WHERE IS THE TOWN OF LISBON HEADING?

Are Larry Fillmore and Joe Hill the only ones' concerned about what is going on with the Town Office and the 2017 budget?

If all goes at Town Manager Diane Barnes and the Town Council plan, town expenses will increase by 19.2%! ! ! ! ! !

THIS 19.2 % INCREASE DOES NOT EVEN INCLUDE THE SCHOOL BUDGET! ! !

How many of you out there received a  Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase in your paycheck this year?

The U S Government did not think the Cost of Living increased this year so Social Security recipients did not get any.

Evidently the Town Manager and Town Council do not agree, so all town employees are set to be receiving one.

Most deserve it, but at what cost to homeowners that did not get one?

If Mrs Barnes and the Town Council deem it necessary that town employees receive a COLA they need to make serious cuts in the town budget elsewhere.  

As Joe Hill said recently, with a 19.2 % budget increase, the town is "HEADED FOR BANKRUPCY".

Any wonder that the Town Council and Management do not want the citizens to vote on the town budget as we do on the school budget?

My fellow Citizens and taxpayers, attend town council meetings and budget workshops.

If you cannot attend, watch them on TV.

Meetings are aired on Channel 7 at 7 p.m. on the Fridays after each meeting.

 

Submitted By:  Dot Fritzgerald

 

 

GOPDD: Elizabeth Warren Pays Female Staff 71 Cents for Every Dollar Made by Male Staff

Apr 4, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), alleged champion of equal pay, has some explaining to do.
According to The Washington Free Beacon:

…women working for [Senator] Warren were paid just 71 cents for every dollar paid to men during the 2016 fiscal year…The median annual earnings for women staffers, $52,750, was more than $20,000 less than the median annual earnings for men, $73,750, according to the analysis of publicly available Senate data.

TO READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/04/elizabeth-warren-pays-female-staff-71-cents-every-dollar-made-male-staff/

GOPDD: Trump Just Discovered What Obama Secretly Handed Hillary Just Prior to Election Night – This is Treason

Apr 4, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

Throughout the election, Hillary and Obama played extremely dirty in their political efforts to secure Hillary’s White House bid. Hilariously, even with their massive voter fraud, bogus polls, foreign donors, and illegally spying on Trump, they were still helpless to prevent the Trump Train from disemboweling the entire Democratic Party during the November election. Now we’re learning about the nasty thing Obama secretly handed Hillary on election night that is nothing short of treason.
In a breaking report, GOP senator Chuck Grassley reveals that Obama gave Hillary unfettered access to classified documents at the State Department throughout her campaign, but it didn’t stop there. The access shockingly continued even after the FBI determined that Hillary has been  “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”

TO READ MORE: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/04/trump-just-discovered-obama-secretly-handed-hillary-just-prior-election-night-treason/

Jenny Cowie to Address L-A Rotary April 27

 

 

Lewiston - On Thursday, April 27, at the Ramada Inn, Lewiston, Jenny Cowie, will be the featured guest speaker at the LA Rotary from noon to 1 p.m.  Cowie graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2009.  Having children  delayed completion by several years.  Jenny has been a part of St. Mary’s since 2001.  Currently she is the Manager of Volunteer and Interpreter Services. Jenny is the chairperson for the St. Mary’s Commit to Get Fit Challenge, May 6, 2017, which will be the fourth annual event.. Jenny is pleased to be the featured guest speaker of the Lewiston Auburn Rotary on Thursday, April 27.  Reservations are not required to attend the Rotary meeting.  Lunch is available for $10 in the Fusion Restaurant at the Ramada, 490 Pleasant Street, Lewiston.   FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President-Elect and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.

