Manager's Proposed Budget

[MrsB]

you know oldetowne I agree with you on some things but what irks me is as I'm reading you and I'm my nodding my head saying right on! I get to the part where you totally slam the Teachers union. Maybe you are unaware but a CT state certification to teach does not come out of a cracker jack box!! It takes at least 6 years of college. Did you know that there are folks at the schools with PHD's in the subjects they teach? Lots who have degrees from very pricy, very good schools. They chose to teach kids because they like teaching kids. Not because they thought it was the easy way to get rich. I don't mind telling you that I live in town with my two kids and my husband is a teacher. We only have that one check rolling in... We can just afford to live here and save like normal people so we don't have to work until we are 105. No fancy anything...just live, save some for later, pay bills and take care of our house. And I got up last night and said raise my taxes. Because its either that oldetowne or pay more sending my two kids to private school, buying my books at boarders, hauling my trash and leaves and who knows maybe even shoveling my street. Let me tell you what a pay freeze would do to us. We would move, and my husband would change jobs. Because that would tell me that this town doesn't care about the education process and it wants cheep slack offs with teaching degrees from crappy schools to teach their kids, possibly someone that other schools wouldn't even interview. That's who will be teaching your kids folks, because teachers love to teach, they do, but no one likes to be railroaded. And qualified exceptional teachers will know when their not wanted anymore. I don't want to live in a place where my kids teachers can't afford to live. Same goes for the cops and fire fighters and town service workers. If you work here you should be able to afford to live here too.

That’s all, I just think you should think it through a bit more before you go crying greedy at any one group. When there is a Union composed of lazy undereducated break room jockeys then I'll support you. But until then all I see is is a whole lot of people cleaning up, keeping folks safe and teaching...all honorable positions and these folks should be thanked and rewarded for working in such lousy conditions and believing in this town.

[oldetowne]

OK. I apologize for the gross generalization. My experience with the teachers that I have interacted with is generally good and many of the administrators are also top notch.

Please consider where I am coming from on that subject. If you look at the budget, roughly 80% of it is wages and benefits and roughly 60-65% of it is on the school side. Yep, they all work for a living and many of them deserve more than they get.

But it's frustrating, as someone involved in management of a business in the private sector who also has worked hard to get an education and tried to better myself and my family, to see the unions, aided by binding arbitration, getting increases essentially every year well in excess of what we are able to give to our employees especially in years when we as the owners are making less than the prior year.

To many people outside of town government, a guaranteed cost of living increase is a dream, nominal co-pays and in some cases health or disability insurance themselves are unthinkable.

Further, there is an unwillingness on the part of some in charge to even examine the need for some of the administrative and support positions that exist or to consider whether there is duplication of functions between the town and board.

So, while I commend all of the folks who work hard and do their best each and every day to help our kids become the best that they can be, please bear in mind that the wages and benefits that are paid may be more generous than those received by many of your neighbors and that there should be a willingness to examine the structural and organizational issues on the board side as well as the town side.

[LouS]

First, I spoke at the council meeting to fully fund the town and BOE budget.

As Mrs B has first hand experience I ask what percentage of medical benefits do teachers in Wethersfield pay for.

I was going to ask my friends that teach in the school system, but hopefully you can let me know.

I do not begrudge any teacher the pay that they receive. My dad was an educator and a guidance counselor and I am urging my children to pursue teaching degrees.

Thanks

[oldetowne]

Section 403 of the Town Charter provides that " At the first Council meeting in January, the Manager shall disclose the terms of all union contracts, consulting contracts and personal employment contracts in effect. This shall cover all contracts signed by either the Board of Education, the Town Council or the Library Board."

I checked the minutes but couldn't find this in either of the last two years.

[LouS]

Since we are discussing budget items how about this.

An enterprise zone has been discussed for years down in the Elm St area. Putnam Park II, a high end outlet mall and a CinePlex.

This would bring traffic through town and to town. Old Wethersfield and associated merchants on the SD would be positively impacted and the new tax base
would offset the resident percentage.

[oldetowne]

That's an idea that is worth considering once again, especially if the fiscal alternatives are an eternal trend toward raising residential taxes and anemic growth on the business and commercial side. The opponents will screech that it has been decided once/twice/four times by the voters already, most recently in that sham referendum on the Interchange Zone. Spinoff effects, both good and bad, would have to be examined, as well as the subjective impacts on the town's image. Access is great - Route 3 isn't six lanes wide out there so that people can get to the Jehovah's meetings on Elm Street....

