How's that free internet working out?

I thought Mayor Donny Boy told the people of Akron that the city was in good financial shape during his recall election? Now the truth keeps coming out a few eeks later, and the biggest truth of all is Mayor Donny Boy is a big fat liar. Not only that, but while people will be taking time off this year on unpaid furloughs, he has time to fly to Japan for some wining and dining on the taxpayer dollar!!! Unbelievable on his part. I wonder how another recall election would turn out now?

@omg it would be the same outcome.....akron voters dont know or care about anything but beer & browns.......why doesnt donny furlough some deputy mayors.....oh I know why....... he would then have to buy his drunken ex deputy mayors booze.

I also like the way cleveland tv said at 230 am the mayor was leaving a restaurant????? yeah a restaurant

didnt Donny boy ground himself from traveling.....the city is in a crisis and he says the unions dont understand......who is globe trotting????
Donny has b@lls bigger than a pig!

First I would like full discloser, I haven’t lived in Akron for two years now, but I previously lived and worked in Akron for fifty nine years. I am no fan of Mayor Don P, I believe he has been ineffective in the job as Mayor for a number of years and shouldn’t have run in the past election and only did so out of hubris.
I believe that one of the problems that led to Akron’s current situation is it’s problem of identity. Akron is no longer the bustling town it was during the rubber company years, Akron is no longer “ The Rubber Capital Of The World “. The term “ Polymer Capital “ never set well nor was their any real instances that it was true.
Anywhere that the industry the fed the local government left, the government began to fail if it did not rethink its place in the community. I remember when Youngstown lost it’s steel mills and the area was designated “ The Rust Belt “ and how it quickly spread across the State. But Akron felt secure with it’s rubber companies. Remember when Goodyear was almost taken over by “ hostile “ take over, who owns most of these companies now, our perception in that matter has to have changed since then. Then the companies began to move out of the city, there wasn’t enough room to spread out in their current locations, and the unions in the area were becoming unreasonable, remember all the other rubber unions fell behind the Akron unions when it came to negotiations of contracts, “ What Akron wants we want”. It was up to the city to look to it’s future and begin to plan ahead, but the local government couldn’t see beyond the piles of money on their desks, and so the company’s moved out.
{MORE}

{Continued}
Did Akron readjust to the loss of tax revenue, no, they just started taxing the people of the city more.
Right in their own front and backyard { Downtown Akron }, a change was going on, with the loss of the rubber company’s business Downtown dropped and at the same time land developers came in and offered many businesses Downtown spaces in their new Malls at great prices per square foot. The stores moved out.
I think you may get my point, the city shrunk, but did it’s government with it. If you ask the City and the County they of course say they did, but did they really?, or were they so uncontrollably bloated that when they do let people go it only appears that they have done something, there was way to much there to begin with, I personally believe we have City and County twice the size they should be. We need the Police and Fire Depts. to be run at full capacity for reasons of safety. But as shown in the past several years we have seen several City and County Dept. doing the same exact jobs and they have tried to consolidate them, not a bad idea, but at times it has become the “ answer”.
Finally, We need to pare the Governments, both City and County from the TOP down, NOT from the BOTTOM, UP.

I think the mayor should lead by example and trim his own staff first!

To give Dave a quick answer to his question...
"''You have all these cities laying off,'' he said. ''Do you really need to see the financials?''"...YES! i'm a supporter of the mayor, but the unions should have the opportunity to see exactly where the shortcomings are.

Jim Masturzo, deputy mayor of labor relations, said the unions ''don't get it.''
''You have all these cities laying off,'' he said. ''Do you really need to see the financials?''

LOL - the City wants the unions to fix the problem and just accept it under the threat of layoffs but not show us the problem. Yes Masturzo, we really need to see it so we do get it! We must have gotten the idea from being hypoxic in these bubbles we live in.

Does the general public wonder what the City is trying to hide or is it just the workers?

How about we loose some deputy mayors.
Or certain city employees taking city vehicles home and using them for personal business?

The Mayor is leading by example.

He is vacationing (excuse me,working)in Japan this
week.

That is the example of his type of leadership.

Every recall supporters complaints about this administration is showing up.

