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Seeking opinions on what services people would give up for lower taxes, school sports, clubs, extracurricular activities, school taxes are large portion of bill
At the rate of 26 signs per day per crew , we were falling WAY behind . The average standard replacement of signs in the 5 boroughs is approximatley 110,000 signs annually. We needed to hire 12 more installers to keep up with the demand. If it sounds like the number is high, we don't create the repair orders they are almost 100% created from citizen calls or NYPD calls. The majority of replacements are due to graffiti and defacement (I would say 70-75%). And , NO, there is usually no way to clean them and it is cost effective (labor cost) to remove and replace them. We do resurface the old signs, whenever possible, and try to reuse as many as possible
So , now that you see the sheer magnitude of work you will start to understand that outsourcing will not work because the only companies that can handle the number of signs know that they can charge exorbinant amounts to do the job
Hope this sheds a little light on the subject
SGC
P.S. - this only includes sign work , which is about 40% of my divisions response calls
Are you really suggesting that teachers "spray mosquitos and fill potholes"? I'm not sure that people, like many teachers I know, go school to earn their bachelor's degree and two masters degrees to fill potholes. I know you're venting, but this is just ridiculous.
You're absolutely right.. but there are probably other ways that teachers could be utilized administratively on their "off season".
Well. I would love to answer this question. BUT.. I'm nto exactly sure what I'm getting for my money here on LI. What exactly do we have that other parts of the country DON'T have that we pay so much more for!!
I think we need to trim the fat! BIG TIME!! I'd need to see exactly what the heck we spend our money on. Are the people who contract the work for the municipalities bidding for the work.. and if they are, who's monitoring if it's fair or if the politicians friends are getting it over someone else. Are we paying fair prices for the services we employ.
AND.. in this day of technology, why is there so much freakin paperwork !!! Trim some of that and get everythign digitilized.. (and for when there's a break down of the system.. back up teh system daily!!).
Also.. I'm sure we're overlapping on so many areas.
It seems that everyone things LI people have so much money that the state even feels they need to mandate things and then make us pay for their mandates. There was an article about possibly making the teachers state employees.. this sounds like a good idea. Perhaps the state will utilize the teachers when they arent 'working in the summer.
But a las. .none ofthis will happen becaue the gov't is corrupt. Too many people will have their cookie jars taken away from them.
I completely agree with what you're saying!!! Tha question becomes now though, just the way we hire someone to get our property taxes lowered, who is supposed to bring this to whoevers attention to actually get this done??? I'm guessing either the state or the government. Sadly the complaints Long Islanders have are being handled by paper pushers and everyone else has some level of deniability or pushing off onto someone else so that it never gets done. Maybe a bunch of us can start a group or petition or something to get this started. Any ideas???
I guess the time off is one of the perks that makes the job desirable. I find it silly that people love to dump on teachers and police salaries. .
I taught almost 30 years in NY state. Teachers Contracts are negotiated. Your school board negotiates them. If your teachers are overpaid, blame the people who you elected to the school board ( I grew up down there, went to college and worked in Western NY and made about 25% less than the teachers down there in my salary...Hence, I make a much smaller pension...but I also live at a much cost and with a lower tax rate and our schools are lovely. My $120K home -- on 4 acres -- would go for $600K there, at least!). The school board, BTW, also plans the school calendar; blame them if you don't like it. If you want your kids in a sweltering classroom in July and August, sign them up to go to summer school. It is generally there. [Do those teachers get paid for it? Yep. Why? Because our salaries were always for the 10 months of teaching -- it is based on the crop season. If no one changed it, that is the administration's problem.] I have taught summer school and half the kids who show up on day one are roasting and by the second week don't return. [My district had older ( 1920s) schools, no a/c. Down south the year is longer -- and it is with a/c ( Many areas start in August and end in July)]
FWIW, No one said you had to get into a field that had a 2 week vacation in a year, etc. etc. and work in an office. No one said you couldn't be a teacher, a police officer or anyone else w/a negotiated contract. BTW, those construction and maintenance people you are whining about on the thread? In the winter, if there is no work and they were summer hires, many get unemployment. [Teachers do not]
Look into what you complain about before you do.... I bet you would not criticize a kid of yours going into teaching... you would think they had great "perks" -- until you saw how much work they do outside the regular day. It truly makes up for the "short" year... which, BTW, is 10 months in most districts: you go to the end of June and start the first week of Sept.
I know what I can live without....those stupid signs on the parkway that tells you how many minutes it takes to get to the Sagtikos Pkwy!!!!!!!!!!!! What do we need those for it's a TOTAL waste of our tax dollars. YOU GET THERE WHEN YOU GET THERE!!!!!!!!!!!
I know what I can live without....those stupid signs on the parkway that tells you how many minutes it takes to get to the Sagtikos Pkwy!!!!!!!!!!!! What do we need those for it's a TOTAL waste of our tax dollars. YOU GET THERE WHEN YOU GET THERE!!!!!!!!!!!
I actually like them.....better than the info boards that do not work and then tell me traffic is moving well when its bumper to bumper.
I can live without all the street lighting............brighter is better, ugh!!!. I bet you could cut 30-40 percent of street and highway lighting out w/o any rise in accidents or crime.
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