From Jeff Trimmer of Bel Air:
To the Editor of the Dagger Press:
The Harford County Board of Education is planning new ways to involve the public in the budget process. This process will lead to no substantial budget cuts. The Board of Education and the Harford County Government is incapable of making significant spending cuts. The ironic factor is that it does not matter whether the Republicans or Democrats are in control as neither party desires to cut spending as this decreases their power. Just look at David Craig’s term in office. The budget is greater today than it was when he first came into power. Nobody can convince me that every program that was already in place when he took office and any subsequent program he implemented is functioning well. However, programs are never eliminated. I am sure that when Barry Glassman assumes office, the budget will continue to grow.
The responsibility for solving the budget issues rests with the County Executive and the Board of Education. The school board and the County Executive should come together to resolve the issues. They need to work together and think outside the box and they need to find creative solutions. However, neither the Board of Education nor the County Executive is capable or desires to decrease spending. I would bet that neither of them could name programs that should be cut. The budget cuts they proposed in the past are miniscule and either inconvenience parents or increase costs to taxpayers, such as changing school bus schedules or pay to play. What this County needs is to reduce the size of government.
Here is an out of the box idea that will never see the light of day. I have submitted the idea to the Board of Education. I challenge the Harford County Government and the Board of Education to review every program and service to determine which of these services may be outsourced to a private company. I personally believe that other than police, fire, and teachers, any other service could be outsourced to private industry. I’ll come up with the first five.
• The circuit court and district court (not the judges, but the staff that runs the courts).
• Parks and Recreation
• IT support
• Electrical services
• Animal control
On the Board of Education side
• Janitorial staff and commercial janitorial cleaning services
• School bus transportation
• Cafeteria personnel
• Maintenance
I am not suggesting that the employees lose their jobs. The private sector companies should hire the existing staff, at least the good performing staff. This would result in a tremendous savings to the county as the county would pay a private company to manage these and other services. The county is no longer responsible for all the Human Resource duties and costs, including healthcare and the unfunded pension liabilities. The number of buildings would be greatly reduced and unused building and school buses could be sold or leased to the private companies now providing the service. If this is done effectively, both the government and Board of Education could be managed out of one building.
In case you are worried about a decrease in the level of service, this could be handled in the contracting phase as the government could stipulate in the contract that the private company must maintain or exceed the same level of service currently provided by the government. Also, in the contracting process a backup company would be chosen in case the selected company did not perform to expectations. It is too bad that this idea will never see the light of day as it may save enough money to provide teachers with the raises they desire.
Jeff Trimmer
Bel Air, MD 21014
Sure to get a lot of thumbs down, but I would add teachers to the list. Allow private school companies compete for the tax dollars. You would get better schools, could eliminate the crappy teachers that cant otherwise be fired due to moronic union BS. Allow parents to pick the school their kids go to. Ive personally seen this in other areas. Good teachers get regular raises because they are held to such high standers. Kids get a better education, good teachers get regular raises, bad teachers hit the bricks, and a LOT of waste is eliminated.
ADD TEACHERS
Eh, the issue would be that there would be a need for a governing body to maintain standards, and then they would teach to the test.
Not to mention that a TON of a teacher’s success relies on how the lessons are reinforced at home. If the kid doesn’t have consequences for doing poorly at school, there really isn’t a means to make them do the stuff they don’t want to do. That shouldn’t jeopardize someones career…
That exists….they are called charter schools!
All of what has been noted here should be considered by our local government. The problem is that no one has the guts to even suggest such an idea. These officals are responsable for managing the tax payers funds for all county residents and not for a select group.
Except some of this has been done already. They are not new ideas and won’t save money because they are already implemented. The fact that the author suggested them reflects that he didn’t do any homework.
Cdev is right. Government is great and efficient. There’s no savings to be found. The government know this and what we need is more spending and more public jobs.
Cdev, tell us all of the outsourcing that has already been implemented and how it saved no money. We will wait.
Not against private contracting some things. Buses being one; but the author claims that we need to do it to save money now. He clearly has no clue how things work or he would have known the buses are already contracted out. As a result there is no new savings to be realized from that idea.
I agree with most of your ideas. I think privatizing district nor circuit court staff would bring up questions over conflicts of interest. I’ll be honest, I’m a little surprised IT support and electrical services are not already privatized. As long as Animal Control retains the ideal of “no kill Harford”, I don’t see the harm. Regarding privatizing all schools, I believe it’s a very bad idea. It would only divide and isolate the youth, exacerbating social-Darwinism.
