Aldermen raises

[silverlining]

Does anyone else have severe heartburn over the Aldermen raises? Is the automatic raises they get every year not enough? They didn't get a whole bunch of input to find out if the citizens think the aldermen are worth what they think they are. Hopefully my alderman will remember me during Christmas and send me a card here at the poorhouse.

[a citizen]

Hey silverlining, we'll all get our Christmas cards (tax collector's tax statements) and I know they'll be "lined with gold" like last year's were...... you know we have to keep up our rep as a "quaint, sleepy bedroom community" even though we have 100 bars and restaurants now (see Sunday's Sun Herald almost full page ad paid with our 2% tax dollars). Yes, I could vent some more but don't want to offend those who re-elected all incumbents except one.

[Fed Up]

Yup, see comments on another thread, the "Connie 'n Matt" one. They get, what,$19,000? for a part time job, plus BC/BS health insurance ($600) per month, and I found out in another thread they will get freaking retirement, which in a place with NO term limits is a big-time scam on us.

Vent all you want on here. My alderman was re-elected and he won't listen to anyone in his ward except for his big time donors and "friends". He is the one who promoted big condos (and caused a buttload of litigation from people who just don't want to live next to bars and condos, he doesn't but it's fine for YOU), turned the harbor into a trashed out bar scene and wrecked the traffic and the roads down there, wants to waste $16,000 gallons a day of water at the fort (and we will pay for that), and won't return phone calls.(See other threads here for proof).

Plus, he has a full time job. You really thinks he spends an additional 20 hours helping us? He doesn't help most of us at all, he hurts our property values and disturbs our peace with his support of all bars and condos. Nope, the land of 100 bars is not enough for him!

OK, we pay them now, like $365 a week, plus the $150 for health insurance, and there's a lot of them. That's, what?$515 a week. Pretty good for a part time job, and think of all the perks they get from their "friends" who own bars and condos!

[Thomas M]

Like many others who post on here it seems you have more of a personal issue with certain elected officials than anything else. When that is the case it tends to cloud your thinking and it becomes impossible for you to see anything positive that is going on around here. Easy to focus on what you perceive as negatives but difficult to give any credit to the positive things. As far a the pay, I wouldn't take that job for 1600 dollars a month. I called my alderman once about a year and a half ago and it was past 2 a.m. on Sunday morning. My wife and I didn't know what to do. A sewer lift station float had stuck and sewer was in the yard. We called the police first and they said I would have to wait until monday. They also said i could call my alderman. after about 5 or 6 rings he answered and i felt bad because i could tell i woke him up. But he asked our address and said to give him 10 minutes and about 15 minutes later he was there and had already called the sewer supervisor. He drank coffee with us till 3 trucks showed up around 3 am and they discovered a major sewer break which required them to take up part of the road. I told my alderman since they had it under control I was going to try and get a couple more hours of sleep and when I got up and dressed at 7 am they were still out there working and he was right there with them. I work sundays but my wife said they finished about 2 pm and the only time she saw him leave was when he left and came back with bags of food from mcdonells. My wife brought them all tea to drink. When I called the next night around 7 pm to thank him for the great response he said your not going to believe it but I am in (the neighborhood next to ours) dealing with the exact same problem you guys have last night. I should also mention it was freezing cold back then. Anyway when I tried to thank him he said the thanks should go to the public works crew that he was just doing his job. So I don't know. I honestly figured he was making 50-60k a year but when I read it was less than 1300 a month I could not believe it. I have no idea what a job like that should pay but i do know that at 1600 a month I feel like we got ourselves a real bargain.

[James]

He has 622 friends. Wow that's a lot of friends. He must be the busiest of all of the alderman with that many friends.

[silverlining]

Thomas M wrote:

"As far a the pay, I wouldn't take that job for 1600 dollars a month."

Do you know how many people work at City Hall full time that don't make $1600 a month? How about spreading that money around to the good folks there that deal with the every day stuff? While I'm sure your sewer problem was a huge headache for you, Public Works workers get a pretty penny for coming out on the weekend. They shouldn't be rewarded mightily for DOING THEIR JOB. That's like firemen getting overtime for fighting a fire. Their new gay-looking logo says "Carrying the City", but they refuse to do any work unless it benefits them monetarily. Bet Andre' was P.O.'d when the Mayor got re-elected instead of investigated by the State Auditor like he was trying to initiate. And the Dispatcher should have done his/her job and called Public Works for you, or at the very least, gave you the emergency number so you can call on your own. Your Alderman coming out was nice, but still no more than dutiful. He doesn't deserve reverence, or $1,600 a month. None of them do.

