Michigan Emergency Managers Cancel The title field is required!

1. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   4/26/2012 9:04 PM

   What's up with this? I just hear it from my normal sources, but I certainly wouldn't be happy if the people that were elected by a majority of the citizens can't serve the offices they were voted to.
   
   Isn't that like communism?
   
   Hopefully those living up there can give an unbiased reporting of what the heck is going on up there.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
2. Dennis Cook

   

   1 posts
   
   4/27/2012 6:04 AM

   When a city or a school district in Michigan runs out of money, the state can appoint an emergency manager to take over the responsibilities of locally elected officials. An emergency manger's powers are broad—made even more so this year – and are designed to help EMs balance the books and return governance to locally elected officials as quickly as possible. It is not designed as a full blown takeover. It is simply to have someone be able to find out why they are in the position they are in and help them fix it and give the city back to them with balanced books. Most of the cities that have had an emergency manager appointed have found serious flaws and many times missing funds. These cities that get an emergency manager are ones that would be filing bankruptcy, which municipalities can do. It is an alternative to bankruptcy. It basically gets the same things done without bankruptcy. Contracts and such can be rewritten, when they are seen as unsustainable. With bankruptcy, contracts can be voided and debts can be restructured, payroll obligations can be adjusted, such as pensions. Emergency managemement kind of allows the same things, without the official filing for bankruptcy, which will help the municipality avoid huge credit risks. Essentially the city is under state receivership.
   
   Now im sure your saying well how can they do that? Well the triggers have to have happened. These are usually failing to pay debts or employee salaries. So horrible things are already happening at the city and people are not getting paid. Usually someone such as a resident or local official requests a review from the state. Once a review has been done and if there are any problems found, the governor usually requests a second review before appointing a emergency manager. If a manager is appointed it means the municipality is in serious financial distress and since a municipality in Michigan needs approval from the state to file bankruptcy, this is a last ditch effort to avoid it.
   
   The reason its creating a lot of hooplah is that unions are screaming that there contracts are being violated. They are being restructured in most places, with bankruptcy they would be gone and there pensions would be gone. This avenue is trying to at least save them. If the municipality can't pay the union contracts to begin with what good are they? People are also saying its unconstitutional, but it clearly is not. Local cities are not bound by any laws that say they have to exist. States have a sovereign right to exist, and the federal government could never take that away, that same rule doesn't apply to local governments. But states are not trying to take over these cities, they are just temporarily managing them to get them back in the black. This is about financial responsibility and it seems that anywhere you try to modify a union contract, the crap hits the fan. They defend the status quo, but the status quo is what got them into the mess in the first place.

   
   
   
   
3. McCallum David K

   
   4/27/2012 6:04 AM

   If a union is crying foul then It must be foul.............shame on Michigan.

   
   
   
   
4. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   4/27/2012 7:04 AM

   I guess my thoughts are Dennis, why not let those elected to run the city figure their way out of the mess. Also encourage those parties the union and city officials to work together for a better outcome. I see part of what your saying but in the end in my opinion all they are is creating bitter people. What about the elected democracy? If there are issues with missing money, why haven't audits been performed? In my short time here, our city, school system, utilities have all been audited through a voter petition, the state university volunteered to be audited, and we have had many small cities audited around our area as well. Of course those are my opinions and since I'm not up there to see first hand I should probably butt out, but always a concern it could happen here.
   
   I know I have used this example on here before, our city's police and fire pension fund, (they were the only city employees in the fund, the rest of us are in a state pension fund that is in great shape, because the politicians have kept out of it, our former governor wanted to tap into it but they didn't let him), it was in horrible shape due to a few factors, the markets had collapsed, the employees would get to draw out all they put into the system when they retired, and, the city didn't make contributions back when it was funded at 90 something percent. With this issue staring them in the face, the citizens did vote for a 1% sales tax in the city to fund the issue, it is there to be voted on every 5 years to see if it will be allowed to sunset. I think what helped it pass was a few things. The city had already created a second tier of employee, these employees would not get all the money they put into the pension fund upon retirement, both the city and employees upped their contribution levels, they actually switched new employees and put them into a comparable pension system with the state, the same as the rest of us. The union and the city both realized if they were going to get the public to support this issue they had to work together.
   
