Letters to the Editor 12-30-1998
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Wage Scale - Impeachment - Optimists Say Thanks
Wage Scale
Editor, Times-Union:There has been some thoughts written on the new county wage system that was just instituted by the Kosciusko County Council. As council president, I feel an obligation to try and set the record straight as to the need and merits of the new system that was just adopted by the county council at their December meeting.
People are our best asset and with that goes the rewards of doing a good job. A pat on the back, an "attaboy" now and then, "you are doing a great job," "you are a pleasure to have on board" and so on goes a long way to enjoying one's job, but unfortunately today, a fair wage has to be a part of the formula to wanting to do a good job. For the past four years, and probably longer, the county has not had a good workable system of rewarding those individuals who have taken the time to advance their education, special training, going beyond the "call of duty," etc., and because of our past systems, special raises and performance rewards had to be voted on by the county council from a recommendation by a dept. head. For obvious reasons, this can be very judgmental to say the least, and could even become political which is not in the best interest in running the services of the county.
So in 1995, the commissioners and the council employed a consulting firm to study our entire employment system in the county, compared to like or similar counties within a 100 mile radius of Kosciusko County. The study was divided into 2 parts. The first was to evaluate all county positions and recommend a series of job descriptions for each position. The second part was to compare the county's wage structure by position with both the public and private sector jobs of similar nature. The consulting firm came up with the study and, in 1995, the first part of the study was adopted, giving the county a needed evaluation of each county position. The second part of the study was then presented to the commissioners and council in 1998 and after careful study and further evaluation, was adopted at the 1998 council December meeting.
Our goal in contracting for this study was to reward all county employees fairly as compared to the public and private sector jobs with the same or similar positions. During the study it was found that several of our positions were lower and others were higher. Much discussion was held on whether to gradually increase those low areas and hold constant for a length of time the wages that exceeded the average. The wage committee recommended that the county adopt the system as recommended by the consulting firm. The reasoning was simple; we value our employees and we wanted to make sure that we reward them for a well done job. Retraining is one of the most expensive employment costs a public or private business can incur.
One of the problem areas that has been mentioned is the increases that the commissioners and council received. Yes, the percentage was large, but the dollars were small. For example, a commissioner, who puts many hours per week into their job as commissioner, went from $10,660 to $13,782 per year. This is still 30 percent below the average commissioner's wage in the 6 counties that were used in the comparison base. The council comparisons yielded the same results. In the 6 county comparison that we used, Kosciusko County rated at the bottom. Councilmen went from $3,500/year to $5,260/year. The new county Administrators job has also been mentioned. It was determined by the Commissioners and funded by the council that the county needed a full-time administrator to oversee and direct a $16 million budget and 300+ county employees giving services to over 65,000 county residents.
So, rather than write negative letters or talk in the coffee shop, call your commissioner or councilman and ask them about what they do, or how a department works, or where does the money go. They would be more than happy to share the workings of their job as well as the county's operations.
Jim Tranter, Syracuse
Impeachment
Editor, Times-Union:Those who despise the principle of limited Constitutional government tell us that the Constitution is a "living document" and changes meaning from day to day by getting the U.S. Senate to negotiate a deal with President Clinton rather than putting him on an impeachment trial, despite what the framers and adopters intended. The proponents of this theory are bent upon killing the Constitution. Unless we support the original intent that always remains the same, we have no written Constitution. If the Constitution can be changed by taking of polls without going through the process of amendment, the whole purpose of Constitutional government is destroyed.
Fact. Article 1 - Section 2. The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have sole Power of Impeachment.
The House formulates the charge against the President and reduces it to writing. Then the Senate sits as a court (with the Chief Justice of the United States presiding when the accused is the President) and hears the witnesses and pronounces judgment.
Fact. Article 1 - Section 3. "The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: and no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present."
The "concurrence of two thirds of the members present" in an impeachment trial may produce widely varying numerical results. To illustrate the Senate has one hundred members, of whom fifty one (a majority) are a quorum for doing business. If the whole membership should be present the two thirds necessary to impeach would be sixty-seven. But if only the quorum of sixty- should be present, the accused might be convicted by two thirds of that number, or by forty Senate members.
Fact. Article 1 - Section 3. "Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of Honor, Trust, or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law."
Fact. Article II - Section 1. The President- "and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."
With one exception the power to pardon is absolute. The judgment of the United States Senate in an impeachment trial is beyond the reach of the executive clemency. Otherwise the President who might be convicted in an impeachment trial could pardon himself.
Something has been happening in these United States that we should view with alarm, but few have had the presence of mind already shown by United States Congress in searching out ways to do something about it by impeaching the President.
The Constitution of the United States is a very simply stated document that says what it means and means what it says. Yet we have those who want to run the nation by polls, by majority, rather than by the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Polls by majority will some day turn into "Mob Rule!!"
Thank you very much. As I see it.
Paul F. Double, Ossian
Optimists Say Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:The Breakfast Optimist Club of Warsaw appreciates the support we received from our community during our recent sale of Christmas trees. For 39 years our club, through your purchases of our Christmas trees, has funded the youth projects we support throughout the year.
This year, 700 families purchased their Christmas trees from us at the lot adjacent to Save-A-Lot and Owens. The members of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club thank each of you for your support. We also extend our gratitude to Owens Supermarket for the use of their property for the tree lot. The community's generosity and support enable our club to sponsor over 60 youth projects each year.
Next year, when you see our club unloading Christmas trees on Thanksgiving morning, please plan to support our projects and the youth of our community again!
Merry Christmas to Warsaw, and thank you.
