Since May of this year, I have been busy working on the elements of fiscal stress in the State of Michigan. Back then I met with Eric Scorsone of the Senate Fiscal Agency along with Tim Soave, Fiscal Services Director for Oakland County and the Executive Director of the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association (MGFOA), Colleen Coogan. As a result of that meeting, we approached the Board of Directors of the MGFOA and asked them to appoint a committee to look at the issue of fiscal stress in Michigan communities. They did so and I was appointed as the Chairperson.
This afternoon our committee will meet to review all of our work. Actually, most of the data gathering and assembling in presentation form was done by Colleen, with help from Nicole Bateson. And I couldn't thank either of them enough. Tomorrow is the presentation to the Senate Fiscal Agency. We have received some publicity on our work and I am sure more will follow when the report is made public.
What has proved very interesting to me during this is the number of local officials who seem a little clueless about simple questions. Do I really need to explain what I mean about someone being a 'degreed accountant'? The answer is 'yes'.
Looking at today's newspapers, one cannot help but notice the number of people running for election. What a thought if each and everyone one of them are eminently qualified for the jobs they are running for. Not always the case. And because of that, we sometimes elect folks not quite up to the task of keeping our communities financially strong. Here's to making better choices on election day.
Out for a stroll
Last Wednesday I left my home to head over to the library to pick up a book. As I started down the road, what do I see but a coyote out for a brisk walk at two in the afternoon.
I should mention that one of my big gripes when I was on the board of trustees was the levy of the safety path millage. The ballot issue only passed by two voters and I felt then, and still do now, that it should not have been levied without a very good majority. Furthermore, there is very little traffic on any of these paths considering the number of residents we have. And they are darned expensive to construct.
So, back to the coyote who obviously was using the path for its intended purpose. Hey, no risk of a motorist hitting him.
I have seen them before in the Township. One was standing and howling on my deck one night, apparently letting others know that this was his territory. No argument from me as he has killed several small annoying rodents and the like.
So, Mr. Coyote is hiking down the road. I thought I would grab a pic with my cell phone so I turned around and went back to where he was walking. I pulled into a subdivision and he and I made eye contact through the window. He just stood there glaring at me rather curiously. He was unbelievably mangy and looked like he had not eaten in awhile.
I should mention that one of my big gripes when I was on the board of trustees was the levy of the safety path millage. The ballot issue only passed by two voters and I felt then, and still do now, that it should not have been levied without a very good majority. Furthermore, there is very little traffic on any of these paths considering the number of residents we have. And they are darned expensive to construct.
So, back to the coyote who obviously was using the path for its intended purpose. Hey, no risk of a motorist hitting him.
I have seen them before in the Township. One was standing and howling on my deck one night, apparently letting others know that this was his territory. No argument from me as he has killed several small annoying rodents and the like.
So, Mr. Coyote is hiking down the road. I thought I would grab a pic with my cell phone so I turned around and went back to where he was walking. I pulled into a subdivision and he and I made eye contact through the window. He just stood there glaring at me rather curiously. He was unbelievably mangy and looked like he had not eaten in awhile.
Unfortunately, I had run out of the house and left the phone on the counter, so no pic. But I found this on the web and it is very similar to what I saw, though this guy looks much healthier.
Wearing a bag over your head
Many, many moons ago, a fellow board member said to me that they felt like bringing a paper bag to board meetings so that they could just put it over their head when the craziness started. And they did not mean so they could hyper-ventilate. Think embarrassment.
I thought about the comment this week after a resident said to me that pretty soon West Bloomfield will have to change its name. They said there is so much bad publicity that no one will want to move here. I asked if they felt we were in the position of the former East Detroit, now Eastpointe, and they said 'yes'.
The subdivision to my south had so much bad publicity over shoddy construction in the late 70's, that they indeed changed their name.
As I thought back about this I remembered that several years ago West Bloomfield was assigned three different zip codes: 48322, 48323, and 48324. When the date was entered into the tax base files, we had people using Orchard Lake and Union Lake designations with the new zip codes. I had my staff go into the database and change everyone to 'West Bloomfield'.
When the next round of tax bills were sent, OMG. Let the phones ring off the hook. I never heard from so many angry people informing me that they did not live in West Bloomfield. And no amount of explaining could convince them otherwise. I told them that they could use whatever address they wanted as long as their mail was delivered, but for our purposes, we were using 'West Bloomfield'.
I also remember my former secretary coming back from the front counter and telling me of a conversation she had with a home buyer. They wanted to be sure that the house they were purchasing was really in Orchard Lake with West Bloomfield Schools and not IN West Bloomfield. It was.
This latest round of controversy hits home every time I am out in public. Just this past week while having lunch, someone walked over to my table and said 'Hey, who is being sued now?' He said everyone is suing everyone else and that West Bloomfield is a joke. Other diners over-hearing the question nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately, for those of us who have homes to sell and those who continue to live here, it is no laughing matter.