Funny thing….school buses are already outsourced to the fullest extent allowed by law.
And the law sucks. Why is there a limit on the number of buses one company can own?
There isn’t to my knowledge. The law I refer to requires Special Ed buses to be owned and maintained by the county.
Your knowledge is lacking, there is.
Either way the only HCPS buses not contracted are special Ed which can’t be.
And your point is?
That the author suggested HCPS do something they already do!
There is no such limitation. Subcontracted bus companies for HCPS are both large and very small.
Because only the government can have a monopoly
Because after all privatization is definitely interested in the good of the country and not someone’s wallet. The mindset you have reveals a shocking lack of regard for what the public sector is supposed to be – accessible to all and obligated to no one but the public
“…what the public sector is supposed to be – accessible to all and obligated to no one but the public”
And, accountable to whom? Certainly not the “public” for which they serve.
I agree with you that privatization is not the holy grail of budget woes, but the public sector needs a little jolt to shake the mindset of “I’ve got a public sector job, so I’m set for life” (with respect to perceived job security at least).
We will soon see how privatization will save money. Just wait to the water and sewer system is changed by the craig administration and turned over to a private concern. As of now the water and sewer does not make a profit but must be self supporting and pay for itself through the rates that are paid by users. When it is turned over to a private source this private company will want to make a profit. The only way to make a profit is to raise rates. So all of you that like to see government services privatized I am sure you will enjoy paying the higher rates.
@hope0980 says
So I guess you’re suggesting that we should have the government take over gas, electric, garbage, lawn services, health care, pizza delivery, etc…and it will be better run and cheaper?
There was a time the government ran gas, electric and phone. Notice when they deregulated them the rates went through the roof!
The only reason prices went through the roof is EPA regulations.
Wait until the demturds eliminate clean coal and shale. People will need to sell their children to pay the bills.
However, I would speculate that you are on a government energy assistance program so it won’t affect your broke ass.
No prices went through the roof because of lack of competition. The EPA does not regulate the phone company!
Cdev, Do you ever use any factual material in your arguments? You are correct that the EPA doesn’t regulate the ohone company. Perhaps that is why I pay less for two phone lines now than I did for one 25 years ago.
Yes try this in 2005 prices rose 76% and corporate profits went up 150%.
Specifically on Electricity
You all should pay close attention to the wise progressive Cdev. He shows that if government were to operate electricity and natural gas distribution and the profit motive were gone the employees could be fairly paid with great benefits and pensions. Government for the people that employees the people and provides for the people. Utilities are right and there should be no profit in a right.
The original infrastructure was paid for with public money. Clearly electricity costed les before deregulation!!!!
Cdev is clearly right. Utilities are part of the social good and should no be for profit. It should be for full government employment and the benefit of the people. The private sector should be eliminated from energy. Energy is a right.
@Upton Sinclair,
Before deregulation weren’t the electric companies already privately owned businesses with stockholders? I believe the government was just more involved in determining which companies could do business in the state and more closely regulated the fees they could charge. As part of deregulation didn’t the state give away the electrical facilities the taxpayers helped pay to build? I remember my electric bill going up after deregulation, the same with my phone bill.
Cdev – doesn’t know his butt from a hole in the ground.
Hope, I believe you may be wrong on the water and sewer thing. I had a clog in the counties part of the sewer line. They came out to clear it with 2 dump trucks, 1 pick up truck and 7 people. The new guy who was riding in the back of a dump truck got stuck snaking the drain. When it was done there was a total of 17.5 man hours in the job and 3 county vehicles, which could have been done by 1 person in 2.5 hours in a mini pickup truck. What should have been a $200 fix, cost the tax payers easily 10x that. Think this is an isolated indecent? It’s not, they were 6 of the very nicest guys and we had a heck of chat while the poor new guy snaked my drain.
Or you could have fixed it yourself. Lolz
We get it, you hate any kind of spending cuts, You hate David Craig, you voted for; but hate, change. Rather then hate Please for once in your sad hating life, come up with A PLANT to cut spending and save money.
This sounds like a bad idea, imagine the outrage when people have to pay at the toll booth to enter a public park
That happens at some public parks!
Cdev is correct. Almost all federal parks and monuments charge a fee to get in. In most states that is also true for the state park areas. There are also privately or municipally owned parks that charge a fee. Been to Turkey Point lately?
