"Beyond Ridiculous"
Your Commissioners have approved only $122,835 for all street improvements in Fort Scott, yet the theater parking lot alone was budgeted over $160,000. (In reality probably much more was spent in city man hours and materials considering how long the project took.) Furthermore the Commission will be considering working with KDOT to make improvements to 18th Street from National leading to the theater in a special work session on June 13. The City’s portion of the cost is expected to be 25% or nearly $250,000. All of this in the name of “economic development.” The theater is a nice addition to our community, but is it really economic development? How many local businesses were utilized in it’s construction? How many jobs did it provide? From what I understand 5 jobs have been provided, one of which belongs to our Mayor, Gary Billionis.
And what do you suppose it cost to “we the people” to pave the downtown parking lot at the corner of Main and 3rd? All of this is getting beyond ridiculous, especially when the Commission just declined application for a grant to fund salaries for fire-fighters at the proposed Eastside fire station because after 5 years the salaries would become totally the city’s responsibility for an annual cost of about $104,000 for 3 shifts of 1 man each. (Those are the city’s figures by the way.) Do our local fireman really make nearly $35,000 per year in salary and benefits? (I know our Police personnel don’t.) This was just too much money for the Commission, so they declined to apply for the funding which has an application deadline of June 30. Commissioner Hedges reasoning was that the land donors for the new station stipulated that the donation was contingent on a manned station. So that’s the only available land on the Eastside of town?
Wonder where the figures are on what it is really going to cost overall for a move to the Newman-Young Clinic? It’s been getting more consideration then the fire station. Where are the priorities? I an tell you where. It's not the public's best interest anymore, it's more like; “Benefit the few at the expense of the most.”
Some examples come to mind...Take the tax dollars of the working class and provide them to the benefit of those who are abated their taxes. Leave the citizens to drive on dilapidated, un-repaired streets, and without adequate protection. Don’t make improvements to the city website which belongs to, and represents the public, claiming that “we can’t afford it” but fund the private, due-paying members only Chamber of Commerce by over $100,000 to subsidize advertisement for their “members only” and improve their website. Hand over $35,000 a year to another private corporation in the name of “Economic Development” but expect no accountability from them on what they are accomplishing with the money, just keep giving it because they ask. Send a notice and a bill to the citizen whose lot is not mowed, but go ahead and spent public works man-hours on mowing the acreage downtown that belongs to the out of town corporation, don't bother sending them notice, it's just a nice gesture. Leave the road to the park a one-lane street, use that asphalt to pave the parking area between the bank and the funeral home. Pay millions to the “city engineers” to make “water system improvements”, don’t ask for accountability of why pressures are not improved or why the new tower is shorter than the old one and thus the old one can’t be filled, just put it all on the backs of the citizens, raise their rates. I sure am hoping for a change next election. Commissioners willing to do the work of the people, for the people, and not special interest. A Commission who, if they insist on being lead by their City Manager, at least will hire a City Manager who can lead in the right direction.
And what do you suppose it cost to “we the people” to pave the downtown parking lot at the corner of Main and 3rd? All of this is getting beyond ridiculous, especially when the Commission just declined application for a grant to fund salaries for fire-fighters at the proposed Eastside fire station because after 5 years the salaries would become totally the city’s responsibility for an annual cost of about $104,000 for 3 shifts of 1 man each. (Those are the city’s figures by the way.) Do our local fireman really make nearly $35,000 per year in salary and benefits? (I know our Police personnel don’t.) This was just too much money for the Commission, so they declined to apply for the funding which has an application deadline of June 30. Commissioner Hedges reasoning was that the land donors for the new station stipulated that the donation was contingent on a manned station. So that’s the only available land on the Eastside of town?
Wonder where the figures are on what it is really going to cost overall for a move to the Newman-Young Clinic? It’s been getting more consideration then the fire station. Where are the priorities? I an tell you where. It's not the public's best interest anymore, it's more like; “Benefit the few at the expense of the most.”
Some examples come to mind...Take the tax dollars of the working class and provide them to the benefit of those who are abated their taxes. Leave the citizens to drive on dilapidated, un-repaired streets, and without adequate protection. Don’t make improvements to the city website which belongs to, and represents the public, claiming that “we can’t afford it” but fund the private, due-paying members only Chamber of Commerce by over $100,000 to subsidize advertisement for their “members only” and improve their website. Hand over $35,000 a year to another private corporation in the name of “Economic Development” but expect no accountability from them on what they are accomplishing with the money, just keep giving it because they ask. Send a notice and a bill to the citizen whose lot is not mowed, but go ahead and spent public works man-hours on mowing the acreage downtown that belongs to the out of town corporation, don't bother sending them notice, it's just a nice gesture. Leave the road to the park a one-lane street, use that asphalt to pave the parking area between the bank and the funeral home. Pay millions to the “city engineers” to make “water system improvements”, don’t ask for accountability of why pressures are not improved or why the new tower is shorter than the old one and thus the old one can’t be filled, just put it all on the backs of the citizens, raise their rates. I sure am hoping for a change next election. Commissioners willing to do the work of the people, for the people, and not special interest. A Commission who, if they insist on being lead by their City Manager, at least will hire a City Manager who can lead in the right direction.
posted by Thom Prue @ 5:09 AM
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