I thought about the comment this week after a resident said to me that pretty soon West Bloomfield will have to change its name. They said there is so much bad publicity that no one will want to move here. I asked if they felt we were in the position of the former East Detroit, now Eastpointe, and they said 'yes'.
The subdivision to my south had so much bad publicity over shoddy construction in the late 70's, that they indeed changed their name.
As I thought back about this I remembered that several years ago West Bloomfield was assigned three different zip codes: 48322, 48323, and 48324. When the date was entered into the tax base files, we had people using Orchard Lake and Union Lake designations with the new zip codes. I had my staff go into the database and change everyone to 'West Bloomfield'.
When the next round of tax bills were sent, OMG. Let the phones ring off the hook. I never heard from so many angry people informing me that they did not live in West Bloomfield. And no amount of explaining could convince them otherwise. I told them that they could use whatever address they wanted as long as their mail was delivered, but for our purposes, we were using 'West Bloomfield'.
I also remember my former secretary coming back from the front counter and telling me of a conversation she had with a home buyer. They wanted to be sure that the house they were purchasing was really in Orchard Lake with West Bloomfield Schools and not IN West Bloomfield. It was.
This latest round of controversy hits home every time I am out in public. Just this past week while having lunch, someone walked over to my table and said 'Hey, who is being sued now?' He said everyone is suing everyone else and that West Bloomfield is a joke. Other diners over-hearing the question nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately, for those of us who have homes to sell and those who continue to live here, it is no laughing matter.
Times Change
It stands to reason that having spent a good chuck of my life in public service, I have many friends who are also retired from the profession. This past week brought to mind just how much we have to subdue our personal opinions when we are in the service of the public. There, we are required to follow legislation, even when we do not agree with it.
Two cases arose. The first generated by the letter writer in a previous post that prompted the comment that there is too much government regulation of everything. Can you spell TEA PARTY?
The second from someone who was upset that a neighbor who was making improvements in their landscaping was stopped by the local community for failure to obtain a wetland permit. Seems they were too close to a wetland area to be allowed to just plant a tree. They asked why government thought that regulation of everything was so important. Was it really necessary?
Governments will tell you that they do everything to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. That was the excuse West Bloomfield used to force everyone to use one trash hauler. I was not aware there was a problem. If there was, they should have dealt with the individuals involved, not forced their choice on everyone else.
The public is told that government is only looking out for their best interests. Well, when government is seemingly trampling over our individual freedoms, who protects us from them? Do we call the ACLU everytime these things happen?
I've had more than one retired public servant echo these thoughts to me. As I said, can you spell TEA PARTY?
Two cases arose. The first generated by the letter writer in a previous post that prompted the comment that there is too much government regulation of everything. Can you spell TEA PARTY?
The second from someone who was upset that a neighbor who was making improvements in their landscaping was stopped by the local community for failure to obtain a wetland permit. Seems they were too close to a wetland area to be allowed to just plant a tree. They asked why government thought that regulation of everything was so important. Was it really necessary?
Governments will tell you that they do everything to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. That was the excuse West Bloomfield used to force everyone to use one trash hauler. I was not aware there was a problem. If there was, they should have dealt with the individuals involved, not forced their choice on everyone else.
The public is told that government is only looking out for their best interests. Well, when government is seemingly trampling over our individual freedoms, who protects us from them? Do we call the ACLU everytime these things happen?
I've had more than one retired public servant echo these thoughts to me. As I said, can you spell TEA PARTY?
Cross Words
I've mentioned before that I enjoy the New York Times Crossword puzzles. The Sunday puzzles usually have some clever cluing and answering. Today was no exception. Actually, I was doing the syndicated puzzle from October 10. I enjoyed it and was curious to see what Rex Parker had said about it.
OMG. I could not believe his reaction. And those of others.
The theme was 'Driver's Translations'. I have seen these drivers around town. Their interpretation of a STOP sign is 'coast right through'. I have long said that in West Bloomfield, STOP is just a suggestion. And don't even bet that someone will YIELD.
The theme seemed all the more appropriate after the article in the Oakland Press about how wonderful the roundabouts are. Right. I guess if you enjoy driving and having someone pull out right in front of you without looking, thereby enabling you to test your braking ability, then they are wonderful.
Anyway, the other theme 'CLUES' and 'answers' geared toward the driver without a clue are:
NO THRU TRAFFIC: Good shortcut
STAY IN LANE: Ignore this sign
NO STOPPING OR STANDING: Leave if you see a cop
SPEED LIMIT 65 MPH: Keep it under eighty
And if you have never encountered the driver who interprets signs this way, count yourself blessed.
OMG. I could not believe his reaction. And those of others.
The theme was 'Driver's Translations'. I have seen these drivers around town. Their interpretation of a STOP sign is 'coast right through'. I have long said that in West Bloomfield, STOP is just a suggestion. And don't even bet that someone will YIELD.