 

 

Juliana L’Heurex to Address L-A Rotary May 11

 

 

Lewiston - On Thursday, May 11, at the Ramada Inn, Lewiston, Juliana L’Heurex, will be the featured guest speaker at the LA Rotary from noon to 1 p.m.  On May 23, 2017 the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine Lewiston Auburn College (USM LAC) on Westminister Street in Lewiston is hosting an exhibit and community presentation to highlight the contributions of veterans to our nation's wars and military campaigns.  Juliana L'Heureux is an FAC Board member and chair of the May 23, veterans exhibit and program.  She has written about Franco-Americans for 30 years through newspaper articles and published essays.  Her on line blog on the Bangor Daily News website is titled "Franco-American News and Culture".  She served on the Franco-American Task Force appointed by the Maine Legislature and was recognized in the Franco-American Hall of Fame.  As a member of the Rotary Club of Portland and a Rotarian since 1998, she enjoys speaking to our colleagues about "Service Above Self" and supporting our role as Community Service leaders.  A keynote presenter at the May 23 program is Colonel Donald Dubay, USA-Ret, a native of Lewiston who grew up in Auburn, now living with his family in North Carolina. Colonel Dubay will be the guest on May 23, to speak about his diplomatic career in the Middle East.  Mrs. L'Heureux is a resident of Topsham.  Reservations are not required to attend the Rotary meeting.  Lunch is available for $10 in the Fusion Restaurant at the Ramada, 490 Pleasant Street, Lewiston.   FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President-Elect and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.

 

Misty Parker to Address L-A Rotary May 25

 

Lewiston - On Thursday, May 25 at the Ramada Inn, Lewiston, Misty Parker, will be the featured guest speaker at the LA Rotary from noon to 1 p.m.  Parker is the economic development specialist for the City of Lewiston. In her role with the City she is focused on downtown redevelopment, strengthening the community through creative programs and services, and supporting business owners to establish and expand in the city. Currently, Misty is working with several community partners on a pilot construction trades workforce development program to help supply our construction industry with much needed workers while also helping Lewiston residents find a successful career in the industry. Prior to coming to Lewiston in 2014, Misty worked on economic development and town planning in the Midcoast area. Misty holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from UMaine Machias and a Masters in Resource Management and Conservation from Antioch University New England.   Lunch is available for $10 in the Fusion Restaurant at the Ramada, 490 Pleasant Street, Lewiston.   FMI on future Rotary speakers, contact President-Elect and Program Chair, Monica Millhime, 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca.org.

 

GOPDD: U.S. Ambassador Stares Down Russian Ambassador and Asks a Question That Makes UN Go Silent

Apr 5, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday confronted Russia directly in an impassioned address to the United Nations following a reported chemical attack in Syria on Tuesday.
Haley gave a horrific and vivid account of the reported chemical attack, holding up photos of child victims for the U.N. Security Council to see.

TO READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/05/u-s-ambassador-stares-russian-ambassador-asks-question-makes-un-go-silent/

GOPDD: New Smoking Gun Documents – Obama IRS Officials Admit to Inappropriately Targeting Conservative Groups

Apr 5, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

Judicial Watch just released hundreds of new IRS documents that contain admissions by IRS officials of “inappropriate labels” to screen tax-exempt applications on conservative organizations like The Tea Party.
Via Judicial Watch:

The documents were produced after a revelation by the IRS that it had located “an additional 6,924 documents of potentially responsive records” relating to a 2015 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit about the Obama IRS targeting scandal. The FOIA lawsuit seeks records about the IRS’ selection of individuals and organizations for audits based upon applications requesting nonprofit tax status filed by Tea Party and other 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organizations (Judicial Watch v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:15-cv-00220)).

TO READ MORE: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/05/new-smoking-gun-documents-obama-irs-officials-admit-inappropriately-targeting-conservative-groups/

GOPDD: Watch: What Trump Just Found in The White House Logs Secures Susan Rice Will Get Longest Prison Sentence Possible

Apr 4, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

This week is already turning into a nightmare for the Democrats. On Monday, bombshell information surfaced that revealed that Obama’s former national security advisor Susan Rice was the one who requested that the NSA unmask the names of Trump and his officials during the election. While that is startling in of itself, new information coming to light early Tuesday morning could send Susane Rice to prison for quite a long time.
Right now, liberals’ biggest defense was that Trump being spied upon was “incidental” and that he along with his top officials and family members were simply swept up during the request. But that assertion is utter BS. White House logs left behind by the Obama administration reveal that not only was the spying on Trump NOT an accident or “incidental,” but that Rice’s interest on gathering NSA documents on Trump only accelerated after Trump won the election, with the spying going on well into January.