Although sometimes the booth is unmanned when nota at peak use as collecting the fee is cost prohibative. I have been to state run marina’s where there is a box for a boat launch fee. Depositing it is on the honor system. I see many people who don’t pay it although I do as I appreciate the use of the facility and realize the fee goes to support it’s upkeep.
oh, I know right. Harford County has so many land preserves d monuments that I wouldn’t mind paying a fee to visit.
Go to Delaware. ALL of the State owned “public” parks charge a fee. New jersey charges you to go on the beach for petes sake.
People like BillH make me laugh. He knows it all, yep, you’re so right man. Did you know local government workers pay income tax too? 17.5 man hours unclogging your shit, or they would be somewhere else working that day.
I bet some people would be the first to complain if their $200 plumbers snake drain issue turned out to be more of an issue and needed more guys there when they only sent 1. amiriteaboutthatiknowiam.
If it such an easy 200 dollar job , unclog your shit yourself.
I see lots of construction workers standing around while one guy digs, you better stop and blow your whistle there too, man.
Herp, herp, herp, herp.
Chris, not surprising you totally missed the point. Perhaps you should go back and read the editorial written by jeff. You must be a product of government run education.
To Common Sense,
Just wanted to point out that taking public services is not the best way to go all the time. We have a goo W & S system going private may not be the way to go. If it ain’t broke why try to fix it. Our gas and electric service is a prime example after deregulation our service has gone down hill with more outages and higher rates. BG&E now wants higher rates to improve the system so they can make a larger profit.
Instead of cutting the work force that don’t mind working in the wind, rain, cold of snow and ice to make sure the taxpayers are warm, have clean running water, safe roads and parks. Why not ask the top of the money chain why do we have three chief of staffs, directors, deputy directors, chiefs, four or five bosses and three to five administrative assistants running most departments. This is happening in Government and Board of Education. Let us put the blame where it belongs.
I am beginning to think that people cannot read. Hopefully this does not reflect our education system. I do not propose cutting staff, unless they are poor performers or reducing the level of service. I propose the private company hire the good performers. The private company can be required through the contracting process to maintain or exceed the level of service that currently exists. Nowhere in the letter, do I talk about toll booths to parks. Again, the detaisl can be handled in the contracting process.
Wtf man? You want tolls in parks?
If you think people here can’t read, then its probably a good idea not to bother with another editorial right?
If they were good performers would they really be working for the county in the first place? No private company in their right mind would hire any of them. Sad but true.
Oh, I can definitely read. See all the acronyms of achievement after my name? It’s taken me many years to be as good as I really am.
And no one cares about your alphabet soup.
My business partner is a PHD and I never call him Doctor and he doesn’t use PHD in his title.
You should add DH to you alphabet title series.
I’m so important, lots of people call me “Father of Greatness.”
I’m very much more important than you.
Hi Jeff Trimmer,
I applaud your letter and efforts to start a dialogue on creative ways to improve the efficiency of government and the use of our tax dollars. Hopefully some good ideas gain traction and are implemented.
I guess the author missed the stories disscussing the maintainance of effort law passed in Annapolis last year. Even if the County Exec. and the BOE agreeded they are not legally allowed to reduce the budget for HCPS, it is only allowed to stay flat or increase. The teachers union at work
Mr. Trimmer,
Did you attend last weeks BOE public meeting on the budget? Did you suggest these ideas in the meeting? What was the response?
Please do a little research into the contracting out of DOD functions. It has never saved money or improved service. It’s made a lot of businessmen rich who then contribute to campaign funds, thereby insuring future contracts for themselves. It’s an endless cycle that would be repeated at the local level.
Oh I read you loud and clear. You want the good performers to lose their pension, benefits and years of service and start all over to save money for the other department that also have the same issues.
@anne mcdowell
And you expect taxpayers to continue to fund inefficiency and incompetence.
what about custodians?
Mr Trimmer call them Janitorial staff If he thing it fun cleaning a building with a area of 262263 sg feet I like to see him do it im self. He is (adim. staff). I see Building Eng. waste paper at my School, in time on the computer and he getting pay too.
No, I do not believe taxpayers should fund incompetence and inefficieney. I pay taxes too. But you can’t start cutting employees or departments that have their hands tied because of political red tape. If you don’t fix the foundation of problems first then the money saved will be wasted on other things that are worst.
