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8/4/2010
Appleton budget talk – can someone(s) fill in for me?
I’m across the country, taking part in a many-days long family gathering. Fun. But… I’m going to miss what should be Appleton fireworks tonight. I say “should” because somebody should be making a little noise about the City’s budget situation. If you’re free, will you attend and let me know what’s going on? 6:00 PM, tonight, Wednesday, August 4, Appleton City Hall, 100 N. Appleton St.
At the end of the last Common Council meeting (July 21), Alderperson Clemons asked about the 2011 budget situation. The answer isn't recorded in the proceedings but the response included an indication as I understand it of “$2.5 to $3 million.” And that’s if all employees accept wage freezes. Oh yeah, that’s going to happen….
I talked about Appleton’s problems last November and then again a few weeks ago – Appleton shows up late to austerity program.
Throughout 2010, FoxPolitics News documented municipality after municipality that froze wages, cut wages and/or cut employees or employee work days. Brown Deer asked their employees to contribute to their own pensions. Imagine that. Manitowoc County Exec. Bob Ziegelbauer saw the fiscal train wreck coming and created a well thought out, detailed plan to pare down his budget – cut wages and benefits or cut workers.
That’s leadership.
So now the City of Appleton is looking down the barrel at a reported $2.5 million deficit. Are we thinking leadership here? Foresight? Courage?
What’s it going to take to address a $3 million shortfall? How have your wages and benefits changed? Should city employees pay their portion of their pension contribution? More co-pays? A higher portion of their health insurance premium? Or should the City close parks or sell the golf course? Or raise taxes? Raise fees?
Please make your voice heard. 6:00 PM tonight, Appleton City Hall.
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Cutting jobs and curtailing wages is not leadership it is management. Leadership is about establishing a shared vision and finding solutions to the complex issues of our time. Balancing competing interests and leveraging all the balanced budget possibilities including increased user fees and taxes are a part of the challenge of leadership. The Queen of Heart's strategy to behead the opposition and cruely reign is not the solution.
billie (Wed Aug 04 08:02:11 2010)
"Balancing competing interests and leveraging all the balanced budget possibilities... are a part of the challenge of leadership."
Billie, you're right. That's the management part of leadership, and necessarily has to include cutting jobs and curtailing wages when you haven't got the funds. Part of leadership is management, and a leader can lead to prosperity or a leader can lead to bankruptcy. Certainly the GOOD leader is the former, and typically has the tougher job because he/she's willing to make the tough choices.
I don't see how being smart with taxpayers' money can be characterized as "beheading the opposition" and cruel reign. Government isn't philanthropy. It doesn't exist to provide gainful employment, even if it had a surplus.
Andrew Ellis (Wed Aug 04 08:38:06 2010)
Exactly what leadership - or management - do you propose Billie?
Jo (Wed Aug 04 10:42:56 2010)
The first goal of management or leadership, Jo, is to get your management or leadership off the payroll of your competitors.
Jack Lohman (Thu Aug 05 08:42:42 2010)
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