WHILE YOU WERE OUT....WHAT YOU MISSED

DEAR READERS:

WELCOME BACK FROM THE HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. IN MY LAST POST BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS I TRIED TO WARN YOU TO TAKE TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR ELECTED LEADERS, FOR DURING THE HOLIDAYS, THEY LIKE TO CAUSE THE MOST MISCHIEF KNOWING YOU ARE NOT LOOKING. WELL, THEY DID NOT LET ME DOWN. THEY DID. OUR COUNTY LEGISLATORS VOTED THEMSELVES A RAISE. THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL INCLUDES A BASE PAY RAISE OF 32% PLUS A 100 PERCENT IN THE STIPPENDS THEY GIVE THEMSELVES TO CHAIR A COMMITEE. THEY ALSO TRIED TO SNEEK IN A MECHINISM TO GIVE THEMSELVES AN AUTOMATIC PAY REAISE OF 4% EVERY TWO YEARS WITHOUT COMMING TO YOU THE VOTER FOR APPROVAL. WHAT WAS SETTLED ON THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR WAS A 14.3% RAISE IN THEIR BASE PAY, AND A RAISE FROM BETWEEN $3,000.00 TO $9,000.00 IN STIPPEND PAY. THEY KNOCKED OUT THE AUOTMATIC PAY INCREASE (FOR NOW). FOR THIS, WE ARE TO FEEL GRATEFUL.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: NOT ONE LEGISLATOR SEEMED TO THINK THIS WAS WORTH MENTIONING DURING THE LAST RUN UP TO ELECTION LAST NOVEMBER. NOT ONE!!!!! HOW NICE OF THEM TO THINK THAT THIS WAS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO TROUBLE US WITH AT ELECTION TIME. ISN'T IT NICE TO KNOW THAT OUR LEGILATORS WILL NOW GET $49,000.00 JUST TO SHOW UP, YET IF YOU WANT THEM TO DO ANY WORK WE ALSO HAVE TO PAY THE AN EXTRA $3,000.00 TO $9,000.00 IN STIPPEND PAY TO DO ANY WORK. REMEMBER THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY EXTRA BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE VOTED THMSELVES OVER THE YEARS. $49,000.00 TO SHOW UP IS NOT ENOUGH, NO, THEY PAY THEMSELVES A STIPPEND TO DO THE PEOPLES WORK. TO ME THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. QUESTION IS WHY DO THEY NEED THE EXTRA MONEY TO DO THE WORK THE $49,000.00 IS SUPPOSE TO PAY THEM TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE? FOR THE RECORD, MICHEAL KAPLOWITZ VOTED AGAIST THIS, GEORGE OROS (THE MINORITY LEADER) WHO SPOKE OUT AGAINST THIS, WAS NOT THERE TO VOTE AGAINST THIS. FOR THE RECORD DID ANY OF OUR COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES WRITE TO THE NORTH COUNTY NEWS (ONE OF OUR LOCAL PAPERS) TO EXPLAIN THIS TO US, THE ANSWER IS NO, THAT LETTER CAME FROM JIM MAISANO, WHO IS NOT OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE. I THINK THAT THE LEAST ONE OF OUR ELECTED REPRENTATIVES COULD DO IS WRITE TO ONE OF OUR LOCAL PAPAERS TO LET US KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. I REALLY THINK THAT IS NOT TO MUCH TO ASK FOR $49,000.00. ONE FINAL QUESTION, WILL THOSE WHO VOTED AGAINST THIS PAY RAISE (OR SPOKE OUT AGAINST IT) TAKE THE MONEY ANYWAY?

BAZZO 01/04/06