en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3593322 Comments by belowpar1 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=14478#IDComment969007967 VanCamp is a Democrat masquerading as an independent. Watch his votes! He worked for Durbin for goodness sake. Tue, 5 May 2015 15:49:53 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=14478#IDComment969007967 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=13611#IDComment959424077 She has my vote either way! Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:56:57 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=13611#IDComment959424077 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2014/12/19/mayor-moore-talks-garbage...again/#IDComment930918227 I still do not understand the $1000. If it is due to wear and tear on the streets, then what about any other businesses that have large trucks driving our streets. We choose not to privatize, now let people deal with that decision honestly. If the City garbage loses money because they are not able to compete without extorting $1000 from private haulers so be it. I look at this $1000 has yet another tax on me the consumer (almost like a penalty for not using government services). I also do not understand how or why the city can ask for a customer list from private haulers (not there business who I or anyone do business with). Sure would like to make all my competition pay $1000 or more to be in business and get a list of their customers. This is the key issue in all levels of government. Won't make hard decisions, instead take easy way out then tax us for their decisions. We elected a city government to stop this nonsense, yet it is the same crap. This voter is one that is keeping track and hope others do also! Private haulers are breaking the law we must make them legal. The way we make them legal (humm lets tax them). How about just change the law so you don't have to tax them? Fri, 19 Dec 2014 17:28:19 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2014/12/19/mayor-moore-talks-garbage...again/#IDComment930918227 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=12766#IDComment930015991 Very impressed with Andy! Keep up the solid work. Wed, 17 Dec 2014 19:30:45 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=12766#IDComment930015991 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=12751#IDComment929479827 There are so many things wrong here. When did government gain the right to ask private business for a list of there customers? $1000 fee for wear and tear, give me a break! I would love to be able to create the rules my competitors had to follow. This is a complete joke and not what I voted for in the last election. Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:36:16 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=12751#IDComment929479827 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=12210#IDComment889379619 I would like to know how many people actually use the library? Libraries are really a thing of the past. Not sure I see the need for them moving forward. How much does it cost to operated the library? Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:58:42 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=12210#IDComment889379619 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=11924#IDComment874672786 Any council member that voted against privatization needs to go! Sure seems to me that Farha will not support anything Kyle supports. He is upset that he did not get the bid for mayor and now his personal agenda is coming before duty to the people of Quincy. Keep watching his votes. I also believe a few are following his lead. Republican party needs to put other candidates up against these people next election. We the people put this council and mayor in place, but no real change is coming from it. Tue, 9 Sep 2014 15:24:37 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=11924#IDComment874672786 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10938#IDComment832923354 I hope you are right. I was in the cable business for a few years. I do not see how Adams will compete on the cost of content. The networks will bet them up. Tue, 20 May 2014 14:30:05 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10938#IDComment832923354 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2014/05/09/andy-douglas-introduced-as-qhs-basketball-coach/#IDComment828322146 Could have done with out the intro, but Andy did a great job.....Wish him lots luck! Sat, 10 May 2014 02:37:32 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2014/05/09/andy-douglas-introduced-as-qhs-basketball-coach/#IDComment828322146 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10738#IDComment823885896 Maybe we should take a page from Elk Grove.....We should at least look at the option. Our first-year contract was $300,000, and we were providing the same level of service the consultant said would cost $1 million," Jensen said. "We continue to provide service as good as that of our municipal neighbors, but because we are private, we can operate more efficiently. We save 30 to 40 percent over what a similar municipal department would cost to operate." The savings come mainly in personnel. The fire district has 14 full-time firefighters and 28 paid-on-call firefighters, all of whom are privately employed. None is a union member. "We don't pay the insane salaries that our municipal neighbors pay," Jensen said. "Our benefits are more in line with traditional industry. We are non-union, which gives us a lot more flexibility in dealing with our employees. Salaries and benefits are the big savings, but we [also] have a shop where we can rebuild and refurbish fire apparatus for our own use. "We save money in purchasing almost anything a fire department would use, just by shopping around. We're very cost-conscious. We watch every penny we spend," Jensen added. The fire district contracts with the Bloomingdale Fire Department