Tuesday, February 3, 2009

HUNKERING DOWN

Citizen’s Reaction to IRB Financial Perfect Storm

[Community reaction to Kelly Cisarik’s postings on IRBeHEARD over the past few days has been overwhelming. The note below from IRB resident Victor Wood to Cisarik deserved a posting of its own as opposed to being relegated to an article comment.]

Kelly:

What a wonderful article. Does the Commission have any idea of the storm that will start with reduced revenues this year and continue to exacerbate in 2009? How foolish to be spending any time on revising the city charter this year. There is just too much to do this year with balancing this year’s revenues with expenditures, and with next year’s budgeting. Cost-cutting is the only answer!

So far we have no idea where IRB stands to date nor is there a forecast for the end of the year. Our new Finance Director should be able to tell us these facts…hopefully at the next commission meeting on February 10th. Neither handling the accounting of revenues vs. expenditures nor forecasting a year-end balance, does not take a brain surgeon’s talent.

The big question is what will the commission do with these facts? They seem to have no stomach for massive cost-cutting that prudent people call for. And raising taxes again after a 36% tax increase and a 60% utility increase this year would be absurd!

Stranger things have happened with this commission with regularity. The whole community needs to be notified of this perfect storm on the radar scope, approaching with ferocity. Then they need to make the commission listen to their thoughts.

Me, I am hunkering down and certainly cutting my personal spending a great deal. That is the only way I know to be sure I’m healthy and financially sound after the storm subsides. Will IRB react in the same manner?

Victor Wood
Harbor Drive N./IRB

P.S. What will the Commission do to enforce their new poorly conceived sign ordinance that business owners must comply with come July 1st? Is the veterinarian’s new electric, lighted sign with specials scrolling across in red LED going to be "la rigueur" for IRB?


(Note: If you'd like to comment on this posting, simply click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of the article and follow the prompts. You may comment anonymously if you'd like. Or, you can always e-mail your comments to irbeheard@cmdinc.net and we'll post them for you!)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Victor, Well Said!

I too would much rather have the old signs than a Gulf Blvd full of Neon, this is not Vegas!

Anonymous said...

Somebody should give Victor and his buddy, Jose, pills for bipolar disorders.

These clowns fought to get the current crop of people in office, Jose still endorses them, and remove a group that acomplished a lot (tax cuts, design ordinance, Charter amendments that protect us--when the Commission bothers to follow the Charter.)

By the way, the sign ordinance is a creature of the DiNicola led Commission that included RB, Cookie and Jimmy (Palamara probably voted "no")

Anonymous said...

Not surprised that Victor is now writing into your news site Nancy. Leo has faded away, and no one noticed. Victor needs a vehicle to spread his propaganda. Victor, can’t you please just go away and leave us alone? And take that criminal Jose (the one who single-handedly bankrupted this city) with you.

Anonymous said...

That's not nice. Do it at the polls.

Things change and sometimes not for the best. It's been a tough few years for the city. Election's in March.