gdp's Comments

GazetteOnline.com : Can the ‘common-man’s university’ be too close to a bus depot?

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:26:50 +0000

I think you guys are not understanding the point they are trying to make. They are not talking about the city transit users at all. They state in the article that they support the "intracity" transit riders. Their concern is with the Greyhound and other "intercity" users that may have a few hours before their bus to the next city leaves. These folks tend to get into trouble and cause problems, and by keeping some space in between the bus station and the library may keep them from creating problems at the library. Don't believe me? Go sit at a Greyhound station and observe the behaviors and look at the bus stops... I vote for a bit of space. The city could plan the routes so that they all go by the library so that the intown riders arent left out in the cold.

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:07:17 +0000

Want to know where i am coming from or what my opinion is? Read my posts. Whether my name is Caveman1, or John Doe doesn't make what I say any more or less factual. I do my research to be an informed citizen. I listen to BOS minutes, read blogs, call and ask the right people the right questions. It's almost like I am a reporter. Thanks for the offer of identity disclosure, but I would rather let the facts speak for themselves.

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:17:25 +0000

You do realize that the infamous "penthouse" that you are referring to is actually a mechanical penthouse that would house all of the mechanicals of the building, and not actual BOS offices... Guess what? There is a mechanical penthouse at their present location, too!! How come nobody is squaking about that?

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:39:05 +0000

maybe you could lend Joel some of your money... He's gonna need it. He is in the wrong here!

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:31:50 +0000

Not quite Ann... The BOS has been very public about the fact that they support an internal auditor, however they believe the internal auditing should not be a political appointment. Makes sense. If an internal auditor uncovers fraud involving the elected official that appointed them, how long do you think it will be before that person is fired by that elected official? Not long, and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Now on the other hand, the BOS has no political appointments under them, the folks that report to the BOS are all employees that are protected by collective bargaining unit contracts. So which position do you think would be more willing to call out any fraud?

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:21:38 +0000

Ok folks, let me ask a question here... Do you support a complete waste of 20,000 dollars of taxpayer money? If you do not then you may want to question Joel's motives here... Iowa code 331.903 Appointment of deputies, assistants and clerks. 1. The auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, and county attorney may each appoint, with approval of the board, one or more deputies, assistants, or clerks for whose acts the principal officer is responsible. The number of deputies, assistants, and clerks for each office shall be determined by the board and the number and approval of each appointment shall be adopted by a resolution recorded in the minutes of the board. This is checks and balances... it exists in every level of goverment in the US.

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County supervisors put kibosh on internal auditor, again

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:29:56 +0000

Secondly, and I think most importantly, is that the BOS has publicly supported the internal auditor position, but feel that that person should report to them and not be a political appointment. Again, Joel refuses to follow accepted practice and is going to cost us taxpayers a lot of money. How much do you think this legal counsel will charge? My bet is tens of thousands if this gets drawn out, which it will. The BOS does not have total control over the other elected officials' departments as Joel says. They simply get to approve the budgets and payroll authorizations. Once that budget is approved each elected can spend it how he/she wants. Government is set up with a system checks and balances, though. So if an elected goes over budget they have to ask for a budget amendment, the BOS can approve/deny that. This is a fundamental concept of government.

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County supervisors put kibosh on internal auditor, again

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:29:46 +0000

I think a couple of clarifications need to be made here.... First, the BOS did not take away a deputy position. There were 3 to start with. The BOS approved a temp position when Joel appointed Tim Box in anticipation of Sue Wold's retirement. After her retirement, the number of deputies would go back to the original three. Unfortunately, that retirement became a firing. Instead of consulting with the BOS on an additional appointment, Joel went ahead and appointed someone, and as Supv Rogers said, "...it was a terrible gamble on a valuable employee’s livelihood.”

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County supervisors put kibosh on internal auditor, again

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 05:12:22 +0000

Innumerable? Name me 3 consultants that have been hired by the county, not the city...

GazetteOnline.com : Miller, supervisors to duke it out over internal auditor

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:05:46 +0000

Lastly, for the last year and a half Joel Miller has scrutinized the board, sometimes unfairly, more than anyone else has, and now he is whining because the board has turned the tables on him? You've made your bed, now lie in it!

