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| Post Number: 81
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Montyman 
Group: Members
Posts: 421
Joined: Dec. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 10 2004,7:44 am |
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i always put campaign articles in the drawer and take them out a year after the elections to read again. it's often very entertaining.
what's that part time county board job pay, anyway? $20K plus health insurance?
but i bet none of the candidates would take that health insurance, would they?
belshan didn't, did he? or did he take it?
but let's save money and cut government...
darn good part time job if you ask me---
remember, the title of this subforum is opinion guys, and i respect yours...
MM
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Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a thousand years ago. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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| Post Number: 82
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 10 2004,9:57 am |
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Montyman, dont know if you are really asking or not, but yes, Belshan does take the insurance.
I would say this to all the people running. Montyman is right, if you get elected, you will probably have the highest paying parttime job in the county. No more commisioner raises until the people say so. If you cant make a living with a parttime job that pays 20 grand, DONT RUN FOR ELECTION.
I hope no one here will forget our little county attorney running for reelection, getting elected, then 7 days after, he goes to the board and asks for more of a raise than the one he got. More than anyone recieved. When he was turned down for that raise, he took em to court.
My point is this.
You know what it pays, you know 99.9 percent of the people you represent will never have a parttime job that even pays half of that. Again, if its not enough for you, do us all afavor and dont run.
One last thing. As bad as this current county board is, it could be worse. Dont vote for someone just for change, what we get might be worse than what we have now. Vote for someone because you know they will do a better job than the man that he wants to replace. 
And someone please make Ronny understand that he works for the board, they are his boss. Not the way it is now!
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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| Post Number: 83
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Ole1kanobe
Group: Members
Posts: 1360
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 10 2004,12:47 pm |
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A-freaking-men to that. 
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The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein-
Some of what is said here (myself included) is about as tolerable as listening to someone vacuum a cat.
-nphilbro-
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| Post Number: 84
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Tassie
Group: Members
Posts: 71
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 10 2004,4:25 pm |
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I agree with Hoosier. Many boards are run this way. It is easier to let the man they hired run everything. Look at any cooperative board, church board,school board, or county board. It takes a lot of work and energy by boardmembers to control the way things happen. I, for one, think that boards need to become much more proactive in the management of whatever endeavor they were elected to. Get off your a$$ and quit trying to please a certain chosen few and represent all of us!!!!
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| Post Number: 85
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Liberal
Group: Moderator
Posts: 11451
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 13 2004,8:00 pm |
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I know what you mean Montyman, someone sent me a copy of the Albert Lea Tribune from Oct. 19th, 2000 where the candidates are discussing a courthouse. It's interesting to see what they were telling people to get themselves elected.
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Five of the six county commissioner candidates agree that the Freeborn County Courthouse should not be torn down and built anew, with the only incumbent standing alone in advocating a brand-new facility.
The candidates talked at length about the issue during a forum on QTV's "Albert Lea Matters" which aired Wednesday evening. The candidates began to sound like a broken record--until Keith Porter's turn. The third district incumbent said he's been in favor of a new courthouse for years. "I could probably get more votes if I change now, but I'm not going to", Porter said. He said the existing facility is troubled citing an old boiler that could fail; a lack of handicapped accessibility; an elevator that makes six stops despite serving only three floors; and security problems in the courtrooms, among other problems. "I think it's time to move on and get a courthouse we can be proud of," Porter said. "There's no historical value in the old building, not with two additions on it.
The other five candidates, however said the overwhelming feeling of the voters they've talked to is that the courthouse should not be torn down, but renovated instead. "To this day, I haven't run into one person who said they'd like a brand-new courthouse sitting somewhere in the city" said Mark Behrends, who is running for District 5 Commissioner along with Ron Kraus. He said a new facility would address the county's needs for more security, jail space and other feature, but that he couldn't ignore the public and support a new courthouse. "Right now, I think a Band-Aid fix is what people are after," he said.
We really need to listen to the people and where they're at," Kraus said. He added that if he were to get on the board, study the issue further and conclude that a courthouse was indeed needed , he wouldn't vote to approve one. Instead, he said the board should take the issue to the people, make their case, and then put the issue to a public vote. "We still have to let it be the people choice," he said.
Porter's opponent in District 3, Dan Springborg, said he favors remodeling and possibly moving some departments off-site. The 1954 building is built like a brick outhouse," he said. "I can't see spending the money." If the jail becomes more crowded, Springborg said the county should consider more home monitoring for minor offenses, which he also noted would save the county money on room and board for its inmates.
District one candidate Glen Mathiason and Frank Gjersvik were also on the same page on the courthouse issue. "I believe that I know there's things that have to be done to bring it up to standards," Mathiason said.
Gjersvik said some people have said the courthouse should be rebuilt somewhere other than Albert Lea, but that he disagrees. "I think people want to see the courthouse where it's at," he said. "I guess I think the courthouse issue is really something we should get behind us, and we should start thinking about the young people"
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As far as the insurance, last year when they were discussing getting rid of the insurance for the board, which would have only affected 2 of the 5 commissioners. I remember thinking of the Larry Flynt quote, "Majority rule only works if you also consider individual rights. You can't let 5 wolves and 1 sheep vote on what's for dinner".
