Our forums are finally set.
Earlier i mentioned some dates. Things have changed, so, these are the official dates.
City commission is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 at the Senior Center.
School board is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Senior Center.
Each candidate will get three minutes to speak. Then there will be questions selected from the audience.
Each candidate will then be given one minutes to speak as a wrap-up.
KACY will be broadcasting the event, and we will have live blogging going on.
But we still hope to have a decent crowd.
KSOK radio is having one on March 21. Not sure of too many details on that one yet, but they are doing all the local races, including Winfield, on the same day.
We have our online poll going on for city commission. We will soon have an online poll for school board. These are not very accurate, but do give you a general idea.
Lets check out the candidates real hard. :)
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22 comments:
Question for you James. It has been stated a couple of times that this commission has in fact in the last two years reduced the bond indebtedness (sp) from 16 million to 8 million in only two years, and that we have more cash reserves than we have had in ten years. Is that correct?
Because that is important to know given the national trend. This commission is in fact helping this city recover from high spending and while they have not raised taxes they have also stepped up the game to reduced and control spending. I think that is important.
That is correct.
:)
JJ, is there any way to get someone to work with you on the live blog who might be able to ask the candidates the questions coming in? It would probably require the bloggers to actually sign their names to their questions but it may make some of the voices heard that can't be there. I would volunteer to help on the Wednesday debate but Thursdays I coach soccer so you'ld have to find someone else for the school board. Just an idea.
Also (way off topic here) has anyone seen how busy our President has been. I mean Earth Wind and Fire one night, Stevie Wonder the next and a day with the Chicago Bulls to follow. Man it must be hard in these trying times to get anything done with such a hectic schedule. I now understand the concept of hope he has been preaching. He hopes that no one notices the extreme waste he is spending as he partys on the backs of the people.
"My Pes wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the tiiiime."
Hmmmm....good statement Zach, we must expect the President to work 24/7. Do we know that he is spending our money? I like to know where you saw this or read it.
It is also important to realize that some of the programs our Commission cut to save the budget are struggling to survive. I agree that wasteful spending must be cuts but in some cases the money we save today will bite us even bigger tomorrow. It is like a house it has to be kept up.
It is also important to realize that some of the programs our Commission cut to save the budget are struggling to survive.
March 11, 2009 10:16 AM
Understood but as my gramdma used to say there is a time buy a big new TV, a time to fix the old TV and a time to sell the TV to pay the rent.
Can you identify any of the programs that you are talking about and the impact to the future. Because I would think maybe there are ways if we knew what they were beside being supported by the city.
To Kanyon,
It is true that the city debt has declined in the last several years, but it has almost nothing to do with the present commission. Bonds ranging from 5 to 20 years happened to be paid off with the normal payments over the last few years. There have been no lump sums nor large payments made.
Bonding out new projects normally take a couple of years. For example, the city portion of the Railroad overpass will be financed in bonds. Though we might not see that as as a debt for another 2 years.
Another example of indebtedness will be from the upcoming street improvements. The sales tax monies will come in over a period of 5 years, but the projects won't pay out the same. To balance it out the city will take out bonds to pay for the work, then pay the bonds off with the sales tax monies. The interest we pay has historically always been considerably less than postponing the job for a year or 2 and prices going up.
Having some debt is usually a necessary evil. In some cases there are emergencies that we cannot wait to for. In others, it is cheaper to finance now than to pay the expected higher cost in the future. But it also has to be managed to be prepared for future emergencies.
As a side note, I believe all of our present debt would be paid off entirely in 8 years (with some bonds being paid off almost each year in the process) if we did not finance anything else at this point. Which of course we are already planning on street work and the Railroad overcrossing.
Also a word towards "high spending". Sometimes it costs a lot more trying to save a few extra dollars. Trying to get extra life or more work from a piece of equipment that is not designed for it can cost much more in maintenance than repair than was saved in not purchasing new. There are other cases of cost cutting that can hurt as well, but each case is separate and unique.
Patrick McDonald
Obama is still celebrating.
Thank you Patrick for explaining how it works. I look forward to seeing you on the council with a majority of right thinkers.
Jamie,
Saw it originally on the Daily Show but just type in Obama Earth Wind and Fire on any search engine and hundreds of articles pop up. No I'm not saying that the man needs to work 24/7 but I am saying that there is a cost to doing events like this and who do you think picks up the bill? What does the man have to celebrate as the nation he leads falls into economic deppression? Could the money for all the cocktails being passed around go to a better cause? If GW had Lynard Skynard and the Alman Brothers preform then wouldn't people have frowned on that? Also what did the Chicago Bulls accomplish to get the trip? They are horrible.
Hey Kanyon! Don't worry I don't think (Patrick) was insulting u because ur a positive thinker or becuae u were trying to point out something good. I think he was saying that nothing any of them have done has really been to their credit.
More Crap, different day!
I also think the cuts to Big Brothers and Sisters and the Cherokee Strip Museum were detrimental. The museum can bring in visitors as well as preserve our unique history. The Big Brother and Sisters helps young people in ways that no dollars can measure. Neither project has ways to measure their worth as a piece of equipment might but they are definitely worthy of saving. Bake Sales just won't be enough.
Both are great programs I agree. I am not sure what kind of funding they are in need of I suppose that would warrent a call from me to them Which will do.
As for taking up for me, Thanks
I don't think that Pat was insulting me I think he was saying don't flatter the others. But since I shop in his store we can continue that later.
Thank you Patrick for explaining how it works. I look forward to seeing you on the council with a majority of right thinkers.
I don't want a whole bunch of duplicate thinkers.
You mut be
ole school, the happy days where no one had an opinion
Ole school where they were out by 7:45
Ole school where grow, grow, grow, and pay, pay, pay pay.
Ole school where the golf course got money,
Ole school where all your friends got a job, or a son in law could have one created that didn't exsit.
Ole school, where if the city manager wants it no one disagrees
Ole school, where just barely enough money to the northwest community center for a program to keep the doors open
ole school, whee for last park to get equipment was lovey watson park
ole school, where the bank runs the show and everyone takes their cue from them,
Is that the council your hoping for
I am glad that ole school is on the way out and I hope we don't ever let that happen again.
Hi again,
I'm sorry if my message seemed anything like a campaign. Kanyon had asked and I thought I could answer. The truth is that commissioners (at least the majority) have held the line on financing over many years. Much of the debt we have carried was a great investment (the levee being the biggest part). But, what we see now as less debt is from final payments on old notes
And for Kanyon, you are welcome anytime, even if you're not buying books... Though I've noticed once you're here they are hard to resist!
Zach,
Way to open it and remove all doubt.
Sorry I guess I don't understand? Way to open what?
March 11, 2009 2:59 PM
Did you just come from a bullfight?
OLE!
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-beck-thinks-political-correctn
Glenn Beck thinks liberals are responsible for people going on shooting sprees. Luckily, Bill O'Reilly is there to act as a rational voice..wait, what?
I'm enjoying watching Patrick gnash and claw his way in this race. He will do anything to win. Wait that's not much different than his comrades Jay and Gene.
That last comment is so "transparent". Pun intended.
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