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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Eliminate Northampton County Council's Slush Fund

$10,294.57.

That's how much Northampton County Council spent for the laptops they lavished on themselves recently. Did they do this to make it easier to communicate with you? No, you won't find their email addresses listed on the county web page. That extra computer will make it easier for them to read this blog, but it will also make it easier for them to participate in back room shenanigans.

Don't think that happens? Look at the computer purchase. Not a single word was uttered about this transaction in any public meeting. Council instead buried the cost in recent "renovations" to their star chamber.

That's why council's proposed $500,000 slush fund, politely called a "contingency" fund, should be eliminated in its entirety. Council's surreptitious purchase of laptops is wasteful spending. Two members do not even use computers. Moreover, their secretive actions should be discouraged.

So what happens if an unforeseen expense arises? For that, we have the unrestricted cash reserve, the county's rainy day fund.

Eliminating this $500,000 in monopoly money will reduce budget expenditures by 0.2%. It's not much, but it's a start.
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 23, 2008 at 1:48 AM

    I agree, Bernie, but how do you get the Council to vote for cutting its own "fund".

    Angle would do it, but I don't know if they could get enough votes to do it - Let's blame it all on Stoffa.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bernie O'HareOctober 23, 2008 at 9:15 AM

    I'll bring it up myself. I doubt thewre are 5 votes, too, and it's time to start replacing the phonies.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 23, 2008 at 8:38 PM

    Charles Deringer fights for working men and women in Northampton County. He is a great friend to the County employees. And no Councilperson in Northampton County history is responsible for preserving more Open Space and Farmland than he is. A great record of accomplishment and he will be easily re-elected.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 23, 2008 at 9:53 PM

    There is a great deal of administrative waste in Stoffa's budget. Charles Dertinger will lead the fight to cut the waste fraud and abuse.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bernie O'HareOctober 23, 2008 at 10:33 PM

    " A great record of accomplishment and he will be easily re-elected."

    The voters are not as stupid as you seem to think they are. Many of them are renters, too. I'm sure they'll all love hearing Dertinger convert tem into second class citizens.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chris MillerOctober 24, 2008 at 4:29 PM

    Bernie
    While you are at it tell them to eliminate taxes to buy up land for preservation. Down the road that is going to cost us a pile of money
    I would also suggest the we take a look at cutting costs by looking at the costs they have in the budget. I know they will kick and scream but so be it.

    ReplyDelete

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