Proposed Dock Fees Public Hearing

Quite the crowd of concerned downtown merchants and frequent users of our village dock at tonight's hearing.  Those that spoke include Pat Simpson, who also read a letter from *Mike Bresnahan, Ron Thomson, Paul Coleman, Bob Peach, Steve Cavallario, Suzie Keeler, and several others. *Pat spoke with great passion regarding the proposed fees.  *Ron approached the fees from a very logical economic view point.  All in all everyone raised some outstanding points. This was a hearing where a lot of ideas were exchanged and as a result, a committee was formed to solve issues that were discussed tonight.  If, in the past you only pretended to listen to one of these audio's, then I strongly suggest that you listen to this one closely.

*most noteworthy....
 There is a slight pause after you hit the play button....please be patient it will start in a few seconds...

 

To Live and Die in ABAY

You should know the drill by now.  I pick a song and you try to figure out what in the hell my point is.......good luck!

$3000 for Benches?

This is not a very interesting story.  But it shows a change in fiscal attitude.  I did not attend the last village board meeting {my doctors orders}.  I grabbed this Dock Bench discussion from this past weeks T.I. Sun.  6 benches at $500 a whack.  The board was told by the clerk that money for this is not available.  I agree with Trustee Jury, "I don't see why we need more" either!

Maybe there is a bench or two along the village streets that might not be missed if they were relocated to the dock.  Possibly a citizen would like to donate money for a bench in memory of a loved one?  Or maybe we need to wait till next year when it can be included in that budget.  Stick to the budget!

If the board thinks that adding benches to the dock will make enforcing the new no chairs on the dock ordinance easier.......it won't. The location of the  Benches will not be convenient to the location of the boat!
Just like all the other ordinances, they will be selectively enforced...



How about the 2 green benches past the Gazebo?  Were they counted?

Budgets $ Furloughs

Several years ago my household felt the pinch of our economy that was swirling like a big turd about to be flushed through that hole at the bottom of the toilet.  In real life, that turd hits the sewer in seconds.  Our economy swirls slowly......for months and years that big turd spins in the bowl.  I am no economic wizard, yet I could see the writing on the wall.  Surely some of you could see this coming too.

Gas prices were going up and up and the water levels were low [as they are again this year].  After much discussion at the dinner table we decided to sell our boat.  The money went to pay off a loan.  Our budget got a little better but the pinch was still there.  Last year one of our vehicle loans was paid off and this past year the other loan was satisfied.  Our budget was back in control.  With a little planning and sacrifice [no shiny new car] our discretionary income increased.  Yes I know, you are saying JC you have over simplified the big government budget process.  Dumbing down the budget process works.  For example look at our village, town, and school budgets.  They all seem to be in line.  Those budgets are set by people just like you and I.  I am sure all their household budgets are inline also.  I hope!

Furloughs are simple.  You have a job, one day a week you get to stay home but you lose a days pay.  Your employer [ the state] gets to keep that money and use it some where else.  In this case that one days pay will save the state about $30 million dollars. The furloughs could last only one week or they could last 8 weeks.  Maybe longer, who knows!  This uncertainty makes most people nervous.  When I get nervous I stop spending my discretionary income.  Instead of going down town and treating my family to some of those tasty cheese burgers,  we will cook burgers on our grill at the fraction of the cost.  Friday night is my night to walk down town and have a few beers and leave tips. Instead,  I stayed home and did yard work and drank beer out of my fridge.  Not to brag, but I tip a buck a beer.  Some look at me and think friggin state worker.  Keep this in mind,  there are over 100 thousand of us friggin state workers facing furloughs and I bet all of them are doing the same thing.  Don't get me wrong, I know the state budget is a mess and I am willing to do my share.  And if my share is a furlough, then so be it.

My father-in-law had a saying....."Everybody has to suffer just a little bit".  And I feel your pain!

Identity Crisis

You are just as tarnished as I am!

Confused and frustrated.  That about sums it up.  Wasn't sure if  I wanted to continue blogging about the local politics and all the other little stuff that goes on in Alex Bay.  Frustrated by the lack of progress or impact my little blog seemed to have.  A friend of mine called it blogger burnout or bloggers block.

I discovered that in general the majority of people do not like to comment on the "internet".  I have received emails, phone calls, and people stopping me on the street saying.....don't quit, your reaching more people than you realize, and the famous "I don't always agree with you, but we love the info your giving us."

I want all you drive by anony commentors to know something.  I realize I am tarnished, scratched, dented, dinged, worn, faded, etc.  If you feel you must pigeon hole me then do it where ever you hang out.  But keep in mind your friends are also labeling you with similar tags. I guess that is what happens in small towns. Comments are on but I will be less liberal with the accept comment button.

I want to equally thank those of you who expressed  encouragement  and the few that tried to discourage.  Both played a large part in my decision to continue what I love to do........Inform and Annoy.