GazetteOnline.com : Miller, supervisors to duke it out over internal auditor

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:03:07 +0000

Oh this is classic, just classic!!! Pay attention people, here is the true Joel Miller coming out!! It should be obvious after this that Joel thinks he can do whatever he wants. When Joel appointed Tim Box as a deputy it was with the understanding that this extra deputy position was temporary, allowing Tim to be brought up to speed prior to Sue Wold's anticipated retirement. Retirement, not firing. This temporary allowance was understandable, given the complexity of the election process and expected learning curve. From the folks I have talked to at the county, it was made clear to Joel that this extra deputy position was temporary and once Sue retired he would drop back down to the original number of deputies. But yet again, Joel thinks he is, as Mr. Wold put it, Mr. Linn Co. Instead of going through the proper channels and receiving board approval for this extra deputy position prior to appointing Heiderscheit, he went ahead and appointed her and then asks the board for permission... this is NOT good business ethics!!! I am sure Karen is a good employee, but does she have that CPA, JD, or MBA title that Joel was so vocal about wanting?

GazetteOnline.com : If Iowa consolidated counties, what would we name them?

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:35:40 +0000

How about Leif Ericson? Theres a large Norwegian population in NE Iowa.

KCRG : Group Says Pending Budget Cuts at Prisons Threaten Public Safety | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:01:12 +0000

I wonder if the 20 some people about to be laid off feel like the union has their back! The membership never got to vote on the proposed concessions, because their union president declined to even negotiate. Now they are using scare tactics to try to back peddle, because the state called their bluff.

KCRG : Group Says Pending Budget Cuts at Prisons Threaten Public Safety | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 10:28:12 +0000

The real story here is that the union representing these workers broke off negotiations with the state and was unwilling to be flexible, resulting in layoffs. Look at what the unions representing other state employees were able to do... a little sacrifice and little or no job losses. Now, these employees are trying to lay blame on the state, because they were not willing to sacrifice like everyone else? If there is such a danger to the public, why were they so quick to break off negotiations? Sounds like very poor union representation!

GazetteOnline.com : 2009 in review: Top Story #3

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 02:55:59 +0000

Thanks for the mention! I, however, do not think those were self serving word choices!

GazetteOnline.com : C.R. has no regard for public health, safety

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:43:48 +0000

Redbean, firefighters are trained to put out fires when safe to do so. Are you a firefighter? I am, so don't pretend to be educated about what firefighters are trained to do!! Remember the 6 firefighters that were killed in Worcester, MA? They were killed because they went into a vacant warehouse and it collapsed and killed them!! But you would rather sacrifice a few firefighters, so that you dont have to be inconvienced with this incident!!!

GazetteOnline.com : C.R. has no regard for public health, safety

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:10:05 +0000

Gosh, if only life was as simple as you folks seem to think it should be! The city was looking at demolition, however the Sinclair site is designated as a Brownfield site. If you dont know what that is, go to www.epa.gov and lookup Brownfield sites. This isnt as simple as making a pile of rubble out of the buildings. The city has a whole host of federal guidelines to follow on this project. Secondly, if you are for a second proposing that CRFD risked even one life to go inside those buildings to extinguish that fire, then you are nuts! If CRFD had made an attack and a firefighter had gotten hurt, or yet worse killed, you all would be on here criticizing them for not just letting it burn!!! You uninformed people really should educate yourselves before you issue ignorant criticisms!

KCRG : Linn County Auditor Replaces Deputy | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather | Loca

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:30:20 +0000

This is certainly not Joel Miller for the good of the county. The county already has a Finance Dept that reports to the Board and handles the financial auditing. Most of the smaller counties have the Auditor do the HR duties, the Finance duties, etc. Linn County is large enough that there are individual departments that handle those duties so Joel needs to not worry about everyone else's departments and worry about his own. It's like your Mother-in-law always poking her nose in your business!!!

KCRG : Linn County Auditor Replaces Deputy | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather | Loca

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:24:46 +0000

The county doesnt need 7 and isnt proposing that. Casey Drew from the city is the one wanting 7. torimagic is addressing two different topics here.

KCRG : Linn County Auditor Replaces Deputy | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather | Loca

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:48:01 +0000

You are confusing city and county government.