TO READ MORE: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/04/watch-trump-just-found-white-house-logs-secures-susan-rice-will-get-longest-prison-sentence-possible/

GOPDD: Liberals are Livid After Hearing This About Their Precious Sanctuary City

Apr 4, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

According to a astonishing report from the New York Daily News it appears that New York City may not be the sanctuary city its mayor and many of it’s illegal population had thought it to be. So now supporters of ILLEGAL immigration are indignant!…
Did I mention this whole thing was illegal?

TO READ MORE: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/04/liberals-livid-hearing-precious-sanctuary-city/

UNMASKED

FREEDOM FORCE: Tucker Carlson Goes Head-to-Head with Former State Department Official Over Russia Narrative: ‘What is the Actual Evidence that Russia Hacked the Election?!’ [VIDEO]

Written by Philip Hodges

The underlying premise on which the previous administration ordered surveillance on Trump and his associates is ironically the one piece of the story with no evidence. Without that one integral part of the narrative, the rest of what the Obama administration did would be completely illegal, even by D.C.’s standards.
The government can surveil conversations between two foreign entities with no hurdles. They can also listen in to an American’s conversation, as long as that conversation is with a foreign entity. But when that data is collected, the identity of the American in the conversation is hidden.

TO READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO: http://eaglerising.com/42287/tucker-carlson-goes-head-to-head-with-former-state-department-official-over-russia-narrative-what-is-the-actual-evidence-that-russia-hacked-the-election-video/

GRANT’S BAKERY & WMCA PARTNERS IN JOB TRAINING PROGRAM

 

 

Photo caption:  (l-r) Grant’s Bakery newest baker, Kierstyn O’Donnell, is congratulated by Don Grant, of Grant’s Bakery, on successfully completing her On-the-Job Training Program funded by Western Maine Community Action at the Lewiston CareerCenter.  Photo courtesy of Monica Millhime.

 

Lewiston – Western Maine Community Action (WMCA) and Grant’s Bakery in Lewiston, recently formed a partnership to offer an On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program.  WMCA provides grant funding to qualified candidates to enter into a training program supported by various business sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and more.  Training is provided by an employer to a paid employee engaged in productive work resulting in knowledge or skills essential to full and adequate performance of the job.  “WMCA partners with the Maine Department of Labor’s Business Employment Services (BES) in order to provide services through various grants for people in Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford and Somerset Counties,” shares Patti Saarinen, WMCA Program Site Coordinator in Lewiston.    On-the-Job Training is an incentive based program that reimburses up to 50% of a trainee’s wage for a specified time.  Partnerships are developed with employers in the public, private non-profit or private sector.

 

“Working with Monica Millhime, an Employment and Training Business Specialist, and the folks from Western Maine Community Action at the CareerCenter in Lewiston, has been a great experience,” shares Don Grant. “We needed someone to fill a baking position and had come up empty in our own search. Monica and her team referred three candidates to interview within a couple of days. Once we had determined our preference, WMCA proceeded to interview and review  our candidate was eligible and had the required skills needed to train as a baker.  Kierstyn O’Donnell was hired and trained on the job performing tasks needed to become a commercial baker. By partnering with WMCA, we were able to start Kierstyn at a wage we would have paid a trained baker to start . It would not have been easy for Kierstyn to come to work for us at a pay rate we would have started her at with no baking skills. So all in all, it was a win for everyone involved. We would do it again when it is time to hire again.”  FMI on job training sector partnerships call 753.9040 or email mmillhime@wmca. 

 

WISHFUL THINKING

EAGLE RISING: Adam Schiff Concedes: There’s no ‘Definitive’ Evidence of Russian Collusion with Trump [VIDEO]

 

Written by Philip Hodges

 

The Democratic ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff 

16%

Liberty Score^®

Voting Record

F

16%

Rep. Adam Schiff (CA) - D

×

of California told CNN’s Jake Tapper that there’s still no definitive evidence that there was any collusion between Russia and Trump’s campaign.
“Can you say definitively that there was collusion, that there were people affiliated with the Trump campaign who were working with Russians to time the release of damaging information about Hillary Clinton that had been hacked, either from John Podesta or the DNC?” Tapper asked Schiff.