[Redfish]

Thomas M., that had to be Dalgo. He does pay attention to what the people who live in his ward want and is honest.

My alderman wouldn't even listen when 50 of us told him we didn't want a bar in our neighborhood. He won't even listen when we tell him all the zoning violations that are still going on in my ward. I agree with FedUp %100.

[Old Ocean Springs]

Wow what a party. I just got back from the swearing in celebration. It was also Matt's 50th birthday party and all of his friends were there. Even the Villa showed up. Redfish you are S.O.L, because he will be alderman for as long as he wants to be. He is very popular and well liked by many people. I can see why he has tuned you out. He is the alderman of Ward 2 for the next 4 years and you are S.O.L. Yor court date will be here before you know it Amanda. It was good not having to see the losers like you, Courtney, Frank, Larry, Alice, Jane and the rest of the malcontents. You are on the short end of power and it sux. Deal with it for the next 4 years. Matt please don't give these negative asses the time of day. Please ignore their negative attitudes and kick butt for the next 4 years, Take no prisoners.

[a citizen]

Old Ocean Springs wrote:

Wow what a party. I just got back from the swearing in celebration. It was also Matt's 50th birthday party and all of his friends were there. Even the Villa showed up. Redfish you are S.O.L, because he will be alderman for as long as he wants to be. He is very popular and well liked by many people. I can see why he has tuned you out. He is the alderman of Ward 2 for the next 4 years and you are S.O.L. Yor court date will be here before you know it Amanda. It was good not having to see the losers like you, Courtney, Frank, Larry, Alice, Jane and the rest of the malcontents. You are on the short end of power and it sux. Deal with it for the next 4 years. Matt please don't give these negative asses the time of day. Please ignore their negative attitudes and kick butt for the next 4 years, Take no prisoners.

cute, and real classy, too, I must say. What else could we expect from your "end"?????

[David]

Congratulations on your victory and don't let negative people get to you. They don't matter in the big picture of life.

[James]

The swearing in event was well attended. Great party and the next 4 years will be awesome. For some it won't. Oh well!!!!!!

[Redfish]

Uh, I'm a dood. Plus, I know they have oral arguments coming up in the Court Of Appeals even though the city didn't want them; we'll just see about that!

Let's hope this court will see through all the lies that were told.

[i wonder]

Redfish wrote:

Uh, I'm a dood. Plus, I know they have oral arguments coming up in the Court Of Appeals even though the city didn't want them; we'll just see about that!
Let's hope this court will see through all the lies that were told.

dood?

[jwmort]

I think it's time to consider getting rid of them all and starting over, and that includes our illustrious State representatives too (special sessions should be on their dime).

I happen to be in a Ward that had no opposition for the incumbent ... that won't happen again. No more "free rides". I understand there are times when they do good deeds for their constituents, but voting for their own pay raise is inexcusable, those who voted in favor should be ashamed of themselves.

[James]

They are the only ones that can give a raise. I'm ashamed of you for being stupid. Maybe we can get rid of you

[jwmort]

Ok Jimbo ... what have they done to deserve a big raise like that? When the rest of the nation is facing record unemployment and budget tightening, what has the Aldermen of Ocean Springs done to deserve a huge pay raise?

[James]

Try 8 years of not having one. While I doubt you have a job, I bet you have had a raise in the last 8 years. If you have not had one, it must be because you are lazy and no count. Go to work and make something of yourself. Better yet run for public office and put your mouth where your money is.

[OS - You Must Be Kidding]

Jimbo ... they get a cost of living raise every year. Put the kool-aid and crack pipe down for a while, reality will come back and you'll see they are nothing but crooks.

As for running for office, I'm not eligible ... I have a father.

[Earwigging]

jwmort wrote:

Ok Jimbo ... what have they done to deserve a big raise like that? When the rest of the nation is facing record unemployment and budget tightening, what has the Aldermen of Ocean Springs done to deserve a huge pay raise?

Jimbo? Where is your reverance for Alderman Hagan?

[Party Girl]

I just saw the picture of "old OS" AKA Matt in the paper and wow! He sure doesn't need more money to feed himself at the public trough. Looks like he could use some belt tightening!

Frightening...