commissioners' if we didn't pay them, Bah Humbug. I serve on a board with no pay, no mileage and no benefits. There are many such people available for public servive but are just not in the gang. One hopes that a new county board will look at things with clear eyes.
Like it or not the way the apporionment commission and power structure works is a simple formula. The population of the City divided into the total county population. In order to keep one Hastings City seat only, the number will actually probable go up to nine.
Sentinel,
I have never in my entire life, felt as though I were overrepresented! This is where I parted with the Fire the Senate movement. Less representation=less of a voice period.
The problem is not with quantity. It is merely a problem of quality.
If you keep getting people from the "old Gang" to represent you, you will likely find that your representation lacks the motivation to fulfill your wishes.
Less commissioners only gives the few left a larger piece of the pie, and the voters less people to call on for representation.
Pat:
Look at the surrounding counties that have combined. Those counties have had to hire MULTIPLE staff positions since combination. This is not a one for one trade. In Calhoun and Kent more deputies are on the job, who are paid more than a regular staffer. Costs in combined offices have outpaced costs in separated offices (see UCOA report).
Once counties do make the change, and combine, it is hard to go back. Why??? It's hard for any county commissioner (as this blog has shown) to admit they have made a mistake.
I will post my comment on the tail of the bottom post, and let the rest of you continue your discussion regarding Charlton Park.
Let's not start jumping around on here!
It's hard enough with Two and a Half Men on t.v.!
NEXT BIG PETITION DRIVE IS LAUNCHED: Fire The Senate Folks--Take Note...
The proposal from the Eaton Rapids-based group Medical and Recreational Peace will have to collect some 304,000 signatures – a figure based on the vote totals in the gubernatorial election – in a 180-day period.
BTW-- That's the medical marijuana proposal.
Kent County has nohting to do with us Jay. The County Clerk is also clerk of the court. As with Barry and Calhoun.
Kent, although you may have missed it has exploded in recent years with building. It has nothing to compare us to.
The fact is that here it is a one for one switch except that the county employee who replaces the Register will recieve far less money...and that is IF the County Clerk here did not have a padded payroll.
Michigan's bedsheet ballot gives us lack of responsibility, not more representation. Barry county has 16 Township Clerks, and seven additional Clerks and assistants whose job is essentially to maintain voting records, as is the County Clerk, when we all know the Secretary Of State assumed this job several years ago.So do I feel well represented when I have 25+- people supervisising 30,000 voters....No Way. To make it sillier we are paying Township and Village Officials do do jobs that were created before the automobile.
We are stuck with some out dated county officials as they are constitutional officers, not because they make sense.
Agno, About 7000 bills introduced and 600 new laws passed by our legislature last year if you need a metric. Unless you love state control and interference in every aspect of our lives, we have too many legislators making too many new laws. The same can be said of our county commissioners. If they have time to micromanage, then we could do without a couple of them. Again,the argument they used to hire a county administrator was to take away their day-to-day management of the county's business. The number of commissioners shuold have been reduced the year they hired an administrator.
And Jay, the marijuana petition also provides for recreational use and growing plants for personal use. I could not find a website on the group, nor the language of their petition, so I'm not sure if its a referendum or an initiative.
I like laws!
Sometimes I dissagree with them, but you wont find me wanting to overthrow the government every time feel as though I am being made to follow them.
It is called a democracy, and every time I go to the voting booth I am inclined to vote for someone that most closely represents my point of view.
But to simply say I don't like what they are doing in the courthouse, or the senate, or the whitehouse, and erradicate those positions does nothing but give me less people to choose to represent me, and less power as a voter.
If you feel as though there are too many laws look for someone that promises to do nothing in the next election, and vote for them. Personally I hope for better than that.
Agno, You've seen my intro comments on my blog, but dismiss them as contrite. Yet, you buy in to the endless diatribe spewed by politcians. had you been a victim of the cops operating with impunity or the trumped up charges allowed by the Patriot Act for expression of a right, I think you might change your mind about the number of laws. If not, then what are you doing in a democracy? You sound like a fascist or theocrat- a law or rule for everything. As my blog says:
Live Free or Die
Accountability, legislative transparency, responsive to constituent needs. Is this too much to expect from our elected officials?
We don't need more laws. Enforce the laws that exist. Attn Gen Cox got caught committing adultery, which aside from being a sin if you are religious, is against the law in Michigan. So is cohabitation. My guess is spitting on the sidewalk is still against the law. Its interesting that lawbreaker Cox got reelected to a position which forces or imposes those same laws on the rest of us. Agno, Maybe you are in the right place and I'm not.
