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Thread: Get $6000.00 a year and only pay back $350.00

  1. #1
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    Get $6000.00 a year and only pay back $350.00

    See no evil, Speak no Evil, and Dance like a Chorus Line!
    Not so fun fact: The average senior on Social Security gets $12-14 thousand a year to live on.
    Part time - 10 hours a month - two five hour meetings and a Lancaster Town Council Member gets $24,000.00 tax dollars a year + Cadillac New York State tax Funded Pension credits and other Tax funded benefits.
    Also some were quietly taking an extra $6000.00 a year, health care tax funded bonus buyout.

    Isn't it great how the three Town Board Members who have "Nothing to loose" talk about giving up 2% of a future raise!

    The same three Council Members - Councilman Stempniak, Councilman Ruffino and Councilman Abraham!

    These three people collect two pay checks already, they have collected two healthcare packages(In Mrs.Stempniak's case for many years) - dental care - paid insurance and more.

    Councilman R.Ruffino works for a bank - he is one of the well paid people who benefited from his Banks Bailout. He sits and collects a tax funded salary from the Town, while collecting his bank salary as well.

    Councilman Abraham is collecting two tax funded salaries and tax funded retirement payments. Tax funded health care and insurances. He collects as a full time Lancaster School Teacher and Town Board Member!

    Councilman Donna Stempniak collects an enhanced New York State Tax Funded Pension (right now) - plus tax funded Town Board pay. She, in years past has collected, as Mr.Ruffino did - $6000.00 extra tax dollars every year from the Town for healthcare.

    Now the Grand Stand gesture:

    Now they want to act like they will "Sacrifice" a 2% future raise.

    As LC wrote:"Thats approximately $350 for 2010".
    (One year Offer, is this a joke?)

    Now let me see - I am not the best at math but, $6000.00 tax dollars a year for just one term = 4 years = $24,000.00 tax dollars has already been collected per term, per Town Board Member.

    So, it would take over 20 some odd years at $350.00 a year, to equal just one year of the tax money already collected by each person.
    Could a taxpayer get money like that - NO!

    Ask Mr.Ruffino if his bank would accept that? He says, "I have been listening to residents."
    I bet he has, as they come into his Bank crying and trying to save their homes before foreclosure.

    Supervisor Giza responded that such action would result in the budget being reduced by a fraction of a penny.
    NO, he did not offer to even consider forgoing his raise!
    Do they truly believe people are that stupid?

    LC wrote: "Council Member Donna Stempniak opened the meeting by stating that the board had been remiss over the years in not setting down with the department heads, the budget director and the Supervisor for the purpose of having a formal budget review."

    LC wrote, "Any savings are welcome regardless how small. Why hasn’t this process been utilized for years? Or, considering this is an election year is this is nothing more than political grandstanding?

    Given the fact that its Election time - my Vote goes for Grandstanding.

    LC wrote: "And I am sure everyone will be wondering whether the other elected officials and department heads will follow the example set by the council members and decline their salary increases. Spread the wealth, spread the pain!"

    Again, was there a resolution to forgo the raises presented?
    If they are serious - put it in writing - make it for three years minimum and present it signed sealed and legally binding before the November Election.

    Again, My bet is - they timed this perfect as the Bee has already been fed their lines. The Media will splash this out and the uninformed Voters/Taxpayers will never know what happened till after the Election.

    Can't Wait to read the story in the Bufnews and I wonder if stooge 4 and Mr.Luke(Lipstick) Morretti will do a big piece on it. He owes them for the excl use tip on Highway Super R.Reese!
    Last edited by 4248; October 22nd, 2009 at 07:47 PM.
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

  2. #2
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    A Lancaster Town Council Member's salary in 2009 was $18,467. They are scheduled to receive $18,836 in this year's budget - a difference of $369. As of this year, they are no longer elligible for a health insurance buyout stipend of $6,600. They passed a resolution this past year eliminating the stipend for part time elected employees who have an outside source of insurance.

    I understand the two Democratic incumbents running for re-election are telling the public that they supported this change. Not at first. In fact, like the supervisor they adamantly supported getting the buyout; Ruffino saying the town provided insurance was better than the one provided by the bank he works at. It is now "use it or lose it" time.

    There are several full time elected town officials that receive the stipend and who have outside insurance coverage. In fact, the supervisor admitted openly that his primary insurance is paid for by the Lancaster Boys Club.

    The town is currently holding meetings with department heads asking them to cut nickle and dime expenses. Here is an opportunity to save near $20,000 by removing the stipend entitlements paid to three full time elected officials. Taxpayers today consider themselves fortuante to have any type of health care insurance and they are compelled to pay for a cadillac health care policy and a "stipend' of $6,600 on top of that. Where is the pain sharing?

    When residents brought this up at a board meeting (why stipends were not eliminated for full time elected officials) Ruffino, Abraham and Stempniak said that would be considered at a later date. Hello! The timing couldn't be any better.

  3. #3
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Why in the world wasn't longevity pay taken away during contract negotiations?

    If my figures are correct, they projected $172,000+ in longevity pay alone in 2009.

    The town employees receive a decent salary, great healthcare benefits and step raises. Giving up the longevity pay would have been an indication that they feel our pain.

    But I guess, it all starts at the top. The part time councilmen are willing to give up their raise but the ones that make the real money - supervisor and town clerk haven't made any indication that they are willing to set their raise aside. My perception of Giza's view of the tentative budget is-
    THE BUDGET IS WHAT IT IS BECAUSE I'M THE BUDGET OFFICER AND I'M ALWAYS RIGHT.

