Encinitasyouneedus responded:
Of course Encinitas information was not available. There are those in control of Encinitas city government -staff, manager, attorney and council boys who live by and loves their secrets. Whatever they can't keep behind closed doors and closed files - they will happily stall bringing to the light of day. They may not be totally dark, but they are dim. The website being unavailable this weekend is typical when there is scrutiny.
In a recent random poll of likely Encinitas voters (+/-3% margin of error), 87% said they couldn't name a council member, 13% regularly read a local news source (>1x/week), 89% said they they were happy with the level of city hall transparency, 2% said they have ever tried to access city financial information, none had ever tried to acquire potentially controversial documents, and 97% said they would rather watch TMZ than read the city's fiscal statement,
Most Encinitas voters don't read the blogs or even NCT or Coast News.
ReplyDeleteIf the City Council stonewalls while other cities across the state are opening up, it can only mean that the pay levels and corruption are far worse than we feared.
We've got to get the U-T and/or local TV news (Turko, etc.) on the case before most Encinitas voters will even hear about it.
If we can't get the SD media to run with the story, let's do a guerrilla campaign with street signs.
W.C.- Encinitas Residents don't give a dam about their kids future. They are only in it for themselves. Ignorant fools.....
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to know the percentage of our taxpayer dollars that are used to pay for City salaries today as compared to before Jerry Brown allowed state, city and county employees to form unions and Gray Davis raised their retirement by 33%. I bet it is less than half of what is being ripped off of us now.
ReplyDeleteGovernment employees have got to be some of the laziest people on the planet other than welfare recipients. Notice I don’t call them workers because that would be an insult to working people.
The City of Encinitas is just as bad as Bell but here we have a huge tax funding advantage as we are not losing property tax value and we have large sales tax incomes from the shopping centers in new Encinitas and elsewhere in town.
The problem for Encinitas is sometime in the near future the citizens will find out how bad staff is ripping us off. How do you explain firemen averaging around a $100K a year for life and getting to sleep for eight to nine hours a night. And being able to drive to the grocery store and bank, watch movies and tv, make their meals, work out on fitness equipment we buy, jog around town, download porn, take naps AND get their pay for life along with free medical coverage for life. How about putting them on an eight hour shift and making them watch the coast for illegal aliens putting ashore at night. How about requiring the City employees to use a time clock and at least put in eight hours a day five days a week like most of us. None of this crap of coming in late, taking a two hour lunch and leaving early. They are on the honor system now and it's not working. How about our City Manager, he scammed the system, having moved up the ranks late in life and now retiring at around $200K a year and we the citizens of Encinitas get to pay for it. Just a few years ago he was making about 1/4 of his current retirement pay. He and ALL STAFF PAY NOTHING into their retirement or health plans, WE DO. Remember medical that is 100% free for life. And if you don’t use the first $11 thousand each year they give you cash for not using it.
One-third of obama’s stimulus money went to states and cities that are controlled by democrats that would have already failed without this influx of cash borrowed from China. We are in chaos and bankruptcy and this corrupt government, (both parties) all levels, feds, state and local need to fail so we can start over without the drain on working people by these rats.
I urge all citizens who work and produce something that keeps the county running to stop and let these thugs fail. Only by us working can they stay in power. Revolt the peaceable way, say no to laziness and godlessness. Boycott GM and Chrysler and any bank that got bailouts. Use Credit Unions instead and keep driving that old car.
And get out of all foreign wars now.
The story here remains - Encinitas city government is not a transparent government, an open government or one that welcomes citizen participation. Our city's website is still down this morning. No doubt the head of IT at the city makes a 6-figure salary. Anyone that tries to find information at the city website must battle a frustrating and outdated series of menus. It is hard not to believe this isn't by design.
ReplyDeletePeople are becoming more and more disengaged because of this kind of thing and much, much more. All across this country we are witnessing the stunningly successful campaigns of many decades to turn citizens into consumers. Decades of being told that to be active is to be a liberal has scared off the non-thinking. Mountains of misinformation and self-interest has convinced the entitled that government is all bad. Baiting millions through fear and "values" hate or simply flashing shiny, distracting things on television . . . All have helped create the comatose citizen.
