Saturday, August 20, 2011

Mayor: $41,000 goes to 'our neediest'

Now that mean ol' Commissioner Amy Broyles ran off the Devon Group from building the Carter community a new elementary school, and the administration somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, there probably won't be a whole lot to talk about during Monday's commission meeting.

(Yeah. Right.)

But, I imagine some folks might bring up county Mayor Tim Burchett's plan to dole out $41,000 in coin that was left over from last year's budget to five local non-profits.

The big dog said he wants to divvy up the money (using defined service contracts or whatever) for the Alzheimer’s Association, Sertoma Center, Cerebral Palsy Center, Shangrila Therapeutic Academy of Riding and the East Technology Access Center.

Apparently they were on “the list” to get some scratch, but didn't. I asked Burchett about his choices and he said Broyles specifically asked him about the cerebral palsy center and he thinks Chairman Mike Hammond also mentioned the organization.

“These were groups that had applied in the past and they're reputable and do great work, and I was glad we were able to (provide the money),” he said. "The sertoma center employs special needs folks who probably wouldn't have another chance in another work environment.”

Yeah, that's cool, I said to him, but aren't you always talking about paying off the boogie man? (That's the county's debt to you new readers.) You stiffed the old folks who wanted to ride the bus for free. Why not use this money for something else?

He responded: “These are worthwhile organizations that actually do work that other groups don't. And they take care of our neediest population. If there's any one segment of our society that government should look after, these are the groups that are helpless. And I'll defend that position every day. To go out and see these groups – the people who work with these groups have a gift and I'm glad there are people in our community who look after people like that."

The mayor also said that “in the scheme of things” the $41,000, in a more than $600 million annual spending plan, “is a very small percentage.”

“Yes, that's a whole lot of money, but it's a whole lot of more money to these groups,” he said. “And if we didn't spend the money, then the taxpayers in some shape, form or fashion would probably have to pay more.”

OK, sounds fair. But, I just know that someone is going to complain.

11 comments:

Brian Hornback said...

Yes someone will complain and if any of them are Christian affiliated groups (ie. hope resource center) that one person will be Mayor Tim Burchett hater Amy Broyles

Anonymous said...

I got no problem with $$$ going to these folks - IF Burchett hadn't cut the bus service for seniors. He did that because KAT doesn't go outside the city limits. But he forgets that city residents pay county taxes as well, and deserve the same consideration as everybody else.

Anonymous said...

Burchett doesn't give a crap about city dwellers. He's pretty much told us to go to hell. Maybe Carter will get him re-elected.
Oops. Maybe not.

Brian Hornback said...

So, you say city residents deserve the same consideration as county residents. Well, how many county (non city) residents live near the KAT bus routes? Not many. It seems Burchett did that.

Anonymous said...

Typical Hornback logic
Those who live inside the city limits pay county taxes at exactly the same rate as those who live outside the city limits. Therefore we have a right to expect the same services as county residents who live outside the city limits.
Got it?
Of course you don't.
By your logic then, fairness would require not using city folks' taxes to build senior citizen's centers outside the city limits or pay for sheriff's deputies to patrol neighborhoods out in the county, since city residents get zero benefits from those things.
But you think it's fair for city taxpayers to subsidize your lifestyle.
You even want to dabble in the politics of a city where you can't vote and are not a taxpayer.
Which makes you a freeloader.
Here's a prediction: every single candidate you support will lose.

Anonymous said...

You see KAT is running those routes anyway and the majority of the buses are empty. He cares about the citizens, but KAT is just looking to get money for people riding that KAT can and should let ride for free, they are driving that route anyway.

You see KAT gets federal fund and has a budget of over 20 million a year, if we give them no money locally they will still have the funding (federally which is our money) to run there bus routes. It is KAT that after October first will drive by a senior citizen and not stop because the County does not give them 75,000 dollars a year for the program. So don't blame Burchett blame KAT, they are the insensitive and don't care about the seniors.

Anonymous said...

So don't blame Burchett blame KAT
So don't blame Burchett blame Amy
So don't lame Burchett blame greedy county employees.
So don't blame Burchett blame (fill in the blank)

After one year in office, a pattern has emerged.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Obama has been blaming everything on Bush for three years. Quit letting people tell you what to do and think for yourself.

Anonymous said...

KAT has a budget that's stretched very thin. The loss of those funds means that they must be replaced. There's no magic hat to pull that money out of. Burchett doesn't understand budgets.
He's too busy hiding on the 6th floor playing with his model cars and crusing Ebay.

Anonymous said...

KAT budget is not going to break over the loss of 75,000 dollars. KAT is running the routes anyway, it cost no more to let those people ride than it would than the bus to run empty.

What you don't understand is that it does not cost anymore for them to ride free on the routes that are already going that way and there are seats.

Anonymous said...

Horse and buggy - gone
Stagecoach - gone
Trolley Cars - gone
Bus - waste of money