BY KURT MARTIN
Martin Communications
Crow Wing County’s Administrator, Timothy Houle, referenced his responsive guest column of June 17 as “…the rest of the story.” While he may have plagiarized Paul Harvey’s famous byline, his column was certainly not the whole story.
Houle makes note of two recent awards, one by the National Association of Counties and the other by the Association of Minnesota Counties. I’ve always been amazed by the number of self-aggrandizing awards government bestows upon itself and how they are utilized, as Houle has done so in his column, to rationalize their actions. Houle’s reference to both of these associations speaks to just one spending excess, the amount of tax dollars paid to these associations. In 2010, Crow Wing County disbursed nearly $50,000 to such associations for memberships and event registrations. As excessive as that is, it does not include the travel, lodging, meals, per diem, and other expenses associated with the attendance and/or participation of county personnel in these associations. In my business, the cost of employee attendance at a day conference is near $1,000 in travel expenses and the loss of business revenues necessary to pay the overhead associated with that position. No doubt, the county has similar, if not greater personnel expenses incurred when staff or elected officials participate in association functions.
Next, Houle highlights the 2.87 percent reduction in the 2012 levy. Houle further exclaims this is the largest levy reduction in the history of Crow Wing County. I would certainly agree this would be a notable achievement, if it not had come on the heels of the 81 percent increase in the levy from 2004 to 2010. In fact, it does not even undo the levy increase of 3 percent in 2008, the 2.98 percent increase in 2009, or the 2.95 percent increase in 2010 all within the tenure of our current county board.
Houle claims the county’s levy grew “only” 2.08 percent from 2008 to 2012. According to documents prepared by the auditor’s office, it actually grew 5.18 percent. Actual expenditures increased by 7.2 percent.
In contrast, mean family incomes declined by 11.1 percent from 2007 to 2010, according to the Federal Reserve’s recent report. This report included government employment categories, which have incomes that typically increased or at least remained constant. Adjusting for government employees and the county’s abnormally high unemployment rate, it would place the income decline for the county’s private sector at near 40 percent. This income decline coupled with the county’s 20 percent U6 unemployment rate establishes, at a minimum; county budgets from 2008 forward have been an irresponsible burden and hardship upon Crow Wing County families. They certainly would not be, as characterized by Houle, an “…extraordinary achievement…and worthy of national…awards.”
Houle acknowledges the 2012 budget did increase 4.4 percent, but discounts that increase as being paid from federal tax dollars rather than local tax dollars. This is exactly the issue with revenue sharing. When the funds originate from another tax source; they are often regarded as being “free” money and, in turn, frequently expended in a frivolous and wasteful manner. Whether the money comes from the left pocket or the right pocket, it still comes from our pockets.
Houle next makes note that Crow Wing County is in the bottom 10 of the 87 Minnesota counties as it relates to property tax rates. This only adds emphasis to one of the points of the prior guest column, that government spending is as much a state/local government spending issue as federal. Especially in the light of the spending excesses here, in Crow Wing County, alone.
Houle follows that Crow Wing County commissioners and senior managers voluntarily agreed to freeze their pay in 2009, 2010 and 2011. What about 2012? I believe I would be speaking for the vast majority of us still fortunate to have a livelihood in the private sector, with certainty for those that are unemployed, and likely for those who have or are losing their home through foreclosure or eviction, that we all would be absolutely ecstatic to have our earning froze at 2008 levels.
In his final point, Houle makes note that Crow Wing County has reduced the number of full-time employees from its peak in 2007. I would, again, agree this would be a notable achievement — if it actually produced any cost savings. To the contrary, while the number of full-time employees decreased by 9 percent (2010), even with 39 fewer full-time employees and five less part-time employees, total salary expenditures still increased by 6.5 percent and benefits by 10.4 percent. Honestly, is this reasonable? This would put a private sector company out of business.