Dan Woods and Daren Maierle, Co-chairmen, Christmas tree sales Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club
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- Wage Scale - Impeachment - Optimists Say Thanks
Wage Scale
Editor, Times-Union:There has been some thoughts written on the new county wage system that was just instituted by the Kosciusko County Council. As council president, I feel an obligation to try and set the record straight as to the need and merits of the new system that was just adopted by the county council at their December meeting.
People are our best asset and with that goes the rewards of doing a good job. A pat on the back, an "attaboy" now and then, "you are doing a great job," "you are a pleasure to have on board" and so on goes a long way to enjoying one's job, but unfortunately today, a fair wage has to be a part of the formula to wanting to do a good job. For the past four years, and probably longer, the county has not had a good workable system of rewarding those individuals who have taken the time to advance their education, special training, going beyond the "call of duty," etc., and because of our past systems, special raises and performance rewards had to be voted on by the county council from a recommendation by a dept. head. For obvious reasons, this can be very judgmental to say the least, and could even become political which is not in the best interest in running the services of the county.
So in 1995, the commissioners and the council employed a consulting firm to study our entire employment system in the county, compared to like or similar counties within a 100 mile radius of Kosciusko County. The study was divided into 2 parts. The first was to evaluate all county positions and recommend a series of job descriptions for each position. The second part was to compare the county's wage structure by position with both the public and private sector jobs of similar nature. The consulting firm came up with the study and, in 1995, the first part of the study was adopted, giving the county a needed evaluation of each county position. The second part of the study was then presented to the commissioners and council in 1998 and after careful study and further evaluation, was adopted at the 1998 council December meeting.
Our goal in contracting for this study was to reward all county employees fairly as compared to the public and private sector jobs with the same or similar positions. During the study it was found that several of our positions were lower and others were higher. Much discussion was held on whether to gradually increase those low areas and hold constant for a length of time the wages that exceeded the average. The wage committee recommended that the county adopt the system as recommended by the consulting firm. The reasoning was simple; we value our employees and we wanted to make sure that we reward them for a well done job. Retraining is one of the most expensive employment costs a public or private business can incur.
One of the problem areas that has been mentioned is the increases that the commissioners and council received. Yes, the percentage was large, but the dollars were small. For example, a commissioner, who puts many hours per week into their job as commissioner, went from $10,660 to $13,782 per year. This is still 30 percent below the average commissioner's wage in the 6 counties that were used in the comparison base. The council comparisons yielded the same results. In the 6 county comparison that we used, Kosciusko County rated at the bottom. Councilmen went from $3,500/year to $5,260/year. The new county Administrators job has also been mentioned. It was determined by the Commissioners and funded by the council that the county needed a full-time administrator to oversee and direct a $16 million budget and 300+ county employees giving services to over 65,000 county residents.
So, rather than write negative letters or talk in the coffee shop, call your commissioner or councilman and ask them about what they do, or how a department works, or where does the money go. They would be more than happy to share the workings of their job as well as the county's operations.
Jim Tranter, Syracuse
Impeachment
Editor, Times-Union:Those who despise the principle of limited Constitutional government tell us that the Constitution is a "living document" and changes meaning from day to day by getting the U.S. Senate to negotiate a deal with President Clinton rather than putting him on an impeachment trial, despite what the framers and adopters intended. The proponents of this theory are bent upon killing the Constitution. Unless we support the original intent that always remains the same, we have no written Constitution. If the Constitution can be changed by taking of polls without going through the process of amendment, the whole purpose of Constitutional government is destroyed.
Fact. Article 1 - Section 2. The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have sole Power of Impeachment.
The House formulates the charge against the President and reduces it to writing. Then the Senate sits as a court (with the Chief Justice of the United States presiding when the accused is the President) and hears the witnesses and pronounces judgment.
Fact. Article 1 - Section 3. "The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: and no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present."
The "concurrence of two thirds of the members present" in an impeachment trial may produce widely varying numerical results. To illustrate the Senate has one hundred members, of whom fifty one (a majority) are a quorum for doing business. If the whole membership should be present the two thirds necessary to impeach would be sixty-seven. But if only the quorum of sixty- should be present, the accused might be convicted by two thirds of that number, or by forty Senate members.
Fact. Article 1 - Section 3. "Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of Honor, Trust, or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law."
Fact. Article II - Section 1. The President- "and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."
With one exception the power to pardon is absolute. The judgment of the United States Senate in an impeachment trial is beyond the reach of the executive clemency. Otherwise the President who might be convicted in an impeachment trial could pardon himself.
Something has been happening in these United States that we should view with alarm, but few have had the presence of mind already shown by United States Congress in searching out ways to do something about it by impeaching the President.
The Constitution of the United States is a very simply stated document that says what it means and means what it says. Yet we have those who want to run the nation by polls, by majority, rather than by the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Polls by majority will some day turn into "Mob Rule!!"
Thank you very much. As I see it.
Paul F. Double, Ossian
Optimists Say Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:The Breakfast Optimist Club of Warsaw appreciates the support we received from our community during our recent sale of Christmas trees. For 39 years our club, through your purchases of our Christmas trees, has funded the youth projects we support throughout the year.
This year, 700 families purchased their Christmas trees from us at the lot adjacent to Save-A-Lot and Owens. The members of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club thank each of you for your support. We also extend our gratitude to Owens Supermarket for the use of their property for the tree lot. The community's generosity and support enable our club to sponsor over 60 youth projects each year.
Next year, when you see our club unloading Christmas trees on Thanksgiving morning, please plan to support our projects and the youth of our community again!
Merry Christmas to Warsaw, and thank you.
Dan Woods and Daren Maierle, Co-chairmen, Christmas tree sales Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club
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