   What's the other deal on the recall of some issues up there? I heard the republicans threw out the petitions because the wrong font was used, I understood they had more then enough signatures.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
5. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   4/27/2012 8:04 AM

   Mel,
   
   This is not an uncommon occurrence. School systems, in particular, find themselves in emergency management. Most emergency management is called upon because the elected officials are either corrupt, inept, or both.The elected officials have made bad decisions and/or pilfered the coffers. So you're asking corrupt inept people to drag the municipality out of the hole. Let them swim or sink so-to-speak. Not a good idea. These municipalities are in a panic. They are caught in the vortex which they have created. They are incapable of making sound decisions which only makes the problem worse. Then the citizens of those communities are left holding the bag.

   
   
   
   
6. Wahlin Scott B

   
   4/27/2012 8:04 AM

   It always has to be the workers to take it on the chin though. My property taxes are significantly less than half of what they were 8 years ago. I see the value in well maintained parks, a library that is open on Sundays, low EMT response times, police cruisers, transportation for the elderly, 2-1-1, and on and on...

   
   
   
   
7. Dennis Cook

   

   1 posts
   
   4/27/2012 9:04 AM

   You all make valid points, but when the inept individuals have driven the car off the cliff, someone who knows what they are doing has to step in to fix it. Flint was under emergency management in 2002 and they somewhat straightened it out, now after giving it back to those that screwed it up in the first place, they have screwed it up again. Scott, the reason the workers take it on the chin is because most municipalities in this country are union employees that receive benefits and pay that people in the private sector just could not get. The guys who cut the grass in our city are union employees making a real good living with really good benefits. Do most golf courses offer that kind of compensation? No way. Our municipalities cannot afford to pay those kind of salaries and benefits and survive. But for years no one wanted to go against the unions and they got whatever they wanted, if they didnt they would strike. If i boycotted my job over pay, I would lose it. But they get it back after striking and getting what they want. A lot of places where there is a financial crisis, you can look at the books and see that they pay lucrative union salaries or benefits that are unsustainable. Unions have to much power and have written there own tickets for too many years. Unfortunately, that power is bankrupting a lot of institutions. Corrupt and inept politicians can also take some of the blame as well

   
   
   
   
8. Wahlin Scott B

   
   4/27/2012 9:04 AM

   Dennis Cook said: Scott, the reason the workers take it on the chin is because most municipalities in this country are union employees that receive benefits and pay that people in the private sector just could not get.

   
   
   There is no doubt that my SEIU employees are well compensated compared to industry standards. On the other side of that coin though they have to be able to speak English, graduated from high school, have a blemish-free past, and numerous other criteria before they can be considered for hire. These are criteria that are forced upon me by "We The People".

   
   
   
   
9. Dennis Cook

   

   1 posts
   
   4/27/2012 2:04 PM

   Scott Wahlin, CGCS said:

   Dennis Cook said: Scott, the reason the workers take it on the chin is because most municipalities in this country are union employees that receive benefits and pay that people in the private sector just could not get.

   
   
   There is no doubt that my SEIU employees are well compensated compared to industry standards. On the other side of that coin though they have to be able to speak English, graduated from high school, have a blemish-free past, and numerous other criteria before they can be considered for hire. These are criteria that are forced upon me by "We The People".

   
   
   Any business can have those standards. We run background checks on every potential hire. All your saying is that people should be able to speak english (duh), and that they weren't total screw ups and poor decision makers. Sounds like good logic for hiring to me. Those criteria are a blessing for you

   
   
   
   
10. Larry Allan

    

    0 posts
    
    4/27/2012 3:04 PM

    Dennis Cook said:

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said:

    Dennis Cook said: Scott, the reason the workers take it on the chin is because most municipalities in this country are union employees that receive benefits and pay that people in the private sector just could not get.

    
    
    There is no doubt that my SEIU employees are well compensated compared to industry standards. On the other side of that coin though they have to be able to speak English, graduated from high school, have a blemish-free past, and numerous other criteria before they can be considered for hire. These are criteria that are forced upon me by "We The People".

    
    
    Any business can have those standards. We run background checks on every potential hire. All your saying is that people should be able to speak english (duh), and that they weren't total screw ups and poor decision makers. Sounds like good logic for hiring to me. Those criteria are a blessing for you

    
    You're lucky Dennis, you live in a state with high unemployment where you can be selective and make sure all can speak the right language

    
    
    
    
11. Wahlin Scott B

    
    4/27/2012 4:04 PM

    Dennis Cook said: Any business can have those standards. We run background checks on every potential hire. All your saying is that people should be able to speak english (duh), and that they weren't total screw ups and poor decision makers. Sounds like good logic for hiring to me. Those criteria are a blessing for you

    
    
    If someone met all the necessary criteria, why would they work for you with no benefits and poor pay when they can work for the government for good pay, benefits and a pension?

