Salisbury News has been delivering detailed expenses within the Board of Education and the County Executive's Office.
Because of the popularity of that information we clearly placed pressure on at least one other local news source to start covering their side/view of these expenses. It's unfortunate WMDT and WBOC still haven't picked up on it.
Even though the Daily Times is more than SIX WEEKS behind Salisbury News, we feel it is just as important their viewers are informed.
Yesterday they covered the Board of Education and today they covered the County Executive. For those of you who have read these two articles, do you feel they were fair or do you think they favored Fredericksen and Pollitt?
43 comments:
I am sorry, but there is ZERO justification for taxpayers to foot the bill for their lunches, or coffees, breakfast, drinks, whatever. They're already over paid for the service they provide, they can buy their own lunch, dinner, booze, etc. And Rick casually brushes it off as OK? AND, he jumps $2,000 in personal spending, from 2012 to 2013? That's and extra 2% raise for him to slop at the trough.
i'm not sorry. they definitely screwed the taxpayer and favored the political elite in what i saw.. making it OK for them to waste are tax money.
problem is, i don't see any person running for office that will do a better job. county council, and culver, no way.
John Fredericksen claims the auditors found no wrong doing. I don't blame the appointed board members because this is/was done without their knowing. I do blame John Fredericksen for know about it and covering it up. I do blame John Fredericksen for condoning these actions and making excuses like it's for incentive to get kids to do better or it's incentive to get the parents to attend the STARS programs, other meetings or PTA's. It's for work/lunch break for meetings or training.
It's not my responsibility to pay an incentive for some dead beats unwanted child. I am already paying for their glorified baby sitting services known as public schools.
It's not my responsibility to pay for free food to some dead beat parents who don't care enough to go to school to find out how their child is doing.
It's not my responsibility to pay for administrators lunch breaks.
It's not my responsibility to pay for some teachers free meals while they are doing so called professional development. It's already costing me a fortune to provide a baby sitter for my kids while the teachers take their guaranteed vacation days in the name of professional development. If they want lunch or dinner breaks then pass the hat and send someone to get it or have it delivered.
These teachers and government employees need to be fired. They constantly complain about being underpaid, but the have the best job in the county with the best perks and benefits.
In this upcoming election it would be in your best interest to vote Republican.
there is absolutely NO reason we have to pay for their food because as "rick" says; we're so busy we don't take a break. B.S. They should pay for ALL their food as well as gas, car washes and much more. We provide a car and the only gas we should pay for is out of town meetings, no more. Car washes! are you joking??? pay for these yourself. after all you get a car. No car payments. who pays for maintenance, tires, oil changes, etc.? this is ALL out of control and needs to be revisited. All county expenses and benefits need to be revisited, revised and cut. Plain and simple.
Why don't they use there own money like everybody else had to
I work for Wicomico County during my lunch I take phone calls and people barge into my office all the time and I take their concern, answer their questions, etc. That is "free" time that I have then given back to the taxpayers who pay me. I don't complain about it, I just do it. If it bothered me that bad then I would go sit in my personal vehicle during my lunch time or leave. I also pay for all my own lunches even when I go to meetings or travel due to work. The way I look at it is that I am going to eat lunch anyway so why should the county be paying for it. I do turn in reimbursement for tolls, etc. as I don't feel I should pay these from my pocket. I see what is being reported, items to eat being delivered or picked up on the 3rd Floor. I can see an occasional issue if you are having some sort of "official" meeting and have legitimate "business" guest as a courtesy to provide them a moderate priced lunch. But some of this is over the top and again to eat with official business guest but not just the regular staff eating, etc.
Question for Pollitt do they get comp time for these working lunches
Joe;
Kudos to you for giving credit where and when due. They really took Ric (Mr. Transparency) Pollitt to the woodshed.
If Pollitt is so busy, how come he takes so much time off -- like on Fridays.
Does Rick get his clothes cleaned at taxpayer's expense too?
It may be only the tip of the iceberg. Here's why: "The maximum allowable amount per meal in 2014 is $14.50 for breakfast, $18.50 for lunch, and $39.50 for dinner."
So, if County employees are getting reimbursed for meals they initially pay for with their own funds or cards -- up to $72.50 per day -- what's the total?
"The way I look at it is that I am going to eat lunch anyway so why should the county be paying for it."
Good comment.
Anonymous said...
Does Rick get his clothes cleaned at taxpayer's expense too?
May 23, 2014 at 10:48 AM
Yes
I think it's time to go back to the Council/Manager form of government.
There is no way that we can justify and County Executive and his staff.
We just simply can't afford it. If Joe Holloway wants an agenda about spending money then this issue should be his agenda. Quit babbling about nickel and dime spending and get rid of the County Executive. Yes we need to stop the nickel and dime spending, but going back to a Council/Manager form of government works better for us and should be a priority.
The city needs to go to a Council/Manager form of government as well.
Please keep this post on top all day.
They probably schedule these work sessions so they purposely run through the lunch hour. There's no reason they can't eat a lunch they brought from home during this meeting.
Also, wash your car by hand. It's good exercise.
10:58-
Joe is getting things moving -- don't forget, the recent charter review endorsed the County Exec. again. Did you speak up then???
