Here & There Column 11-30-10

Budget, Union & Legislators Pay Cut

We applaud Sullivan County Manager David Fanslau's tentative 2011 budget that calls for a zero property tax increase and no layoffs and offer a great pat on the back to Sullivan Legislator Alan Sorensen who announced he would take a pay cut in 2011 and feels others on the board should do the same.
Politicians and politics in general stink when they accuse a member of their same board of grandstanding and were said to be upset that Sorensen would announce his feelings to the public without talking with them in private which in simple terms means you shut up and don't bring up subjects like this to the local taxpayer who pays their salary and have the right to know any legislators feelings. If county employees are being asked to defer pay raises each legislator should do the same.
We just knew that when the tentative budget was released there would be a big "but" to go along with it and of course that "but" is that this budget depends on the labor unions who must agree to forgo increases and longevity payments.
One does not require the status of a rocket scientist to determine what the union's response to this one would be.......of course they would say no to this request. The union negotiating committee voted down the county's proposal that the more than 600 workers represented by Teamsters forgo 4 percent wage increases and longevity payments next year.
Fanslau has made it very clear to the union that there will be no property tax increase to pay county workers more money.
If the Union and County cannot agree on the proposed county budget then some county employees would face layoffs.
We complement the county for scheduling informational meetings throughout the county on the proposed budget and urge the union to agree on concessions that will keep people employed.