December 09, 2010

WoMag Gary Rosen

Good column this week

7 comments:

Jahn said...

"I voted for the highest business tax rate 4 times, before I voted against it"

"Ken I git me the lowest residential tax rate here"

I sure hope that Hot dog cart you have wasnt registered in Rhode Island and that you paid the sales tax on those campiagn pencils that you bought in New Hampshire :)

Please forgive me, but now we have another born again, evangelical, tax renaisance city councilor bowing at the property tax altar begging for forgiveness.

Gary, you should resign or be fired b/c this is what would happen to you in the dreaded private sector if you made the same mistake even once, never mind 4 times.

Gary, we dont need another task force. What we do need is a 1 term limit on city councilors. One & DONE

And all this from a former Worc business man who now claims, "I'm suffering some regret as I now see how shortsighted those four votes were". Note that Gary is only suffering....SOME ...regret. I can assure you the Worc business owners are suffering a hell of alot more than only SOME regret, as are their bank accounts.

Gary, I will say, I do agree with you that it s/b interesting to see how Barack O'Brien votes on this issue. You might also file an order asking how many jobs the so called "Business Retention Task Force" actually retained. Interesting to note Barack is trying to hold on to Worc business (retention for you SJ boys) b/c he knows trying to get new business to Worc is a lost cause.

Gary, please forget the revenue side of the equation and start cutting the expenses. Read my previous posts for recommendations.

Jahn said...

Bill, I think that the Chandler Business Assn should get Jim Mcgovern to city hall next November (2011) when the council is setting the tax rates. Mr Mcgovern claims we need to help out businesses, esp. small businesses............let him speak up for the lowest possible commercial rate.

Jim will have lotsa time on his hands next November as he's about to get politically nuetered with his partys loss of power and the pending loss of his chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee

Jahn said...

Sorry folks, I am rushing here and hitting send too soon.

Gary, I know you read this blog.

We need you to find out some things re the pipeline constr project at MAY & Maine Sts:

1. who is paying for it

2. where did the money come from

3. if it's being paid for by more than one entity, which entities and what portions paid by each.

4. Who approved that illegal, above ground sewerage pipe line on the vacant lot opposite DD at Main And Hammond sts. You cant miss it, it's flourescent orange, at least it was the last time i rode my Harley into the DD parking lot last in October. Frankly it's visual pollution of Main South.

TY Gary, and you can post your response on here and/or mail Bill a letter regarding it. Consider this a major business issue for the private landlords in Worcester. No response would be deemed anti-business
Thanx again Gary.

David Z. said...

I think if Jahn attended the next blogger coffee it would be the most well attended one yet! I know I would be there to finally meet the infamous Jahn and I'm sure many others would too. :)

Jahn said...

I tuned into Levy today b/c Howie had a substitute guest honest on and I also wanted to hear Jordan's take on property taxes, as well hear teh 2 members of the business community speak re teh comm. tax rate. Levy was on one of his usuals rants for 1/2 an hour after which he apologized for ranting. Is this supposed to be a call talk radio show, b/c I swear Levy just likes to listen to himself talk...just ask poor Jeff Mulford

Interestingly enough, I heard these 2 guests say that in a survey of Worc businesses, 40% of them were looking or thinking of looking to move outside of Worcester. They also spoke of more studies, tasks forces, blue ribbon commissions, or whatever you want to call them to study this residentail vs comm tax tate system.

Sorry but I disagree. The time for so called commisions and studies is past, besides which the council just flips them the bird anyway. Just ask the WMRB.

Time for city businesses to march en masse on city hall Dec 21 st with hockey sticks & basketballs balls.

Sorry folks this town will go no where until the city employees who control the city council via the ballot box are neutered and I suggest this will only happen when the money runs out and Mike Obrien is looking at Chapter 9 for Worcester

Jahn said...

David, David, David mi amigo, as the dude on Pawn Stars says......."I am afraid that isnt going to happen". I do my best work out of sight and behind the scenes.

What I think really needs to happen is a coffee summit or a BEER summit WITH the city council with David as moderator Think of it as an off site executive session of the council. These jokers need to be taken out of their city hall caccoon and have the riot act read to them as to exactly where this city is headed.

As long as city labor is pulling the puppet strings at city hall, nothing will change. 4800 city employees or there abouts????........and lets assume 2/3 of them live in the city...now thats 3200 votes right there..........add in the votes of those who have significant others who have a vested interest in what their spouse earns and that's over 5,000 votes at a minmum. See how easy it is to get a councilor in your back pocket

How about a job as a teachers aide earning 16,000 in salary and then on top of that getting another 16,000 in benefits. Anyone wonder why the city is will soon be in Chapter 9? Betcha that wouldnt happen at any private employers out in the Rte 495 beltway :)

On another note, I just came to the realization that to tax 5 or more residential rental units under the same roof at different tax rate.........well it needs state approval. Guess I am late to the party on that requirement. So Mr Palmieri and Mr Clancey are really just cowboys with big hats no cattel, and no acreage on this issue.

Jahn said...

One other comment please. This notion that converting the assessors computer system is holding up setting the tax rates IMO is load of bovine fecal matter.

I do not buy it. It has always been my understanding and experience that any time a computer conversion is made, be it hardware or software, the old system(s) run paralell with the new systems until everyone is sure the new system is operating as intended and that its data is reliable. It is a necessary redundancy.

So why cant the old system be used and relied upon such that the council would have had teh data necessry to set the rates months ago. Answer: We never set the rates or send the bills before elections. SSDD...or...SSD Year