TO READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO: http://eaglerising.com/42251/adam-schiff-concedes-theres-no-definitive-evidence-of-russian-collusion-with-trump-video/

MUNICIPAL BUDGETING 101

It would appear that the Town Manager and the Town Council have forgotten their duties and responsibilities to the people they serve.  The people are looking for their tax dollars to be used wisely.  This means that the Town Manager and the Town Council should be looking for ways to reduce the operating cost of the Town in order to keep our taxes down.

The Town Manager has presented a Municipal Budget that has a 19.2 increase in spending.  This budget includes the wish lists for all departments.  Mrs. Barnes is using the Russian policy of two steps forward, one step back.  This means that she never had any hope of getting everything approved.  So, let’s look at what happens when the increase is final at 5% (this is just a number).  It means the Town Council is going to increase the cost of operating by 5%.  So how are they going to pay for this increase; by raising taxes or using our Unassigned Fund Balance?  Any way you look at it is going to increase town spending.  Mrs. Barnes will say, “Look how good we did reducing the 19.2% to 5%.”  This budget should never have been submitted at 19.2% in the first place.  The people expect a realistic budget not a fake one. 

The people want the Town Council to look at ways to reduce spending and increase revenue.  There is none of that in this fake budget.  Constitutes want the Town Council to find ways to get the most out of our tax dollars.  However, four members of this Council (Ward, Crafts, Brunelle and Albert) are not in the least interested in try to save money for the people.  These four Councilors voted to keep the Lisbon Communication Center operational instead of having Androscoggin County Dispatch perform the communities dispatch duties.  This had to be a political decision because closing the Lisbon Communication Center would have reduced the town’s operating cost by approximately $200,000.00 as a minimum annually. 

Are these four individuals really working for the community or do they have a different boss?  Councilors should only have one thing on their minds when they vote on issues and that is “What is the best course of action for the town?”  Any time you can reduce the spending, it has to be a good thing but to totally ignore over $200,000.00 saving is just irresponsibly on the part of these four Councilors. 

These four Councilors have turned their backs on this town.  Call these Councilors and let them know how you feel about losing over $200,000.00.

Larry Fillmore

 

Lisbon's Road to Bankruptcy - Part 6

 

                                    COSTLY CONTROL!

According to Lisbon Councilors, the main reason they didn't want to upgrade Lisbon's dispatch to the County PSAP was their need to "keep control".  This "controlling attitude" will cost taxpayers over $230,000 thousand dollars (this tax year) in increased dispatch costs.  This added cost equates to about 50 cents per thousand on our mil rate or about a $75 dollar tax increase on the average $150,000 dollar home.

Why is "Keeping Control" -- more important to Councilors Craft, Burnell, Ward and Albert than residents safety?  What do THEY gain by keeping this costly control?  

The cost of this "CONTROL":

• Increased taxes  (if we keep local dispatch)
• Reduced safety  --- Response times delayed
• Loss of Conformity  ---- The rest of Maine towns use a PSAP
• Critical Information Loss  --- Lisbon dispatch can't access some of the felony records needed when dealing with criminals.
• Delayed EMT Codes  ---  Lisbon dispatch is not trained to give critical EMT codes to first responders.

The above (4) Councilors may feel they gain something by keeping "local control" but their gain is Lisbon's Loss.

The decision to keep local dispatch is ILLOGICAL and COSTLY for Lisbon taxpayers.  

Its time we put an end to this INSANITY.

Respectfully

Joe Hill

HOW WOULD YOU VOTE?

I am going to provide you with the FACTS surrounding the Lisbon Communication Center and ask you if the Town Council made the right decision.  Remember, the SOLE job of a Councilor is to do what is in the best interest of the community.   To close the Lisbon Communication Center or not was voted on February 21, 2017.  The vote of 4-3 was NOT to close the Lisbon Communication Center.

Here is a listing of the PRO’s and CON’s presented to the Council by many many people.  The following are the PROs:

1.     Having Androscoggin County Dispatcher dispatch our First Responders means they get to the scene quicker.

2.     Having Androscoggin County Dispatch dispatch our EMT’s ensures they have the Emergency Medical Code they desperately need.

