By: ToddVoge on 11/2/09
“People are giving up wage increases,” Braun said. “Our salaries are going down, so we’re hoping for some help on the insurance aspect.”

Well, I thank the employees for giving up wage increases. That's a start.

Many of us in the "real" world (non-government) have not only foregone increases in salary, we've taken cuts. Our deductibles have been increased for 2010 for health insurance. By doing that, we've had our costs remain the same as 2009. It was a good tradeoff I guess.

I just hope the "help" with the insurance doesn't break the bank.

By: Sixxer on 11/3/09
Overpriced and over budget City Shop.

Overpriced and over budget Police Station.

Pass these mistakes onto the shoulders of the city employees. Great job to all of the people involved in making these decisions.

Its always the little guy that gets shafted.

Many people are living with no raises this year, me included. While thats a start it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to go out and spend all this money where its not needed then cry and complain that we're "over budget" and need to take it out on the employees.

By: Lessgovt on 11/3/09
I agree sixxer. It all falls on the city administrator. The problem is that he runs the city council and they will not hold him accountable. Get rid of him and the city's government will run much more efficiently. All we get from him is more and more lip service.

By: farmer on 11/3/09
Totally agree with lessgovt about the adiministrator. Its time for him to be gone and we can use his salary to cover all his overruns. Yes he is to be held accountable for the overruns as that is part of his job.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/3/09
It strikes me as funny that it takes a recession bordering on a long term depression for government at ALL levels to take a serious look at saving money here and there after decades of showering themselves with our hard earned cash.
They have been on a 20 year spending spree and now the tap has run dry. NOW they look at cutting excess fat and being more efficient. If it wasn't so painful, it would be funny.
They are having a YLAM (Yea! Look at me!)moment.
'Gee, look at what we're doing for you today!'
The sad part is that they all went along to get a long, drinking at the trough with all the others. The good ol' boys just kept spending and wasting. The heartbreaking part is that we kept voting more turds into the manure spreader in the hope that they would somehow become something better. They didn't. It's time to start voting OUT those underachievers.
The voting booth is their performance review and we are the employer.

By: Lessgovt on 11/3/09
how right you are SS. That was brought up many times by participants in this forum. They seem to be on their own planet and don't give a rip about the taxpayer, only thinking of themselves.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/4/09
Ant and grasshopper stories anyone..?

By: Ofsilence on 11/4/09
The state should pass a law that has already been established in around 27 other states. If you work for the government, then you cannot form a union.

Period.

By: secretsquirrel on 11/4/09
They did. It's just that Minnesota forgot the period so someone added words to the effect:
'with the exception non-essential positions.'
That came in to play when Ventura was governor when he responded to the Union Rep for MEA when she commented about how education is a crucial service to the citizens of Minnesota and taxpayers should approve regular and substantial pay increases to attract more educators.
Gov. Ventura replied that since even the MEA felt that educators are "crucial" that perhaps they would be moved to the 'essential services' column in the way the law is interpreted.
As I recall, she shut up at that point.
Anyway, I disagree that government employees should not have the right to organize. I DO agree that they should not have the option to strike. Every public position should exist BECAUSE it's essential. That's the essence of government. If it is NOT essential, it should not exist in the first place.
That's my reasoning anyway.

By: kdlmac on 11/4/09
No wage increase may still mean there will be automatic step and lane increases.