How old is Donny Boy? Does he know anything at all about the war --I am 75 and that era is really just a blur in my memory, so unless he is at least 60 years old--he has no business being there--sorry if I sound bitter, but he can go galavanting around the world ( oh I forgot he is going to visit Bridgestone-Firestone headquarters to thank them for building a new tech center in Akron) and then has the gust to ask city workers to take furloughs. I would like to know why 4 street cleaners have to be out in the early morning following each other up and down city streets and really not doing too much of anything--they just pile all the dirt and debris on the corners and then when we get some rain--the debris falls into the sewers and then the streets are clogged (N. Firestone and Archwood is really a good example)--leaves in the summer and fall and when it snows and melts and then freezes, Firestone Park has its own skating rink.
On another subject about our beloved mayor--who was driving that Sunday night and why was he served beer or something stronger at that hour on a Sunday/Monday--is Bricco a private club or what?

Lets see the Mayor's cabinet and city council take pay reductions and unpaid furloughs - not just pay freezes. Why do the "little guys" have to make the big sacrifices when the people at the top are not?

Is the city justification really going to be "everyone else is doing it"?

And the number is still 12 Million dollars, what about the cuts the city has already made, can we get a semi-real time account of whats going on?

Can you really trust a finance department that couldn't predict a massive budget shortfall a week a way?

So yes the unions have the right, as does every citizen, to see public documents.

@ John Galt - it is halirious that a month ago the finance department couldn't see this coming and now we are just supposed to trust them. If they really didn't see this coming Dawson-Miller should be fired. Any private business would have done it by now. But then again if that happened I'll bet she would sing like a bird, so I'm not holding my breath.
I'd laugh about all this if I wasn't so worried about what's going to happen in the next 4 months.

"The union presidents said they have proposed savings and revenue-generating steps in the past that the city rejected." Have any of these proposed ideas that were rejected been published? I'd be interested in knowing what they were.

@ OldManGrump – the ‘home’ has their computers on early today. There is absolutely no factual information in anything you say today…kinda like yesterday, the day before and the day before that…kinda like always…


@ htlong – The Don is on a trip funded by others, not city funds. The place he was is a restaurant (yes, it has a bar as most restaurants do) so please try and stay up on the facts.

@ sick n tired – don’t let the door hit you in the arse on the way out of town…

Now, The Don and the City has a real image problem especially for most of the naysayers (which are a minority by the way) …their PR stinks, so we could start with Mark W…isn’t that his job? Next they should be providing basic financial numbers to anyone who asks, he (The Don) should be sharing highlights of his plan (yes, he has one) for the cut-backs that include his entire administration.

In theory, if the unions make up 79% of the total employee base then cut-backs should (will) include 79% of the total. That's not hard to see, is it? For those who are less astute than most (you know who you are), let’s say they layoff 100 – therefore, 79 will be union members. Now if I were the head of a union I wouldn’t have to insist on financial numbers because I would already be a partner with the city and I would have those numbers. I would be concentrating on providing cost savings methods in advance…actually I would have seen this coming as it didn't start since the recall election.

All Don had to do was fix the sewers and get the EPA off his back. Isnt it coincidental that $35,000 a day fine = 12.7 million dollars. I wonder if that is our short fall in the budget.

Jim Masturzo, deputy mayor of labor relations, said the unions ''don't get it.''

''You have all these cities laying off,'' he said. ''Do you really need to see the financials?''

Yes, they do and we do too. It is our money Jim!

Janine- The FOP has wanted to go to 10-hour shifts for years, which is a SIGNIFICANT cost-cutting measure for the PD. The mayor and Masturzo won't even entertain it, because it wasn't their idea.

This whole thing is Il Duce Don's PERSONAL VENDETTA against APD, the FOP and their leaders. Don't drink the Kool-aid!

Jim Masturzo (deputy mayor of labor relations)''Do you really need to see the financials?''

Yes Mr. Masturzo, anyone can and should see the financials including your pay, your department's expenses, and the expenses of every other deputy mayor including the actual hours spent at your job. The arrogance of your statement galls me. It is the public's money not yours. There is an Ohio public records law that requires you to disclose all of this (and more) to anyone who requests it. By the way, there are cities and towns in Northern Ohio that are not in financial difficulties like Akron. But then again - they don't have as many drinking buddies disguised as deputy mayors.

