LETS MILK IT FOR ALL ITS WORTH

I read Lil's report on the town meeting. And once again I am astonished at the gall this council even consider additional holidays for the employees. Its not enough that we paid out 5% pay increases to all of the town employees just last fall which included the part-time employees. This was a huge expense since several of the employees hold more than one position the increase was a 10 to 15 percent increase.
When do we say enough is enough! This council is not looking out for the best interest of the citizens. Seems as though they are out to get all they can get before a new Mayor gets in office.
Since when do we need a bargaining tool such as holidays. If three holidays makes that much of a difference let the people find another job. I would be the farm that you couldn't pry any one of the employees from the cush positions they have.
The attorney is right, you have to pay all employees overtime if they work more than 40 hours.
It is against the law to do otherwise.
I have a question, now if you hold two or more positions for the town just how much vacation time do you accrue? One employee position equals 34 days of vacation, sick, etc., so if you hold two positions do you get 68 days? How does that work.
It makes sense, after all if you can work two jobs in an eight hour period as our city employees do, you would get double vacation time under the current system set up by our Mayor. You know the old saying," Lets milk it for all its worth!"
I have not heard any talk of an amphitheater around town. Not one citizen I talk with has mentioned this which makes me wonder how long the Mayor has been cooking up this deal.
Where are we getting the money for this project and who is benefiting from it. There is more to this than we know.
Last but not least, I believe we have bigger worries than trashcans being left along peoples driveways. Although citations would generate more revenue if fines are enforced. And at the rate our council is spending money we need to cook up more schemes to rob the taxpayers.
Lets see how can we generate more money in order to pay for the new city hall, theater, sewer, and more perks for the city employees?
1) We could put up toll booths from traffic light to traffic light.
2) Charge a fee for visiting the new city hall after all its theirs not ours.
3) An annual fee per child to play at our city parks
4) A walking fee for using the sidewalks to get exercise.
5) A breathing fee for using up city air.
Yes these make about as much sense or should I say cents as all of the other bologna they are throwing at the citizens.
As for the Field of Dreams, is this being funded by private citizens and not the town? Why do we have a Parks Director if the private citizens have to be responsible for the parks. This is another waste of our tax dollars.

WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

I'M STILL HERE! You don't need me to stir things up, you all complain just fine.
As far as what is happening in White Bluff, well the last News I had the pleasure of witnessing was when the news crew showed up at Carl's Perfect Pig. The reporter was doing a bite on the fine BBQ served there. The Crew came inside filming the restaurant, patrons and management. In doing so, they managed to film our very own Fire Chief and Assistant among others eating lunch. They came in looking for the fire crew, you might ask, how did they know our fire crew was dining out, well, they also filmed our trucks setting outside.
Carl does have great ribs but I prefer the Hog! In the Hog there are just locals, Pineknot, Les,
Barry, John, Jimmy, you know, the regulars. You can go in for a burger, and hear all of the town politics, death notices and in general, any new rumor being discussed.
The latest being the debate over who would make a good mayor and all the problems with the past mayors. Well, so I hear, its a two horse race. Vance Smith vs. Linda Hayes.
Our good citizens deserve to see an official debate between our candidates. Maybe the setting could be at City Hall or the White Bluff Community Center. Wouldn't you like to know what Smith or Hayes if elected plan to do for our town. Where do they stand on raising taxes in the future? What will they do about the state of our sewer system? Will they continue to support the buddy system when it comes to city employees? Will they continue to allow employees to hold two and three jobs while working only an 8 hour shift. You know, double dipping!
So what will it be, I say neither will commit anything to the citizens of this town. After all their politicians.