    
    
    
    
12. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    4/30/2012 7:04 AM

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said:

    Dennis Cook said: Any business can have those standards. We run background checks on every potential hire. All your saying is that people should be able to speak english (duh), and that they weren't total screw ups and poor decision makers. Sounds like good logic for hiring to me. Those criteria are a blessing for you

    
    
    If someone met all the necessary criteria, why would they work for you with no benefits and poor pay when they can work for the government for good pay, benefits and a pension?

    
    
    Scott, you didnt say college educated. A lot of people who graduated from high school have a blemish free past and speak english and are fairly competent. But they are not going to outcompete a college graduate for the job with all the benies and higher salary. Thats why a lot of them work at golf courses and do labor intensive jobs. They have to, they could have made the choice to become more educated, right? That is there decision. The municipalities would be better off paying a private company to do their mowing for them rather than carrying the burden of all of those union employees salaries, benefits, payroll taxes, workmans comp, machinery, machinery maintenance, etc on their books. But if they tried to do that unions would cry foul and probably strike and say "thats a union job, they cant do that."
    
    Why is Michigans unemployment rate so high? Because unions have run the manufacturing sector into the ground. The legacy cost (cost to pay retired workers that no longer produce anything) is enormous for these companies because of the lucrative deals these powerful unions have strangled these companies with and that is a fact.

    
    
    
    
13. Larry Allan

    

    0 posts
    
    4/30/2012 10:04 AM

    Dennis Cook said:

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said:

    Dennis Cook said: Any business can have those standards. We run background checks on every potential hire. All your saying is that people should be able to speak english (duh), and that they weren't total screw ups and poor decision makers. Sounds like good logic for hiring to me. Those criteria are a blessing for you

    
    
    If someone met all the necessary criteria, why would they work for you with no benefits and poor pay when they can work for the government for good pay, benefits and a pension?

    
    
    Scott, you didnt say college educated. A lot of people who graduated from high school have a blemish free past and speak english and are fairly competent. But they are not going to outcompete a college graduate for the job with all the benies and higher salary. Thats why a lot of them work at golf courses and do labor intensive jobs. They have to, they could have made the choice to become more educated, right? That is there decision. The municipalities would be better off paying a private company to do their mowing for them rather than carrying the burden of all of those union employees salaries, benefits, payroll taxes, workmans comp, machinery, machinery maintenance, etc on their books. But if they tried to do that unions would cry foul and probably strike and say "thats a union job, they cant do that."
    
    Why is Michigans unemployment rate so high? Because unions have run the manufacturing sector into the ground. The legacy cost (cost to pay retired workers that no longer produce anything) is enormous for these companies because of the lucrative deals these powerful unions have strangled these companies with and that is a fact.

    
    It may well be true Dennis, but two parties had to sign those contracts. The companies always had the option to take it offshore

    
    
    
    
14. McCallum David K

    
    4/30/2012 10:04 AM

    Our state pension fund is upside down and sinking faster than the Titanic. Jindal which the democrats hate is making changes they can't stand. Currently if you're a state employee with 30 years of service and age that equals 55 you can retire and begin drawing your pension immediately. Of course they don't really retire, many come right back into the same job as a contract employee or go into the private sector and double dip on the system. He has proposed rasing the retirement aget ot 66 or 67 like SS and making them contribute more. NO, no they cry foul.

    
    
    
    
15. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    4/30/2012 10:04 AM

    David McCallum said: Our state pension fund is upside down and sinking faster than the Titanic. Jindal which the democrats hate is making changes they can't stand. Currently if you're a state employee with 30 years of service and age that equals 55 you can retire and begin drawing your pension immediately. Of course they don't really retire, many come right back into the same job as a contract employee or go into the private sector and double dip on the system. He has proposed rasing the retirement aget ot 66 or 67 like SS and making them contribute more. NO, no they cry foul.

    
    
    David, we have a similar system here in Missouri, it's called 80 and out (age plus service equals 80). I agree with the problem of retiring and then coming back as a contract employee, there should be something to stop that, but it has happened in our city as well, usually they are high level managers. As far as double dipping, depending on your definition, that might be available to private sector employees and military as well, my dad retired from the military at 39 with his 20 years in. I guess I'm sticking up for public employees who have that option as many others would, (of course I guess there aren't that many private employers offering pensions anymore)?
    
