So our newest highest paid government employee must think he's a superstar baseball player or something as he is already championing a Proposition 2.5 Override.The Gazette forgot to mention in addition to his $158,000 salary (a tad above former Golden Boy Jere Hochman's $135,000) rookie school superintendent Alberto Rodriguez also gets $15,000 in housing/transportation for two years. And he left his family behind in Miami to simply rent rather than buy a home here which of course is more directly subject to the vagaries of property taxes.
Plus he's a rookie to not only Amherst in particular--but to Superintendency (if that is a word) in general.
The 3.5% negotiated teachers union raises this year alone are costing taxpayers over a $1 million and the Teachers Union already told the Town Manager to go to hell on forgoing them. Can't really say I blame them, since the new guy came in to replace the old white guy at a 15%+ increase.
School Superintendent Rodriguez admires President Reagan as an influential role model because of his insistence on smaller more efficient government. But Super A-Rod now heads that part of local government that consumes the vast majority of tax dollars and he's already advocating an expansion of that expenditure.
Ch. 3 TV reports
The Bully reports (better late than never)
27 comments:
Yeah, he should just make money appear by magic.
First, the disproportionate salary, for a first time super.
Second, the lack of commitment to the community leaving his family behind. Third, not buying property to live in but acting like a property owner calling for an override. Fourth, playing the role of bully threatening existing staff to come up with cost savings or ...? Yes, you guessed it, playing the override card. And last, his interview with CBS3, proving to alienate just about half the Amherst citizenry with his condescending ranking of UMass enrollment as a goal to strive for.
Catherine's initial instincts were correct. The new super is proving to be a "bull in a china shop". At least we didn't have to hire his wife also. I'm betting on a one year term. Any takers?
That's the problem with professional bureaucrats: they rely on OPM (Other Peoples' Money)--especially to pay their own salary.)
Anon 12:43
I think he has a three-year contract so we may as well use him since we're going to have to pay him (like the previous co-acting-doddering Supers who only had a one-year contract, but were still paid for two months after volunteering to leave.)
You're right, Larry, we should have unprofessional people. These professionals pose to much risk in that they my be experienced.
OPM? Duh! Well, if you don't want to do the job yourself, you hire people and pay them to do the job.
BTW, He's not acting like a property owner. It's not the property owners that lead the call for overrides. He's acting like someone who is actually in charge and knows the budget box we are in.
Hmmm...So when exactly do you become a "professional" as a Superintendent when measured by salary?
What if they were in Hatfield or some other district only taking down one-third less than he now gets? Are they not still "professionals"?
A generation ago in AAU competition if you took $10 for anything pertaining to your sport you were considered a "professional" and banned from Olympic competition.
Now I believe you can make something along the lines of poverty wages and still be considered an "amateur".
But then, they still do it for the love of the sport.
This is a good observation "now heads that part of local government that consumes the vast majority of tax dollars and he's already advocating an expansion of that expenditure" but why would you expect any different? It would help him do his job more successfully.
I think he'd be well advised to not advocate for more tax $$$, as in not wade into a political issue, until he's had time to assess and identify funding needs and what results it would deliver. Then he could do so in context of his job.
But you pull you all the stops in drudging up everything somewhat personal about him to make a strong arm political argument. You are being dickish.
I wish you'd leave the race references out of your posts when they are entirely irrelevant. You are a race-baiter, only marginally better than Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Justin Barret those who wrongly call "racism!" in Amherst.
He's a public figure (an expensive one at that.)
You, on the other hand, are a Anon--so I don't care about what you wish.
I don't expect you to care about what I said but I noticed you didn't deny it: You are being dickish.
I don't blame the super for accepting his salary or for not buying property if his job is for three years.I can only fault the people that offered this salary. What do they expect this person to accomplish? You can't make square circles.Of course he is going to ask for more money. That is the way we solve things in America, throw more money at it.
I "expect" him to do his homework (pun intended). If he had done so he would not bemoan the rate of ARHS kids attending Ivy League schools as it is pretty darn good; and that Amherst College and Umass/Amherst are pretty damn good schools--certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
And that in spite of the best efforts of Town Meeting, Select Board, Finance Committee and almost every other board and committee in Amherst (not of course the Library Trustees and they paid for that this past Monday night)the "Amherst Plan" Override of 2007 went down in flames.
The other day, Larry was telling us that underfunded libraries were an EMBARASSMENT, and proudly proclaiming that he had voted in Town Meeting for a higher budget amount. (On alternate days, Larry doth love to affix his lips to the collective posterior of the big-spending lefties in town.)
Now today, he's waving his "NO MORE OVERRIDES" sign and ridiculing our new profligate Superintendent.
Anyone experiencing a little cognitive dissonance here? Don't worry, your crazy Uncle Larry will explain it all for you.
And he says that he doesn't care what the Anons think, but he answers every Anon post, and keeps his blog door wide open for them.