3.     Arrival to the scene with an Emergency Medical Code, gives the victim a better change of surveille.

4.     The initial cost saving, provided by the Town Manager was $191,095.00.

5.     There would be an additional cost saving to the community every year because we are reducing the town’s operating cost.

6.     The consolidation of the records management system enables our officers to be able to identify more criminals much quicker.  They would have access to a larger dbase.

7.     Lisbon is the ONLY town in Maine NOT to have a PSAP providing dispatch services to the community.  The E911 system is using in every state in American and parts of Europe.  This is a proving system.

The following are the CONs:

 
            1.     There would be no one at the Police Department during off-duty hours.

2.     The “Good Old Boys” network would lose a little control.

3.     None of the Lisbon dispatchers are qualified as Emergency Medical Dispatcher and therefore cannot provide the critical Emergency Medial Code to the EMTs. 

4.     Four or five dispatchers will lose their jobs.

This is the information provided to the Town Council.  If you were a Councilor how would you vote?

Now for the rest of the story that was never mentioned by the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, Chief of Police, Marc Hagan, and Sergeant Moore during the discussion.  On March 21, 2017 while presenting the 2017-2018 Municipal budgets, Diane Barnes said the communication center will need $33,500.00 for upgrades.  This was approximately a month from the decision on the communication center.  Why wasn’t it brought up before during the discussion?  Why hide it from the Town Council and does it make a difference on your vote?

 Well you have the facts and now is the time to vote.  If you think the right thing would be to close the Lisbon Communication Center, call you Councilor and voice your concerns.

Larry Fillmore

CLOSING THE LISBON COMMUNICATION CENTER

As we all know, on February 21, 2017 four Councilors voted to keep paying for the Lisbon Communication Center.  These Councilors are Allen Ward, Chris Brunelle, Dale Crafts and Norm Albert.  We also know that Dale Crafts ALWAYS votes the same as Chris Brunelle and Norm Albert ALWAYS votes the same as Allen Ward.  Check their voting record to verify.

This leaves Chris Brunelle, who for the past four years has always voted against what is best for the community.  It is like he is representing the “Good Old Boys” network.  Remember the issue with the school which cost us legal fees and five referendums.  The one I cannot figure out is Allen Ward.  The week before the vote, he stated that before he voted he want to know what PSAP Brunswick and PSAP L/A911 could offer the community.  Also he and Councilor Albert said they were going to visit Androscoggin County Dispatch to review their operations.  However, neither did and both voted to keep Lisbon Communication Center open.  Sounds like these two got a better offer.

So let’s take a look at the current system.  Currently when a 911 call is received by the Androscoggin County Dispatch, the dispatcher has to determine the Emergency Medical Code (EMC) and relay all the information to the Lisbon Communication Center PRIOR to any dispatching of our First Responders. Can you imagine what happened if there are further delays?  Once the Lisbon dispatcher has the information, they dispatch our First Responders.  Lisbon Communication Center is simple a middle station and does not add any additional value to the process.

By closing the Lisbon Communication Center and having the Androscoggin County Dispatch perform all our dispatching needs; will eliminate the need for a middle station.  This means that the Dispatcher who receives the 911 call will be able to dispatch our First Responders immediately.  This will get our First Responder to the scene more quickly.  Put yourself in the place of the victim and ask yourself which system you would want in place.  Me personally, I want the system that gets me the help I need to me as quickly as possible.  It ONLY makes sense when lives are at stake.  Apparently, this means nothing to these four Councilors.

Next, by improving the service to our community, there is a cost savings to the community.  This means that the operating cost to the community is roughly $250,000.00 lower this year and every other year.  It is not very often when improving services to the community render such a sufficient amount of tax dollars.  So again I ask WHY did these four Councilors vote to put our lives at risk and not want to save the community roughly $250,000.00 a year.

Their vote does not make any sense for the town.  This idea that they may lose control is not a valid argument unless you are a member of the “Good Old Boys” network.  It is time for Lisbon to join the rest of the country and utilize a proven E911 system and ALL of its advantages.  This was a bad decision and need to be reevaluated especially after the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, states there is $33,500.00 in the municipal budget to upgrade the communication center.