=============
The ABJ story reported:

Plusquellic, who is in Japan, said Thursday in a news release "Our unions are coming to the table, but they are nibbling around the edges of a problem that requires decisive, substantial and immediate changes"
=============

1) If this is "a problem" that "requires decisive, substantial and immediate changes" a REAL LEADER would have CANCELED his 'vacation' TRIP to JAPAN.

2) How does Plusquellic expect union leaders to do anything other than to 'nibble around the edges' when he won't provide the accurate, current financial figures of the city's budget.

Speaking of 'nibbling around the edges', isn't this exactly what Plusquellic is doing with his less than "decisive, substantial and immediate changes" of laying off 21 seasonal, temp, and co-op employees and canceling an issue of Akron City magazine?

Whoopie!!!

I've heard that the City will need to issue bonds or notes to pay for the VSP program, and that the employees will not get paid until next year if they signup. Any thoughts on how much this will add to the cities red balances?

If i read the city budget correctly it's about 177 mil per year. 12% of that is over 21 mil, and the city can get 2.5 mil out of 5 days of furlough (wonder of that includes salaried employees taking a cut). I think the unions need to see the financials and it might help if we could see more detail too. What would be saved by closing one of the city colf courses (maintenance, equipment, jobs)? Or if not closing, put it up for sales and make it private. Get it off the books forever? Are there other places ("services") where that could happen? I think the street cleaners night be another example.

@Timmy-interesting point. It would be good to see if the budgets were ever revised this year to include that ongoing fine. They knew this was coming.

How the city responds to work requests I thought that they were on furloughs all along anyway.

PacMan--you sound as antiquainted as your name implies. Do you even live in the city and if so, your neighbor hood must really be the best of the best. Come on--how can you defend a mayor that drinks into the early hours of the morning and then get up and go to work with a clear head. You are some sort of a dreamer. One leaf pickup this year and then the sweepers will come along and pile them on the corners just like I said in my first comments.

''You have all these cities laying off,'' he said. ''Do you really need to see the financials?''

Ok Mr. Masturzo, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't expecting ANYONE to agree to something without seeing why like saying "hey, pay that $500 to Firstenergy without seeing the bill, after all, your neighbors paid it". Any good businessperson gets proof of need/situation prior to agreeing to entering into a binding contract. Let's use some common sense please.

@ Michael = you saw the budget? Maybe you could pass it on to the union bosses who have been asking for it all along.

And you don’t want clean streets? You would be the 1st to complain if they stopped cleaning your street…and do you really think there is much cost saved should they mothball the street cleaners?

All of a sudden everyone’s a city manager.

@ sick n tired – Antiquated? Where (how) did you come up with that implication? I do live in the city and my neighborhood is not the best of the best, but it’s right up there with ‘very nice places to live in Akron’.

I am a dreamer…every night. We have a pretty good city for where we are located (NE Ohio), with its ups and downs. You must have missed the part I said about “The Don and the City has a real image problem” – and I really believe its image related to a large extent. This is not an attempt to defend anyone but when our city employment goes from 3,100 to 2,000 over time…someone is doing something relative to costs.

When our leaves are collected they are moved to larger piles, but always picked up. Talk to your council person or call x411 (or is it x311?).

Hi PacMan. The budget is public record and can be downloaded on the city's website. I just think most complainers don't bother to read through it. It is a basic overview, and you need to ask to get the details, which is what the unions are trying to do.

I'd gladly hose down my street if I thought it needed cleaned. I think if there was greater transparency and trust in the city's management there would be less of a sense that everyone's trying to be a city manager. It does seem like a lot of projects sit while other's get done based on a manager's whim.

The city has done a good job of reducing staff to hold down costs. My question is whether some services might be extraneous in this economy. I don't want to see fewer cops and firefighters than we have now. And it is 311.

u know what, i'm drinking the kool-aid.

"A second round of layoffs also is imminent, Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth said. He declined to provide details."
Let's start the cutting with Lieberth and the other Deputy Dogs. That'll save 140k per deputy.

I am moving the first chance I get, so I don't care as much any longer. But many of my family members are going to be in this he11 hole until the bitter end. I want better conditions for them.

Don't cosign any incumbents for council. Start fresh wherever there is a challenger on the ticket.

pac man...c'mon...Bricco stops serving food at like 11PM.....maybe he was just lingering over their delicious food for 3 hours...but I doubt it.

