Dan, some time ago, I wrote you a message, which included a comment that I  thought the BEE leadership, acts to protect local government.  Once again, the city council gave away huge pay raises, with no explanation by the BEE to its readers.   Let me quote one sentence in the council agenda, dealing with pay raises,

HUGE PAY RAISES

“Consider a provision for the position of Operations and Maintenance Supervisor assigned to Water of additional 20% in consideration of maintaining appropriate internal relationships with subordinate classes recommended.”

This was in the actual agenda, not a staff report.  When this was read to the council during the meeting, they gave us the deer in the headlights look.  Then they voted unanimously to pass this massive pay raise which amounts to millions of dollars per year.  What is worse, the 3 batches of pay raises did several things.  First, they bumped people up in classification, as many as 8 classes up.  Second they then gave minimum 5% raises, and as much as 7.5%.  Third, they gave some of the raises retroactive to the last fiscal year.  And finally, this additional 20% because managers are nice…

Oh, I forgot one thing.  They do not have the money now, so the staff report clearly said, and I quote, “The cost for this recommendation… (the entire pay raise)…will be offset by fees and planned rate increases.”  THAT is where the water rate increases and sewer rate increases are going.  And THAT is why we have dwindling services, fewer cops per capita, fewer roads fixed, and so on.

I honestly cannot think of a reason you would let these profligate spenders off the hook.  After all, they set that hook themselves by not caring one whit about fiscal responsibility.  But, they DO have hosted, moderated meetings to discuss their legacy. 

I look forward to your story on the evil these people are doing.  Thanks, Dave

P S.  Why was it in the LAST sentence of the fixing-the-streets story that they are spending only $5 million this year on roads, which is one-third of the amount needed to actually fix our streets?     Dave