Accountability, legislative transparency, responsive to constituent needs, can not be accomplished by cutting the throat of those that represent you, Yes, you.
Who is to say that every seat you do away with in any legislature is not one that would be best to represent your wishes.
Fewer seats are the wishes of the corrupt. Less people to stand in the way when they exact their bidding. Less eyes to see the corruption that goes on behind closed doors.
That my friend would be a perfect example of the beginning of a fascist state.
Your hatred for Cox because of his sin, would be the kind you would expect from a theocracy.
You hate these extremes, yet you use them in order to affirm your arguements.
old friend,
Why then, hand them more tools?
It is simply a case of misdirected fire.
If the problem is outside influence with money, then that should be the target. Think about this. If you want to influence a governing body, wouldn't you find it easier to do with less people in it?
If half of a legislature is corrupt, then cutting that number down will likely cut in half the number of those that are not.
The apathy of the masses will not be influenced by the direction you propose. Show me an instance where the less choices someone has, the more likely they are to want to make one.
To be sure I believe the opposite to be true. Less choice, only grows apathy.
Every one knows the problem, but rather than direct their energy to taking money out of the mix, they choose to ignore that equation, and blame the addict for getting hooked.
Even as we spend time here Nancy Pelosi is being barraged by apologists, and nay sayers with nonsensicle reasons designed to shut down her plan to take money and influence away from those very special interests in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet voices are silent here. Too mesmerized to speak up we fail her and ourselves by not screaming at the top of our lungs "reform!"
Instead we point fingers, and call each other names in order to push an agenda that would do less to serve the people.
Now is the time to strike, and as sure as we have seen our chances at healthcare reform diminish with every dollar spent on an ill advised war, and tax cuts for the top percentage of moneyholders we will see it too dissapear in an instant!
Please take this moment to send an e-mail,or letter to all of your representatives national, and local. It does not need to be lengthy, nor legaleeze written in order to cover its message. One word will make the point intended.
Reform!
Agno, you say reducing the number of politicians offers "Less eyes to see the corruption that goes on behind closed doors." Read my earlier post please. That goes on NOW because we have TWO chambers. Its called a conference committee. It reinforces my earlier argument too that we NOW have a handful of policians making law behind the closed doors of conference committees, and under influence of lobbyists. If you want to make the political process open, get rid of their "hideout". Geesh. The fire the senate patriots had it right all along. Its not rocket science.
And Agno, to summarily dismiss my comment about Cox by reading more into my comment on his hypocricy is pure bullshit. Don't fabricate an argument based on assumptions about me. How many laws have you broken today? And you want more? Be patient, you'll get them.
I think you are off the mark with the following comment:
"Don’t forget there still are a lot of people who believe the park should be privatized, even though Irving Charlton deeded the property to the county as a public facility and history shows us that privatizing public services or facilities isn’t always the best option. Private ownership, to my mind, doesn’t have a lot of respect for offering history to children at no cost, rather it would be more interested in making big bucks with little regard to the public's best interests."
Ok, there are a bunch of PRIVATE,not for profits in our region that do a way better job managing our museums, parks, zoos than our local government. Meijer garden, Gilmore car museum, Kalamazoo Nature Center, and Binder Park Zoo are all Private. Why can't a private, not for profit manage Charlton Park, while the county retain ownership? I'm not talking about selling the park to turn it into condos. The organization would have to honor what is in the deed, of course.
And, you have to pay the bills, charging admission is a fact of life, unless somone plunks down a pile of money, and we don't see the local taxpayers doing that! If someone cannot afford to pay admission, then come up with a privately funded scholarship program. I'll bet one or more of the above organizations already do.
I hope the Michigan Biologist will reserve comments about Charlton Park until the next posting about some other subject. Consistency is abhorrent.
Banner, Nov 30, 2006. 911 review by ETSC Certification Subcommittee.
Would any other Dispatch Center probably have not received a similiar rating? Allegan County has a good system also, cost alot, but good.
Who are these five (5) committee members who did this review? It would be interesting to inquire into their backgrounds. I would expect some to be "retired" cronies typical of those who requested the survey?
They interviewed the "employees". Boy, bet that was an atmosphere where they really opened up and told the truth?
Yes, we do have good equipment and good dispatchers, and good police, fire, and EMS personnel.
This subcommittee obviously did not have the ability or inclination to delve into the real problems of 911.
How many supervisors run that place while the leader is running all over in his County Owned Car? Who gets the credit?
I have to give them credit for another good snow job. Will the Twp's or the new County Board buy all this? Time will tell.