I WANT TO KNOW WHO PAID FOR HIS TRIP TO JAPAN???????????????????????????????

Here is what I would do!
Savings
12 Deputy mayors 1.5M
3 Staff Attorneys .4M
Travel .3M
Dues Conf. of Mayors .1M
30 City Cars .3M
Sell Downtown Real Est. 12M


Total 14.6 M and it puts downtown property back on the tax rolls.

The next thing I would do is eliminate the Council at large positons and save another 100k and get rid of marco's city car with the glock in the trunk.

VOTE OUT THE RUBBER STAMPERS, MERLETTI, CRAWFORD,
AND THE REST. ALL DOUBLE DIPPERS MUST GO!

They don't really work eight hours a day anyway. Two and a half hours at best. Shucks, everybody knows that. Am I right about that????

@superfly....United States Conference of Mayors paid for the trip. he's also visiting with execs from bridgestone while there. so shove it!

@PacMan - Haha! Everyone's a city manager! On most of the other threads related to the budget shortfall, the mayor supporters were crying that everyone was bashing on him, but no one was giving any suggestions on how to fix the problem! Now, people are giving suggestions of ways they think the fat should be trimmed, and you criticize them!

I know that I personally would rather have cops patrolling the streets than streetsweepers. I would rather have firemen than the city magazine (ever again!). I pay taxes; its my money too; I'm allowed to have an opinion! If you don't like people questioning government and trying to voice their opinions to make things better, maybe democracy isn't for you.

Shucks, They only work two and a half hours a day anyway. Everybody knows that. Hey, tell me why the mayor and his cabinet gotta make so much money making decisions

@ grubby – fact: Bricco’s = restaurant fact: Bricco’s and it’s guest has no bearing on the price of cheese.

@ UrbanRenaissace – don’t let the door hit you in the ‘bxxx’ on the way out of town (my earlier post was not posted cause I used the word ‘but’ spelled correctly)…

@ superfly – The League of Mayors (or whatever it’s called) paid for the trip – do some homework or simply read these comments.

@ McDonald – You at least have a starting point (more than most posters) - but you can’t take it all off the top. We have 2,150 employees that can chip in here not to mention all the ‘services’. Plus, who is going to buy property downtown (without a liquor license)? Council size could be reduced, no argument here.

Who cares who paid for it!!!The fact is he can talk to Bridgestone execs from here (via skype), or host a meeting here for them (in Akron), where the money from their visit would help the economy... I agree with McDonald:

"Here is what I would do!
Savings
12 Deputy mayors 1.5M
3 Staff Attorneys .4M
Travel .3M
Dues Conf. of Mayors .1M
30 City Cars .3M
Sell Downtown Real Est. 12M


Total 14.6 M and it puts downtown property back on the tax rolls."

and

"

The next thing I would do is eliminate the Council at large positons and save another 100k and get rid of marco's city car with the glock in the trunk.

VOTE OUT THE RUBBER STAMPERS, MERLETTI, CRAWFORD,
AND THE REST. ALL DOUBLE DIPPERS MUST GO!"

Does the mayor think he's an emporor or something? Is that why he fiddles in Japan while Akron is burning?

@ Micheal
----------------------------------------------
"City officials meet with unions to discuss mandatory days off. Deputy mayor expects layoffs amid $12 MILLION budget gap"

"Akron is grappling with a projected $12 MILLION budget shortfall by the end of this year."

-------------------------------------------------
I believe the number is 12 million not 12%. Further the "budget in brief" you refer to (http://ci.akron.oh.us/finance/08bud_in_brief.pdf)gives a general outline of each departments "allotted" budget for the year, not the actually amount each department spends.

The fire department for example (reference page 22) is 420 full-time employees allotted, yet has a staff or approx 360 currently. That figure includes the 36 remain new-hires. Remember to take in to account that they were hired, sometime last November(ish) so the department was running short since the prior class was hired early in 2005. My point is how much did the fire department turn back into the general fund?

@ Pacman
-----------------------------------------------
I believe you would find the city willing to work with the city if the city would provide information freely. The city has in my experience always been less than willing provide the information.

Should read
-------------------------------------------------
I believe you would find the unions willing to work with the city if the city would provide information freely. The city has in my experience always been less than willing provide the information.

