History of Pension Reform in The Coral Gables Commission

August 31, 2010 Leave a comment

During the recent Impasse Hearing it was stated that since 2001 the current Commission had not approved any of the prevailing pension rules.  Thus implying that the Commission is not responsible for the pension liabilities and that the commission is not responsible for the current problems.

However, the Commission did approve salary increases since 2001 that have dramatically driven up pension liabilities, and one may assume that they did this knowing about the extraordinary pension liabilities being accrued by the city.

I suggest that we have only the city manager and the economic crisis to thank for the new pension and salary initiatives.

Filed under Coral Gables

Coral Gables: Teamsters and other Unions At Odds With The Taxpayers

August 31, 2010 Leave a comment

Next to the City Commission, which has been unable to resolve the growing financial problems of the city, the police, firefighter and, now the general employee unions, are opposed to finding a solution to the financial stability of the city.  There views are that the city of Coral Gables is a wealthy community and able to finance well paid employees.  If this was true Coral Gables would be the only city or county in the whole US that is in that category.

The choices are clear, and they have been made clear by the the city manager.  Either the unions accept salaries and benefits that are reasonable and sustainable (and, indeed, I would say competitive) in the coming years or see the number of positions fall.  While the public security personnel contend that they are indispensalbe to the city, there is no single employee, either supervisor or staff feel that are indispensable to the future of the city.  The unions’ arrogance is only exceeded by their indifference to the heavy penalties the citizens are paying through higher and higher property taxes to pay their salaries, pensions and other multiple benefits.

Quoting the Teamsters from the contract negotiations (and the recent Impasse Hearing), “…it is difficult to believe that Coral Gables has transformed itself from prince to pauper within the space of a few years…” and “Apparently marginally increased taxes during a time of economic uncertainty are not the price that will be paid by Coral Gables’ affluent resident…”.  How out of touch can a union be.

Filed under Coral Gables, Employees and Unions

Major Critic of Global Warming Changes Course

August 30, 2010 Leave a comment

If true, this change will place many climate change doubters to rethink their views.

The world’s most high-profile climate change sceptic is to declare that global warming is “undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today” and “a challenge humanity must confront”, in an apparent U-turn that will give a huge boost to the embattled environmental lobby.

Bjørn Lomborg, the self-styled “sceptical environmentalist”…is famous for attacking climate scientists, campaigners, the media and others for exaggerating the rate of global warming and its effects on humans, and the costly waste of policies to stop the problem.

But in a new book to be published next month, Lomborg will call for tens of billions of dollars a year to be invested in tackling climate change. “Investing $100bn annually would mean that we could essentially resolve the climate change problem by the end of this century,” the book concludes.

via Bjørn Lomborg: $100bn a year needed to fight climate change | Environment | The Guardian.

Filed under Environment, International

Coral Gables: Balancing Well-Being of Taxpayers and the Budget

August 30, 2010 1 Comment

The Teamsters Union is now leading the general employees into a dark corner by asserting that Coral Gables is wealthy enough to keep paying high salaries, pensions and other benefits.  This is insulting to residents who have paid taxes through thick and (now) thin and have generally accommodated decent and fair salaries for most (and some not so great) employees in many years.

Many residents now believe that the Slesnick Commission has tolerated, if not outright defended, the well-being of employees above taxpayers.  Unions, of course, have cooperated in this process by defending the commission.

Now both the commission and the unions should work together and share the pain to get the budget back into balance.

Taxpayers cannot do any more than they have.

Filed under Budget, Coral Gables, Employees and Unions, Taxes and Fees

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