Monday, August 03, 2009

09/10 Capital Budget: Public Works - 1/3 (non-sewers)

Here's the overall Public Works capital budget:Here are the sidewalks. It's precisely this lack of information that annoys me. I don't have a problem with deviating from a plan, but do we even have any plan? I know there's a list of sidewalks to be constructed. But IMO, that information would be distributed with this capital budget request. And it would include cost estimates that would be within 10% of the $200,000 budget. And yes, I know this is for the 2nd year of the CB. But I'm sure there will be new sidewalks this year. Who is going to get them? What are the criteria used in prioritizing the work? I raised these issues a year ago. The response? The usual. See here.And here are the dump trucks. Last year I started learning more about the town fleet.

For commercial use, these vehicles have meters on them... not just odometers, but (if memory serves me) there's also a meter for total hours of use. I tried to get my hands around this and show that if we followed our replacement plan (i.e. every 100,000 miles and 10,000 hours)... then we didn't need a particular vehicle to be replaced for two years.

Unsurprisingly, the response was something to the effect of "But what if we have budgetary constraints next year? Then we won't be able to afford it. So we must buy it now." Absolutely absurd. Could you imagine someone saying "Let's buy a new car now because we may be broke next year!" But this is government. And the mindset in town hall is fundamentally the same as in Washington. Spend, spend, spend!
Tim White

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about getting our money back from the road survey? How did such an "extensive" review of our roads miss todays sink-hole? More money thrown away for garbage!

Tim White said...

That was an easy vote for me. I couldn't understand people voting in favor of spending that $50,000. Sure there were benefits, but the cost far outweighed the benefit.

As for the new sinkhole? Where?

Anonymous said...

Heard it was on Nob Hill at Riverside. Oil truck fell into it.

tim white said...

I hope everyone's ok. As for the reality that I've heard nothing about it... doesn't surprise me. For all I know, no one was in the TM's office today. That's not at all uncommon for the TM and the Asst TM to both be out. It's just another of the many things that aggravate me with the TMO.

I've asked the TM several times "what is the role of the asst TM?" To which he responds "to be there when I'm not there." Of course, the TM doesn't give a hoot if the both of them are out.

Frankly, I wouldn't be too concerned about both of them being out... as long as somebody is in-charge. But the thing that gets me is that the there is an annual $4,000 stipend paid for being the Asst TM.

Chalk that up as being another fleecing of the Cheshire Taxpayer.

And what happens when I mention it to the Rubber Stampers? They don't give a hoot either. And yet when they knock on your door this fall, I'm certain they'll echo your concerns about taxes and spending... nodding their heads... all the while though, they let the spending go unchallenged. Why? Because they apparently do believe that they report to the TM.

It's just unreal.

Tim White said...

and as for hearing nothing about it... that's par for the course with the current Chief Executive.

Control the information and you control the agenda. Though in fairness, he was out today.

I'm so tired of having information withheld from me.

The Corruption Memo
The Richmond Glen papers

and the list goes on...

again though... I hope everyone is ok.

Anonymous said...

TM was catching a tan in Charlestown, RI

Anonymous said...

If you are allowed to go to Coasta Rica, why isnt the town manager allowed to take a day off? If he was in RI, at least he keeps his money in the country and out of the terrorists hands.

Anonymous said...

12:51 Who said they're complaining about the TM taking a day off? I've read through the comments and can't see where you're getting your statement.

Anonymous said...

12:51
You really have a lot a lot of issues with Tim, it's too bad you don't take the time to read what he is writing.
He was stating that we have an assistant TM who we pay $4,000 extra to and is suppose to fill in for the TM when he is away. Why pay for an assistant if they can't take over in the TM's absence?

Try to take your time to read and comprehend what is being said.

By the way, is Costa Rica where all the terrorists are now? News to me.

Anonymous said...

Costa rica is one of the largest producers of poppy and marijauna in the world. That money is used to buy weapons from our enimies

Tim White said...

The State Department doesn't mention any terrorism in Costa Rica. But since 12:51 apparently knows more than the State Dept and has personal knowledge of the mail I receive via the US Postal Service... perhaps we have our very own CIA Clandestine Services officer in Cheshire!