The other idea that I think should be pursued as soon as possible is preserving existing developable land. Residential development is a net negative on the town's budget, commercial is a significant positive (although our viable options are few), and open space and farmland is substantially a net positive even if one factors in the debt service of bonding necessary to acquire the properties (see Tolland, Glastonbury, Farmington and Brooklyn for objective proof of that).

[MrsB]

okay here is what I have but it is not the official contract...so don't hold me to it.

section 4.1, Insurance premiums:

The Board will pay insurance premiums at the following rates: 87% for 2004/05, 86% for 2005/06; 86% for 2006/07

They also removed the connecticare and blue care option.

The co pay structure has changed and now it is more in line with say what my friends working in the business world in Hartford pay. ( higher co pay for everything new co pay for stuff we never had to pay for... for instance when I had my daughter I paid one co pay on my first visit $5.00, nothing else that was 4 years ago...now if I had another kid, I would pay $10 every visit, something for each test procedure and $100 for me and $100 for the baby when we are in the hospital.. All fair I think, and I'd pay more so don’t scream at me about how much you pay-- this is just an example because you asked. Also now we’ll pay per immunization and for well and sick visits when before we never paid for well visits. Drugs went up too with a $2,000 cap)Which let me say is fine with me. I think the insurance industry is the messed up aspect of this, honestly I don't mind having higher co pays, premiums...deductibles ECT, but then again my family is very healthy and we go the holistic route for most of our health care and that’s not covered anyway. So I pay all my health care costs out of pocket to begin with. Insurance to me is mainly for emergencys.

This is something that we all need to be working on with our state officals. The Unions can't change the Insurance industry for you, people need to lobby to get that changed its big money for someone and we all loose out when big money rides over normal people.


Want to talk about something talk about living your life in a preventive way instead of treating the disease. Look at France...they pay all health care costs and are going bankrupt because people get rxs for hang nails and therapy because their poodle died. This is all another thread...increase nutrition, exercise and make holistic care a real and viable option and you will see health care costs go down, they will have to. there won't be the need for so many drugs, doctors or procedures...ok I ramble.

We actually were discussing the contract last night here at home. MrB felt that it had not given enough to the town. We toyed with the idea of all town employees working one unpaid day this year. He was agreeable to that. But problem is those folks that work here but don't live here are not going to be too into that. Frankly its short sighted because their working life would be improved.

We know teachers all over this country and this health care package is in line with most others. Pay is better than say Tennessee but hey, milk and gas, houses and taxes are more too.

Since you are interested in Teachers...did you all know that you need to teach 10 years more in CT to qualify for your full pension than in some states. 8 years more than NY, 6 more than in MASS.

[LouS]

Thank you for the information. It is very refreshing to hear from those that are at least willing to discuss all issues. Without discussion there is no understanding and so forth.

I hope that everyone will be able to bring all their ideas to the table because the next two years should see many progressive plans that will help Wethersfield regain its former stature.

I have been a resident for over 40+ years and now my children are beginning to migrate back to town. I want to be part of the solution.

[seedfarmer]

Oh cry me a river. Most teachers at that school were lazy and didn't give a hoot about anything but themselves when I attended Wethersfield High. Welcome to the real world where a raise is something you EARN, not just something that comes along at the expense of others.

[tooold]

You don't throw the child out with the bathwater. I know
that there are those teachers that are just putting in the time and there are those that are great.

It is time though to reward the good and scrutinize the bad, but with the union involvement there isn't much room to manuver.

[MrsB]

seedfarmer, that is not helpful. That is just rude. What are your ideas for helping this town out? What do you contribute to the community besides the smart comments you bring to the discussion. By my calculations you went to high school ~ 23 years ago. Your telling me you learned nothing, and further more you have held this negative feeling towards teachers for this long? Do you think that the world may have changed a bit? ( for example 23 years ago teachers and students could smoke on campus and had special areas to do so!) Lets look at what the people TODAY are doing. Then you can tell me about all your hurt feelings from high school.

You say that teachers are/were all out for themselves. When I was in high school I thought all teachers were lame too. Bossy meanies that wanted me to do homework and stop talking. Fortunately I got a quality education and collected a few degrees along the way. Now I work hard to help the town I live in come up with solutions for becoming better. Lucky for me I don't just sit around and complain.

Seed farmer, if you don't like something work to change it. If you don't think the teachers are doing a good enough job, nicely document it and address the board of ed with your issues. Your current issues.

[seedfarmer]

I am doing something. I just signed 2 petitions.

[tooold]

seedfarmer, which two petitions

[seedfarmer]

The two being circulated by the PPWN.

[tooold]

seedfarmer,

are you a Nimby or do you have a good reason for supporting those petitions? 000.

who is going to pay for the labor to take the lights down at millwoods?, which is part of what that petition states.