@anne mcdowell
You say – “If you don’t fix the foundation of problems first then the money saved will be wasted on other things that are worst.”
How many decades are we taxpayers supposed wait and absorb the waste and abuse?
You likely think I’m being harsh, especially if you’re a recipient of taxpayer dollars.
Nonetheless wasted taxpayer money on government largess isn’t better than private enterprise profit and efficiency.
Taxpayers aren’t in it for the greater good they are in it for their good.
I’m so stupid I don’t know how to use the reply feature, so I use this @ instead.
I admire Mr Trimmers attempt at suggesting the county reduce it’s wasteful spending but it is not going to happen… ever. It’s not their money they are spending, they don’t care about saving anything and frankly are looking for new ways to spend/get more. The system does not allow any responsibility for the wasteful actions of county workers. No one cares that wawa in hickory is full of county workers all on the clock every morning, no one cares when an inspector spends the afternoon at his moms house with his jeep liberty parked in the driveway. No one cares that HCPS, Dept of rec, the sheriff and highway dept all have trucks individually hauling their own lawn mowers and workers around the county to cut each depts grass…. it fricken ridiculous. And how about the mini trash trucks dept of rec has, can’t harford sanitation pick up that trash and send the county a bill???? Nope because some lazy slob with a county paycheck and retirement might have to go find a real job. And finally to really prove my point this will get lots of down votes but not nearly as many had it been a weekday and all the do nothing county workers would have filled their workday bashing me 😉
I came to the school system about ten years ago, after working many many private sector jobs, military and other professions, from an operations stand point (I cannot speak of the educational side.) This place is a complete joke, Nothing is organized it is complete diverson by design, They have 20 people you got to go through to get an answer for something, Very little or no polices in place to hold people accountable, Ive seen the worst employee moral, total lack of accountability, The people who try to implement cost savings measures and employee accountibility get no where. Look example there is alot of things that do not have to be outsourced in the schools, they have the people who will do the job, the employees feel that they are entitled to certain things and so they dont do it. I would fire a bunch of them and bring in the best people and pay them accordingly.. Ive seen people sleeping in maintenance trucks for hours. Ive seen people doing side jobs wile using county equipment, and resources, ive seen employees stealing merchandise from the schools, all have been reported but nothing seems to happen. The union is a complete joke, that is a bunch of idiots, Let the people who are in charge Be in charge, and let them hold the others accountable, if they dont want to work for the People of harford county, Get them out of here.
Jesus said “A prophet is without honor among his own people and in his own town.”
He also said “Don’t cast your pearls before swine.”
He may have been thinking of you when He said it.
“…..as it may save enough money to provide teachers with the raises they desire.” All this to get another raise for the teachers?? Because the rest of the county hasn’t seen raises or steps in the past 7 years either right?? Just to be clear, deputies are kinda getting tired of hearing about the teachers “strife” over the last couple years….being they’ve managed to get small steps and colas. I cant blame them to much though, being their union is very strong and the county council appears to actually listen to them!!
I’m not a county worker, but I just find it odd that Jim in Hickory has all this information about what county employees are up to.
Are you a stalker?
Nope just a taxpayer that pays close attention to those people trusted to do the very best job they can do for the county. Open your eyes, being a blind sheep will result in your butt hurting from the screwing you are getting George.
Baaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh
So in other words, you make sure your tax dollars are being used to the best of their ability by stalking people? Gotcha.
It seems like Jim is the only one butthurt.
My quality of life, and everyday living doesn’t include me worrying about what other people are doing. I work for a living like most other people, and enjoy life. What is it you enjoy that does not include a compulsive obsession of stalking Harford County Local Government employees?
Who said anything about quality of life? That’s not even the discussion here. We are discussing how private industry can do a better job and reduced the cost to the taxpayers. Government waste and people being rewarded to waste your money, is concept you wealth redistributing liberals are incapable of understanding. Luckily your government supplied health insurance covers your mental illness.
Mental illness? I’m not the one stalking people.
The fact you have no clue of the difference between stalking and just being aware of what is going on around you, clearly explains your need for a mental health exam.
