Wednesday, May 14, 2008

MRJ on hotWatergate finale (hWg 19)

The MRJs Stacy Graham Hunt offers this take on last night's vote on hotWatergate:

"The whole process was garbage, and we need to go back and do something different," said Councilman James Sima, who voted against the proposal along with Tim White and Tom Ruocco.

Jimmy was absolutely right.

On the flipside though:

Councilwomen Laura DeCaprio and Elizabeth Esty attributed the long process to unintentional mistakes made in Town Hall.

With a closing:

Now that the project has been awarded, Town Manager Michael Milone, has identified the weaknesses in this process and hopes the new financial software system that the town is expected to receive, will prevent any more processes like this one.

And for anyone who missed it, here's my condensed version of the above:

Town Hall screws up the project. The Rubber Stampers say "tsk, tsk. There must be consequences for this... a-ha! We'll raise taxes!"

And taxes will go up because we:

1) wasted $70,000 between the lowest 1st bid and the lowest 3rd bid;

2) will have unnecessary attorneys' fees ($??)

3) will buy new contracting software that we had not planned on buying ($3,000 for software + training + an opportunity cost of efficiencies missed by not buying the originally planned software)
But for some additional explanation on how to define Rubber Stamping, please read Nancy Pelosi's September 29, 2006 blog post that was published on The Hill. Cheshire's own Democratic Rubber Stamp Council would make the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress proud! Just look at some of their achievements:

1) From the unsubstantiated "fund balance policy" that costs millions of dollars over the past few years and an additional $90,000 each year (going forward)... to wasting $14,000 on another strategic plan...

2) from the $34,000 to be spent on travel & entertainment conferences & seminars... to the $153,000 on "cratered" financial software...

3) from the $430,000 annual subsidy for the pool... to the inaction on performance contracting...


4) from their new found love of the linear park... to the continuing unfair and unequal treatment of non-major party political candidates...
make no mistake... the administration says "jump" and the Democratic Rubber Stamp Council says "how high?!" And this won't change with the present Council composition. Going back more than a year, I tried to explain my concerns to the Council "leadership." But as was explained on April 3, 2008:

Tim White

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so unbelievable!

How much more money will they cost us?
Turf--State subsidy $550K--Cheshire pays $500K

Whats next? Linear Park?

We can't get a imple ball park built in 5 years, so why are we surprised it took 3 bids and nearly a year to decide on a boiler.

Perhaps they should start the bidding to replace the one that hasn't been installed yet. By the time they pass this boiler's life will be over.

Tim, where does this leave us with CT Combustion who has service contracts on other systems in other buildings? Are they negotiating a buyout so Bowman can get those contracts too?

Anonymous said...

One of these contractors will end up suing the town...

Because I would.....

Anonymous said...

I work in one of the schools. I know both contractors very well. CCC has done great work for the schools. When its really cold, their owner even calls to make sure everything is OK before they work elsewhere when they have a job far from Cheshire. He is honest and works like an animal. How do you replace service like that? That costs the schools $0.00.

W-B is not a good performer. We will see the difference when the boilers are lit off and it looks like we are electing a new pope. I hope Bowman donates to the CFD, he will need them.

Anonymous said...

I have noticed something at the meetings....

All of CCC''s employees, including the senior owner, are thin. The Bowman's aren't... who works harder? Hmmmmm.

Anonymous said...

Some company that hasn't put a boiler in a school system in over 30 YEARS and gets the CONTRACT. What are we thinking Town council members who vote for this? Please give us an answer.

Anonymous said...

The only weakness in the system is the Town Manager and his buddies he hires. Now. all of a sudden he has answers for a problem, amazing is it?

The town is run by a dictator, if you choose not to believe, ask the employees.

Anonymous said...

Remember the show "the Dukes of Hazzard"? This town has a Boss, just like Boss Hogg. But he's not an official or staff member.. he just tells them what to do, and apparently supports most of their campaigns and gives them his blessing to work here. The town manager is Roscoe P. Coltrane. The attorney is Enos the "dipstick".