This blog could be a place to focus on the city and figure out how to wake up our friends and neighbors. Or we can continue to attract and feed the trolls, Stocks sock puppets and our own fears.
On the first approach we could also call the city and bug them about the downed website. Supposedly Cox worked on servers, but how many days are acceptable? This is unacceptable in a business, why is it business as usual for Encinitas City Government? Call City Manager Phil Cotton 760-633-2610
The city site is up again. I hit publish too soon. Anyway, now we can look for salary information.
ReplyDeleteI often name the city council -- usually followed by a bad word or two.
ReplyDeleteI have a real potty mouth.
If parents only knew how damaging our council is to their kids future they would be appalled. Giving all the future opportunity and tax funds away to fat pensions including their own that could have been used for education or building parks or other needed projects.
ReplyDeleteYour kids will be paying their whole life for these huge pensions. What a scam Dalager and his master pulled off.
Power corrupts; Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
ReplyDeleteThe more power these "public servants" get the more they abuse it. Their number on priority is self preservation, that is more and more money for themselves regardless of money to fund these lavish benefits. They believe wholeheartedly that they are most deserving of everything they have attained, even to the point of bankruptcy for our city and state.
We have little or no money for street maintenance or a myriad of needed services, bad service at city hall, too many employees idly collecting huge paychecks, no accountability and no matter what, no government layoffs. They now look for additional sources of funding to put off the inevitable such as raising water rates, borrowing monies paid off far into the future when they are retired, charging exorbitantly for services and so on.
We are screwed until change comes from the bottom up. Throw the bums out!
Water rates have gone up 20% in the west side of our city.
ReplyDeleteWhat did not help is floating a $17mil. Bond for a regional sports park, with water district, that most of the taxpayers did not want and can't use. $22mil for skate park, $1.5mil in interest payments per year, over $.5 mil a year to maintain, $2 mil to quite more property for the sports fields, near $.8mil for 9 story stadium lights they are trying to quickly push through and more.
With all the street mitigation and bridge over 5 work nessary for a regional sports park, consultant fees, lobbyist fees added in, the cost after the bond is renegotiated and comes to maturity we Are looking at close to $ 100 million dollars to build a sports park for private sports clubs and out of town leagues.
Thanks Dan.
Will the Council petition to become a suburb of Bell?
ReplyDeleteYou are a bunch of do littles who make up shit as you like. The City has always listed it's employee pay scales on its website for five years for all to see if they can read. There is nothing to hide. What does Obama have to do with Encinitas anyway? Not all city workers are lazy. Most work very hard, work nine hours a day, take a one hour lunch and do good things for your City. You would think Encinitas is a third world country the way you rant about our elected officials. Is Dan a Dictator? The Devil! No! He has been elected by a majority of your fellow citizens. He just wants what we all want; a City to be proud of. If you can do better, run for office you blowhards. Talk is cheap, change comes with a price. So put up or shut up.
ReplyDeleteHaaa. your playing on the complacy of the public. You know the public is dumb. Lucky for you change is decades off. You know in your heart, you are part of the evil destroying America. You suck. Go to bed knowing that. You are killing kids future and all of our future.
ReplyDeleteVote for anyone but Dalager in the next election. Dalager is bad for Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has lived here for 20 years or more knows who Dan really is. He does not hate your kids. Stop slandering the man. He has done so much for the kids of Encinitas. Do you have kids that live here? I do. I know this City cares about them. I have lived here for 30 years and I don't believe this City is ruining our childrens future. It has never looked better. If you really want a better future for our kids, focus your rage on the State of California and its broken budget.
ReplyDeleteLeucadia man,
ReplyDeleteYou have a good point. Do you also have a link to the pay scales?
I don't have the link but if you go to the city website and click on jobs available you will find a document for pay scales and one for benefits. It has always been there for all to see. One can assume that the longer tenured staff will be at the top of the scale. It lists all jobs in the City and Water District. Please bring Mike Turko up to City Hall so we can end this fallacy. Better yet, bring in Heraldo Rivera to find the hidden documents.
ReplyDeleteI man that votes for a 40% increase in pension with every other City employee, must not care about the future for our kids. He is giving all the tax money to pensions. We will have no money left for park projects, education, or any other needs. Danny is a sell out to the unions and our future will pay including your kids.