$72 a day per person to eat? Wow, I can eat on that much myself in a week. Pack a lunch you deadbeats.
When are they going to tell us about Mr. Pagano's sterling record?
Rick --
Better call in your pal Pretl for damage control on this monster. Get him to sue the DT if they don't run a retraction by Sunday.
Mr./Ms 12:39:
Pretl is tied up doing damage control for Pagano and Sarbanes, so Rick better call his sidekick, Mr. Fineran, or Chuck Cook.
"The truth is, the nature of our work," Pollit said, "we are so incredibly busy, very few people take a lunch break. More often than not I'll just work right through without any break. You do what you have to do to get the work done. The bulk of what you're seeing is when we've had the lunches brought in because we've had staff work sessions going on."
Is this classic or what? Those who have worked in the "War Room" of a company know what it means to be too busy to stop and eat. I'm talking 7 or 8am until midnight 7 days a weeks sometimes for 2 weeks or more- straight. Everyone brings something along to snack on while working. The boxes and bags of food are lined up against the walls.
12:30 No joke. I eat on $15/week for breakfast, snack, lunch, and another snack later. Dinner is at home.
Whole grain bread, meat, crackers for snacks. Veggies are other snack, usually from my own growing, so no cost.
I'm 6'1", 230lb with 7% bodyfat. If I can do it, surely they can, as not one of them are in shape.
If they're spending tax money, be smart about it. Why are you eating lunch at Market Street, one of the most over priced restaurants out there? Go to a dollar menu ffs.
What a shame this didn't get in the news before those budget hearings the past few weeks where all the liberals pleaded for more spending and taxes in Wicomico County.
The question was were they fair or not. There was certainly no slack being shown for either. You might even say they were picking at small details to make a case. That being said, if the credit card is being used legally, then it is simply a perk of the job. What these guys need to remember is how it looks. Many of their constituents have never had and will never have the kind of job that comes with perks such as these that are fairly common in the world of government employment and business. What seems excessive to some may seem like no big deal to others. But if the perception is bad, then they should exercise more caution in exercising these perks.
Freddy --
We better stop meeting at the Back Street until after the budget is put to bed.
Wayne
Anonymous said...
What a shame this didn't get in the news before those budget hearings the past few weeks where all the liberals pleaded for more spending and taxes in Wicomico County.
May 23, 2014 at 3:47 PM
The budget hasn't been adopted yet.
The WCBOE will have another public hearing and then it will adopt their budget in June.
When are we going to learn. All of them must go. County can't manage the money they have and now they want more. IT's TIME for a change.
6;02 -- you are wrong.
Bob Culver and Joe Holloway are deserving of the respective office that they seek. They have cause this expose of Tricky Rick!
Mr. Pollitt -
Kiss my ... vote good-by. Never again.
I can't believe that RP justified his use of tax payer funds for lunches when every other employee in the county brown bags it or pays for their lunch out of pocket on a lot less pay. They should be held accountable by the voters and made to pay it back. Vote RP out of office and hold them accountable for their inability be fiscally responsible with tax payer money.
I like how they use their cards at WAWA for coffee. To busy to reach their hand in their pockets and pull out money to buy their snacks and coffee.
I agree that the BOE should not be paying for food for staff with taxpayer money. That money truly should be for the students. I also think the executive office is totally out of control buying food. Something needs to be done and fast! I do have one complaint about the reporting on BOE expenses: the names listed are school bookkeepers - they can not use BOE credit cards without direction from a principal or above. It is really sad that they have been made to look like the guilty parties. (No, I am not a BOE bookkeeper!)
Two comments: (1) in another comment area it said Benches were bought at Wrights Market (very expensive place) for a school. Why didn't you ask Parkside woodworking to make them for you?
(2) How can all those expenses that occurred during the summer months when school is out, have been for the Kids? I think there is ALOT of lying and covering up being done and it starts at the TOP
How many county credit cards were issued by the county before the creation of a county executive? How many credit cards are issued since the creation of the county executive? Let them eat in the school cafeterias.
The Daily Times is yet another example of trying to lead from the Rear.
SBYnews was LIGHT YEARS ahead of the other competition. KUDO's to SBYnews.
Rick That was a great joke, I am in my 60's, I have never see a state or Federal worker over worked. Other employees don't even know what some employees do. Face it, you have lived off the public so long, you feel they owe you free lunches. You and the Board of Ed people are very over paid. You sure can afford your own lunches. Tax payer money should never be used for food.
Anonymous said...
10:58-
Joe is getting things moving -- don't forget, the recent charter review endorsed the County Exec. again. Did you speak up then???
May 23, 2014 at 12:29 PM
Yes!! Why didn't you. However, it wasn't an endorsement. To bad you don't know what you are talking about.
Anonymous said...
I like how they use their cards at WAWA for coffee. To busy to reach their hand in their pockets and pull out money to buy their snacks and coffee.
May 24, 2014 at 7:19 AM
I used to see Jim Finneran at Wawa every morning so I bet it was him.
The sad part is that nothing will change. They are thieves and the tax payer is the victim. I like most citizens have no respect for our government.
People who work for the taxpayers feel their entitled to all these perks.Bonuses piss me off the most.
Okay, they're exposed, now what?
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