What's That Smell

Folks all over town have been complaining about how bad the town smells. I talked to a friend who told me that residents in Greenfield Subdivision complained at the town meeting that for the past five years they have been putting up with the smell of raw sewage in their neighborhood.
Why would anyone allow this to continue in their community is beyond me. Wake up folks, your breathing this odor, your kids are breathing this foul odor. We have Environmental Agencies that monitor the safety of citizens. I was astonished that the citizens accepted the word of the town to fix the problem for the past five years and continue to put up with the odor.
Its never pleasant when you have to make people accountable but the odor isn't pleasant either.
Where is that overpaid Sewage Superintendent? He must have been working one of his other jobs, as codes inspector, inspecting homes, running his trucking company, or flipping houses. Just read the herald, he sure moves a lot of real estate. Actually he is not the problem, the Mayor is the blame for allowing the employees to hold more than one job for the city and have their own business on the side. You can't juggle that many jobs and be effective at any of them.
There was a couple from Nashville that looked at homes in White Bluff Hills. They wanted to live in the country. They called to say they had concerns about the foundations in several of the homes. And that the new homes had major cracks across the entire foundation of several homes they looked at. All I can say is, Mr. Codes inspector, hope someone has your back, I heard that this has been reported to the state showing photos of the mess you inspected and approved.
Our city stinks, literally, there are other reports of chemicals coming from the new sub-division off of White Bluff Road. Seems it happens only at night, what are they burning?
Hope the Fire Department i.e. Eric Deal can check this out. I trust he knows more than anyone at City Hall.
Have a Happy Holiday to all and a note to Greenfield Ridge get busy and call OSHA or the EPA?

In Honor of Jimmy Brown

I believe you have a great idea in honoring Jimmy Brown. Its true Nick, Mr. Brown would not want to be honored. He did a lot for the people in this community never expecting anything in return. He saw the needs folks had and responded without hesitation. If there were more people like Jimmy Brown, this world would be a better place.
During the time he owned and operated Brown's Hardware store he gave out more credit than he made in cash. People had hard times and couldn't pay, when they needed materials for repairs, Jimmy would tell them to take what they needed knowing money was not coming into the store, goods were just going out.
I'll bet you won't find a soul that Jimmy turned away because they didn't have money.
As teacher, Jimmy brought more to the classroom than merely studying books. He played classical music, took his class on field trips to learn nature and most of all taught that plain old common sense was as valuable as book learning.
As a Principal at the school, Jimmy always made sure the kids that needed supplies, lunches, shoes or coats always had them, paid for out of his own pocket.
Jimmy Brown is responsible for the Community Center. It was his vision for the children in the community to have a place to play ball.
Jimmy in earlier years visited folks taking flowers, cakes or pies to people sick or shut in, in nursing homes and hospitals.
As Mayor, he was honest, always considering the interest of the people in this town first.
We may never see that again, but we can always hope.
In his later years he enjoyed late night radio with Art Bell. Jimmy didn't go out much. He stayed at home and enjoyed cooking. He made a darn good jam cake.
I hope the citizens of this town see that Jimmy Brown is remembered.
A plaque with his picture etched on it outside City Hall or call it Brown Hall. Just suggestions, I'm sure we can collectively come up with something good to honor his memory.
And I'm sure that wherever he is, he is enjoying Jelly Roll Morton, Artie Shaw and Charlie Spivak and their ragtime music or maybe he is discussing Walden with Thoreau, he always said there was nothing better than good conversation. In either case, he is right at home.
So long old friend, you will be missed.

No News is Good News

Nothing new to report this week. Either the City is going stealth or they are just being more careful. The street department can relax, the mowing season is about over.

The Mayor and Council will never concede they made a mistake spending so much money on a New City Hall. And whether we like it or not, it is going to happen. The State may have the final say as to whether it is legal for the town to choose to hire this construction company without a bidding process.
According to other towns, this is not legal.

Just keep it honest!

DOES YOUR VOTE COUNT?

Hello and Good Evening:
Does anyone recognize this mansion? Well, let me give you a hint. It isn't in the City Limits of White Bluff. Actually it isn't even in Dickson County.
The Question of the day: Does your vote count?
Well for some of us it counts twice.
The owner of this home votes in the White Bluff elections. " How?" you ask. By giving a parent's address.
It makes me wonder how many other votes were illegal?
For those of you in doubt just request a copy of the citizens that voted in the town elections. It provides the names and addresses.

As for the last photos printed. Research on the property shows sixteen acres of vacant land privately owned, and our employees were working to clean out and burn brush on a portion of this land. There are more photos coming if you wish to see them. The machinery was clearly not used to clean up along the highway as implied. They shouldn't lie about what they are doing.
The property lies beyond Auldige Loop. It is not in the city.

