4/25/11
Seems the over abundance of comments has caused Blogger to only show new comments in the RSS feed again and nothing new in the old post itself. All new updates and comments will go here. Sorry for the inconvenience.
4/21/11
As a commenter noted: the LSD has posted some documents concerning the budget over at their website. They are only summary documents but at least they are something. As per my question below of where did the multimillion increase come from: "Employee Benefits" up $2.9M over last year....
Continued at the first post on the budget: LSD Budget 2011-12 (1)
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"What unites us is more important than what divides us." Welcome to the Lockport NY discussion blog. An idea grown out of the old LUSJ forums aimed at giving a permanent home to discussions on renewal, investment, growth and preservation toward creating a great place to live. Topics pertaining to the city and town of Lockport NY, headlines from the Lockport Journal/Buffalo News along with diverging views on them are welcomed and encouraged. If you have your own Lockport-centric blog, let me know. I'll happily link to it and participate. Want a topic addressed and opened for comment? Send me an email. -MJ
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34 comments:
This budget must be voted down along with all propositions. Further we must vote in new Board members. Starting over is better than continuing with the same people who don't get it that the community is fed up with the direction things have been goining under Carbone. This budget is a desperate and poorly thought out approach. When you are in big trouble the only strategey you can employ is to threaten the community that if they vote your budget down you'll turn around and give them something worse. That is the type of leadership this Board endorses from their $200K Superintendent. That is rediculous.
Yes,ridiculous your strategy should work. Ignorance truely doesn't rest.
I hope there will be a candidates night so we can get a load of these folks.
Yes, and I hope they can provide spelling lessons for the first two posters here...LOL
Great choice of new candidates we have. A women who just spouts off nonsense that her husband says. A guy who writes editorials about people running for town office then instead he runs for school board (scared of seeing the results if you ran in the town???) plus hates the national anthem being played at little league games.
I don't know enough about Molinaro or the golf pro.
I hope people really see the need for change. It is time for Bone to go. The schools are in disarray. Last years plan for reorganization might have anticipated a second tough year for budgets if the woman had any real foresight. Instead her solution to real budget issues is a big tax increase and two more propositions. What kind of fantasy world is she living in--she has to go before she can do more damage to our schools and our community.
we need a lockport revolt
this new assement is to much forcing retired people out of there homes
We get a propsed budget that is terrible--and a threat that if we vote it down we'll get something worse. That is the leadershp we get from Bone? When it is defeated the Board needs to be told to keep the music teachers, keep the librarians, just cut Bones friend running Pre-K and the second AP's at Belknap and North Park. How many teachers have been cut without an administrator being reduced?
There will be a "Council PTA Chat" on Monday, May 9 at 6 PM at Emmet Belknap to discuss the budget and the restructuring of the schools.
Also there will be a "Candidates Night" on Thursday, May 12 from 6-8 PM at North Park. Both of these events are open to the public.
Hopefully, the Board will answer questions and perhaps engage the public after the fact... The "fluff" they sent home this week was a waste.
I personally will be considering "wants" versus "needs" for sure when it comes to the Propositions. It is interesting to note that the Prop #4 (Sports Complex)will not be considered if Prop #3 (Builing Imporvements) is not passed.
Look what happened when the BOE explained where the amount for the sale of Dewitt Clinton came from. Once they explained their reasoning, it made so much more sense.
Give us the information and let us make informed decisions!
Once again, the sports proposition will not effect the tax rate at all, it is money we already paid to the state theat we are hoping to use here instead of it being spent elsewhere in the state. It's just like Luisa's HV project, it won't cost any local tax dollars!!!
yes it will cost upkeep,yeah good example to show our kids,we can't afford this palace but hurry up & spend the money before another district needs a roof or any other infrastructure upgrade !
Good idea, keep the Housing Visions thing going, that's always a good angle...
yes, because I don't lijke hypocrites (like a certain political family trying for 2 elected posts) that say it's OK to waste our tax dollars (HV)on 'my' project but not on 'yours'!