-----------------------------------------------------
"City leaders, however, think midterm bargaining would be more expedient. They point out that the last negotiations with the police and fire unions took several months."

Which is absolutely true. The police and fire unions rejected what they felt were low offers from the city and went to binding arbitration. The neutral third-party arbitrator, when in possession of all "provide" materials and facts gave the police and fire unions more than the city offered.

Had the city made a fair and honest offer perhaps talks would have concluded much earlier...........

@ Dennis
---------------------------------------------
Well that is the same Miller-Dawson who told the arbitrator the city was flat broke three years ago, only that have to try to explain why in written documents she said, and I am paraphrasing, "the city is in strong finical shape and receiving more tax revenue than before" only 1 week prior.

@ Mac - I miss read your council savings. I would do the opposite by eliminating all the ward council person and slightly increase the 'at large' positions. Ward councils are no longer needed in today's environment (technology). Simply call 411 (or 311)for 98% of the things you need (I've lived in my ward for 13 years and have NEVER called or spoken to personally my council person). I just haven't had the need (my problem, not yours).

@ JohnGalt - That's what I meant about 'bad image' - it's not hard to communicate.

====================
@Michael who posted:

The budget is public record and can be downloaded on the city's website.
====================

REALLY?

Please provide all of us with that link.

============
@PacMan who posted:

you can’t take it all off the top.
============

OK... my suggestion is we eliminate one Akron cabinet position for every 35 hourly employees who are laid-off.

Since today's announcement brings the combined layoffs in the past 27 years to 35, it is time for the first Cabinet member to go.

@ Overtaxed Voter - Fair enough...lets do it.

Eliminate some of the other parks and recreation department "fests" ...or at least cancel them for one year. If they can cut the Chiskindl Market, they can cut out some of the other junk going on.

Always charge a small entrance fee to the Lock3 stuff. People would pay a small amount. Same thing for weekend bar parking...keep it cheap and people will pay a token amount. Right now the city lots and decks are free and full of cars.

Go after people that owe money on parking tickets. Aggressively go after people who owe fines from minor arrests....

Speed cameras on rt 77 ! Just kidding about that one. They could make 12 million in about 2 weeks doing that.

There goes Old Man Grump on a tirade again! His mayor saved his job as a dancing chicken, so life is good for him! I don't know why he's so concerned about who the mayor of Akron is ... guess he just likes sticking his nose in another town's business. OMG, you should work harder to find Tallmadge's beautiful town center that you've been posting about! I've been driving around and around Tallmadge, and I still can't find it!

@ sick n tired --> FYI, the thing with the Mayor was Saturday/Sunday, not Sunday/Monday as you have alluded to on at least two comments.

Yesterday I called for the Mayor's resignation. That request still stands. I am also calling for the president of the FOP to step down. He is ineffective as a negotiator and is as much of the problem as the Mayor when it comes to police/administration relations.

Clean house and start over with some fresh faces.

As I stated yesterday, but it made too much sense to for the Beacon Journal to post, when a major, life-altering decision needs to be made, it's only fair that decision-maker has all of the pertinent facts.

So far, all we have is Jim Masturzo saying, "Trust me!" Then we have the mayor saying that "the unions are nibbling around the edges".

If we don't have any substance, all we can do is nibble.

I don't think the mayor, or any of the mayor's staff, would be willing to make the decisions they are asking of us by just taking someone's word and 'Trusting" them, especially when they only gave us three weeks to decide.

Some of us don't have enough years of service for retirement and can't really afford to quit our job and lose all of our benefits to take the buy-out. On the other hand, we're not sure whether we're going to be laid off, so it would help if we had some facts on which to base our decision.

It is becoming exceedingly clear that, with one week left before the imposed deadline, there will be nowhere near enough employees accepting the buy-out. Where will the layoffs come from and will they be based on the decision of the department manager, or will they be made from a list based on seniority? If the decision is based on seniority, the city will have “all chiefs and no Indians”.

It's our life and our future. We deserve to know!