To The Thinker

Good Evening:
To the Thinker, yes, I received your photos. You stated that these photos were taken of our Street Department clearing land on private property outside the City Limits on Highway 47. And our City employees were working there all day.
You asked, is the town doing contract work? I don't know. You asked, if it is legal for the town to do contract work with taxpayer's equipment?
Lets ask other taxpayers, I'm sure this to can be explained. Keep sending the photos, I will post them. (wastingourtaxdollars@inbox.com)

Citizens/Taxpayers' Petition

Citizens/Taxpayers' Petition


We the undersigned residents of the City of White Bluff, Tennessee as witnessed by our signatures below, are against spending 1.5 million dollars to build a new City Hall and raising city taxes. We request the Mayor and Town Council schedule a meeting with an open forum for the citizens to be heard on this matter. Further, we request a vote by ballot, to allow the citizens to actively participate in how our tax dollars will be spent and any tax increases.

Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

Address________________________________


Name:_____________________________

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Name:_____________________________

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Good Idea1

Good Evening:

I have read several suggestions that make much more sense than what our Mayor and Council are proposing.
How do you feel about giving up the Community Center? I see more kids playing at the Community Center than at Veterans Park. I for one vote, not to let them take our Community Center.
We have 57 acres at Veterans Park. I wish the Mayor would explain his vision for such a huge park. Who knew we had that much land for a ball field? I didn't! Were they planning to build a park for a Major League Ball team? You know, with parking and all. Why would you need this much land set aside for a park? That's a good question to ask at the next town meeting.
I agree with the citizen who wrote saying sell off 50 acres and keep the seven acres for the ball field or ballfields, a soccer field, and/or basketball courts to provide diverse activities for our kids. The sale of 50 acres would be more than enough to pay for a new city hall, police and fire buildings.
If that 50 acres sold at $15,000.00 per acre, which seems comparable, the town would make $750,000.00 dollars.
I believe it's time to take a stand. We as tax payers need to get a signed petition to present to the Mayor and Council requesting them to reconsider spending 1.5 million dollars on a new City Hall.
Does anyone have experience in writing petitions? If so, we can post it and have everyone
print off copies, take them through their neighborhoods to be signed. Then bring them to City Hall at the next town meeting and give copies to the council.
Send the Petition to wastingourtaxdollars@inbox.com and I will post it.

One last item, someone posted that the town meeting has been cancelled for Tuesday due to the County Fair, the last time I checked, this was not considered as a holiday or holidays. WHAT'S UP MAYOR. Do you need more time to rehearse your answers to the citizens?

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

This is great information! Thanks for posting it.

After reviewing this, my first question was, why is the Assistant Fire Chief making more than the Fire Chief? Thats like paying the Vice President of a Bank more than the President?
The Fire Chief is responsible for the Fire Department as a whole. He makes all of the command decisions. Why would he make less? I would not be the head of a department and have anyone under my command making more than me.
Did you Know:
The sum of the total salaries paid out to City Employees equals $353,500.00 a year. How much money does the town collect in taxes? Now, add the additional 5% pay increase of $17,975.00 for a total of $377,475.00.

I believe this is half or more of the sum of tax dollars collected, according to what was published in the Dickson Herald.

I have questions. Who is the plant operator? What does he do for $27,340? Is this the same employee that is the Superintendent? What exactly does the Superintendent do? If you combine these two jobs for one salary it would save money! The Superintendent is not that busy. He spends more time in his truck than working.
The Part-time Park Director, what does he do? I never see anyone at the new park. Occassionally I do see the lights on at night for hours and the park is empty. We are paying, when the lights are on and no one is playing on the field. Does the Director include mowing the field at the park in his salary or does he make even more money mowing the ball park and billing the town for it? So what do we get from the Park Director for $964.25 a month.

Now lets look at the maintenance and street department. Other than mowing what do they do? I would say they mow grass 5 months out of the year? The least paid of the three makes maintenance positions is $1501.46 a month.(including 5% increase)
Does the town have the equipment to do street repair. I have seen other companies do some repairs on the streets. Does the town have equipment to patch holes in the streets? Or is this a job that is contracted out. What exactly does the mx department do other than mowing. When mowing season is over, then what type of work are we paying for during the winter?
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR
OUR MONEY?
Also, how are the pay increases being calculated? Is each position getting a 5% percent increase or each employee? If each position gets an increase then an employee holding two or three positions would average a 10 to 15 percent increase in pay.

city recorder $30,540
municipal clerk $24,040
fire chief $12,540
asst. chief $27,290
parks dir.part time $11,020
police chief $32,540
seargent $30,340
officer $26,390
officer $24,040
animal off.part time $ 9,020
sewer supertendent $32,440
plant operator $27,340
maintenance part time$12,000
street supertendent $23,040
maintenance street $19,760
maintenance street $17,160