In his closing paragraphs, Houle outrageously boasts of “…the dramatic steps...to cut spending” and “…the bold actions and unprecedented progress Crow Wing County has achieved in reducing government spending.” To that I query: What cuts in spending? What reductions? The only year in the current county board’s tenure there was a spending reduction was 2011. That 0.52 percent reduction was erased eight Houles over again with the 2012 increase.
As Houle eluded to, these are political issues and, in turn, county board policy issues. Houle is not an elected official, but rather serves as the clerk to the county board and is accountable to the board. As such, Houle’s letters to the editor and guest columns are speaking to policy set by the board. In short, Houle is speaking or writing on behalf of the county board. I would speculate the county board prefers to have Houle speak to issues of policy that maybe controversial, as they can distance themselves from the political fallout. However, is that really appropriate? In my opinion, I believe the county board or a member thereof, particularly those up for re-election, should be speaking to these issues directly. Moreover, Houle is the highest paid employee in the county, drawing a six-figure salary plus benefits. He is an awfully expensive letter writer and his talents could be better utilized administering county business rather than engaging in the political debate of policy. The county board sets policy, not the county administrator. Houle’s guest column is just another example of the poor expenditure of county funds.
Kurt Martin is a candidate for Crow Wing County Board.
Comments (21)
Add commentKurt, you make your case well;
Kurt, you make your case well.
Trouble is, it doesn't seem like enough to merely point out another's "faults". Could you offer your solutions, list the areas you might find additional savings in?
It would seem to me
that not doing a Houle is a very good start, eyolf. (not being nasty) And, nice job on the trails.
I admit, Houle's letter could be
I admit, Houle's letter could be self-serving; maybe he feels the need to justify his job. But from all appearances, he has been doing a good job, and I doubt if many of the posters on this forum or even letter writers to the dispatch could do his job any better. Or cheaper.
The point I was hoping to make was cheaper probably means less services. We can cut services, but who takes the hit? A recent article about drainage problems in SW Crow Wing County underscores what might happen if we further reduce county services; without planning, people will do as they please (cheapest) with little regard for unintended consequences or for others. Renew the drain for a wetland area so more houses can be built and more profit can be made, but then shrug and say "who, me?" when the water normally collected and impeded by the wetland inundates someone who was high and dry before. And complain when there are few ducks to hunt, or you no longer hear spring peepers.
Or, I suppose we could decide that county service jobs should all pay minimum wage. I don't think anyone would realistically see that as a solution.
I think the truth is, without a change in our nature, as population increases arithmetically, the cost of government increases exponentially. Doing as we please works out OK when there aren't many of us competing for space and resources, but a piece of our "American Way of LIfe" is predicated on having a lot of space and resources that we can no longer count on...government services are a band-aid solution that allows us to maintain the illusion.
And I do not believe that we are ready to abandon the illusion at this time.
We still have plenty of space...
...but we are getting poorer every year, and that has only accelerated since Obama took office. I read an interesting article about the inverse relationship between subsidizing higher education and creating wealth equality. IOWs, the more we subsidize higher education, the more wealth disparity we see. Of course, like all liberal crusades, the leftists don't care about results, they only care whether their propaganda sounds warm and fuzzy.
Infamous Words of John Boehner Cheif GOP Gridlock Man in DC
Lets just start over with a clean sheet of paper ,since everything thats happened previously does not agree with the Koch Bros. vision for a better America as originally outlined by the party of NO. Our plan for a better more responsive political system to meet the needs of our loyal cult like foillowing will be revealed at the appropriate time. Until then we will simply continue to tell you whats wrong with government, while we fully develop OUR plan.....
good article
one area that needs a good review is the sherriff's department! a lot of supervisers and there is waste to be cut!
Captron...
...you totally miss the point of people who do not like big government. The point of cutting back the Democrats' version of big government isn't to replace it with the Republican's version of big government. It's to reinstate a right-sized (and much smaller) government. That means individuals, not the government, will need to take more responsibility for their lives. The alternative is to hand over your liberties to the government and have no hope for every achieving anything on your own.
Also, this Koch brothers business is hilarious when you are absolutely silent regarding Soros interventions in our electoral process. At least the Koch brothers are Americans.
