West Hartford News: Reduced Budget finalized by Council; BOE must make cuts.

West Hartford News is reporting that the West Hartford Budget has been finalized. But there is still a long way to go to reduce Board of Education spending. The recent story about the Superintendent of Schools, David Sklarz, receiving an increase and earning a whopping 188K per year salary - doesn't give us pause for hope.

The most interesting comment in this story comes from Art Spada (a Rocky Hill transplant), who is quoted as saying, "Quality of life is a grey area. How do you tighten your belt without gutting the town?"

Gutting the town? Art, do you really think this budget "guts" the town? Look around you. That kind of rhetoric completely discredits you, and cheapens the debate.

Fellow West Hartfordites should join the debate at the West Hartford Blog site.

West Hartford

Fuzzy Math: West Hartford families to see 4.54% tax increase

As I predicted months ago, during the 2007 West Hartford budget and taxation debate, those seeking fiscal restraint, lower taxes, and spending reductions by West Hartford town officials have been left in the dark. Despite the overwhelming margin of victory and the clear cut message sent by West Hartford taxpayers by referendum two weeks ago that the tax increases proposed are too high, and the spending is clearly unacceptable - we seem to be back in the same place as we were before the budget was rejected by residents - with another large tax increase headed our way.

Property taxes on residential properties are going to go up 4.54% this year which is not a small increase for your average West Hartford family getting by each month. Not everyone receives a yearly pay increase of 4.5% to offset the yearly West Hartford tax increase. And there are people in worse situations then we are in here who will struggle and really feel this as a burden.

Yet, there are still those out there in town and on the web engaged in this debate that attempt to distort away the tax increase as something less than it is - moving numbers around to try to imply that the town is spending less and people will pay less - yes, perhaps on car taxes - despite that the mill rate is still higher than the average neighboring town and is the third highest millrate in the State of Connecticut.

Another ploy is to attempt to finagle the numbers so that there is an implication that the millrate will drop from 44.08 to 27. over five years - which Mayor Slivka has promised (or at least he did at one point). But all of these promises are nothing more than smoke and mirrors meant to deflect from the fact that West Hartford officials can't bring themselves to say "no". They can't bring themselves to do the mature and unpopular thing - cut out the fat. They refuse to say no to the special interest groups that infiltrate the Council's budget process. And quite frankly, by seeing what they offered up in terms of "cuts" this time around, it shows that they aren't willing to do the hard work and dig into the budget "line by line" and make the cuts needed to even start to make the budget reasonable.

Unfortunately, misinforming the public and pretending that we really aren't receiving a 4.54% residential property tax increase this is year is nothing short of -- deceitful. Even the Hartford Courant's numbers differ from that of the Town Manager - so it supposes that something is awry in the numbers process. And the factual reasons for not reducing spending lies in several areas - inability to cut wasteful programs, spending too much on things that aren't necessary (for example, hidden elements to beautify the town), high administrative costs, and the inability to negotiate with the teacher's union and all the other unions in town that seem to get a free pass when it comes to agreeing to their demands.

Harping on the union argument for a minute. Live and on television last week, we all witnessed confirmation that the nurses in West Hartford schools get paid - not just very well - but paid the highest in the region! How did the West Hartford Board of Education respond when it came to a request for pay increases? Well, they gave them a whopping 3.8% increase on the backs of the taxpayers without blinking an eye, despite that a week earlier, the referendum failed miserably.

The only way that you will get true tax and spend reform is to elect fiscally responsible people to the Council and the Board of Education. Anything short of that will only result in the continuation of imposing even higher taxes over an even longer period of time. There is no end in sight to the trend, and the people sitting on the Council and in the Town Manager's office know it!

And putting honest, loyal, and accountable Republicans in office in West Hartford is no easy task. In the end it will be interesting if the people in town can separate their hatred for George Bush, and the emptying of their wallets by the West Hartford Democratically-controlled Board of Education and Town Council.

For those of you who aren't believers... here is what West Hartford residents have seen in tax increases since 2001:

2001: 4.0%
2002: 5.6%
2003: 5.6%
2004: 6.3%
2005: 4.3%
2006: 5.7%
2007: 4.54% (proposed)

Does anyone else see both a "trend" and a "problem"? Makes you wonder what lies ahead in 2008? Don't residents see that they've been conditioned to accept increases of this magnitude year after year without showing REAL resistance. It's almost as if, a spending freeze is completely out of the question, never mind a tax cut.

So what is their yearly strategy? They recommend a much higher increase, we referendum and bark at them, they trim it (marginally), and in they end you still get what you see above.... a yearly high tax increase. It's like anything else - ask for more then you'll know you'll ever get and then negotiate it down to your minimum - still getting what you want from the start - more spending, higher taxes, and unions pay increases! The perfect cycle.

When will we take off the blinders and really make a stand?

So here we are, with the latest tax increase about to be imposed on the residents of West Hartford. And our town officials stand before you - long faced, solemn, and pretending to look exhausted over all the pretended effort and drain its taken on them to produce this "wonderfully balanced" budget.

Meanwhile, after the cameras are shut down, our elected town officials retire to the backroom, yucking it up with martinis in hand, celebrating their victory over the residents of West Hartford - who will see another rise in taxes for the "good of the people".

West Hartford

West Hartford Taxpayer Association (correctly) threatens second referendum!

The West Hartford Taxpayers Association has been keen to watch how the West Hartford Board of Education and Town Council has behaved this past week. My earlier post cites an example this week where highly paid nurses (highest paid in the entire region) were given a 3.8% pay increase without anyone batting an eye.

West Hartford News is reporting this story regarding another referendum in the works.