    My question to you or your state would be, why is the pension fund so out of balance? Our state pension fund last time it was reported to us is funded in the 90% range. So the management of your fund is one issue. What are some of the others I wonder? Both sides need to come together to find a solution, what has Jindal proposed that the democrats can't stand? Can they find a compromise? If they can't all of them need to be voted out of office.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
16. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    5/1/2012 5:05 AM

    Melvin Waldron, CGCS said:

    David McCallum said: Our state pension fund is upside down and sinking faster than the Titanic. Jindal which the democrats hate is making changes they can't stand. Currently if you're a state employee with 30 years of service and age that equals 55 you can retire and begin drawing your pension immediately. Of course they don't really retire, many come right back into the same job as a contract employee or go into the private sector and double dip on the system. He has proposed rasing the retirement aget ot 66 or 67 like SS and making them contribute more. NO, no they cry foul.

    
    
    David, we have a similar system here in Missouri, it's called 80 and out (age plus service equals 80). I agree with the problem of retiring and then coming back as a contract employee, there should be something to stop that, but it has happened in our city as well, usually they are high level managers. As far as double dipping, depending on your definition, that might be available to private sector employees and military as well, my dad retired from the military at 39 with his 20 years in. I guess I'm sticking up for public employees who have that option as many others would, (of course I guess there aren't that many private employers offering pensions anymore)?
    
    My question to you or your state would be, why is the pension fund so out of balance? Our state pension fund last time it was reported to us is funded in the 90% range. So the management of your fund is one issue. What are some of the others I wonder? Both sides need to come together to find a solution, what has Jindal proposed that the democrats can't stand? Can they find a compromise? If they can't all of them need to be voted out of office.
    
    Mel

    
    
    I dont support any system that allows 20 and done and then pays you. Why would you want to pay for someone for the rest of their life when they arent producing a darn thing for you. You paid them while they were working, its not like you were screwing them. If the employee thought they were getting screwed while they were working they shouldn't have worked there. 20 years of work that you were paid for already, doesnt entitle you to anything in the future while you do nothing for that company. Entitlement mentality will bankrupt this country if it is not controlled.

    
    
    
    
17. McCallum David K

    
    5/1/2012 6:05 AM

    Mel I do not include the military in this equation with the exception of perhaps top level field grade officers that have a habit of the same thing with defense contractors. But for the average enlisted guy serving 20 years and getting out at age 40, that's a whole different animal. A grunt or a clerk, he did his or her time and I have no qualms about a pension for him or her at age 40.

    
    
    
    
18. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    5/1/2012 6:05 AM

    If you do 20 years in the military and you are 40 years old and choose to leave the military, you can still work and support yourself. Just because its the military it doesnt change the fact that you are asking someone else to foot the bill for you when you arent producing anything. This is the mentality that is going to ruin this country. Everyone wants someone else to pay for stuff. If you have a 20 year military career, there is no reason you cannot take a percentage of that money and put it in a roth IRA each year and build your own retirement. Just because you worked for someone doesnt entitle you to have your stuff paid for by that someone after you quit working. They paid you to work, it is your responsibility to set yourself up for retirement. Now that doesnt mean i object to retirement contributions by your employer while you work. That would be considered part of your compensation during employment and you should still contribute while you are working as well, military or not.

    
    
    
    
19. Steve Nelson

    

    0 posts
    
    5/1/2012 9:05 AM

    OK, I feel like I have to chime in. I work for a muni and have a pension plan. Let's clear up some myths. First, each and every paycheck, a portion is deducted to invest in the pension. My employer matches that (this is not all that uncommon in private sector 401K's). This goes on for as long as I work here. When I retire I will be paid a pension. According to calpers, 64% of what is paid out is earned the old fashioned way- interest over time- just like any other retirement instrument. The rest is principal invested and money that comes back in to the fund.
    
    Unlike 401K's, the money stays in the pension fund should I die without a beneficiary. If I choose to name a beneficiary, say my wife, my monthly pension payment will be less. When we both die the payments stop- my kids get nothing. This is why a pension fund that is typically at 80% or so funded is considered fully funded and nothing to panic over. The relative merits of pension v. 401 could be debated, they both have their pros and cons.
    
    As far as bankrupting gov't goes, this is also a myth. In the state of California, probably the largest pension fund, pension costs are about 3% of the total state budget. The state may be short on cash, but pensions are a small player.
    
