If it was five months from now – April Fool’s day (or close to it), the joke that Mike Hein wants $600,000 for office renovations may have been laughable. But, it’s December 1. Families are struggling to buy holiday gifts, pay heating bills (whatever happened to the heating summit in July, just another Hein fake-a-roo we guess), and of course higher County property tax bills are nearly in the mail. Add that to the fact that Governor Paterson called for a special session of the NYS Legislature on November 18th to close a $1.5 billion state budget gap and warned of the dire fiscal crisis in New York State.
Yet Mike Hein wants a $600,000 bond to give him and his friend Elliott Auerbach (ok, not his friend considering Hein was actually supporting Jim Quigley) a beautiful new office space.
ARE YOU *&@! NUTS we ask again. If the County Executive is going to have a staff of 8 (let's just hope he doesn't ask for more staff) and the County Comptroller a staff of 5, that’s $46,000 in office renovations per staffer. Again, sorry, ARE YOU *&@! NUTS Mr. Hein???
Ever heard of cubicles? Small workspaces – you know, like the rest of the little people err ahh taxpayers have to work in (for those lucky enough to have work).
Most County workers live in little cubicles with pictures of their kids taped to fabric walls. There is no reason why the County Executives flacks can’t do the same thing.
This is no different than the automotive CEOs flying 3 separate private jets to Washington DC to ask for a bailout. Mr. Hein has raised taxes again this year, and now wants us to borrow money for a new office for him.
We can only be thankful that Republican Legislators will (hopefully) reject this borrow and spend initiative of Mr. Hein.
BUT . . . we really hope Elliott Auerbach, as the just elected Comptroller condemns Hein for even asking for this money.
Elliott, you said you’d be independent – tell Hein he’s nuts and that staff will have to make do without new digs. Hein threw you under the bus during the campaign, he was out there with Quigley. Today’s your day Elliott . . are you an Independent Comptroller, or a Hein lackey. Please, be the man we think you are capable of being.
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14 comments:
This is outrageous. You know if the estimate is $600,000, the actual cost will be well over $1 million dollars.
I think that they should make do with whatever we have now and can possibly do in house.
People all over this County are suffering. Businesses are going out of business.
This sort of indulgent request of the taxpayers is just insulting.
First Hein raised the salary that was recommended, now he wants $600,000 in renovations.
What's next he needs more staff?
Probably
It would be interesting to learn from the "old timers" just how much the current county building cost to build back in the 60s'.
Where is Walter Thayer when you need him??
This not a Mike Hein proposal. Legislators are responsible for not having an office PLAN ready to go after the election regardless who won. Lets see what the Laws and Rules committee who played a huge part in planning for the new government offers.
If it is not Hein's proposal, then who proposed this? The new County Charter was sold to the people as a system that will more effectively run the county and save money. So far all I see are added staff, higher salaries and now expensive office renovations.
did you see the new blog
www.NoJobsInUlster.blogspot.com
Not Mike's fault. This one lies squarely on the shoulders of one David Donaldson, the current CEO of Ulster County. Auerbach has no say either, this is all the Legislature and the building and grounds department.
What exactly were they waiting for? There was always going to be a cost in relocating/renovating/fitting in new departments until the Treasurer leaves next year.
Donaldson is Hein's puppet. Hein wants his fingerprints off this, so he tricked Donaldson into taking the bullet for him. Starting Jan 1, Hein will have to stand up for himself for once.
"Walter Thayer"--what a RIOT. I think you've taken Walter MAXWELL, the current chief there, and morphed it with HARRY Thayer, who owned the radio station at the time of which you speak. I grew up thinking that "The Glass Menagerie" was a phrase Harry Thayer--instead of Tennessee Williams-- invented!!
Then again, not every Tom, Dick and Walter can be a Harry Maxwell either. lol
Interesting how the mind works sometimes...! "Myahhhhhh"----Orvil Norman.
Hein is never going to have to stand up for himself. He has so many people he can blame when things go wrong and he knows when something goes right he can take the pride for it, even if he didnt do it.
what about the $88,500 for the economic director March Gallagher She did such a good job as chair of the IDA lost thousands of jobs brought in 0
Hein is seeking to create polical jobs - just like Al S
Ulster County needs more then just political jobs.
If EA wants to show he knows how to root out waste, he needs to not give Blaber a county job. And tell Hein publicly that giving Blaber a job is a waste of tax dollars.
Hiring that waste of brain cells while real workers are losing their jobs is damn near criminal.
Blaber is going to get a job and its going to be eating donuts that are paid by the tax payers of Ulster County. Beware!!
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