From Tony Passaro, Bel Air Tea Party Patriots and H. LeRoy Whiteley Jr., Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation:
These reports, identifying redundant spending by the County, were brought to the attention of our County Council Members as well as to the County Executive in 2009.
Since that time, David Craig has stepped up to the plate and done yeoman’s work in reducing the counties’ budget and should be applauded for his efforts…(please see his latest Blog on the subject).
However, we have been advised by his office that in order to reduce the redundancies (another $36,000,000 in additional cutting), Executive Craig must have the full cooperation of the Council as well as the different entities involved.
Immediate action has been forestalled by the inevitable reluctance of certain Harford entities to come to the “Cost Cutting Table”. In fact, unless we change some “Things” those entities may never come to the “Cost Cutting Table” and the redundancies identified may never ever be eliminated.
Toward this end I am asking the full Council as well as the Tax Payers of Harford County to cooperate and come to the aid of our Executives and put pressure on those disparate entities (BOE, LIBRARY, SHERIFFS DEPT., The COMMUNITY COLLEGE, and the COUNTY GOVERNMENT) that are dragging their feet and not willing to give up their “PERKS” or cooperate with Craig in eliminating the redundancies.
Roy and I were advised that a special committee was to be formed with the task of making the required cuts in spending. We looked forward to serving on the combined Committee (local businessmen and a representative of each entity) that would create the plan of action to make the cuts identified in the spending.
The Committee must be formed before we waste anymore time…..without it the CUTS WILL NEVER BE MADE……AND NOTHING WILL EVER HAPPEN…………AND YOU WILL KEEP ON PAYING MORE THAN YOU NEED TO.
Roy and I attended several hi-level meetings where we it was indicated that results would soon be forth coming. It was indicated that the un-formed Committee’s work would be complete by the end of March 2011. I recently learned that now, nothing would be done until the end of April 2011. Yet another interminable delay.
The County Budget is due to be presented around April First 2011. I am concerned that the budget will be “Locked In” and “FROZEN” without the promised $36,000,000 in cuts being made.
I feel that about $36,000,000 (over 12 months = $3,000,000 per month) of the $68,782,000 in redundancies can be cut from County spending without affecting any public services.
Unfortunately, this cost cutting of redundant spending, because of the convoluted effort that it requires does not appear to be a high priority right now. There seem to be more pressing issues.
I, for one, am hard pressed, to identify a more important priority than that of “Cutting Costs”
We humbly request that “CUTTING THE REDUNDANT COSTS” be made the highest priority of the current Craig Administration and that pressure be brought by all of us to accomplish a speedy reduction of un-necessary expenses, in short “Lets Cut through the Gordian Knot” that is delaying us and get on with reducing redundant expenses.
Every month we delay the County wastes another $3,000,000 ($36,000,000 in the past year alone) of our hard earned tax payer dollars….and I am asking that WE ALL WORK TOGETHER WITH AND SUPPORT OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO STOP THIS FOOLISH WASTE NOW!!!!!!
Joan Ryder says
The County Executive Has the Power and he should use it.
Prioritize – identify functions and services that must be provided and eliminate and reduce others.
Revise funding for must have functions and services and create no new Capital projects and no new debt.
Resize and reduce government
Downsize and consolidate like functions between agencies
Privatize so that government should perform functions and services that are government only. Private industry should perform those that they are better at and that will save money. Hybrid Government owned managed contractor supported. Review all programs to determine which will best fit where.
Right side with no more big government and no more debt!
Good Governance
Effective Government
Efficient Operations
It can be done and it doesn’t need to be studied. As Nike says: JUST DO IT!
Watcher says
Words. Nothing but empty words. How about a comprehensive list. Because it’s not as easy at it seems. And it sounds like someone is starting her run for 2014….
John P. Mallamo says
My initial candidates for privatization are solid waste disposal, all categories of maintenance, and landscaping/grounds maintenance.
Joan Ryder says
No run. The only office I will hold is the one that I am in, Republican Central Committee.
frankly speaking says
Joan, you should run as a member of the tea baggies party. You seem to talk like a lot of them, but being that you run a respected business in the county it may be a losing proposition to you. How do you feel about the fair lending act and fair housing laws? Do you think that govt is overreaching when regulating real estate transactions? Since the tea party wants to get rid of financial regulation, HUD and many members of your tea party/republicans also think that the civil rights act was not needed then and is not needed now. Do you support Senator Paul and his father?
anon says
It is worth looking at where redundant spending can be reduced, yes.