    It's ironic to me this whole 'let's go after public workers' campaign. Years ago when I took this job nobody wanted it- the private sector was far more lucrative. It's all cyclical I guess. Right now the pension seems like a luxury, even though my salary is still what most would consider low out here. When the economy turns around my job will be considered 'sub par' again.

    
    
    
    
20. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    5/1/2012 10:05 AM

    Thanks Gus for explaining it so well to Dennis, although I'll get you a little mad at me, we don't contribute to our pension plan, right after I got here they said they couldn't afford to give us a raise, so we stopped contributing and the city makes our whole contribution, so we got a raise with our own money as I say it, they might be hoping we don't stay long enough to get vested. Police and Fire here are different though, they are still contributing, but those under the old rules with get all of their contributions back when they retire. Also I agree with the pay part, when this position opened, they hardly had anybody apply that had golf course experience. I guess that what happens when your pay range starts less then most assistants and tops out at $38,000.
    
    David, I'm with you on not working for military contractors....And military pay for the most part stinks, so that's not going to add up to a great pension.
    
    I have an opinion why the public sector employee has become a target, especially to republican lawmakers, it's the unions that a lot of public employees belong to contribute to the democrats, of course the business owners contribute to the republicans, so that might be part of the not compromising part?
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
21. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    5/2/2012 5:05 AM

    Steve Nelson, CGCS said: OK, I feel like I have to chime in. I work for a muni and have a pension plan. Let's clear up some myths. First, each and every paycheck, a portion is deducted to invest in the pension. My employer matches that (this is not all that uncommon in private sector 401K's). This goes on for as long as I work here. When I retire I will be paid a pension. According to calpers, 64% of what is paid out is earned the old fashioned way- interest over time- just like any other retirement instrument. The rest is principal invested and money that comes back in to the fund.
    
    Unlike 401K's, the money stays in the pension fund should I die without a beneficiary. If I choose to name a beneficiary, say my wife, my monthly pension payment will be less. When we both die the payments stop- my kids get nothing. This is why a pension fund that is typically at 80% or so funded is considered fully funded and nothing to panic over. The relative merits of pension v. 401 could be debated, they both have their pros and cons.
    
    As far as bankrupting gov't goes, this is also a myth. In the state of California, probably the largest pension fund, pension costs are about 3% of the total state budget. The state may be short on cash, but pensions are a small player.
    
    It's ironic to me this whole 'let's go after public workers' campaign. Years ago when I took this job nobody wanted it- the private sector was far more lucrative. It's all cyclical I guess. Right now the pension seems like a luxury, even though my salary is still what most would consider low out here. When the economy turns around my job will be considered 'sub par' again.

    
    
    Steve, you are right on the money about how a lot of pension plans work and they work as designed, but many don't. GM's pension plan was set up much like our social security, its a ponzi scheme. In 2004, there were 2.5 retirees to every worker so the pension fund was being depleted very fast. GM will more than likely never employ as many people in the future as they did say twenty years ago, because of automation. But, they still have to pay the pensions of all the baby boomers that are retiring and that is a big problem. This is happening at a lot of companies and municipalities as well. The city of Detroit is financially strapped and with more than 2 retirees to each worker, Detroit's arbitrator says, "the costs of paying for the pensions threaten both the city's fiscal viability, as well as its wherewithal to provide public safety for its citizens."
    
    Many entities are struggling because they have offered lifetime health benefits after retirement and these are really the choker of the system. No one can afford to pay the health benefits of a worker for another 20-30 after they quit working. But the unions will scream about it when companies try to address it.

    
    
    
    
22. Steve Nelson

    

    0 posts
    
    5/2/2012 10:05 AM

    Dennis, I am familiar with some companies and municipal agencies that attempt to run their own pension, and as you point out many are mismanaged and are similar to ponzi schemes. Unfortunately much of the finger pointing and 'solutions' are directed at the employees, when really it's the elected officials, perhaps influenced by some top brass, that created the problem by intentionally underfunding, borrowing from it, or generally cooking the books etc. The employee just signed up for a job and has a reasonable expectation to get what was promised. Correcting the situation is a double edged sword though. Do away with pensions for existing employees and there will be the mother of all breach of contract lawsuits (nobody out here is proposing this). Do away with or modify pensions for new hires (pretty common right now) and now you have to pay more up front in salary- there are no free rides or bargain employees due to the free market.
    
    Agree that providing retiree health benefits is too big a variable and is unsustainable. Very few agencies actually offer that (we don't).

