Voices From The Readers

Voices From The Readers
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Pillas Right On Bonus
Editors:

I though we elected people to the City Council who would be considerate on how they spent other people’s money.

It seems I was wrong when all but one member of the council were willing to go along with the idea of giving a bonus to all full-time employees. Your reasoning: To say thank you for their service and your concerns about their possibly unionizing. Not good enough.

As for the thank you reason, if anything each employee who still has a job during these difficult financial times should be thanking the city.

As for unionizing, don’t even allow it to be considered. You’ve already made that mistake once. Let’s not do it again. Unionizing should never be allowed in the public sector. Think about it. When it comes to arbitration for benefits in the public sector, union leaders and politicians come together and agree on cost and benefits when the people whose money they’re spending have no voice in the agreement.

It’s bad enough that we have a federal government that doesn’t know how to cut spending but continue to increase our national debt on a daily bases. Do we, as a small city, have to follow in their footsteps? I don’t think so and at least there was one council person who showed common sense. Thank you Mrs. Pillas for your concern and consideration.

Paul St. AndreOcean City

Meeting Needed

Editor:

I would like to go on the record as officially requesting that Council President Jim Hall immediately reconvene the council at his earliest convenience in an attempt to restore some semblance of order in spite of what a council member’s recent actions have brought upon us.

This most unfortunate matter simply cannot wait until next Tuesday as the council president has suggested in a recent news article. All members of the council should immediately come together and address it in an attempt to restore the public’s faith in their elected representatives and some integrity to the process of appointing a

new city manager.

Councilman Doug Cymek

Ocean City

 

Tax Hike Coming?
Editor:

Wake up call for all residents and business owners in Worcester County. The commissioners have proposed an 11.1% real estate tax increase in the proposed budget beginning July 1, 2012.

Yes, 11.1%, which is irresponsible and inexcusable.

How about cutting expenses by 11.1 % instead, as all of us have had to do with our personal spending.

Please attend the budget meeting on Tuesday, May 1, in Snow Hill.If you cannot attend, please call your commissioner and express your outrage.John Pinnero
West Ocean City

License Upgrade Needed
Editor:

Since the Ocean Club adjacent to our Beach Club was demolished five or six years ago, OPA could have had a virtual monopoly on bar sales in that vicinity. But instead, we have allowed tens of thousands of dollars to slip through our fingers because our Class “C” license only permits us to sell liquor to OPA members.

Association members as well as the Ocean Pines Clubs Committee have strongly advocated to our current Board of Directors as well as prior boards, that they upgrade our liquor license at the Beach Club. They all but ignored the suggestions until now. Finally, we have an answer from General Manager Thompson, that no changes will be made.

In his report to the Board of Directors he stated that he did extensive research on the internet and according to his interpretation of the rules and regulations, an upgraded license would require the Town of Ocean City to rezone the property. In the Board’s discussion of the issue, it was stated that it would require meeting with the Ocean City Mayor, City Council and Worcester County Board of Licenses that would be too time consuming, and too high a hurdle to overcome. They further stated that the assumed profitability is with the new Yacht Club and that is the priority to stay focused on.

That is absolutely ridiculous. Time won’t cost us a cent and it is the one thing we have plenty of, although we have already wasted five or six years. Here is an opportunity to substantially increase income with no additional investment in our physical facility and with no additional personnel.  Yes, it will require some time and a little gumption to deal with Ocean City, but our manager and board have none to spare when it comes to income. However, their allotment of time and nerve has no limits and no hurdle is too high when it comes to losing and spending our money.

To eliminate any future IRS difficulties, the Board voted to make daily beach parking passes available to the general public. Yet they elect to maintain a private beverage club. It makes no sense to me and it makes me wonder what the IRS would think about it.

What’s happened to the General Manager’s theme “Open for Business”?Norman KatzOcean Pines

A Concerning Report
Editor:

In the 1870’s, the political powers in Germany were alarmed about a dramatic reduction in birth rates apparently due to the spread of techniques. They saw this as a threat to the country’s future but not a threat to the "Social Security Retirement" program they developed in the 1880’s, and neither did we when we imported the idea during the 1930’s. No one imagined that by 2033 "population replacement" birth rates would yield a "pay-as-you-go" program with only two "workers" for each "beneficiary".

Imagine being a beneficiary with your benefits being paid for by taxes on the current earnings of the couple living across the street from you. Imagine that couple knowing that the taxes on their earnings are not going into a "trust fund" where they are saved for their old age but are, instead, going across the street to you. Imagine the public understanding the program will not be able to provide benefits to a generation, as a group, that are more than merely an inflation-adjusted refund of taxes. This will be a catastrophe for which the program’s "Trustees", our best experts, can only suggest "informed discussion" and "creative thinking".

Since the government can reduce benefits, working people should be cautious about expectations. For more information, Google the "Trustees Report" and "Elpram’s Axiom".

Jack HartmanOcean Pines
Help Relay For Life
Editor:

The word cancer is awful and dreaded. It is a word that shocks you when the doctor informs you that, "You Have Cancer". Back in the fifties and sixties, when my aunts and uncles passed away, we were told they died from natural causes. Unfortunately the natural cause, as I found out later, was Cancer. Back then my folks, and others, were afraid to use the C-word. Maybe if they said the word and people were more understanding, more research and possibly a cure could have been found.

I am an eight year cancer survivor trying to put the word or wish, that people help in beating this disease. One of the ways our community can join together on May 11 at 6 p.m. at the Frontiertown Campground. On this day, the American Cancer Society is having its annual "Relay for Life" event. What am I talking about? It is a celebration of the lives of people who have survived cancer and time to remember those who did not survive. Cancer effects everyone because it never sleeps. Our Relay wants to honor cancer survivors and caregivers in fighting this battle.

I am on a team, sponsored by the Atlantic General Hospital Endoscopy Center. We raise money and try to enlighten people that cancer can be beaten if everyone fights together. My purpose for this letter is about awareness and informing and asking cancer survivors to attend the Relay. The emotion that is felt at the Relay when the survivors walk the first lap is overwhelming. A heartwarming feeling is felt along with joy of togetherness. You see many tears of emotion that will never be forgotten.

This will be my eighth Relay and ever year my feelings are three-fold; Joy for being there, Hope for others to overcome cancer and

Sadness for those who never made it. Please join us by attending the Relay or contributing to the American Cancer Society, www.relayforlife.org/northworcester.

Nick BartolomeoSelbyville, Del.