The theme seemed all the more appropriate after the article in the Oakland Press about how wonderful the roundabouts are. Right. I guess if you enjoy driving and having someone pull out right in front of you without looking, thereby enabling you to test your braking ability, then they are wonderful.
Anyway, the other theme 'CLUES' and 'answers' geared toward the driver without a clue are:
NO THRU TRAFFIC: Good shortcut
STAY IN LANE: Ignore this sign
NO STOPPING OR STANDING: Leave if you see a cop
SPEED LIMIT 65 MPH: Keep it under eighty
And if you have never encountered the driver who interprets signs this way, count yourself blessed.
Do You XM?
I do not drive my car a lot. When I do, I usually listen to classical music on XM radio. But that will likely come to an end next winter when my paid subscription runs out. Dealing with XM has been a nightmare from day one.
The latest incident was with a bill I received yesterday. In September I renewed for five months and received a bill due on October 10. I paid the bill and the check was cashed on October 4. The bill I received yesterday showed a past due amount and another invoice fee of $2.00. What? I already paid.
I spent over 45 minutes on the phone with them this morning talking to three different people, one of whom only spoke Spanish. I obviously got transferred off to someone who would have no clue what I was talking about.
The explanation was this. Because they had to rebill me (for the payment I already made BEFORE the due date), the invoice fee was due. BUT, they would kindly 'waive' it this time.
So, let me get this straight. I paid the bill by the due date. The company cashed the check. They rebilled me before the original due date and, therefore, generated another fee. Hey, why not just send a bill every day?
The sad part is that the people you talk to have no clue what you are trying to explain to them. They also seem to have no superiors available to speak to. It is no wonder so many people I know just let the free subscription they get with their new cars expire, even when they enjoyed the music. It saves a lot of grief.
Well, next road trip I'll just pack the CDs.
Click here to read about others' experiences with XM
The latest incident was with a bill I received yesterday. In September I renewed for five months and received a bill due on October 10. I paid the bill and the check was cashed on October 4. The bill I received yesterday showed a past due amount and another invoice fee of $2.00. What? I already paid.
I spent over 45 minutes on the phone with them this morning talking to three different people, one of whom only spoke Spanish. I obviously got transferred off to someone who would have no clue what I was talking about.
The explanation was this. Because they had to rebill me (for the payment I already made BEFORE the due date), the invoice fee was due. BUT, they would kindly 'waive' it this time.
So, let me get this straight. I paid the bill by the due date. The company cashed the check. They rebilled me before the original due date and, therefore, generated another fee. Hey, why not just send a bill every day?
The sad part is that the people you talk to have no clue what you are trying to explain to them. They also seem to have no superiors available to speak to. It is no wonder so many people I know just let the free subscription they get with their new cars expire, even when they enjoyed the music. It saves a lot of grief.
Well, next road trip I'll just pack the CDs.
Click here to read about others' experiences with XM
World Wide Blogging
After a letter to the editor appeared in yesterday's Oakland Press from a disgruntled resident in West Bloomfield, someone asked my why don't people just deal with the township directly. I replied that that the person was already upset from dealing with them and now wanted to let others in Oakland County and elsewhere know of their experience. The newspaper is effective. The internet blogs are even more effective.
In the last 24 hours, folks in the Phillipines, Germany, Denmark, Hong Kong and Slovenia have read my blog. (I am guessing it was someone in Hong Kong who suggested I buy white flower embrocation oil for my arthritis. Actually, I've tried products with menthol, but can't tolerate the smell.)
I have a good following in the Netherlands, second only to the USA. Go figure. And Canada and Brazil.
The response I got from the initial inquiry regarding the letter was that now everyone in the world will know about West Bloomfield, good and bad. Well, word gets around. This morning the Detroit News ran an article about the homeless moving to Ann Arbor and setting up tent camps. Word of the accommodations and social services there travels by 'word of mouth'. Imagine if these homeless had the internet and a blog.
Like it or not, our world is not what it was when we were growing up in the 50's. It is all interconnected with other countries on some level. But that is the future subject of another post.
In the last 24 hours, folks in the Phillipines, Germany, Denmark, Hong Kong and Slovenia have read my blog. (I am guessing it was someone in Hong Kong who suggested I buy white flower embrocation oil for my arthritis. Actually, I've tried products with menthol, but can't tolerate the smell.)
I have a good following in the Netherlands, second only to the USA. Go figure. And Canada and Brazil.
The response I got from the initial inquiry regarding the letter was that now everyone in the world will know about West Bloomfield, good and bad. Well, word gets around. This morning the Detroit News ran an article about the homeless moving to Ann Arbor and setting up tent camps. Word of the accommodations and social services there travels by 'word of mouth'. Imagine if these homeless had the internet and a blog.
Like it or not, our world is not what it was when we were growing up in the 50's. It is all interconnected with other countries on some level. But that is the future subject of another post.
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