Comments on: Having a say in the City budget http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10 The Continuing Story of a City Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:06:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Rachel Richman http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-112560 Rachel Richman Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:26:03 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-112560 V: Thanks for your coverage of the budget. You are absolutely right; residents need to share their ideas on the budget with the Mayor and Council. This is a time when the community needs to pull together to help solve the budget problem. The source of the budget crisis is no secret; the economic downturn hit most local and state government services hard. Guess this is another thing to thank Bush and his Wall St. friends for. Oakland's income from virtually all sources dropped like a stone. We're not alone as most CA cities are facing similar problems, but it is up to us to get involved. By the way, all city employees except Fire and Police have already taken a 5% pay cut as of last winter. We all have to share in the solution to ensure we have a budget that reflects Oakland's community values. Rachel V:

Thanks for your coverage of the budget. You are absolutely right; residents need to share their ideas on the budget with the Mayor and Council. This is a time when the community needs to pull together to help solve the budget problem.

The source of the budget crisis is no secret; the economic downturn hit most local and state government services hard. Guess this is another thing to thank Bush and his Wall St. friends for. Oakland’s income from virtually all sources dropped like a stone. We’re not alone as most CA cities are facing similar problems, but it is up to us to get involved.

By the way, all city employees except Fire and Police have already taken a 5% pay cut as of last winter.

We all have to share in the solution to ensure we have a budget that reflects Oakland’s community values.

Rachel

]]> By: ConcernedOakFF http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-108708 ConcernedOakFF Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:27:58 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-108708 Just for your information, the entry-level Firefighter pay is about 15 dollars per hour for the first 4-6 months of training and employment. Hardly a blockbuster salary.... Just for your information, the entry-level Firefighter pay is about 15 dollars per hour for the first 4-6 months of training and employment.

Hardly a blockbuster salary….

]]> By: Ken O http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107891 Ken O Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:57:40 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107891 Here are City of San Jose salaries: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12116499?source=most_viewed Here are City of San Jose salaries:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12116499?source=most_viewed

]]> By: livegreen http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107875 livegreen Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:20:15 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107875 I didn't make an assessment on the pay side, only about the course of the discussion re. reasons people join (which is a separate but related topic). Regarding pay & overtime I agree it is intrinsic to the budget. For this I only referred to comments by JMan's Dad and ConcernedOakFF. I did not make an assessment about those comments. What you say about pay and what they say about mandatory overtime and perils of the job don't necessarily disagree with each other. Until somebody contributes more info to what they said, or contradicting that info, I'm fine taking what they said at face value. That being said, you might be right about the attractiveness of the pay packages. Given this economy, entry level pay scales might for both OFD & OPD might be able to be trimmed and still attract applicants (though I don't know if there are any vacant positions). Of course that brings up a separate but related issue: Is it feasible to change the Salary Schedule? (If not for just OPD & OFD, then the entire city government). Employees participated in the benefits when the economy was good, it seems only fare that they participate now that the economy is bad. I didn’t make an assessment on the pay side, only about the course of the discussion re. reasons people join (which is a separate but related topic). Regarding pay & overtime I agree it is intrinsic to the budget. For this I only referred to comments by JMan’s Dad and ConcernedOakFF. I did not make an assessment about those comments.

What you say about pay and what they say about mandatory overtime and perils of the job don’t necessarily disagree with each other. Until somebody contributes more info to what they said, or contradicting that info, I’m fine taking what they said at face value.

That being said, you might be right about the attractiveness of the pay packages. Given this economy, entry level pay scales might for both OFD & OPD might be able to be trimmed and still attract applicants (though I don’t know if there are any vacant positions).

Of course that brings up a separate but related issue: Is it feasible to change the Salary Schedule? (If not for just OPD & OFD, then the entire city government).
Employees participated in the benefits when the economy was good, it seems only fare that they participate now that the economy is bad.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107866 Patrick Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:57:57 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107866 I disagree with your assessment, livegreen. Robert suggested that the pay offered was necessary to attract people who are willing to do the job. I disagree. And the amount paid is intrinsic to managing a budget. I disagree with your assessment, livegreen. Robert suggested that the pay offered was necessary to attract people who are willing to do the job. I disagree. And the amount paid is intrinsic to managing a budget.

]]> By: livegreen http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107802 livegreen Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:07:14 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107802 This is a discussion of city finances. Not a discussion of why people should or should not join OPD and OFD. There are many personal reasons that go into that decision, balanced with individual preferences & priorities of community service, risk of life, financial, etc. None of that is at issue here, and if we begin discussing that it will never end (again because so much of those factors are personal and vary individually). If there is a budget, it needs to be managed. I appreciate what JMan'sDad and ConcernedOakFF said about OFD overtime, as well as what Marlene said about OPD budgeting. Any more input on the benefits vs. negatives of Overtime, this time for OPD? (on either side of the coin). This is a discussion of city finances. Not a discussion of why people should or should not join OPD and OFD. There are many personal reasons that go into that decision, balanced with individual preferences & priorities of community service, risk of life, financial, etc. None of that is at issue here, and if we begin discussing that it will never end (again because so much of those factors are personal and vary individually).

If there is a budget, it needs to be managed. I appreciate what JMan’sDad and ConcernedOakFF said about OFD overtime, as well as what Marlene said about OPD budgeting. Any more input on the benefits vs. negatives of Overtime, this time for OPD? (on either side of the coin).

]]> By: Quercki M. Singer http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107754 Quercki M. Singer Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:05:59 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107754 I was reading (somewhere else--I forget where, sorry) that Oakland paid Mr. Bobb $160K for a study of where to cut the Oakland budget. Is it the one in <a HREF="http://www.abetteroakland.com/pfm-group-report-available/2009-01-13" rel="nofollow">this post?</A> Or is it another report? I was reading (somewhere else–I forget where, sorry) that Oakland paid Mr. Bobb $160K for a study of where to cut the Oakland budget.
Is it the one in this post?
Or is it another report?

]]> By: ConcernedOakFF http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107407 ConcernedOakFF Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:05:00 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107407 Patrick - Take the next test then. Everyone is welcome. Patrick –

Take the next test then. Everyone is welcome.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107371 Patrick Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:08:42 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107371 Well, besides the men and women who moved here and then were turned away by the abrupt cancellation of the last police academy, there's... $250,000 possible with overtime. Benefits without peer. Retirement well before age 65. And the lion's share of final pay and benefits for THE REST OF MY LIFE!? I think we could rustle up a couple of folk who'd want in on that. Well, besides the men and women who moved here and then were turned away by the abrupt cancellation of the last police academy, there’s…

$250,000 possible with overtime. Benefits without peer. Retirement well before age 65. And the lion’s share of final pay and benefits for THE REST OF MY LIFE!? I think we could rustle up a couple of folk who’d want in on that.

]]> By: Robert http://www.abetteroakland.com/having-a-say-in-the-city-budget/2009-04-10#comment-107332 Robert Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:09:16 +0000 http://www.abetteroakland.com/?p=2720#comment-107332 No, its supply and demand. Would you want to do their job? No, its supply and demand. Would you want to do their job?

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