Their vote was a month before the Town Manager making this announcement about needing more tax dollars for the Lisbon Communication Center.  These funds would not be needed if the Lisbon Communication Center closed.  Does anyone else beside me want to know why this was not made known during the discussions on the communication center?  I know that Sergeant Moore, Chief Hagan or Mrs. Barnes had this knowledge all along since the budget was presented a month later.

Call you’re Councilors, if you agree, and let’s get this decision reversed so it is in the best interest of the community.

Larry Fillmore

 

TRANSPARENCY IS DEAD IN LISBON!!

There is supposed to be transparency in government at all levels.  Lisbon used to have it, to a degree, but now there is no transparency at all.  This was clearly demonstrated by the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, during her presentation of the 2017-2018 Municipal Budget.

During the presentation, Mrs. Barnes announced a need for $33,500.00 for upgrading the Lisbon Communication Center.  However, during a discussion that ended in a vote to keep the communication center operational, there was absolutely no mention of needing additional tax dollar to upgrade the Lisbon Communication Center.  No matter how you cut it; omission is a sin just like a lie.  One would think Mrs. Barnes, Chief Hagan or SGT Moore would mention this information to the Council.  Don’t you think it is an important factor that needed to be evaluated in order to reach a logical decision?  The decision was just one month prior and Mrs. Barnes and Chief Hagan have stated they have been working on the budget since January so they had to have known.

The Town Council can hardly be expected to make sound and right conclusions when they do not have ALL the information to base the decision on.  I personally believe that these individual deliberately did not mention the need for more funds because they were afraid it could change the vote by the Council.  I believe that the fix was already in by the “Good Old Boys” network but still the Town Council deserves ALL the facts and not have some hidden from them.

I believe that based on this new information, the Town Council should reconsider the closing of the Lisbon Communication Center. 

Call your Councilors and make your feeling known.

Larry Fillmore

 

SO VERY TRUE

GOPDD: Trump Makes Huge Move Against Chicago for Harboring Illegal Aliens

Apr 1, 2017 by Harry Hibbs

The city of Chicago, Illinois is being run by Democrats who strongly believe that President Trump is too harsh on illegal aliens. Not too long ago, the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel said that Chicago will be a sanctuary city. This means that the city will act as a shelter for illegal immigrants.
Well, this decision by Mayor Rahm Emanuel came back to haunt Chicago in a big way.
Angry Patriot Movement reports: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has now lost $4.6 million worth of funding after he continued to vow that Chicago was a sanctuary city.

TO READ MORE: https://gopthedailydose.com/2017/04/01/trump-makes-huge-move-chicago-harboring-illegal-aliens/

FREEDOM FORCE: 3 Illegal Immigrant Gang Members Charged With Murder of 17-Year-Old

By Liberty Alliance on April 1, 2017

The oldest gang member is 24 years old. One of the men is already wanted for murder in Maryland.
The high school student’s body was found lying in the middle of a road. He was Raymond Wood of Fort Hill Community School in Lynchburg, Virginia.

TO READ MORE: http://libertyalliance.com/3-illegal-immigrant-gang-members-charged-murder-17-year-old/

FREEDOM FORCE: Planned Parenthood Whistleblower Target By PP and Lawmakers’ Collusion

By Andrew West April 1, 2017 

New information has come to light in the case of the whistleblower who exposed Planned Parenthood’s heinous sale of aborted fetal body parts.

TO READ MORE: http://constitution.com/planned-parenthood-whistleblower-target-pp-lawmakers-collusion/

Lisbon Maine's Road to Bankruptcy --- Part 5

Why has Lisbon chosen to ask for a 19.2% increase in the town budget when they could have easily saved $250,000 thousand dollars and increased Lisbon resident's safety--by eliminating the Dispatch Center?

Why did 4 of our Councilors vote to keep the Dispatch Center when it is clearly harmful to Lisbon Resident's safety and is also financially disastrous for Lisbon's future development? 

            This decision is not logical.