911 review ETSC Certification Subcommittee . I agree with agitater3..they interviewed the employees! if your boss would make your work space a living "hell" would you spill the beans? The dispatchers are great @ what they do...and the question of supervisors running the center? then why the need for a director? Meetings out of town w/ the company car ? or just excuse to visit any casino that is close to the meeting location?
Mr. Nystrom is on the ETSC Certification Subcommittee..hmm!!
In January Ag3 will again resurface, sorry Ellie!
It's interesting to read of no evaluation of the in-car computers or the 800 mhz radios?
Did these subcommittee members have a street officer, none on the 911 Admin Board, come in a demonstrate how the portable radios go "Bonk." When will one go "bonk" and one of the cops go six feet under. This radio system was forced upon us by the former Sheriff and the 911 Admin Board allowed him to do it.
If you happen to be in the Pennock Emergency Room some time, when a Barry Officer is there, have him do a radio check and see how good the radio reception is?
The in-car computers were the first choice of the 911 Director. When there were complaints of not looking at other vendors, they did a dog and pony show, but still ended up buying the 1st choice of the Director. A Director who has not been a police officer for over 15 years, who has not been a street officer even longer. Ronnie Neil even went to the extent of looking into the finances of a newer Company which had equipment that "excited" the Sheriff and other high ranking officers in the County. He assisted in "shooting" their mdc's down.
Now, you go down the road fast, speeding to an emergency where a citizens life may be at stake. The new mdc's are touch screen, or whatever it is called. Your eyes have to leave the road to try and get the screen to go up and get further updates on the emergency you are enroute to.
The 2nd option is to look further away from the Road, downward, scroll around with your finger and move the "arrow" to touch the scroll bar and move the lines of info up to know what you may be facing when you get there.
The 911 Center itself does have great equipment. But, was there better equipment out there? Or, was it the Directors 1st choice, approved by his ever so cooperative 911 Admin Board.
The ETSC subcommittee's purview did not include looking into all the "outside" problems/influences affecting 911! But, yet, they saw fit to chastise these "outside" influences as having an ill effect on the dispatchers. What "select" few dispatchers were they allowed to interview? Did they use cue cards for answers?
Find one dispatcher employed there over one year who has not heard the Director screaming and yelling at people, including them. Is that within the ETSC's purview? Probably not, but it must have come up, the "outside negative influences" did!
What an orchestrated affair. I bet they wouldn't have been able to find weapons of mass destruction either.
We need the new County Board to facilitate a study from the street officers point of view. Have them ride-along and listen to the "bonks," try to scroll the MDC's up and down at 80MPH. Let the whole truth come out!
Don't our citizens deserve the "whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
As the man on 20/20 TV says "Give me a Break!"
kxj? What the hell are you talking about? You want the state gov to run like your fortune 500 company but want them to operate by the byzantine process of two decision making boards? Why doesnt GM or your company have two decision making boards? How many board members are making decisions too. Michigan has 148 "directors" over two boards making decisions. Your argument is lame. Get rid of one house and you are down to 3500 pieces of legislation.
Either we keep a a bunch of commissioners who insist on micromanaging and get rid of the administrator or we let the adminstration and county offices and boards do their job and downsize the commission itself.
Ag3, As you reported,
"I don't do homework to write on here, I and others give their opinions through here. Those who want to, and have time to, do "real" research, more power to them."
The Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, quit his job, today. I hope my letter to Carl Levin in some way was instrumental in this decision. I hope your letters joined mine.
Our next target is the Ambassador to Nicaragua. Those who do a little "real" research will recall that Ollie North and Ronnie Reagan made a lot of friends down there. We could use a new Ambassador who would do a little "real" research before shooting off his mouth.
Oh, Hugo Chavez is predicted to kick some USA-sponsored -ss, again, with a huge voter turnout.
Don´t miss this weekend´s extravaganza for an entire five hours each day, Saturday and Sunday, at Historic Charlton Park and Village .
This will still allow you enough time to take the family to the Bowens Mill Theme Park and have some fun, eat lots of food, buy souvenirs, and leave some hard-earned cash behind to support free enterprise capitalism at its finest.
OK! The weekend is over. Which place did you put your money at?
Good job!
You found the Charlton Park posting.
All my money went on red!?
lost a bunch!
Barb, How about an update on that meeting for those of us who were out of town.
You can just write it in the comments on the first posting you come to like everybody else does. Nobody goes back to the original posting anymore.
We have been spared from Incumbent Commissioner Adams who was nominated for Chairman of the County Board by Incumbent Commissioner French, and who is quoted at the top of the page, apparently would like to stop the Internet.
Lonesome,
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