State Of The County Address, 4/2/08

April 3rd, 2008 News

Posted by BuffaloGeek 

Yesterday, WNYMedia.net cameras captured the first State of The County Address given by Erie County Executive Chris Collins.

The money quote:  “We must stop defining success as less failure than the year before.”

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7 Responses to “State Of The County Address, 4/2/08”

  1.  

    Mike from Grand Island Says:
    April 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 pm

    The quote I heard on the radio this morning was about giving benefits to employees commensurate with the “world we live in.” I thought to myself how crappy can you get if you’re a county worker - not just low salaries but little benefits too. And I don’t work in gov’t!

    What he means is not the world we live in but the USA.
    If he wanted to give benefits to reflect the world we live in he’d be adding to the benefits package and vacation days.
    That is, of all the developed world our benefits are some of the lowest.

    I think Haliburton and Exxon pay well though.

    Private business guys like collins that don’t like labor because it presurres them to pay a living wage and provide benefits.

  2.  

    steve Says:
    April 4th, 2008 at 10:42 am

    GI Mike — “If he wanted to give benefits to reflect the world we live in he’d be adding to the benefits package and vacation days.”

    Who would pay for that, Mike? Taxpayers? Well, then by all means let’s give more benefits, more vacation days, higher wages. Because, certainly, taxes have no effect on the economy are here. Why, if we could get government to hire everyone who wants a job, that would solve all our problems, no?

    You’re playing a zero sum game, Mike. Giving more and more when there are fewer and fewer to pay for it simply accelerates the economic death spiral. Businesses that do that fail. Governments that do that raise taxes. Let me know what your standard of living is when the only “business” left in town is government.

  3.  

    Mike from Grand Island Says:
    April 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

    thanks for the lesson Steve.

    But the savings to be had around here is from consolidating services and municipalities. Your boy Collins doesn’t want to do that because his GOP base would rebel against him like they did their boy Giambra.

    So he fiddles

  4.  

    Haterade Says:
    April 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    He has certainly not abandoned the “friends & family” or “best & brightest” credo of his predecessor. I notice that he has no problem giving THEM raises …..

  5.  

    steve Says:
    April 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    GI mike — he ain’t my boy…I don’t live in Erie County. But, the gravitational pull of Erie affects the orbit of other areas around it, so I try to pay at least a little attention. I, too, have my concerns with his early start but…it’s early. That said, you seem to imply that more pay and benefits to county workers could come from “savings” from consolidation (correct me, please, if that was not your message). Two concerns:

    – While I strongly support the idea of govt. consolidation, will the govt. workers whom you seem to worry about go along when they find out that such consolidation might mean fewer govt. jobs?

    – And, if there are savings to be had from consolidation and efficiencies, howse ’bout we return at least some of that to those who pay the bills for govt., the taxpayers?

  6.  

    Mike from Grand Island Says:
    April 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    Howse bout we all join the race to the bottom

  7.  

    steve Says:
    April 4th, 2008 at 5:23 pm

    Mike –

    I might be a little dumber than normal today, but I’m not sure I get your “race to the bottom” comment. But, if you’re suggesting that more government (in the form of more bennies for govt. workers) will halt that race…well, we’ll just have to disagree.

    However, if government workers are at the table as effeciences are uncovered and savings are found, I have no problem with them sharing in that. That’s only fair, since they would be the ones asked to implement.

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