It's very relevant. When Luisa decided to enter the school board race people need to know she thinks it's ok to waste tax dollars by adding more low income units to her area (more votes for Jack?), people have to start thinking where else in the school district will she want to spend tax dollars for her genessee St people?
I think it's a low blow to attack the Smiths for attempting to help the community.
Am I going to sit here and tell you I agree with everything they do and/'or say? No. But at least they have the guts to put themselves out there.
They - and many of you - understand that I'm not their favorite person these days - but I won't sit back and allow others to throw unsubstantiated b.s. at them.
While I may have a personal issue with them - that doesn't translate into making comments such as the one above.
I've already made a mistake vis a vis them both, and for that I apologize here - in public. For what it's worth, I was wrong and I admit it.
I don't agree. You are also being a hypocrite by defending them unless you admit it's also a low blow to attack Pat Burke for trying to help the community by getting a sports complex that won't cost us a dime. To me that is more important than using the tax dollars the Smiths want to use to add more low income housing to a slum neighborhood. I contend the sports complex is a much better use of state money.
Typical BS.
And MJ, these comments should not be deleted as off-topic since the Smiths are now running for the school board, they do have to bring their personal baggage in so people thinking about who they want on the board know what they are getting.
I don't HAVE to admit anything with regard to Mr. Burke.
I suggest that if Mr. Burke actually did his job for the past two years instead of shilling for the sports palace, our kids would be in much better shape. ALL our kids-not just those who can fill in at linebacker.
Isn't he responsible for the athletics and health of ALL our children? Or is he only responsible for making empty promises and checking catalogs for which gunk he's going to have the kids sell?
What's up with you and Burke? ANYTIME anyone else is praised for anything - you have to throw in a "isn't Pat wonderful?" No - I don't think he is. I'd like to know how much he's been paid to gin up the kids and their parents to vote in favor of this monstrosity.
"Typical BS" is, to me, lauding a Sports Palace over housing for people who need homes. What's your problem, pal? That's a pretty basic concept - homes v. sports palace we don't need, sports palace we don't need v. homes? I don't get you...
Temper temper! I am only using your words when you said it was a low blow to attack (which I wasn't doing, I was criticizing, you tend to attack people vs. criticize) the Smiths for helping the community. Many disagree they are helping the community. You attack Burke for what he (and many others) feel is an effort by him to help the community. Two different people, each doing what they feel is helping the community, why is one good and one evil? As a lawyer(?) it seems like you would choose your words and phrases better!
Ohh, the temper is flying tonight! I didn't realize that we needed more low income housing in Lockport, I thought we had plenty.
And it's all free tax money, why not spend it here? I'd rather the tax money that I already paid come back to me rather than NYC!
If the governor said forget the sports complex money, you can put it towards your general budget I'd say forget the complex. But he isnn't doing that, so let's take it anyway we can get it.
Let me repeat, it's free money, it won't raise our taxes, it should lower them due to less maintenance costs and rental fee's, WE ALREADY PAID THE TAXES FOR IT TO THE STATE, let's take advantage of it.
Why won't you answer my questions instead of attacking me personally?
Everybody is basically bickering about the same thing if one was to slow down and pay attention.
The state has dedicated money for school capital projects. The state (and fed) have dedicated money and low interest loans for low income housing. We have low income housing. Do we need to replace some with something "better"? We have a football field. Do we need to replace it with something "better"?
That is the debate. We can agree or disagree if we want to try to obtain either and how we would use it. Having a point of view on them, or each individually, does not make a person "evil" or bad. All you are doing is cheapening (or even avoiding) the the actual debate.
Throwing in Burke, Smith etc as bad people thus bad ideas or vice versa just creates diversions to the real issues at hand. The same old us vs. them "pack" menatlity which ends up never being about anything useful: only about not being "them". Attacking the person instead of the idea pretty much shows one really has nothing of substance to input on the idea.