for dispatching, even though the latter is a government-run operation. "Bloomingdale has state-of-the-art dispatch and can do it a lot less expensively than we can," Jensen said. "So we outsource to somebody else who can do something a lot more efficiently." Joyce Robinson, the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District's board chairman, has been on the board 12 years. She said her seven-member board has many fewer headaches than other fire district boards, because of the decision to contract for private services. "We don't have to do hiring and firing. We don't have all those personnel problems," Robinson said. "Unions are a big problem in a lot of communities. Our firefighters are not union. I don't know if most residents know it's privately run. They just know when they need them they're there." Tue, 29 Apr 2014 14:30:59 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10738#IDComment823885896 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10690#IDComment821278471 How many mayors take office that are not rookies? I for one am done with professional politicians. Thu, 24 Apr 2014 03:04:31 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10690#IDComment821278471 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10569#IDComment816437980 A HUD study showed that private turf maintenance contractors were costing 40 percent less than public employees in 20 sample southern California cities, with no sacrifice in service quality. Contractor savings resulted primarily from: Lower absentee rates (including vacation); lower tenure, less unionization and younger workers; greater flexibility in hiring and firing; more delegation of authority; and, lower pay and benefits. Fri, 11 Apr 2014 16:38:09 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10569#IDComment816437980 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10569#IDComment816436815 The board is not doing their job if they don't look at anything and everything that might be better for the taxpayer. Maybe or maybe not the maintenance staff is overpaid. Why not get private bids and find out. What if private companies could provide the maintenance for our parks at a 30%, 40%, or even higher savings. These type of saving have occurred in other cities and states when they look at this option. If the savings is not there, what are we out? I totally agree....We need no more parks!!!!! Fri, 11 Apr 2014 16:33:46 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10569#IDComment816436815 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10569#IDComment816093395 "Just under 19,000 total for both pools," Park District Executive Director Ed Seger said. "That's about half it would've been three or four years ago. The last two years, we've had a loss in the neighborhood of $50,000 between both pools, and that's significantly higher than what we've had before." The above commit was just last year. This board will not make any hard discussions. Why would there be discussions of a new pool when you have a commit like above? It is easy to vote not use a shelter house for free. It is a leader to make hard calls like new pools, parks, and over paid maintenance staff. I love our parks, marina and golf course. I am tired of board members that just keep increasing my taxes. These guys need to stop worrying about board members playing golf or using a shelter houses for free and focus on making Westview profitable (like it should be). Focus on curbing the maintenance cost for our parks. (you can not pay maintenance personal 50k-75k and accomplish this goal) These are the 2 areas our district can make a big impact for the taxpayer. They need to prove they can efficiently run what they have! Thu, 10 Apr 2014 19:13:29 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10569#IDComment816093395 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2014/03/26/quincy-school-board-meets-on-personnel-issues/#IDComment810297092 How about the girls basketball coach. That program is in disarray. Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:45:14 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2014/03/26/quincy-school-board-meets-on-personnel-issues/#IDComment810297092 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10427#IDComment809888934 Bob, How did the vote break down? Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:02:14 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10427#IDComment809888934 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10336#IDComment805466499 The state is cutting funding. They are not going to pay these cuts back later. The state debt payments last year were north of 300 million. I would not plan on increased funding any time soon. Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:08:43 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=10336#IDComment805466499 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=9862#IDComment788020302 I for one like the new policy. Thu, 23 Jan 2014 20:29:43 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/index.php?id=9862#IDComment788020302 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2013/12/17/moore-to-give-recommendation-on-garbage-and-recycling/#IDComment770063795 They will pass that 5% on to their customers. Only about half the city uses the city pick up. I think that shows what people think of it. This was a chance for Kyle to step up and do what was right. Wed, 18 Dec 2013 16:07:02 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2013/12/17/moore-to-give-recommendation-on-garbage-and-recycling/#IDComment770063795 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2013/12/17/moore-to-give-recommendation-on-garbage-and-recycling/#IDComment770044614 Let me get this straight tax all of us more and cut nothing. This is different from Spring???? Wed, 18 Dec 2013 15:26:55 +0000 http://quincyjournal.com/above-the-fold/2013/12/17/moore-to-give-recommendation-on-garbage-and-recycling/#IDComment770044614