ReplyDeleteI've known Dalager for 30+ years. I've never voted for him and never will. Dan only cares about himself. He has a dark side, which he tries to hide, but it comes out from time to time with his public statements. He doesn't hesitate to twist arms behind the scenes and then will deny he does it. But people talk in Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteHe has mortgaged the future of our children and grandchildren. The pension benefits are unsustainable. The salary scale and benefit package is at the platinum level. I don't think most of the employees at the city could find comparable compensation in the private sector. The 2.7% pension accrual per year is simply crazy. The state didn't force the city to do this.
Add in Dalager's fiscal mismanagement on the purchase of the Mossy public works yard, his obsession on spending for the Hall property, which is closing in on $50 million already, and his ethically ambiguous position as a consultant at the California Community Bank, and you have a man who has not been good for the city.
Bottom line is that he doesn't have a clue about how to manage money. Vote him out of office, and let's get some fiscal sanity back at city hall.
Cardiffian knows Jack!
ReplyDeleteCardiffian, where do you get your facts Fox News? The only one that is obsessed with the Hall Property is you. Please bring Mike Turko to City Hall to expose all of the injustice being done to it's citizens. You only care about your own interests. You have no real prospective of the facts. You are the one reshaping the truth. Show me the money.
ReplyDeleteThe money is going to the 40% increase in pensions that Dalager approved in 2005. Turko don't know shit. He is bought off. I know jack. I know the truth. Cardiffian speaks the truth. Dalager is bad for the future including your kids future. Prepare for the government class ruling your life and taxing the snot out of you. Your kids will not have the easy life you did. Its a whole new bad game thanks to the loser Dalager.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know jack shit. So it's all a big conspiracy and Mike Turko is bought off. Your bullshit claims are a joke. You still have not provided any real facts to support your rant. There a five people on the council but only Dan is to blame? Get a life.
ReplyDeleteTo Loser.
ReplyDeleteI agree with cardiffian, who agrees with most all who have a realitic view of the last eight years. Turko, in his last commentary on Hall, said stuff that was not factual and stated as fact. He got this information from 'The Boys'. The boys have, far too consistently, voted against community interests, planning commission recomdations and for special interests and personal quests. They have also exercised secretive practices to hide information that the public has the right to know and twarted attempts to establish a more open government, and worked together to make the two other council members powerless.
And yes, the Hall property is a perfect example of the deceit and misinformation that Dalager has offered, in order to have a regional sports park, that the general public will have limited use. The entire city has spent many months defining the vision the taxpayers want for Encinitas.
Dalager's 'Irvine' Stadium lighted Sports park violates 40% of our city's future hopes.
Barthe and Krantz can change this.
Funny... so I went to the City Website... I went to Jobs Available... I saw the salary scales... and I want to be a Fire Chief! Yet.. On the Home Page on the left side under City News and Events... the first link is: Elected Officials and Employee Salary and Benefits Info. My IE won't open the files... says it can't display... hmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteMost all? Ok, I guess the 10 or 20 of you know more than the 50,000 other citizens of Encinitas. How sad that we are all being played by the puppet master Dan and his henchmen. Why dont you run for office if you have all the answers to our City's problems? You seem to be all knowing even though you do not support your accusations with concrete information. As they say in school: Show your work! You live in a different universe than the rest of us. Show me the facts.
ReplyDeleteI agree thet The City website needs a new webmaster. It is not very user friendly and does need some updating. The point is that you did find the information and it's always been there even though it's not where it should be. I was able to access the link on the News and Events side and was able to open the Councils info but not the other documents. I don't think it is nefarious though, just a lousy web master.
ReplyDeletePlease notice that the city HASN'T POSTED THE SALARIES. The city is pulling the same old tricks. What is the true salary of Chris Hazeltine plus benefits?
ReplyDeleteWhat the city posted is a schedule of salary ranges. No specifics. And the public is to buy this as open government?