We chastise people for not stepping up and serving in government. Then when they do (or attempt to) they automatically become evil masterminds of some sort. It should be obvious why most people don't bother with the no-win proposition of running for anything when the public is only looking for people to point fingers at and piss and moan about.
Maybe our schools just are not failing to teach our children math and science. They also appear to have not been teaching them how to work things out as "mature adults" for a long time. In the end we are all neighbors who want the area to succeed and our investments pay off. Constantly creating warring packs on every issue accomplishes neither.
it's called the "Status Quo" unfortunately more time is spent maneuvering for position and power than solving the problems at hand. It's shameful.
Well said MJ....when you read some of these comments, there should be no doubt why we can't seem to make any progress around here.
Raise you're hand if you're actually doing something tangible to make this a better place to live and work. If you can't raise your hand then figure out a way to start making a contribution greater than running your mouth about what everyone else does that's wrong.
Well said MJ & GI Joe. I don't think there's a single person here (with the possible exception of the two mentioned & Jeff) who has not fallen prey to the: "MY idea is better than YOURS so YOU shut up!" mentality. I know I'm guilty of it.
I also know that I do do that which I can to better our community - in the background. I'd do more if I could. Volunteering seems to have died a slow, painful death, not only here but across the Country. Yes - there are many reasons why all people cannot volunteer, like - they have to feed their families - but even being a good parent is a huge benefit to all of us and, hopefully, those of us who have a bit more time than others will continue to help everyone.
Carbone has been moving this district in the wrong direction. A terrible trend for student perfomrance, higher taxes, major reorganization last year followed by more poorly thought out reorganization this year. Building unnecessary space at the HS then leasing extra classrooms to BOCES, asking for another project to be approved this spring despite shrinking enrollment. Cutting large numbers of instructors each of the last two years, keeping her administrative buddies by lying to the Board and telling them they are needed. I hope like me that you have had enough. It is time to take a chance on the new Board people. Could they be any worse than the people we have now? Bone head must go before the district and community are harmed beyond repair.
MJ - name calling - please delete above post.
First of all the school board members are volunteers. We have seen on this blog what happens when you put in countless hours of time for the community. Second the name calling and threats that are continously posted on this site is nor surprising at all. This is the caliber and mentality of a small minded group of people that cannot win by intelligence but by the bully factor. How do we teach the children that bulling is wrong when the adults campaigning have it down to a well rehearsed art form. Its a very partison ploy to manover control of Lockport.
Ya Think??????
Please explain what you are talking about when you refer to bullying annon 7:25? I agree with you that school board members are volunteers-"elected volunteers". They still serve the public and should be under scrutiny. Will they please everyone? No. You could say name calling goes on in both sides of the arena. I've already witnessed the so called "bullying" and unfortunately much of it comes from school district employees and their cohorts.
Let's not even go into what we could be or are teaching our children regarding the Lockport City School District and how things have been handled. I could write out a list... it wouldn't be pretty
I like how it took a High School Student to come up with a plan to save additional funds and save jobs for those who really need it(see Lockport Journal). I guess we really don't need to pay Coder and Carbone $300K combined, when we could just have our students run this district better!
Now I'm sure Carbone will not really look into that students plan as she already has her own plan in place to get some older teachers to retire. Treat them horrible, force them into new positions/schools so that they no longer want to work. GREAT PLAN!!! I'm sure it will only backfire and make the teachers want to stick it to the district and keep plugging away even longer.
Wait a second. When we have a problem with the cost of teacher salaries and the cost of teacher pensions someone thinks the cost of a retirement incentive is a solution. Giving money to people to check out will not solve Lockport's budget problems--think about how absurd that idea is as a solution to the present problems. The solution is to change leadership because the present Superintendent has let the community down and the current Board has not held anyone accountable.
I'm familiar with New York State incentives-not the teachers.
The purpose of those is to encourage the long-timers to retire thus saving a BUNDLE in longterm costs. The State pays the incentive.
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