01-21-2018, 10:38 AM
Yesterday I was on Hwy 11 at the Airport entrance. Grass in the median and on the roadside was overgrown, prompting the thought that this area is the first sight arriving air passengers have of Hilo, should it not be better kept? Harry Kim says the County needs more money and of course, being a politician, wants someone else to pay for it. The Taxpayer.
May I offer some suggestions? First, try getting the County's house in order. Look for ways to cut costs. Featherbedded Departments? Profligate spending? Outdated and inefficient systems? Some examples: 1. The proposed new Park in a private subdivision - who benefits? and who will pay for maintenance on the already run down access roads? We have a Park and Recreation Department, staffed with qualified people, so why spend money for outside consultants to make expensive studies and make plans. Is the Park necessary, and who will maintain it, given that the Council obviously cannot care for existing infrastructure?
2. Council members recently approved raises. At $50k per annum, we have historically had some ineffective Council persons, some with extremely spotty attendance records. Is a raise to $70k justifiable on a cost/performance basis?
3. As noted above, too much reliance on 'Consultants' to do the work which employees should be doing. Why? Is it to cover up incompetence or maybe to shift responsibility for poor performance?
Finally Council needs a real budget. If my family doesn't have enough cash to pay for it's wants (not needs) is it acceptable to expect my neighbors to make up the difference?
Many other questions come to mind, but life is short. Suffice it to say that there needs to be some serious introspection before The County demands that taxpayers are automatically scapegoated to cover their disfunctional operation.
Rant ends. Your thoughts, please.
May I offer some suggestions? First, try getting the County's house in order. Look for ways to cut costs. Featherbedded Departments? Profligate spending? Outdated and inefficient systems? Some examples: 1. The proposed new Park in a private subdivision - who benefits? and who will pay for maintenance on the already run down access roads? We have a Park and Recreation Department, staffed with qualified people, so why spend money for outside consultants to make expensive studies and make plans. Is the Park necessary, and who will maintain it, given that the Council obviously cannot care for existing infrastructure?
2. Council members recently approved raises. At $50k per annum, we have historically had some ineffective Council persons, some with extremely spotty attendance records. Is a raise to $70k justifiable on a cost/performance basis?
3. As noted above, too much reliance on 'Consultants' to do the work which employees should be doing. Why? Is it to cover up incompetence or maybe to shift responsibility for poor performance?
Finally Council needs a real budget. If my family doesn't have enough cash to pay for it's wants (not needs) is it acceptable to expect my neighbors to make up the difference?
Many other questions come to mind, but life is short. Suffice it to say that there needs to be some serious introspection before The County demands that taxpayers are automatically scapegoated to cover their disfunctional operation.
Rant ends. Your thoughts, please.