First of all,I dont trust women who have to use two last names.the hyphen must make them feel special..and 2ndly..I dont trust unions either..

imjustusingmyhead,

LOL

You cannot violate the terms of a collective bargaining agreement by making concessions that accomplish just that. If a union fought the city for a 3% annual raise by utilizing an economist-type who looked at the city books and PROVED during binding arbitration that the city was not truthful by claiming to be broke- and thus a 3% raise was issued. And that was the biggest % in 10 years.

Remember that we are COMPETING with Rockin' on the River, so don't charge entry and continue that quality entertainment venue. ELIMINATE all of the other free city concerts. ELIMINATE the City Council newsletter and put it online. There are measures to save costs and it's useless to complain about past questionable spending.

Coddling every arrestee into treatment, counseling and management programs cost millions. Give them a week in jail and stop wasting money.

Staff the police department so they have time to do traffic enforcement. OSP could come in here and write 1500 citations because they had time. It promotes safe driving and creates revenue. Auction off city property, vehicles and real estate. Initiate a .125 income tax increase for essential city services. Northeast Ohio should ban into an aggregate and demand cheaper mass health coverages for everyone- bring the costs down.

Fix these things not as a politician, but as realist.

Good points realist. I don't agree with calling for the resignation of the FOP president, he's one of the few voices in the city who doesn't take smack from the Mayor and his bullies/lackeys.

the city should make the same cuts the "Stinking Urnal" has made and face the reality that Akron is fading fast

@OldManGrump, you call the mayor a liar but in your statement you post a lie. He is not traveling to Japan on the taxpaper dime. Those that throw stones should not have glass windows.

http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2009/0806.htm

@htlong, Bricco is a restaurant and is advertised that way. Any Cleveland station that was reporting it would have done such based on the Bricco website which clearly says "restaurant".

The mayor is not traveling on our dime, so he is not violating what he asked of city employees.

@sick n tired, most of your questions are easy to answer and/or are based in common sense.

First he is 60, so I guess you first few sentences are all wasted complaining about something that you said did not matter if he was at least 60. Besides the trip is not paid for by anyone in our city, including our tax dollars.

I personally drive through Archwood and Firestone every day. Never seen an ice rink there, so who knows how old this complaint is.

We also do not know when he was served is last drink. And the bar in the restaurant has every legal right to sell drinks at that our.

@grubby, maybe before you try to prove people wrong you look up actual factual information instead of assuming you know how the world works.

Bricco's kitchen is open:
M-Th midnight
F-Sat 1am
Sun 9pm

Which means the kitchen closed at 1am the day of the fight.

@superfly, the Japan trip is not paid for by Akron or the taxpayers of Akron.

http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2009/0806.htm

Gain some More Reality--Good for the mayor--he has such a great memory about that infamous day that he can go to represent the USA--I know he isn't using our money. You must not come that way in the winter time--we have called numerous time in the winter to get the area cleaned to no avail at all. He still doesn't have to show how immature he was in cussing at the police officer and trying to show his authority. I am sorry that I tell people that I am from Akron(oh the city with the childish mayor) I used to brag that Akron was the home of the All-American Soap Derby, but that doesn't make as much of an impression now.

@sick n tired, what part of "every day" do you not understand. I come through that intersection for years now and have never seen an ice rink there.

I say we all go on strike

good for you--I have lived here for 35 years and I know what I see.

banned!

Ya got me, Briccos kitchen is open until 1AM, I did not know that. Now, can you look up the rules about drinking and driving a city issued vehicle? Or even using one for personal business? I'm pretty sure the peons are not allowed either of those things. Thanks in advance.

According to this past statement at:
http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2003/1017a.html

"The city of Akron’s policy with regard to the use of its vehicles prohibits an employee from driving a city-owned vehicle while under the influence of alcohol."

Which means if you can legally drive a vehicle under the laws we must all follow, you can drive the city vehicle.

@grubby, "Ya got me, Briccos kitchen is open until 1AM"

Which just shows you a liar using false information to support your views.

So if a cop had two beers driving a cruiser, you'd be cool with that? He's still within the legal limits we all must follow. How about the city vehicle/ personal business part? You ignored that. Don't tell me drinking at Briccos counts as city business. Later Mayors lackey!

It doesn't say HOW much booze you can drink. Drink-one drink and you are under the influence alcohol-your not legally drunk but you ARE under the influnce. Shows poor judgement to be having ANY booze and driving city vehicles. Also going to Japan when your city is in a sudden budget crunch doesn't make you look like a winner either. After all less than 2 months everything was fine-now we're 12m short? Didn't notice THAT before the recall?