Usual reasons for bad government decisions:

•      Money   ---- Someone or group of people are making money either directly or indirectly by averting costly personal or business changes.

•   Blackmail ---  In this information age people are more vulnerable to blackmail.  The last election cycle has shown us how blackmail is a factor in government decisions.

• Fear:---          

                     1.   Of the unknown  
                     2.  Of the size of the change

The fact that 3 of our Councilors voted to upgrade our Emergency Communications by going with the County Dispatch speaks volumes.   These Councilors saw the truth and refused to take the easy vote.   They should be commended. 

The truth always wins in the end. Eventually, we will know why the "4 Good Old Boys" voted against Lisbon.

If someone dies because of delayed medical service this bad decision, made by "Lisbon's 4 good old boys", may come back to bite us in the pocketbook.  

Respectfully

Joe Hill

LISBON'S ROAD TO BANKRUPTCY - PART 4

Lisbon's unassigned account is the account that shows us how much money we have that isn't earmarked for a budget item..  I think of it as our EMERGENCY FUND.

The GFOA (government finance officers association) recommends that governments maintain an unassigned fund balance of no less than 16.67% of general fund operating expenditures. Our own charter recommends we keep 16% or approximately 2 months of operating costs in this account.  

Use of this account  to address budget shortfalls (IMHO) often indicates serious financial conditions :

•  Declining non tax revenues 
•  Out of control spending. 
•   It is often an indicator of coming property tax hikes

This account can be compared to the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Frivolous use of this account sends a strong message to prospective businesses that may otherwise want to invest in Lisbon.

Call your Councilors and tell them you want real tax relief not fake short term fixes that just kick the can down the road.

Tell them to keep their fingers out of our EMERGENCY FUND.

Respectfully

Joe Hill

Lisbon Maine's Road to BANKRUPTCY --- Part 3

We have a problem in Lisbon.  Our Town Government isn't acting in our best interest. Councilors actions make it evident they are serving another master.  

Recently Lisbon Councilors:

• Voted against saving the taxpayers of Lisbon $200,000 dollars a year by changing dispatch to the County.
• Voted against making Lisbon residents safer by reducing emergency response times.
• Voted against the most effective implementation of the E911 service.  (E911's purpose is to improve emergency response. Adding a layer on top of the service increases the response time and negates its purpose).

These same Councilors will soon vote to take more of our money, 19.2% budget increase, to pay for their refusal to get rid of our costly and marginally E911 compliant communication system.   

When businesses see a Town that is asking its residents for a 19.2% budget increase they see a town that is HEADED FOR BANKRUPTCY.

Respectfully

Joe Hill

Lisbon Maine's Road to Bankruptcy --- Part 2 -- Cola Increase

I was surprised to see Lisbon's proposed budget included an across the board  2% COLA (cost of living allowance) for all employees. 

For 2017 Retired Social Security Recipients receiving the average benefit of $1,355 will get a measly 0.3% COLA raise, starting in January of 2017.  This equates to $5 more in their Social Security checks.

Why is Lisbon giving all employees a COLA percentage rise almost seven times  higher than what our seniors will receive in Social Security COLA? 

  A Lisbon employee making $50,000 a year (many of our employees make more than this)will get $1,000 dollars or 200 times that of the average Social Security recipient.

Giving a 2% cola increase isn't just a 2% raise in employee salaries it is also an increase in all the costs associated with those salaries. (FICA,  retirement, unemployment insurance, workers comp.  etc) 

These COLA payments also compound.  If we  pay a 2% cola this year, it will be 2% on last years income which includes last years  2% COLA.  Ten years of 2% colas  isn't a 20% raise it is almost a 22% raise in income.


Is it morally right to demand retirees, that ONLY get a 0.3% COLA, pay for a 2.0% COLA for all Lisbon employees? Remember some of our employees, when including benefits, make a six figure income.  

 COLA increases were meant for rank and file employees not department heads or salaried individuals.

In conclusion: If we must give a COLA then that raise should be tied to the increase in the cost of living not some arbitrary number. If our seniors get 0.3% COLA raises lets give the same to Lisbon's employees. 

Call your Councilors and ask them if this is fair?

Respectfully
Joe Hill