    Georgia L Schlager

  4. #4
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    I agree!

    The reality of the situation is that now with this fiscal challenging times, the town politicians really have no choice now. They have to start cutting government & cadilac services.

  5. #5
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    Is Giza

    Quote Originally Posted by 4248 View Post
    See no evil, Speak no Evil, and Dance like a Chorus Line!
    Not so fun fact: The average senior on Social Security gets $12-14 thousand a year to live on.
    Part time - 10 hours a month - two five hour meetings and a Lancaster Town Council Member gets $24,000.00 tax dollars a year + Cadillac New York State tax Funded Pension credits and other Tax funded benefits.
    Also some were quietly taking an extra $6000.00 a year, health care tax funded bonus buyout.

    Isn't it great how the three Town Board Members who have "Nothing to loose" talk about giving up 2% of a future raise!

    The same three Council Members - Councilman Stempniak, Councilman Ruffino and Councilman Abraham!

    These three people collect two pay checks already, they have collected two healthcare packages(In Mrs.Stempniak's case for many years) - dental care - paid insurance and more.

    Councilman R.Ruffino works for a bank - he is one of the well paid people who benefited from his Banks Bailout. He sits and collects a tax funded salary from the Town, while collecting his bank salary as well.

    Councilman Abraham is collecting two tax funded salaries and tax funded retirement payments. Tax funded health care and insurances. He collects as a full time Lancaster School Teacher and Town Board Member!

    Councilman Donna Stempniak collects an enhanced New York State Tax Funded Pension (right now) - plus tax funded Town Board pay. She, in years past has collected, as Mr.Ruffino did - $6000.00 extra tax dollars every year from the Town for healthcare.

    Now the Grand Stand gesture:

    Now they want to act like they will "Sacrifice" a 2% future raise.

    As LC wrote:"Thats approximately $350 for 2010".
    (One year Offer, is this a joke?)

    Now let me see - I am not the best at math but, $6000.00 tax dollars a year for just one term = 4 years = $24,000.00 tax dollars has already been collected per term, per Town Board Member.

    So, it would take over 20 some odd years at $350.00 a year, to equal just one year of the tax money already collected by each person.
    Could a taxpayer get money like that - NO!

    Ask Mr.Ruffino if his bank would accept that? He says, "I have been listening to residents."
    I bet he has, as they come into his Bank crying and trying to save their homes before foreclosure.

    Supervisor Giza responded that such action would result in the budget being reduced by a fraction of a penny.
    NO, he did not offer to even consider forgoing his raise!
    Do they truly believe people are that stupid?

    LC wrote: "Council Member Donna Stempniak opened the meeting by stating that the board had been remiss over the years in not setting down with the department heads, the budget director and the Supervisor for the purpose of having a formal budget review."

    LC wrote, "Any savings are welcome regardless how small. Why hasn’t this process been utilized for years? Or, considering this is an election year is this is nothing more than political grandstanding?

    Given the fact that its Election time - my Vote goes for Grandstanding.

    LC wrote: "And I am sure everyone will be wondering whether the other elected officials and department heads will follow the example set by the council members and decline their salary increases. Spread the wealth, spread the pain!"

    Again, was there a resolution to forgo the raises presented?
    If they are serious - put it in writing - make it for three years minimum and present it signed sealed and legally binding before the November Election.

    Again, My bet is - they timed this perfect as the Bee has already been fed their lines. The Media will splash this out and the uninformed Voters/Taxpayers will never know what happened till after the Election.

    Can't Wait to read the story in the Bufnews and I wonder if stooge 4 and Mr.Luke(Lipstick) Morretti will do a big piece on it. He owes them for the excl use tip on Highway Super R.Reese!

    then still taking the 2% raise increase and the others aren't? Is that what I read?

  6. #6
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    Question - was it a offer or resolution? TIMING !

    Lets look at this - today is October 23 - when is the next scheduled Town Board Meeting? Election day is Nov 03 -


    If they were serious with their "2%" sacrifice play - why wasn't a resolution drawn up, presented and voted on at that meeting

    Supervisor Bob Giza and the Budget director could have already done that in the budget - if it was to be!?!

    Its because Town Board Meetings are "Dog and Pony Shows" - they dance and pretend to care - then what - nothing changes.

    Their object was to get that on the street - to get the Bee and Bufnews(and Speakup) to write about it. In that they succeeded.

    They get the press - they can tell people, "Well we offered" -

    All just in time for it to be used as "Campaign Fluff" - thats partly why Supervisor Bob Giza and Councilman D.Amatura didn't dive in. Mr.Amatura isn't going to risk being held to reducing his future pay or benefits - he's about to become Highway Superintendent and get a $68,000.00+/- pay raise and full tax funded pension and benefits.

    Supervisor Giza who collects two tax funded health care packages isn't going to give up a dime. He has put in 23+ years at accumulating all these hidden perks and pays. He has played the over worked, under appreciated Uncle Bobby for all these years. Who knew he was getting all these tax funded and supporter/contributor funded perks and benefits.

    Council Members D.Stempniak, R.Ruffino and now Mr.Abraham are just playing the "Party Game" - This is what local Politics is all about.


    Welcome to Lancaster New York
    Supervisor Bob Giza says,
    "You should have done your home work,
    before moving here!"


    OH! - Don't forget to Vote
    Nov 03
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

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