If the West Hartford Town Council and Board of Education are going to continue to ignore the will of the residents - which is "cut the budget" then we can have referendum after referendum until they get the darn message. For all the good our elected officials think they are doing, in reality they are pushing families out of West Hartford.

Link Source for the story: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18504563&BRD=1646&PAG=461&dept_id=11035&rfi=6

West Hartford

West Hartford BOE: Are they capable of making decisions?

This entry is a modification of one that I placed on the West Hartford Blog this morning. Sometimes the WH Blog gets inundated with mindless dribble, sarcastic nonsense, or personal squabbling in between valued posts that either point out situations/facts or ask good questions.

And since I think my point is a valuable one, I wanted to call attention to it. Since my post on WH Blog, I did get confirmation that what I thought I saw and heard was absolutely accurate - from the perspective of someone who was actually in the room.

Yesterday, I watched some of the West Hartford Board of Education budget discussion on West Hartford Cable Access, in particular - I viewed the discussion regarding West Hartford School nurse's pay increases.

The dialogue seemed to imply that:

1) West Hartford nurses are the highest paid nurses in the district, and at one of the highest levels in the State of Connecticut.

2) Many of the nurses are in the 9th tier(?) or highest paid tier due to tenure (as it was explained)

3) Notwithstanding, their high wages, the nurses are seeking a 3.7% or 3.8% increase in their wages.

4) The increase was being justified as “cost of living” increase. The increase was NOT based on salary adjustment - meaning, the increase was not to adjust for wages found other towns or cities, etc.

5) Some interesting dialogue ensued between the participants; one concerned about what the Hartford Courant might print today, regarding increasing the nurses salaries even though they are paid the highest in the district, etc. (something to that effect).

6) Despite consensus that they are being “well paid” as stated by the BOE folks in the chamber, and without taking into account budget concerns, referendums, etc - they opted to “approve” the pay increase in a nonchalant voice vote.

When I see this behavior - particularly when we are trying to find ways to reduce the burden on taxpayers - where the evidence and discussion 1) err on the side of caution, and 2) point to the fact that this group is receiving well above-standard wages, and YET the increase simply passes, I begin to realize that those of us who feel that the West Hartford Board and West Hartford Town Council will never make tough choices to protect taxpayer's wallets are 100% correct in our thinking.

A lot of smoke and mirror dialogue comes out of the pro-budget gang. Save the children, save the elderly, and all of that nonsense - instead of facts and figures, and dollars and cents.

This was a case where the BOE could have legitimately said no or pushed back. I can see where the union or employee might fight back if they are clearly underpaid (based on experience, statistical analysis, competitive analysis, etc), but in this case - they are highly paid, in fact - the highest paid in the region, and the BOE didn’t see fit to draw a line in the sand or factor in the taxpayer’s needs.

Given this situation, isn’t it clear that the BOE has no intention in pushing back when it comes to public employee demands? No concessions seem possible, even in the most reasonable of circumstances. I find this hard to believe.

Without getting into a long diatribe about the differences between private and public sector jobs and pay scales, I have to say that there is a lack of balance in the BOE when it comes to serving the public need.

Surely, even those advocates of the budget should see that there is a problem here. And if this is the kind of shoulder shrugging - rubber stamp we can expect from the BOE and Council, then the budget battle will be worse the second time around.

If they can’t see fit to fight where ground SHOULD be held, then they will never budge on the incrementals.

West Hartford: We are in serious trouble with these folks at the helm. They obviously don't care.

West Hartford

West Hartford Budget Referendum "official" results

Here are the OFFICIAL results of the West Hartford Budget Referendum:

Yes: 2939

No: 7893

All I can say is WOW. That is a resounding rejection of the budget! I have to admit, I'm very surprised with the margin of victory for working families!

Thank you residents of West Hartford for making the West Hartford Town Council, Board of Education, and all town officials work a little harder when it comes to spending YOUR money. Perhaps now, they will buckle town and make some real cuts and concessions on the budget.

It's hard for some to understand, but this is a very good thing for all of us. Even those supporting the budget thought it was flawed and lousy. Now they have a directive from the people to go in there and make it right!

Way to go West Hartford! Way to Go!!

Official results will be certified tomorrow.

West Hartford middle class families should vote "NO" on the budget!

On June 12th, West Hartford residents will have the option of sending a message to the Town Council about their inability to create a budget which is reasonable and fair to West Hartford Taxpayers.

A lot has been said in the media and on area blogs about why people should support this poorly developed budget. Most agree that West Hartford taxes have been consistently on the rise for over five years. Each year, a budget battle occurs and does the standard referendum. And each year, West Hartford residents get hosed.

The Democratic plan is always the same -

1) Create an outrageous budget with unchecked spending and tax increases,
2) When opposition mounts, cry foul, and claim that the old and young are being targeted by the rich and the taxpayers union,
3) Slightly reduce the budget, but eliminate no favors and fraudulent spending programs - just make it look like your making an effort to reduce the tax burden,
4) Sell it to the public as a realistic budget and name call those who disagree,
5) Demonize those calling for a referendum, and call the pot black by accusing them of wasting taxpayer's money by wanting a public discussion and vote on the budget,
6) Eventually, win the referendum, increase taxes and spending and further plummet the West Hartford Middle Class into debt - while claiming you have done everyone a favor - particularly the teacher's unions and all other blood sucking unions who care only about improving their salaries and benefits and care nothing for the town.
7) Next year: repeat the strategy

It's an easy game. The sad thing is that the outcome is always the same.

Question: Can West Hartford Taxpayers stand up this time?

Can we show the Democrats on the Town Council that we are done with high taxes and out of control spending?

Or will we let them have their way with us once again?

Please, please - vote "NO". Tell the West Hartford Town Council and their lackeys that we are through with their lazy tax and spend policies.

It's time to put West Hartford families first for a change!