Lapeer Co. millage to go digital

Monday, November 02, 2009 at 3:20 p.m. Several MidMichigan communities have pocketbook issues on the ballot Tuesday.

[POed Home Owner]

Why are families the only ones that have to tighten our belts while the commissioner LITERALLY laughs about how unprepared they are with this idea? Makes me so mad at these people.
2 out of 10 people that walk into our Walmart are unemployed here in Lapeer County. You think this is a brilliant plan? We all know it's an older system, but you're all crazy if you think it can't be made to work or be repaired. It takes some planning is is all, and it's too easy to ask for 16 million dollars to buy a new one and keep up with the Jones in the next county. Well the buck stops here pal...I'm voting NO.
It's a very worthy cause, but so is Cub Scout Popcorn and Girl Scout Cookies. You want more of my money...get in line. In the mean time, get crackin' and make it work like the rest of us are.

[POed Home Owner]

Oh...16 million dollars breaks down to $4500 a day, every single day, 365 days a year, for the next 10 years on top of what you pay on your land line and your cell phone bill. My last cell bill showed $4 in 911 charges.

[railham]

Thank you all who voted to defeat this money grab. Maybe LC 911 should ask the local Ham club how to set a radio system up. They cover the entire county with a few thousand dollars worth of radio equipment and have around 50 members who contribute 12 dollars each per year.

[POed Home Owner]

Came across these articles this the morning after the vote.

911 Dispatch Director Victor Martin says, "They don't make analog systems anymore." That's one of the reasons why the Lapeer County Central Dispatch says an upgrade is needed. It goes on, "it's the way the world is going".

Really? You're sure that's true Mr, Martin?

NBC25 wanted to know which counties are analog and which ones are digital. So they made some calls.

Here's what they found out, the following counties in our immediate area say they're still on an analog system: Bay, Midland, Lapeer, Gratiot, Huron, Iosco, and Sanilac.

Saginaw, Genesee, Tuscola, Shiawassee, and Arenac say they're digital.

Ogemaw and Isabella say they're both analog and digital.

Looks to me that we aren't the only ones. So how hard are those parts to find again? Why can't we make this hold up even when others counties around us are?

I like the LAView pushing the agenda days before the election, only to then print after the election, that Commissioner Clark believes there may be alternative government funds available in the near future. Cheryl it amazes me how clueless you people are sometimes. Why didn't we look at that option first before spending $60,000 of the county's money on a special election. Good work guys. Maybe another conference at Mackinac Island would help square this up?

[POed Home Owner]

Back in May 2008, Jeff Robertson, executive director of the 911 Industry Alliance group, said in an interview "Ninety-five percent of 911 call centers are analog (-based)."

[railham]

There is nothing wrong with the digital system, it only needs a qualified technician to keep it up to date. Lapeer County is being sold a bill of goods by the radio manufacturing vendors. The LA View lost all credibility in my book when they failed to do their homework on this, not that I expected much in the first place. There is a decided lack of honest to goodness reporting skills when it comes to the news in Lapeer County.
If anyone cares to check into this deeper, the county paid for a system ten years ago that has never lived up to the hype....they were taken in by the manufacturers then, and it's happened again in 2009.
I for one say no new taxes, make what we have work...and if the people that we have in charge now can't do it, fire them and find someone who can.

[railham]

First line should read "There is nothing wrong with the analog system". Sorry for the typo.

[POed Home Owner]

I was seriously disappointed by the LA View as well.

Nothing like pushing for a gold plated system when you're completely off base and uneducated about the subject. They took it at face value. This isn't about "is your family's lives worth it" or "I hope you never need it now". It's about it is really broken and do we really need it replaced. Everyone missed the point IMO.

[railham]

POed Home Owner wrote:

I was seriously disappointed by the LA View as well.
Nothing like pushing for a gold plated system when you're completely off base and uneducated about the subject. They took it at face value. This isn't about "is your family's lives worth it" or "I hope you never need it now". It's about it is really broken and do we really need it replaced. Everyone missed the point IMO.

PO, Be ready to fight this thing again next year. I'm sure we'll hear more tales of woe from the 911 director and his minions. Next time we need to be better organized, this vote was way too close due to voter apathy. If more people had realized that this is a scam, it wouldn't have been as close as it was.

[POed Home Owner]

I thought one of the purposes behind TV's going digital was to open up the analog band for 911 services. No?

[Be Ready]

railham wrote:

<quoted text>
PO, Be ready to fight this thing again next year. I'm sure we'll hear more tales of woe from the 911 director and his minions. Next time we need to be better organized, this vote was way too close due to voter apathy. If more people had realized that this is a scam, it wouldn't have been as close as it was.

Isn't it funny Mr. railham doesn't support 911 when the ham operator's in lapeer county have an office supplied to them in the 911 building and Emergency helped them to get grant money for there needs and there were not any complaints then.

[POed Home Owner]

Is that really an emergency need that we need to spend 911 funds on? No wonder they were asking for 16 million to buy a new "state of the art" system. They're busy funding hobbies around the county.

How about next round they ask for something more realistic, maybe get some grants, and just get something that will work, won't break, instead of state of the art. It shouldn't need to cost 16 million dollars...

[railham]

Be Ready wrote:

<quoted text>
Isn't it funny Mr. railham doesn't support 911 when the ham operator's in lapeer county have an office supplied to them in the 911 building and Emergency helped them to get grant money for there needs and there were not any complaints then.

Show me where in my statement that I stated that I don't support the need for a 911 system. I do not support a tax increase to pay for a new system when there is no need for it. Granted, the County board was taken to the cleaners by the engineer/radio equipment salesmen that sold them the last system, but that isn't the taxpayers fault, blame lands square in the laps of the County for not getting a second opinion from an independent radio engineer.
The taxpayers have put enough money into this sytem to just throw it in the trash bin. Radio room for ham club or not, 16 Million is just too much to ask in a depressed economy.

[POed Home Owner]

Agreed. Make this one work a while longer. If everyone is switching out to digital...there should be a glut of spare parts. You're just not looking hard enough.

Anyone hear this morning that Michigan's jobless rate increased once again? 14 counties reported higher unemployment rates.

Still think it's a perfect time to ask for 16 million dollars?