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The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
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| Post Number: 86
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 14 2004,8:24 am |
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Liberal, dont know if you can answer this or not, maybe if Dan Belshan sees this he could. But what happens to the money for the insurance of the other three commisioners? Do they just not get the same benifits as the ones that take it?
Up until two years ago I had been a public employee for the past 15 years. In all the places I worked in that time, if you didnt take the insurance, you got at least a portion of the cost in your pay. They were union shops, one employee couldnt get benifits that others didnt so they had to give you the money if you didnt want the insurance.
And what is the cost of the insurance?
The last public job I had was two years ago. At that time the insurance for a family was well over 800 dollars a month, per employee. That was two years ago, my guess is that it wolud be close to a grand a month now. Thats an extra 12,000 dollars a year in compensation. That puts their salary package at well over 32,000 dollars a year for a part time job.
Number 1, I dont know any employers anywhere that offers insurance to part time employees. There may be some that offer it to an individual, but not family insurance.
That puts us at at least 160,000 a year for 5 parttime jobs. Show me any business anywhere in this state that does that and I will show you a business that wont be in business very long.
O, I forgot, the county is out of money. If they manage the way they pay their parttime employees the way they do the rest of our business, its no wonder there isnt any money.
32,000 is about twice as much in compensation as we should be paying.
Pay for county commisioners should be around 10,000 at the most. Single coverage insurance at the most.
Do you people realize that our county commissioners make more money than some states full time legislators?
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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| Post Number: 87
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RET
Group: Members
Posts: 262
Joined: Apr. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 14 2004,8:48 am |
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As a recent retiree of the County, I can state quite clearly that if you do not take the insurance you get nothing from the County. When I started with the County Health Insurance was provided free of charge to the single employee. Within two years of employment the powers that be changed it to a cost system. Less than 3 years ago the County changed health care coverage again and alot of employees had to seek coverage through their spouse as it was no longer cost efficient through the County.
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[B]
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| Post Number: 88
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Liberal
Group: Moderator
Posts: 11451
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 14 2004,10:24 am |
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Hoosier, I don't know anything about the insurance. Since my wife works at ALMC my family gets insurance through there and I also keep a supplemental policy on just myself to cover whatever the other policy doesn't. I'm sure I've heard that the commissioners pay nearly $5K a year out of pocket for premiums. Not a very good deal considering I don't pay that for 2 policies.
This isn't a normal part time job. Since I've filed my phone rings off the hook with people wanting to know where I stand on certain issues or to just vent about the incumbents. I even got a call at 10:30 on friday night from a rather infamous local. The person called my parents house first and woke them up because he thought my father Tom Hayson was the one running. He seemed like a nice enough person and really just wanted to vent about the incumbents. So, even though you're right that it is a part time job, it's a part time job where you literally have thousands of people you answer to.
Also Scott County commissioners are paid $41,000 a year, Olmsted County pays theirs $32,000 a year and Dakota, Anoka, Washington, St. Louis and Carver all pay about $40K a year according to this MPR story.
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/feature....stedpay
And all 6 of those counties have less per capita debt than Freeborn county does, so, even though we pay less we are in worse financial shape than they are.
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The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
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| Post Number: 89
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 14 2004,10:46 am |
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I understand what you are saying Liberal.
I just think that our elected officials shouldnt give themselves more money for a parttime job than most of the people they represent get for a fulltime job.
20,000 a year is 10 dollars an hour for working 2000 hours.
I support your run for office Liberal. But are you telling me that you think commisioners should make more?
Or is it bought right?
Less?
My point is that there aint many people in Freeborn county making over 10 bucks an hour.
If the average parttime worker gets 20,000 grand plus benifits a year, I would have no proplem with the pay the commissioners get.
Myself, I dont think any commissioner new or old should get a raise until the courthouse is paid for.
Make the same sacrafices that families have to make everyday. We cant give ourselves raises when ever we want more money.
Liberal, not picking on you. Still support you for the job, pay will just have to be something that we disagree on.
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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| Post Number: 90
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MADDOG
Group: Moderator
Posts: 7821
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 14 2004,10:54 am |
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Hoosier, there is something to be said about their pay. Would you put in the hours they do, (remember they also have workshops to attend, human services meetings, and committee meetings to go to. On top of that, many township meetings are attended along with some city council meetings. And I don't mean just Albert Lea, but Conger, Emmons, etc.
Then, as Liberal stated, the phone calls all day and night, the complaints from people, and don't forget about public scrutiny. The commissioners will never please ALL their constinuents all the time. And then there are people like me.
No, personally, I don't think we could find good, caring candidates if the pay was that low.
Pick another number.
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Actually my wife is especially happy when my google check arrives each month. Thanks to douchbags like you, I get paid just for getting you worked up. -Liberal
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