Individuals will be plowing snow and patching the roads then?
interesting thought.
Wasn't Martin also a candiate for GOP House seat 10A and he was not endorsed by his own party? There's a reason for that if one did a little checking. Public records.
Again, Snowda picks one of the few things government should be..
...doing and ignores the vast categories of things they should not be doing. Not very intellectually honest, but what we've come to expect from Dems.
Examples of things government should not be doing...
...investing in green companies:
Evergreen Solar ($5.3 million)
SpectraWatt ($500,000)
Solyndra (received $535 million)
Beacon Power (received $43 million)
AES’ subsidiary Eastern Energy
Nevada Geothermal (received $98.5 million)
SunPower (received $1.5 billion)
First Solar (received $3 billion)
Babcock & Brown (an Australian company which received $178 million)
Ener1 (subsidiary EnerDel received $118.5 million)
Amonix (received 5.9 million)
The National Renewable Energy Lab
Fisker Automotive
Abound Solar (received $400 million)
Chevy Volt (taxpayers basically own GM)
Solar Trust of America
A123 Systems (received $279 million)
Willard & Kelsey Solar Group (received $6 million)
Note tha tmany of the co panies listed above have gone bankrupt, and some are foreign companies. That's just one example of government spending insanity I'm talking about, Snowda.
Examples of what our MN government should do according to GOP
In MN , Promise to make tough choices and balance the state budget , instead MN GOP lawmakers delivered , Political Gimmicks ,Serious Scandals , and Passing the Buck. Thats when they were not busy chasing ,shoot first ,gay marriage ,abortion ,and most importantly how to control the ballot box with voter ID , all critical issues. My all time favorite will continue to be ( besides shutting the state down for a month) eliminating our homestead tax credit, while the party dug themselves into a $ 2 million hole ,demanding recounts and hiring " consultants " to rebrand the party of NO.
Do as I say ,certainly not as I do ,because were conservative role models according to my passion for liberty & justice like the Tea Party monthly magazine says...... Stay inspired out there and please get out and vote in Nov. while you still can.
Until a few house and senate GOP folks in St Paul go away, its pretty tough for counties/cities to even guess whats next , some call that uncertainty ,or job killing actions....blah...blah..
And Dems excel...
...at spending money on feel good projects, crony capitalism, scandals (if you count supporting voter fraud a scandal, and I do), having sympathies for gang bangers who kill children in their beds, spitting on traditional marriage, killing babies who are viable, and supporting education funding that was unpredictable at best (see how easy it is to spew baloney!).
I don't support any politician or political advisor who besmirches their office, Republican or Democrat, but that's where I differ with most Democrats who are willing to turn the other way when a Democrat does something wrong (Eric Holder, anyone?)
GOP Gridlock??
Interesting Capt Cup-Cake how your injection of fantasy in all of your posts ranks right up there with Walt Disney's movie line-up. You really do fit well as the puppet master for the DNC talking points given your inability to embrace reality. So, here's some reality: Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and control of the House Obams's first two years. Republicans couldn't obstruct anything. Even now dems control half of the legislative branch and the executive branch. Tell you what Capt CC...why don't you research the number of bi-partisan bills that have passed in the HofR that Harry Ried refuses to even bring up for debate in the Senate. And who is responsible for gridlock?
You're just like the President....excuses, excuses, blah, blah. Although not surprising since your self-admitted primary source of news is Comedy Central.
"Those who promise us paradise on earth never produced anything but a hell."
-- Karl Popper
Specifics
Thank you for the kind words Eyolf. There is a length limit to what the Dispatch will print as will as the attention span of the reader. I was thinking I was already pressing both those limits with my submission. Also, I have frequently offered cost saving specifics to the county board. I've only resorted to airing my views in the Dispatch when they fell on deaf ears.
However, I did touch on a few points, such as the membership in associations and attendance by county staff. Moonhawk referenced the Sheriff's Department, so 'll expand there. Rather than just send one staff member to a day meeting, the Sheriff's Department sent three. When they returned, none of the three distributed an email via the already established email distribution list, sharing what they learned.
