ISSUE 1: Voters Faced With Tough Choices

I haven’t read all the comments so if this is a repeated point, I apologize. My wife and I live in Marysville. My wife works in Columbus and, therefore, must pay Columbus income taxes. My beef with this whole discussion is the fact that, like it or not, my wife is subject to the whims of the voters in Columbus. She has zero say in whether this increase happens or not, but she must pay either way. It’s flat out taxation without representation and I don’t understand why I never see this side of the story being covered. I don’t think people who live outside the city limits should have to pay for services the city residents get to have.

jgb, I understand your point so I hope you can understand mine as well. First of all I would like to take a moment and thank all of the firefighters, EMS workers and CPO’s that go above and beyond every day to do there best to ensure the safety and health of the citizens of Columbus. This is a terrible situation Coleman has generated.
In most cases I don’t think that individuals do not want to support CPD, EMS and FF’s.  I believe it is because most cannot afford to.  Personally, I am at a point in my life where I am absolutely unable to support any cause financially.  I am all for volunteering some time to help out in our communities, but I count pennies as it is in order to feed and shelter my child.  I can’t even remember the last time that I bought myself something. I believe the anger that is stiring from this issue is being focused in the wrong direction.  I do not wish nor want for anybody to lose thier job(s). But is it fair that I vote yes to save them based on Coleman’s promise and risk the security of my position that I have earned. Many individuals are experiencing unemployment (it is a terrible experience to go through, especially alone), if they have not already recently encountered it so I am almost positive that it is very hard for them to be sypathetic towards Colemans threats. I have sat back and watched as others are slowing turning against one another due to this topic.  The one thing that I cannot understand is how our city has spiraled this far out of control.  We have shut down crucially necessary rec centers, library cuts and threats of only being alloted so much security, yet in the same breath they talk of funding solar powered this andtearing the City Center down that and every other proposal that they have managed to come up with.
This issue is going to stay controversial, but I hope that we can all come together on one thing…...............................................................................to never, never, never, never, never vote for anyone with the last name of Coleman as long as they have the ability to vote.

I too believe that the city should be held to a high standard of fiscal responsibility. The problem I have with this issue is that everyone is blaming policemen and firemen for their financial woes and telling these “public servants” to give up money and benefits to be just like everyone else in the private sector.  Then these folks hit their caps button on their keyboard and tell everyone to vote no on issue 1.  For all of you who choose to vote no on issue 1, I do not have any ill words for you other than you reap the consequences of your action/inaction. Hence, those people that vote no on issue 1 need not dial 911 when you need help from the police and fire. Your no vote clearly shows that you don’t need or want the services anyway. A no vote on issue 1 will place officer’s and firefighter’s safety in jeopardy. Both departments are already below suggested staffing levels for personal safety.  If you think response time is bad now, a no vote on issue 1 will greatly increase response time to emergency calls because there will be fewer emergency personnel taking those emergency runs. I don’t want to read comments from people down the road screaming and kicking and crying because crime has increased, arsons have increased or people aren’t getting the response from their “public servants” that they expect.  You all will make the bed you will have to lie in for the foreseeable near future!

I am retired so I have no horse in this race, however I do have several friends at city hall that want some issues brought to light, but not by them, they fear losing their jobs.  Here is some food for thought.  The City Attorney’s Office represents the Income Tax Dept., Transportation, Licensing, Police & Fire, HR, etc.  These departments send over cases to be collected on after they have attempted to collect.  Mainly, most cases are ignored except some of the Income Tax cases.  City Attorney Pfeiffer doesn’t have a clue what goes on in Claims, he is on 2nd floor and Claims is on 1st floor.  His claims division could be collecting since they have 4 now instead of 3 attorneys (a new attorney was just hired)!  There is a ton of non-tax cases, i.e. transportation cases waiting to be collected on, people, hitting guardrails, stop signs, etc.  There is also Licensing, Police & Fire, HR, etc.  After several months, Chief Nancy Weidman has the non-tax cases sent to Capital Recovery for collections.  By then, the cases are about 2 years old from the date of damages.  Hard for the outside agencies to collect on.  The tax cases are stored in boxes and file cabinets in the claims division from several years back.  If Nancy Weidman would insist her department collect monies owed the City instead of encouraging the Claims Section to work out at the YMCA for 1.5 hours, then take 1.5 hour lunches, all on taxpayers money of course, monies could be collected.  They also shop on the internet on city computers on city time, socialize in each other’s offices and do their personal errands.  Therefore, the cases
just sit.  There are no time-clocks in City Attorney’s Office and there is alot of time and money wasted! The only money being collected is the ones who pay on their own.  There is no penalty for not paying as far as claims is concerned.  Pfeiffer & Weidman want the media to focus on Mayor & Police & Fire, not on them. 
Claims is fully staffed with 4 attorneys, 3 investigators/paralegals (none of which have paralegal certificates) & 2 secretaries. 
Each month there is a report for the non-tax cases generated on a database called Totality and on tax cases on Excel.  Pfeiffer, Weidman & others get this report.  The media should ask to see these reports.  They show how many cases are there and in dollar amounts and how much is actually be collected.
The ratio would shock everyone!  Police and Fire could keep their jobs and get raises if claims would do their jobs and collects past due monies owed the city!
The media appears to be afraid to investigate a bunch of overpaid attorneys and chiefs of staff, so the public needs to intervene and get to the bottom of the wrongdoings in the city attorney’s offices!!

Contacts are:
City Attorney
Richard Pfeiffer @645-0338

Chief of Claims
Nancy Weidman @645-6908

Assistant City Attorney (his wife happens to be the payroll officer)
Paul Khoury @645-8914.

NOT JUST POLICE & FIRE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED!!!

Just read another article on NBC4 that stated Ohio raised it’s fee for dumping trash in landfills.  Here’s the response from the City of Columbus.

“Columbus officials estimate that the higher fee will cost the city more than $300,000 extra each year to dump its trash at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio’s huge landfill south of town.

An authority spokesman says it has no choice but to pass on the higher fee.“

Your price to live in Columbus will go up even if the levy fails…..just food for thought.