tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post7423721529174735152..comments2021-11-03T00:14:10.911-07:00Comments on Political Cortadito: Gimenez hires "deputy mayor"Ladra, the public watch doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16250480042439409718noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-76568564134622403092011-07-13T17:31:24.227-07:002011-07-13T17:31:24.227-07:00Gimenez spoke a BIG game as County Commissioner an...Gimenez spoke a BIG game as County Commissioner and even the County employees (not the bloated fat cats that ALL earn more than $100,000 plus ALL the PERKS) but the ones who always take the hit and insults of the public voted for him. <br /><br />What did that get - more of Alvarez - exactly what no one wanted. He has not fired 1 single person at the top. <br /><br />Yet ALL county employees from those that make $22,000.00 already contribute 5% to insurance and 3% to pensions, they gave up 12% for 1 year and what happens now - <br /><br />Well that was not enough, so another %5 to make a total of 10% for Insurance plus the actual $180.00 bi-weekly payment to the Insurance company, 3% toward Pension and oh yeah another 12% freeze on merit increases and longevity! WOW but there is monies to start spending on high salaries at the top. <br /><br />If County employees had a $150.00 pension sure cut our salaries by 1/2 also. <br /><br />This is starting wrong, smells like the same, what a shame - but we will get $100.00 tax brake however, who will pay the mortgage?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-76833340895493645022011-07-13T11:34:16.885-07:002011-07-13T11:34:16.885-07:00As a county employee, this sends the wrong message...As a county employee, this sends the wrong message at the wrong time. I do not have an issue, or do I care what anyone else makes.. (I am not a 6 figure employee.) However, this sounds like Alvarez part deux. We are getting hit hard yet again, and he hires a guy at $225. C'mon! Hyprocrisy at its best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-58264697662254220292011-07-13T01:16:23.189-07:002011-07-13T01:16:23.189-07:00Oops. I must have meant the second budget hearing....Oops. I must have meant the second budget hearing. My bad. Though I am sure that Chip will be working on that first one, too.Ladra, the public watch doghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16250480042439409718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-48531213806759465252011-07-12T20:27:15.202-07:002011-07-12T20:27:15.202-07:00Appearances are important. Yes, you want a good p...Appearances are important. Yes, you want a good person, the best person to be your deputy, your second in command. You have to pay this person a salary commensurate with their abilities, or they will take another job where they are paid the top dollars. But when you are asking employees who already aren't living high on the hog; to take a pay cut, and then to double their contribution to their health insurance. Yes, life isn't easy, yes, the county budget deficits must be eliminated; but if the rank and file have to sacrifice; then the man at the top must sacrifice too. $225,000 plus benefits is just too damn much for a deputy during these times when everyone else has to sacrifice. Maybe in the long run it might be the right move, saving money by replacing several department managers, or a county manager; but for right now, to claim he is setting an example by cutting his salary in half, and then hiring a deputy at $225,000 plus benefits....this is disingenuous..to put it politely....hypocritical, not so politely. But this is only the first inning...there is a long season ahead.Lickerpoetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-38458428646757872662011-07-12T17:58:45.765-07:002011-07-12T17:58:45.765-07:00Gimenez is one stupid guy that can't add or su...Gimenez is one stupid guy that can't add or subtract. He will be horrible and will move the udb line. That has been promised to Barreto and Rosen. Voter will be dissapointed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-61582511729238268242011-07-12T17:56:22.273-07:002011-07-12T17:56:22.273-07:00What happened to Gimenez pushing to scale cuts? He...What happened to Gimenez pushing to scale cuts? He championed that cause when he was a commissioner however the $24,000 secretary will be getting cut 21% under his new proposed County budget and the same cuts go to the Executives that make over $100,000.00 . <br />What happened to the Commissioners "Slush fund", What happened to Take home vehicles for the highest paid, while lower wage employees pay for car insurance, gas and tolls - they get a free ride and continue to do so. What happened to Executive Benefits - He is quick and so are the comments of the majority of the Commissioners "grand standing" Commissioner Bell, Suarez and others to cut the lowest paid employees but - God forbid touching the highest paid that do not provide direct service to the community. Gimmenez talked a Big game but I see doing the SAME as others - I really really hope I am wrong, since I voted for him. <br /><br />I knew there would be cuts however I believed he would do it fairly - Go talk to the $24,000.00 secretary and after the cuts ask her how she will bar this cut, while the fat cats are still getting fatter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-71579920804723686662011-07-12T16:58:00.137-07:002011-07-12T16:58:00.137-07:00Licker, both Gimenez and Robaina promised to roll ...Licker, both Gimenez and Robaina promised to roll back the tax rate increase, no matter who got elected, county employees were going to have to take a financial hit. When you have a 400 million dollar deficit for next year there is no way that employees are not going to be impacted. If you look at what Robaina did in Hialeah to the employees his cuts might have been worse, he cut many employees 30%. If Mayor Gimenez is going to name a couple of deputy Mayors at that pay rate he needs to eliminate the country manager and several of her deputies. Lets wait and see what he does before we judge, in 15 months we have another election for the time being I am giving him the benefit of the doubtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-51514128583582154412011-07-12T16:06:20.674-07:002011-07-12T16:06:20.674-07:00Lickerprick Sounds to me that you are a loser.Lickerprick Sounds to me that you are a loser.Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-11911725975697148882011-07-12T13:35:18.253-07:002011-07-12T13:35:18.253-07:00A county employee, a friend of mine, who works for...A county employee, a friend of mine, who works for the Police Dept, but not a sworn officer, just came in and opined that Gimenez was coming at the county employees "hard", that she hoped "we" had done the right thing. I had pushed hard to convince her that Gimenez was the right choice. And now , my friend, well, she wonders if I had led her astray. I know that I didn't, because the alternative was unacceptable on every level. Still, everyone has their one perspective, garnered from their own life experiences. $225,000 a year, plus benefits, seems like a Hell of a lot of money, to be a deputy anything, at least from my life's perspective.<br /><br />In 2009, the median income for a household in the city (Miami) was $29,812, and the median income for a family was $33,814. The per capita income for the city was $19,846. About 21.7% of families and 26.3% of the population were below the poverty line. Granted that you have to pay top dollar to get top grade help; but didn't we "hire" Gimenez cause HE could get the job done. Is a deputy Mayor worth more than 11 times the per capita income of the City of Miami, plus benefits?<br /> What do I know? I work 90 hours a week, no vacations, no golden parachute at the end of the tunnel, more stress, personal investment, ever increasing regulation from every level of government, and even in my best years, I earned only a fraction of this deputy's salary. <br /> Ladra, thanx for keeping us abreast of the new players on the roster and their salaries. Hopefully you will eventually add them all up and see the improvement, or lack of one, over the last mayor that we aborted.<br /> I can only echo the concern of my county employee friend. I hope we've done the right thing. Of course, there is always another election down the road.Lickerpoetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1417147991792781706.post-61804936405120141022011-07-12T13:32:42.113-07:002011-07-12T13:32:42.113-07:00FYI - The first budget hearing is September 8th.FYI - The first budget hearing is September 8th.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com