![Welcome to Huntington - The City of the "Me Only" mindset](http://www.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large_lightbox/hash/86/ee/86ee55c4de0e963b25c0dfa4e22ccffa.jpg "Welcome to Huntington - The City of the "Me Only" mindset")
As reported here over the last few weeks, Huntington has been facing a shortfall of over a million dollars in tax revenue. Mayor Updike has tried to acquire a trash fee, has laid of a minimum of 12 people (including 6 fire fighters), closed one fire station and gotten a lot of bad reactions.
The city employees have tried to help. City employees volunteered their time to decorate the city with Christmas cheer, only to find that the city has to pay overtime. The reason, a labor law states that a worker can not do anything while off duty that is part of their on duty job. So, the law bites volunteerism in the backside.
The trash fee was shot down by the city council, the city Christmas display was removed and a proposal to close the parks board was also shot down by the council in a meeting Tuesday. The proposal was terminated by a vote of 4 – 3.
The city is in deep debt because of the shortfall, but here is the clincher. The public doesn't want to pay an extra 120 dollars a year for the city to provide trash service (a fee that is in use in most of the state's communities), have their taxes raised, the installation of a LOIT (Local Option Income Tax) or any other proposal that takes a few dollars out of their pocket.
Most of the city council vote against any proposal that the mayor makes. The council members have forgotten, that running the city is a business not a popularity contest. Hard decisions have to be made to keep the city functioning. The citizens voted this mayor in, and seem to want to use the 1920's idea of riding him out on a rail (tar and feathers cost to much).
City employees have taken a pay cut and reduced benefits to try and aid in this financial crisis. It seems that the good hearted decorators (including the mayor), and the remaining city employees are the only ones willing, in the community, to fore go a few dollars. This should be an example of how a community needs to pull together, but will not lead to a community willingness to help. Long live the greed and the 'only I count' attitude, that will lead to a coffin for this dying community.
Comments
City Employees should be the ones to take a pay cut as they make far and away more than any other sector around. And it bespeaks of governmental arrogance, not to mention greed, to whine that they are the only ones to have taken a hit. The private sector has been hit way, way harder than the public sector as any casual glance at unemployment stats will show.
It's as if city employees think the community exists to support them, instead of the other way around. A reality check is in order: most city services, like trash pickup could be done more cheaply by the private sector. That's why the city has put a legal monoploy on providing trash service. If they had to compete in the private sector like the rest of us, everyone would see how bloated their services are.
Most every resident in Huntington is either laid off, had their pay or hours cut (or both) and been asked to pay more for their benefits. How dare they refuse to pay more in taxes or fees so City employees don't. Get a grip.
The city government should cut deeper, charge for library access or close branches. Close things that are used by only a fraction of the residents. The residents are forgoing a few dollars in this horrible economy.
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