@grubby, I do not know what the police policies are. Since the mayor is not a policeman and the policy only addressed a city employee that is not law enforcement, stop trying to cloud the discussion with irrelevant statements. It does not matter what I think about police, the police were not drinking.

@olfuzzster, you clearly do not know what "under the influence" means. Legally you are not under the influence until you reach the legal limit. That is why they say people are charged with "Driving under the influence". Under the influence has a specific measure.

And considering the Japan trip is not paid for buy the city and yet I hear he is talking to Firestone officials, seems like the Mayor was making a very wise trip going on this trip.

@ SirTerry - it won't be by seniority...it's an opportunity to clean house.

Akron has made some great quality-of-life improvements in the past 10 years. I hope we can make the necessary trimmings to meet the short-term financial needs without jeopardizing a revitalized downtown, improved schools, and superior cultural offerings.

I doubt 100% of this Japan trip is being paid for from external resource. We all know that Don will turn in some lavish meals and bar tabs on the city expense report.

It seems the majority, mayor non-supporters and even mayor supporters, agree that his staff is bloated. I just hope we lose at least one deputy mayor along with the other layoffs.

@Minna "Revitalized downtown" If you like bars and drinking and an occasional ball game in the summer I guess you can say downtown is revitalized.. but for the average Akronite, a downtown full of bars is hardly a "revitalization"

*Improved schools" I will agree the new building look nice, too bad the education attainment reached in most of those gleaming new buildings is appalling.

"superior cultural offerings" are mainly due to U of Akron, not City of Akron"..

"quality-of-life" has indeed improved for the bad guys, the rest of us stay inside behind locked doors.

@gsmr Any city employee with alcohol on his breath while "on the clock" would get royally reamed out if not dismissed or at least reprimanded, in or out of a city car.

Now I have no problem with the mayor having a few drinks on his own time, that is his business, but once he dons his "mayoral' robes as he tried to do that night then he is "on the clock" with alcohol on his breath, so to speak.

The other question which I do not know if it has been answered is whether of not the mayor actually drove a city owned vehicle that night. I mean after all he may indeed have his own personal vehicle as well as his City vehicle.

GSMR: A person over 21 can be charge with OVI and be under .08 BAC. .08 is the per se level of alcohol (where you are legally intoxicated). Under that level you can still be charged with OVI, although a long-time drunk can usually still function quite well.

Pac Man--there are plenty of liquor licenses available, over fifty just for downtown. Plusquellic controls the game downtown so Wayne's bar, Bricco has limited competition.

Deputy Mayor gain some, be gone! Sorry, but you have been eliminated, cost cutting the Mayor's freak patrol. Get a real job.

@ GSMR
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I usually consider your post well thought out and accurate, but on this one we are going to have to disagree.

I am going to go old school and bring up the Supreme Court case of Goose v. Gander....

I don't think the city would want the position of deciding who was "legal" intoxicated, the ban obviously extends to drink as on whole.

The mayor, city car or no (as I don't know what he was driving) was well with in his rights to call 911 and possible even drive home. When he stepped into his role as "mayor" I believe that is when he crossed the line.

@HONDACBX, you may get charged, but any with a half brain lawyer will get it tossed if you take a breathalyzer and pass.

@JohnGalt, until I see a law saying city employees cannot drink a drop and drive a city vehicle, everyone's posts on here are only stipulation.

@ Gain Some More Realit

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I will leaf through the city vehicle operation manual and see what I can find.

I will also attempt to find where the practice of drinking while on your lunch break is banned.... failing to find that, the first rounds on me

GSMR-sorry but YOU are under the influnece of booze if you have even ONE drink-re-read my post-I didn't say you are going to be charge with ovi but you are under the influence of booze -your not 100%sober. The trip couldn't wait til the budget got straighten out? Also since he didn't want the Lux near riot to turn into another Firestone Park fisaco-should he have stay home-perhaps the police might need to question him-he was a witness to it.

@olfuzzster, "under the influence" is a legal term and it means your blood alcohol content has reached a specific level. There is a reason we have a measurable level. Medicine and science has determined there is a level of alcohol in our blood that does not influence our ability to drive.