I am sure that there are Federal laws that prevent listing specific personal information of employees. They are not elected officials.But one can do the math. Chris has been there for 5 years or more, so he is vested for his benefits. We do not know how long he will work for the City. The benefit package is listed on the website so if you have nothing to do you can play with the numbers on that. He is probably at the top of the pay scale as a Dapartment Director. So he is probably making a little more than $ 100,000. That would be comparable to other City Directors in the County or State. He has a Masters degree, so in the private sector he would be making the same income or more. Where is the big conspiracy?
ReplyDeleteOk... so the link(s) opened today and this is what I see: Councilmembers get $1,186 per month (big whoop)... As WB Directors... $100 per meeting attended and $50 per meeting with AWWA. My next question: If the City Council Members are also The Water Board... Do any of them also hold any of the positions/titles that would give them additional income listed in the Titles and Salary Doc? They do have sweet Benefits! (and I really don't believe any citizen should be contributing to any public servents pensions... congressmen, senators, etc.) But, I was recently looking at jobs available in the City/County of San Diego... an unfortunate circumstance of unemployment... and I noticed the pay ranges are similar. This is city/county staff... I didn't see Council Members pay but, that wasn't my intent at the time. I can tell you this though... government jobs are great. Probably more for the beni's. Some pay was a bit higher than the private sector but most were right in line.
ReplyDeleteTo loser leucadian:
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Fox News was covering Encinitas politics. Since I don't have cable, I've never watched it. What have I been missing?
All of my comments only referred to Encinitas financial issues. You have not been able to contradict any of my figures. Have you ever attended any council meetings? Did you attend the May and June budget discussions? If you did, you will know that the staff never referred to budget reductions, when that was what was being done. They called it budget realignment. It's a nice way to hide what is going on. Other cities are more honest.
Here are a few more things to think about. In 2008 the state required the city to put all unfunded pension obligations in the budget. The city had to borrow internally $2 million. What funds did the money come from? Has it been paid back?
Later Jennifer Smith, Financial Director, said $2 million would be shifted from the Hall property fund to plug a hole in the budget because the Hall money would not be needed until 2011. Has this money been replaced? If so, where did the money come from? Certainly not from incoming revenues because they are down, and all funds are needed to cover current expenses. The city will need to do more budget realigning.
Then there's that pesky little 4-year raise the council gave staff that's about 3½% per year. Who in the private sector is guaranteed that? Most of us would be happy to take a pay reduction to keep our jobs. And none of us has the benefits package that Chris Hazeltine has, especially the pension.
Dalager is up for reelection. He has his head buried in the sand. And so do you, unless you are a city insider who is intent on making sure the gravy train keep chugging along. If stopping this financial insanity in the public sector is an obsession, then I'm obsessed. You should be obsessed too, unless you're getting very fat at the public trough and will have a persion the rest of us can only dream about.
Dump Dan Dalager in November.
Hear Hear.... well said.
ReplyDeleteDump Dalager in November he is bad for our kids future.
Damaged is good for the kids that are enrolled in private sports leagues. He and the boys have created a Special Use Park that is excessable to only kids who have paid to be included in the private sports clubs, and they have access to the fields for free or more correctly funded by taxayers. The majority of children in our community do not belong to private sports leagues and will not have access to Hall Special Use Park even though they wouldn't required to pay. So, taxpayers are subsidizing private sports leagues. This is because two of the boys belong to an organization that sponsors the big tourneys. And then Dalager who says, "if we don't build more soccer fields,we will have to build more jails"
ReplyDeleteWe would have a community park now, with sports fields for all to use if it were not for Dalager.
Excuse: corrections
ReplyDeleteDalager instead of damaged, (spell check did it).
Non private leagues WOULD have to pay.
Cardiffian, The comment on Fox News was just a joke. If you were able to watch cable you would know that you are using the same scare tactics using voter's children as a way to get people's attention to your issue. I never tried to contradict you. I asked for facts that could be supported by everyone. I asked that Dan stop being slandered as a kid hater. You still have not proved that. One can disagree with the man on politics, that's fine. But to say he hates your kids is just not true. This particular thread was about the employee salaries and open government. I was just making the case that the pay scales have always been there even before all the hub bub about it. I am only doing what you claim to be doing: Keeping it honest! Cardiffian I know you care, just be fair.
ReplyDelete