I See Dead People Getting Benefits

[4248]

What access would Kearns have anyways? That's not his position to monitor that department. Correct?

All one can do is point fingers if they have no control over items like that.

This is part of the problem - theres so many disconnects and dysfunctional layers in Government. Kearns is a rubber stamp - he grabs info after the fact - if he can use it politically he acts out in the press.

He has the power to call for Departmental reviews - he doesn't because he actually needs most of those people right where they are. Thats the game - point the finger at the Mayors perceived mistakes and ignore the inept friends and family crew who have been there for years.

These "Party Players" have inhabited so many City Hall and City jobs for so long - they don't work for taxpayers - they work for the "Party"

If the players/employees are encouraged to disrespect the person at the top - they have then been given a pass to sit on their collective buts.

Sweep out every little corner and install new people. With the pay and benefits these people get they should be doing way more than waiting for the soup to be ready in the basement restaurant.

The only thing on schedule is the time lunch starts and when the phones stop getting answered every day at the perceived end of shift.

[4248]

[quote=CSense;591080]How was Gipson, Reilly, Lombardo, Luckaswicz, and Tobe holdovers? Eh, they're not. They were all Brown appointments that were let go. Nice try spinmiester. What about Karla Thomas, grassrooter/Brown appointment? Brown has shown a unique ability to do nothing and you buy it.:


Without naming people look behind each one you just named. They all one way or another put their professional lives in the hands of "Politics" - see the link?

Like I said before - in the BFD issue, it wasn't his personal ability - it was the fact - many believe - that his most trusted Deputy and others undermined him.

They were the true "Party Players" - thats the sad part - he gets dropped - they keep playing.

Some of the other people you mentioned - were - judged publicly on "perception" as spelled out by the media and "Insiders" - good bad or indifferent - they put their lives in the hands of the game.

The Mayor was put in office by the same people who now support Kearns. The game continues, except this Mayor has learned he can walk without those who made deals in his name. Unless your inside the controlling group - we get bits and pieces.

Its all perception - if you see someone on the news - you have no true insight as to how they got there - but you will draw a conclusion.

[CSense]

Without naming people look behind each one you just named. They all one way or another put their professional lives in the hands of "Politics" - see the link?

Ithought you mentioned earlier, in his defense of Brown, that he was doing good for the city, now you're saying that the people he appointed were part of an inner circle of politics?

Like I said before - in the BFD issue, it wasn't his personal ability - it was the fact - many believe - that his most trusted Deputy and others undermined him.
Wait, who's mayor? Why wouldn't he just appoint people that wouldn't undermine him? Why does he still have his trusted Deputy if he's undermining him? Why did it take him 2 years for Tobe, 3 for Lukasiwicz and four years for Gipson, Reilly and Lombardo? Why is he slow on the uptake?

They were the true "Party Players" - thats the sad part - he gets dropped - they keep playing.
What????

Some of the other people you mentioned - were - judged publicly on "perception" as spelled out by the media and "Insiders" - good bad or indifferent - they put their lives in the hands of the game.
What game? I thought Byron was not part of the game? Are you saying he is?

The Mayor was put in office by the same people who now support Kearns. The game continues, except this Mayor has learned he can walk without those who made deals in his name. Unless your inside the controlling group - we get bits and pieces.
What the hell is this? You've got to be kidding me, right? Now the mayor enjoys the support of the Kearns supporters? How is life in Never Neverl Land? Cuckoo!

Its all perception - if you see someone on the news - you have no true insight as to how they got there - but you will draw a conclusion.

All I can say is that you really need medication, if you aren't already on it. I suggest Lithium or some other anti-psychotic. Seriously, seek help!

[DomesticatedFeminist]

Dougie has used the wrong analogy. The city buys a policy for each employee. Take an example...

Joe Bag O'donuts works for the city. The city buys him a medical insurance policy. Whether he uses is benefits or not, the city pays an annual cost for insuring Joe. If Joe were to die, the inactivity doesn't preclude him from not being insured, it should be his death certificate.

Ok that is what i thought you meant before doug confused me. Thank you for clearing that up.

[Dougles]

Now I am confused again.. how can dead man go to the doctors? I thought the insurance company is just charging for the insurance. So the doctors are charging the insurance companies for patient they aren't seeing?

I never said the doc's were charging anything. I was just saying that it's not the job of the Insurance company to check whose still alive or active on a plan. They send a bill with a few 1000 names on it to be insured and it's up to the city to tell them who shouldn't be on the list. Maybe Brown hired a lot of "graduates" of the Buffalo School district, aren't something like 50% of kids illiterate?