That said, I’m skeptical that the grass on any property is being cut twice – once by the county and then again the next day by the school district. I’m skeptical that the school district cleans a building only to have the county come in and do it again. Likewise, the grade tracking and attendance reporting computer systems of a school require differently skilled people than the systems that a county may need. The assertion that we can look at salaries paid to certain departments and just divide that in half seems ridiculous.
Centralizing contract management, purchasing/AP/receipt tracking, and associated contract management IT services using a common system across all entities are more likely but would require an investment to get this set up correctly to achieve these savings. Realigning departments to cut the needs for more highly paid supervisors and senior managers also makes sense.
Still, if there is one thing that the Tea Party doesn’t understand it’s making a smart infrastructure investment for the future vs letting what we have crumble around us as we send more people into the unemployment line.
I wish David Craig success but my guess is that this push is more about playing politics and inventing ridiculous numbers of fantasy savings to get “The Party of No” cronies into David Craig’s job rather than actually doing something that makes sense.
Tommy M says
The Humane Society could be privatized and not run by the county.
The Parks and Rec facilities could be privatized. They don’t need to be controlled by the county.
Billy Jack says
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I beleive the Humane Society has a contract with Harford county to accept and care for removed and found animals, but remains a private entity. This has appeared to be very cost effective for Harford County as, otherwise, a county facility would need to be constructed and staffed by county employees.
This is the case in Baltimore County and a comparison of costs might shed some light on this proprosed cost saving measure.
Harford County’s shelter boasts an active and committed group of volunteers, without whom, the cost of care would increase dramatically.
Taxpayer extraordinaire says
Sir,
One of the proposed capital budget figures was for 3.5 million dollar building for the Humane Society. I don’t think that should be a priority now. We, the county, do not have the available money to build and sustain the building.
I think a contracted out service is effective now and I am grateful for the number of volunteers that manage it.
anon says
How much of a jerk do you have to be to suggest putting up a ticket booth in front of Annie’s playground ???
Cdev says
I am concerned about the suggestions that IT specilization in some of those dept do not seem to overlap.
Cdev says
Also how do you figure 3 million a month. Where is that figure arrived at?
Kim McCarthy says
Was “shadow legislative branch” on the ballot? I don’t recall electing the Tony Passaro, Joan Ryder, Roy Whiteley or the Tea Party for that position. Did I miss something?
Phil Dirt says
I’m with you, Kim. Who are these people and others of their ilk who take their own time to come up with solutions to the problems that impact all of us. Did we ask them to? They must think they are special, sprinkling those facts and numbers throughout their article, reinforcing their points. Do they think that they are better than us!
This is not the America that we want to live in. They aren’t forcing anyone to join them or making anyone pay them dues in order to participate, nor are they claiming to speak for all of us. They don’t want to take form the area that work hard and redistribute to those who underperform.
We must collectively stand up to these elites and punish them for thinking things out and presenting their ideas in ways that the average citizen would not bother to do.
They
must
be
silenced.
Watcher says
Hey, look everyone! It’s Phil Dirt adding NOTHING to the conversation again. Yes, Phil, let’s just take Tony “Soprano” Passaro at his word because he always presents himself in such a clear thinking level headed way. You always seem to be so grouchy about everything in Harford county. But, pssst, here’s a secret, there’s a magical place up north called….CECIL county. Go make people miserable up there. Such a buzzkill.
Phil Dirt says
Remember the time that Watcher made a worthwhile post on the Dagger? No, neither do I.
And this grouchiness of which you speak? None here, buddy. Harford County is still run by the right, everyone (that is, everyone with their eyes open) is seeing the truth about The One, the gold plating is peeling off unions throughout the country, my portfolio is on the upswing… life is good!
Sounds like you need a vacation.
Dave Yensan says
Shame on yo Phil Dirt. No one has the right to point out that Watcher makes negative comments about everything but offers nothing that is likely to help mankind in any way.
Watcher says
and Dave Yensan is still a bitter ex-politico who is only (barely) relevant when posting on The Dagger. My postal carrier has contributed more to society than he has.