6:32 P.M. – Tim Pape is babbling about how, even though 10% of Allen County workers are unemployed and employers are making cutbacks, we should still give them raises, but they should be selective based on performance.

6:35 – Councilman Harper is asking what the turnover rate is within the city. Good questions. Pat Roller says it’s pretty stable, but says guberment work has gotten more complicated. Sure it has, if you work for Henry. You have to look over your back every few minutes.

6:39 – Roller brings up a good point. How can you do performance reviews when 75% of the workforce is union?

6:42 – Tom Didier. Talking about selling to restaurants, and people are taking 2, 4, 8 10 even 20% paycuts, and how your attitude changes. You need a good attitude on where you’re going and your focus. Good point. Also says you can’t pull blood out of a turnip. So the henry administration has a new word for their budget. It’s a turnip.

6:44 – Liz Brown asks, last year it was a flat budget, no raises right? Roller says her report does not tell her that, she needs to check that. Brown further says, we’re looking at a 1.5% increase across the board, but that’s not what we’re doing, right? Roller says the 1.5% will go to everyone this year, but we need a better way of performing this.

Now Roller is starting the same crap that always happens, we need to make sure we’re paying what other cities pay.

Brown is now talking about how it will affect the union contracts. Sure it will. If the non-union employees get a raise, the union will fall right in line and demand more.

We have about 1800 union employees versus about 400 non-union employees.

6:50 – Councilwoman Goldner – Is referencing a local paper that says 48% of local businesses froze pay last year. However, this year they’re giving a 1.8% increase. I can see it coming. Says she was a manager back when “take your guns away” Helmke was in office. Says you take away pay and people rebel and don’t like getting “shafted” when they work harder than someone else. Says that even 3% won’t motivate people. What planet is she from?

6:55 Liz Brown says it’s all about leadership. We don’t do pay-for-performance. Do your job. She brings up the Cadillac benefits plan the city has, good point.

This isn’t the private sector folks. It’s guberment.

6:57 – Didier. Is the health insurance costing employees more? Roller: Yes, 15% increase. Roller just tried to do the math of what 1.5% of $50,000 was, could not figure it out. Sheesh.

7:00 – Off to fix some chow. be back in a bit. Discussing public safety ordinance now (pay).

Sliced Aubergine, red bell pepper, onion, a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar now on the grill.

7:09 – Liz Brown had to pull Tim Pape from his cell phone to get a vote called. Bender just voted on his own pay raise. He abstained.

7:20 Liz Brown is talking faster that those guys that do the disclaimers at the end of commercials.

7:24 – Steak is seasoned. Glad I got it thawed early. Glad the council stuff is boring right now.

7:28 Finance bond on the new palace for King Henry.

Bender – yes; Brown – yes; Didier – yes, (someone got to him obviously); Golder – yes; Harper – no; Hines – yes; Pape – yes; Shoaff – no; Smith – no.

7:32 – Harper brings up a good point about using guberment bailout funds. They should be used for real infrastructure projects, not King Henry’s new palace. More on this later this week.

Off to grill. Back soon.

7:43 – Not sure who this is talking, missed his intro. Sounds like a union lackey.

7:44 – Smith says there’s a position open on the Metro Human Relations Board. You must be a republican, (board balance). Here’s your chance to hear the Taviano case.

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