I have to say though, I love it when I see “Jim in Hickory” pop up on the screen as I scroll down. I think it is freakin’ HILLARIOUS how completely obsessed he is with the clientele at Wawa! I picture this guy laying in bed, his alarm goes off about 6 am, and he moves with a sense of urgency…gotta get to Wawa for the morning shift to come in! Rushing to get his clothes on and storming out the door…sitting in the parking lot with his clipboard, tallying up the number of county workers he sees just so he can piss himself off! I swear, just about every post he writes he mentions the Wawa, regardless of the thread topic! Always finds a way to talk about those Wawa folks! I see his name and read his posts thinking “ok…how’s he gonna squeeze the Wawa people into this one…and there it is!” He always finds a way. I literally laugh out loud.
Keep ’em coming, Jim! And thanks for doing your part in monitoring all those county employees who stop to get a coffee each morning!
Your mental picturing me in bed and rushing to put my clothes on is rather disturbing.
It’s ok to be gay, but kinda strange when people wax on poetically about how they fantasize my day.
I HAVE to give you a thumbs up on that one, Hickory Jim! But I think it would be more of a homoerotic thing if I pictured you slowly taking your clothes off, not quickly putting them on as I stated. Either way…keep those posts coming! You’re a riot!
Somebody has to George, because government employee management is a joke. The government hires people to manage others who have no concept of accomplishing tasks efficiently and effectively. Anyone can manage if given a bloated budget and all of the time in the world. Have you ever heard Cdev wax poetic about his manager?
Keep working Jim in hickory, you paying for me to chill all day, aite
I frequent Hess Road where it goes across Jarrettsville Pike then west towards Monkton. More then a few times a week I see several Harford County trucks parked near the bridge that goes over stream. That’s the county line. They park along a farmer’s field, all in their trucks, killing time. I’m guessing they are running down the clock at the end of the day.
Pathetic.
Well, sure! What do you expect? Now that they know that Jim in Hickory is keeping a watchful eye on them with his clipboard and his binoculars and his stealthy (but affordable) 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis, they’ve had to find other places where they could waste taxpayer dollars other than the Wawa. Thanks for posting! Hear that, Jim? Now you have a place to spend your afternoons, chasing those corrupt county employees away from the county line! Go get ’em, Hickory Jim!
Sorry it’s already a well known spot apparently you are the only county resident unaware of it.
So when you fantasize about me dressing in the morning am I wearing a thong?
HAHA! A thong! You get two thumbs up for that one…One from my phone and one from my computer! And see? You DO know about the afternoon county-line hiding spot! You go, sir! You go chase those county workmen from the Wawa and the county line! Hey, wait a sec…you’re making gay accusations at me…well hey, that’s OK! I mean, you’re the one hanging out watching the men who work for the county! Hickory Jim, what would we do without people like you? You are one colorful character!
You think only men work for the county and fantasize of me sleeping and dressing and you aren’t gay? Perhaps metro-sexual?
Yep, yep, you keep working that gay angle because you think I’m gonna get either angry or defensive or maybe even both. No chance, Hickory Jim! I mean, you can keep running with it….I don’t mind at all, because you are hysterical! Seriously, the way you are fixated on county workers…your character would make a great SNL skit! Here comes Hickory Jim in his Grand Marquis, pulling into the local mini-mart, pulling out his binoculars and his clipboard…he’s kickin’ @$$ and taking plate numbers! Saving the world from the scourge of government workers who stop for a nice hot java on their way to work! All the problems that we face in this life and this world…and Hickory Jim is there, making our world a better place, one Columbia dark roast at a time! Come on, Jim! Lighten up a little bit! We want to laugh with you, not at you!
“Saving the world from the scourge of government workers who stop for a nice hot java on their way to work! ”
Apparently you missed some important information, they aren’t on their way to work, they are already at work.
They are already at work. See? That just puts the icing on the cake, doesn’t it? The value of your service to the citizens of this county just DOUBLED right there. Hickory Jim, YOU have a gift, my friend. A gift from which we are all benficiaries. I heard two people at work talking about the County Employee-Wawa Coffee scandal the other day, saying how everyone has turned a blind eye to this crisis…EVERYONE…20/20, Dateline, 60 Minutes, The Onion…you name it. They said “who is out there who can see beyond their own selfish concerns and put a stop to this ruthless obtaining of coffee by county employees on county time?” I leaned over and I said (and this is no word of lie) “Only one guy that I know of……HICKORY JIM!” Then there was theme music and all that stuff we don’t need to go into. Look, the bottom line here is that you are THE MAN. You give of yourself when, where, and in ways it is least expected, you…you… tracker downer of county employees drinking Wawa coffee on county time, you! And I (much like “The Stranger” in “The Big Lebowski”), take comfort in that.