[WNYresident]

This is a perfect example of why government should be ran as a business.

[300miles]

Joe Bag O'donuts works for the city. The city buys him a medical insurance policy. Whether he uses is benefits or not, the city pays an annual cost for insuring Joe. If Joe were to die, the inactivity doesn't preclude him from not being insured, it should be his death certificate.

This is how Mayor Brown will fix the problem: Create a new job for internal auditing. It will pay $90,000 a year plus benefits. The person hired will be a political ally and will, or course, need to create an entire team of subordinates to do his work for him. Every "fix" somehow involves more patronage.

[dtwarren]

Just the tip of the iceberg. Can you imagine how this translates to NYS or especially to the Federal level?

This does seem to be a perennial issue for the City. I know at least NYS just completed an eligibility check of all members enrolled in its employee health care plans: http://www.cs.state.ny.us/nyshipelig...n_ee_ny_pe.cfm

[4248]

Youre a word twisting clown. Play the game - the game plays you. Enjoy![/COLOR]

[JoeCitizen]

This is a perfect example of why government should be ran as a business.

Yeah right, we see what a great job our Nazi County Executive is doing. Joel Giambra's promise was to run it like a business too.

[CSense]

This is how Mayor Brown will fix the problem: Create a new job for internal auditing. It will pay $90,000 a year plus benefits. The person hired will be a political ally and will, or course, need to create an entire team of subordinates to do his work for him. Every "fix" somehow involves more patronage.

True, so true.

Here's how it will go down....
The problem will really never go away, the patronage buddy will be dumber than a box of rocks, and so will his/her team of inept subordinates. They'll loose site of their original intent and become a huge bureaucracy division that will live longer than or grandchildren before some upstart mayor decides it needs to go away with hiring just one capable person. At which time the unions will complain about the "team" of people that will be laid off due to this mayor. The mayor will compromise and have a crack pot team of three but only that one capable person will be doing the work. The other two hacks will do nothing soaking off the government for another twenty years.

Brown's legacy will haunt us forever.

[dtwarren]

Remember this:

"A Personnel Department is sorely needed in City Hall," Masiello said Tuesday. "We have no procedures, we don't have unified procedures or policies, on how to deal with the whole array of personnel functions, i.e. benefits, labor relations, Civil Service. They are all scattered throughout this building in different departments."

The mayor discussed the creation of a Personnel Department and elimination of the Civil Service Commission during his campaign, pointing to apparent abuses in the system that existed in the former Griffin administration.

"The Civil Service Commission is an anachronism that can no longer serve the needs of efficiency or economy," Masiello said during the campaign. "The demands of the city work force and the expectations of city taxpayers dictate a new, progressive, professional approach to employee management.

"We need to look no further than the inexcusable excess of payment of health benefits to dead people, political manipulation of Civil Service testing and the scattered oversight responsibilities for various personnel functions to know that," he said.

Masiello was referring to City Hall practices that led to payment of health insurance to deceased employees, as well as the city's policy of giving full-time health benefits to people serving part-time positions on city boards.

Masiello also referred to apparent political manipulation of Civil Service rules by the commission.

Masiello on Tuesday again referred to the apparent sloppiness in the way the past administration handled benefits as evidence that the city needs a separate Personnel Department.

CITY TO GET HELP FROM COLLEGE ON PERSONNEL NEEDS; NEW DEPARTMENT MAY RESULT Buffalo News (New York) February 9, 1994, Wednesday, City Edition,

[4248]

You must have made that up - Masiello couldnt have said that - Mayor Brown made all those problems

"A Personnel Department is sorely needed in City Hall," Masiello said Tuesday. "We have no procedures, we don't have unified procedures or policies, on how to deal with the whole array of personnel functions, i.e. benefits, labor relations, Civil Service. They are all scattered throughout this building in different departments."

The mayor discussed the creation of a Personnel Department and elimination of the Civil Service Commission during his campaign, pointing to apparent abuses in the system that existed in the former Griffin administration.
__________________________________________________ _______
Jimmy would have shurely fixed that had he known.

[keyboard150]

Mr.Kearns doesn't do anything other than point fingers. What has he done? He makes Mayor haters feel good, thats about it.

Seems to me that Mr. Kearns is doing more for the people at the moment than your beloved mayor.

I haven't heard Brown do or say or organize anything against the water board.

How much does Brown pay you to represent him on Speak Up?

[keyboard150]

Yeah right, we see what a great job our Nazi County Executive is doing. Joel Giambra's promise was to run it like a business too.

It's hilarious that you can act like Collin's isn't doing a good job, when he actually is.

If it was a democrat in office doing the same stuff you'd be in love with him.