Oh, he cares alright.
let's see, a few days ago, a dead tree at the bank,
a couple of days ago, complaining that the Chair of the select board went over her time by 22 seconds. Yesterday, complaining about existence of signs on Route 91 (that he doesn't realize are there so that police, etc. can be informed of precise location of accidents, etc.) Alternatively, we could call 911 from our cell phones (that btw, everybody has at this point).... "Hello dispatch... accident someplace between West Springfield and Holyoke.... LOL
Today, taking on the non-existent override attempt. Hmmmm.
What will this nattering nabob of negativity take on tomorrow? Let's guess....
Anonymous 4 (aka coward number 121) LOL
(btw somebody should tell the ace reporter why people who come here for their morning entertainment remain anonymous)
like the town crier
but actually the town whiner
Last three Anon's (who could all very well be the same person):
First off the reason I keep "my door open" to Nitwits like you is because Terry Franklin and Rich Morse said they were having trouble posting comments and opening things up to nitwits like you solved that problem (originally my blog did not allow Anon comments.)
There's a HUGE difference between a $2.5 million Override (that today would be 7.5% more on the average homeowner's taxbill) and a lousy $35,000 for the Library.
And in 2007 the Library was only out of balance by the same small amount, so the Trustees stayed out of that $2.5 million Override attempt (although heavily pressured by Town officials to endorse it). And in this budget cycle they were repaid for that lack of falling into lock step.
On Monday, a Town Meeting library supporter cited how many people per hour frequent the Library; so for them to close on Friday afternoons over the course of a year costs downtown businesses more than that $35-K total due to a lack of spinoff.
And Anon 7:53 AM You cite me crying wolf about a "non existent Override attempt" but we now have the most highly paid town employee--the School Super--and the new chair of the Finance Committee (on a message to the privately owned Town Meeting listserve) and the venerable Amherst Center columnists (one of whom has one kid in private school and the other in a Charter School) in last month's column ALL calling for an Override?
Sound like a campaign to me.
Uncle Larry, the small-government fiscal conservative, always taught us that, when you're trying to impose fiscal discipline on government, you're always arguing about relatively small amounts of money, or as the "budgets don't matter" crowd always puts it, "just pennies per day". And when you multiply those "reasonable" amounts for each person's pet project, eventually you get real money.
Isn't that what you taught us, Uncle Larry?
So which Larry Kelley was at Town Meeting the other night? Must be the one that was sucking up to Stan Rosenberg at the expense of the Select Board awhile back.
This is a man who really knows how to urinate in a full circle.
Nice metaphor there Anon (at least now I know you're a guy). But of course, not a very manly guy.
What exactly does "Manly" mean? Acting like a man? Does that mean threatening people? Picking fights? I'm not being difficult here. I really don't know what "Manly" means. I guess it's supposed to be an insult, but I'm really not sure. (This is probably where you throw some barbs at the Men's Resource Center, kumbaya, etc.) Is not being manly the same as being a coward? So if a woman is a coward, is she not very manly or not very womanly? Points to ponder. Anybody know anything about that house on Southeast Street (562 or 652 I think) that had a fire a few years ago, looks like it should be condemned, but has some people living in it (They park around the back of the house). This sounds more serious than the dead tree at the bank or the road signs that are there for first responders.
--just another not very manly man, or am I a not very womanly woman or am I a not very manly woman? hmmmm....
I can't imagine that those two people couldn't work this out without you opening up to anons. But if you did, you'd lose all the "cowards." LOL
(btw somebody should tell the ace reporter why people who come here for their morning entertainment remain anonymous)
July 31, 2009 7:53 AM
"We're not laughing with you, we're laughing our asses off at you".
"Manly" means leaving your name; "Womanly" would also apply.
Just as "balls" has the counterpart "ovaries"--but you would not know anything about either.
I dare you to block anonymous postings. (I double dare you) I'm guessing some other people do too. Would blocking anonymous postings be manly or womanly or cowardly? I'm really confused by these terms.
By the way, it's not hard to set up to post with an identity (you just set up a google account). Some people just choose not to because of of the bloggers occasional threats to people who have disagreed with him
By being anonymous.... oh, never mind. No need to explain.
Anonymous 72
And when all is said and done you are still an Anon (who wants me to block such things when YOU obviously would still figure out a way to waste my time with your childish comments.)
At least the two people (Terry Franklin and Rich Morse) who requested me to open things up always sign their name when posting.
Still want a mayor all you gloom and doomers? Think Amherst is corrupt? You don't know corruption.
"(CNN) -- Hoboken, New Jersey, Mayor Peter Cammarano III arrested last week in a corruption scandal -- has resigned, the city attorney said Friday.
A-Rod,LOL! I like that. Very catchy!
ARHS Class of 2008
College attendance:
http://www.arps.org/hss/CollegeAttendance.jsp?year=2008
shortened link so it fits:
http://tinyurl.com/kkm8jk (lots of great schools- Yale, Brown, Cornell and Princeton to name a few.
Hopefully 2009 statistics will soon be available- I know Harvard, Columbia and Yale are represented...
Who the hell does he think he is?
"...school supporters need to prepare for an anticipated tax override vote next year."
One month on the job and not even a property tax payer and he's spouting off about an override? It keeps getting better and better.
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