In my business, boards, and civic groups I've served on, following a meeting I'll author an email overview of what I learned and points of interest. In addition, I'll scan the meeting handouts (non-copyrighted or obtain permission) of significance and attach them.
So in the Sheriff's example, our manpower expense was triple as well as other associated expenses for the department to attend. The information conveyed did not acheive maximum value due to the failure to disseminate.
Before I consider attending a business meeting, the first question I pose is does my attendance net enough tangible value to offset my travel expenses and lost revenues for that time period? The next question are there alternative mediums (trade magazines, web sites, webinars, etc.) that I can receive the same or nearly the same information? As such, I attend very few meetings.
Minnesnowda made a reference to plowing and patching roads by individuals. Actually, the Highway Department is a bright light in couny government. While most county departments had significant increases in salary expense, my research indicated the highway department had virtually zero growth in staff and the salary increase was within a few tenth of the rate of inflation. In my opinion, we've been blessed with both Engineers and staff who run a tight ship and expend county resources with as much or more frugality as they do personally.
Good comment Kurt
I would still watch my speed with that 400 hp (or something like that) at your foot with all the law gunning for you now. Those darn mopars anyways.
Getagrip should embrace change , instead of failed policies
And for your info I get my information the same place your last candidate the GOP put up to be a heart beat away from the presidents office = Remember Sarah ? the former half term Gov. of Alaska . If I remember correctly your last proposed VP said her source of information was mags. & papers ",but I cant remember which ones" Guess CRS must be a GOP party requirement. And if anybody worships Mickey and the gang ,its likely the Tea Party folks. I still cant see Russia from my house...... Now thats Comedy Central Material...... Get a Grip on Reality
So....once again Capt CC you
So....once again Capt CC you add nothing to the debate. What's wrong.....couldn't find the answer to my questions on Colbert or Stewart's show? I'm beginning to suspect that your ability to deflect answering questions is a learned behavior from Fish.
running for county commmissioner?
So does Martin live S. of town (Trusty) or near Crosby? those are the only 2 seats open that I can see.
Captron
the communists is you and your pals. Typed that way on purpose.
Seanate gridlock in DC , Problem Mitch McConnell (R) W VA
Pretty hard to have a constructive debate on WHATS WRONG with the GOP mentaility. when the local minority seems to have absolutely no grasp of reality. On one hand the fruitcake commission based pension consultant keeps claiming expertise in ecomonics and world affairs while questioning elements of the stimulus program your comrades dont seem to recall the origins of. On the other hand the name calling shoot the messanger attitude some display in response to most accurate factual information is normally pathetic. For those of you who would actually like to hear Congressman Marco Rubios (R) FL ( for the uninformed) response to that question about US Senate activity , view the video from the Daily Show on 6-26. I have to warn you though about the first question of the interview asked of Marco Rubio . " Gee Marco do you think the problems you claim to encounter ,may have anything to do with Mitch McConnells repeated statement to .the media prior to the start of your first session " That being " Our (GOP) mission is one thing ,to make the President a one term president" Watch the rest of the interview ,you may actually learn something. However unlikely that may be -If you continue to repeat the same thing over and over and dont actually answer questions ,is it really true.Thank goodness some of you conservatives have each other to comfort yourselves while life goes on in the real world,,,,Keep each other pumped up while Mitt the vulture capitialist is out recruiting all the George W Bush advisors that served us all So Well. Dont forget your meds and shrink appts. also....
Stimulus money begged for and spent by Obama, you mean?
Stimulus money that did nothing to stimulate the economy, you mean? Seriously, Captron, you embarrass yourself. And I am NOT commission-based, but facts never have troubled you, have they, Captain Comedy Central? Your arguments are nearly content-free. How about a few links to support your point of view? Or does posting Comedy Central links even make you a little embarrassed? You want us to think you have truth on your side? Prove it with some facts.