Citizens of New Albany! Let's Keep Each Other Informed

First, thank everyone for the thoughtful messages sent. Nana is getting better, and will go to re-hab by tommorow or Saturday. (see comment at end of previous post for more info)
Meanwhile, I can't stop my brain from thinking of things I want to say on the blog, and I really wish I had a laptop more than ever. But, for now I am inconvenienced with only a desktop, so while I am distracted to other things, the blog lays dormant.
I don't want the blog to suffer in my absences when other business is calling and I cannot be at my desk. So, I want you guys to go ahead and debate and talk about the issues, and continue to bang away at the problems that plague New Albany and its "...bombed out" downtown district. (Did anybody catch the Editorial in the Wednesday Tribune, "Visitor Unhappy Following Visit to New Albany"?) PRICELESS.
Boy, that Scribner Place is sure gonna make a difference among the "bombed out ghetto" of buildings that is our downtown. Plunk a $40 million dollar duplex at the bottom of the hill, and all will be well for the future of the citizens of New Albany.
I have a better bet... all will be well in Mr. Garner's future ( and a few others).
Everyone should take a look at www.diggindirt.blogspot.com and realize that we have a Mayor that most likely is losing, or throwing away, his own dry cleaning business, and is getting himself sued over it in the process. Nice job James.
Since he doesn't have to pay property taxes, I guess he thinks he doesn't have to pay anyone he doesn't want to. It can't be a matter of not having the resources. He's not only double dippin' out of City Departments, he's setting up his future because he knows he can never run for public office again.
We need to press for the full review of the audits, and learn what is in the 2006 budget.
Meanwhile the progressives insist we're supposed to have faith in his abilities to manage our City and, by association, a certain percentage of our lives. I, for one, ain't buyin' it.
The Sanitation Department takes the fall immediately following the fast tracked YMCA-Scribner Place deal approval, even before the county vote took place. What IS up with that? Oh yeah, the Mayor and other staff need their raises.
Why don't they start allowing salary increases for elected officials decided only by the results of a public vote of confidence and competence perceptions? Isn't the budget supposedly squeezed too tight already? They sure can come up with it when there isn't supposed to be any. How can they do this after saying there is no money to support sanitation?
Didn't Garner want to borrow 1/2 a million $$$ out of the Sewer fund to shore up the budget just a couple of months ago? He sure made it seem as though it wouldn't hurt the sewer utility fund a bit. Now, it can't subsidize the sanitation department anymore, even though the truck leases will be over next year saving more than $500K off the budget right there.
Yet, we will now be adding a few more dollars to our household budget to pay for stormwater drainage. I'm really getting confusing and conflicting indications of where the city really stands in terms of dollars available. An investigation of City proceedures, city funds, hiring practices and departmental appointments is desperately needed.
Please Folks, let's keep each other informed by sharing info about the pressing issues of:
Sanitation privatization, Stormwater fee plan, administrative raises, the 2006 budget, and the sewer review results from the EPA.
Anything else you find interesting, please bring it up and continue to discuss. You folks handled things real well on the recent comments I've just read. Only the progressives are behaving like spoiled children.
Hopefully I will return to daily duty by the weekend.