    
    
    
    
23. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    5/2/2012 10:05 AM

    Steve thats why I say you should do your own retirement plan. You contribute and if your employer wants to contribute while you are working than great. Then it is your plan, not run by anyone else. You have control of the investments and you are the overseer of the account. if you mismanage it, you own it. Plus, if you die you can pass it on to your family

    
    
    
    
24. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    5/12/2012 10:05 AM

    Even though this topic got off onto pension plans, I thought I would interject something after hearing it on Rachel Maddow last night. It had me enraged but when I looked into it a little, I can't blame just the republicans. So I will admit, (D-Mac, hope you are sitting), I was stirred up by listening to my left leaning station, just like some on the right get stirred up listening to their Rush and friends.
    
    The story is about the Pontiac Silverdome getting sold by the emergency city manager for a 1/2 million dollars, according to Ms. Maddow the whole city council was against it but it didn't matter the emergency city manager could disregard them. Now I didn't dive to much into it, I did find a city document that stated the council was behind the sale, (of course many city councils will send this out after a vote is taken to show support even if the vote was split). The emergency city manager had actually been put in place by the former Democratic Governor and all this sale stuff took place back in November of 2009. I could see the sides of the argument of selling to help relieve the liability of maintenance and other things off of the city and hopefully provide some taxes, (of course usually there has to be lots of tax breaks to get someone to purchase and take the risk). Also if it sold and was converted into something successful, it could bring in sales tax revenues and also create an economic engine for the city. It was purchased by a Canadian firm to turn it into a professional soccer complex, don't know how that worked, but currently according to Maddow the company is looking into turning it into a casino of some sort.
    
    I guess the thing that really frosted me and I am only hearing the one side was that this was sold without the consent of the people elected to run the city, and the former emergency manager is now working for the owners, just seems fishy to me is all. Kind of like David not liking military leaders to retire and then go work for defense contractors. Also I am learning that both sides D and R don't always do what's best for the people who elected them. I was also frosted because it seems this guy takes advantage of a situation yet the people who actually work for the cities, states and government are targets because of their pensions and salaries, he should be a target as well, just my opinion.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
25. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    5/13/2012 6:05 AM

    yea the deal about her working for the new company kinda sucks. But selling the silverdome was the right thing to do. It was sitting empty for ten years, with the occasional monster truck rally. it was hemorrhaging money like crazy, creating no tax revenue and was basically creating a huge hole in the budget. By making the area viable again, the city no longer will lose money (good for the budget) and will also begin taking in revenue for taxes and also spur the local businesses around the silverdome (even better for the budget).
    
    Maybe during negotiations this company seen the value in this womans work ethic and wanted to hire her? We don't know, but selling the Silverdome is a huge plus for the city.
    
    I got a chuckle out of your comment about getting stirred up listening to your left leaning programs, i understand completely.

    
    
    
    
26. McCallum David K

    
    5/14/2012 9:05 AM

    Mel I am always sitting down when I read your post............with poor eyesight it's difficult to read while standing over the computer. Good luck with an indoor professional soccer team succeeding, the casino sounds like a better chance of success.......at least Captain K might come for a visit. But then again if the pansies have their say in the matter the NFL may be history in a few years and all will be left is the most depressing sport ever invented, soccer

    
    
    
    
27. Clay Putnam

    

    33 posts
    
    5/14/2012 1:05 PM

    David McCallum said: Mel I am always sitting down when I read your post............with poor eyesight it's difficult to read while standing over the computer. Good luck with an indoor professional soccer team succeeding, the casino sounds like a better chance of success.......at least Captain K might come for a visit. But then again if the pansies have their say in the matter the NFL may be history in a few years and all will be left is the most depressing sport ever invented, soccer

    
    
    No worries David. Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in America. It's a pretty good substitute for football. They whip a solid ball at each other at 100 mph with lots of hitting and they beat each other with sticks. Great fun...

    
    
    
    
28. McCallum David K

    
    5/15/2012 12:05 PM

    Yes very familar with the game, played it many decades ago as a club sport at LSU against schools such as Tulane, Rice, Texas A&M etc.........fun and rough game. Now being played in Baton Rouge at some of the high end private high schools.

    
    
    
    
29. Clay Putnam

    

    33 posts
    
    5/15/2012 2:05 PM

    Lacrosse is starting to get a foothold at the public schools in our area and is a mainstay at a lot of schools within an hour or two from our place. My son started playing this past winter and absolutely loves the sport. Its a cool sport to watch. I'm still trying to get a grasp of the rules.