Nice to see some checks and balances in King Don's empire.

I wonder if Mayor Don had to raise his right hand and 'swear that the testimony he was about to offer was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God'?

How embarrassing it would be for him to be removed from office due to lying in this kind of proceeding after years of being allowed to lie to the residents and media when he wasn't under oath.

Good one, Overtaxed Voter.

So if the civil service commission rules in favor of the firefighters, do they return to work?

Overtaxed Voter post:I wonder if Mayor Don had to raise his right hand and 'swear.He swears without raising his right hand.He doesn't know truth from a lie anyway.The Civil Service Commission has its place in Hell for to dare to question Don Decision.

daniel POST:So if the civil service commission rules in favor of the firefighters, do they return to work? YES.

Where are the 21 new police hires we were promised during the FOP voting to support the recall or not?

I hope the Beacon has a huge story when the outside accountant testifies. HUGE. I have to say, the ABJ has been impressing me lately. Nice to see them try to keep our elected officials in check, even a little bit.

Overtaxed Voterpost:How embarrassing it would be for him to be removed from office due to lying in this kind of proceeding.The dumb people of akron would blame the Civil Service Commission instead of the Mayor for lying,And would keep him.

@J

I think the ABJ realizes that Don's rule is nearing its end. That and the mayor being in trouble sells those papers.

Here is the lie detector question for the Don
"Were his lips moving?"
Nuff said.

It’s a shame: that we, the Government; of this Representative Republic; elect Representatives; that refuse; to comply; with demands; of Natural Law: what Mother Nature, God, or Whatever Power decreed to be the reality of the real world, God, democracy, capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce.
Demanding every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church; markets the cost; in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; Of government employees; every workers, consumers, and taxpayers living (including pension and health care); enabling parents to love, nurse, nurture, discipline, protect, and provide for every child (job) they conceive; and fund schools, infrastructure, national security, government services, and etc.; with money; derived from the $7.30 per hour; government mandated labor wage or independent business profit.
And demands; Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and Americas grandchildren’s children; fund unemployed workers, casino, lottery, and keno losers, aliens, waitresses that pander for life for $2.00 per hour; insubordinate, low-income; volunteers without wages; nonunion parasites willing to work for fewer wages than they can afford life; and righteous; with a faith-based belief; that it’s a sin; to engage in free, fair, and affordable commerce; or get an agreement (union contract); With a corporation, business, Government, or nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization, or Church; Agreeing to comply with realities demands; Paying with welfare checks, food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid.
This defiance of realities demands; created the $40 trillion social security and the $9.3 trillion national debt. America’s grandchildren’s children are responsible to pay; Foreign and Domestic Investors and Stockholders interest on this debt!

Being Mayor of a big city like Akron is equivalent to being a professional quarterback. When times are good, you are praised... and when times are bad, you are condemned. The fact of the matter is every city in Ohio is in the same fix. Four of Akron's five unions, including the FOP, "got it." That is - they accepted cutbacks because the simple fact is that income taxes are down and everything in the budget that can be cut has been cut. Only the firefighters decided that they were "too good" to accept a single concession. If they had put off receiving their bonus ($700,000 in November) for two years, not a single firefigter would have been laid off.

Louis, I don't disagree with the gist of your post. But people forget that during the bad times, the current leaders have still been spending our money like it was the height of the good times. $800,000 ( okay $795,00 ) for wireless internet downtown? Was that really needed? That was just earlier this year. There's a handful of other similar boondoggles. They are the ones in charge, they should take the blame.

=======================
Louis_Debose wrote:

the simple fact is that income taxes are down and everything in the budget that can be cut has been cut.
=======================

Really?

According to the new "Open Book" portion of the City's new finance dept web page, as of the period ending October 28, 2009:


Office of the Mayor

2008 Actual: $2,997,742

2009 Original Budget: $3,179,320
($181,578 increase adopted March 9, 2009)

2009 Revised Budget: $3,261,119
(Additional $81,799 increase on top of increase adopted on March 9, 2009)


Page 4 of 4 in document linked below:

http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/finance/2009%203rd%20Quarter%20Report.pdf

Louis_Debose post: The fact of the matter is every city in Ohio is in the same fix.
PLAIN DEALER OPINION:
When Jackson came into office in January 2006, he inherited a budget that had been held together through four years of economic anemia by the fiscal equivalents of rubber bands and duct tape and by a slew of unpopular layoffs. Rather than complain, he set about putting the city's financial house in order.
For the first time since George V. Voinovich was mayor, Jackson asked the business community to work with city employees to improve operations. Each year of his term, he has instructed his department heads to do more with less. Even before the economy cratered last year, he was telling anyone who would listen that harder times were coming and that City Hall had better be ready.
Now, the wisdom of his approach is obvious. While other cities raise taxes, hand out pink slips or slash services, Jackson is using accumulated savings to keep Cleveland operating as its citizens expect and deserve.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson Wins 2nd Term
By The Associated Press 11/04/09 - 11:31 AM EST
CLEVELAND (AP) — Mayor Frank Jackson won a second four-year term by a landslide margin Tuesday, capitalizing on his campaign boast of maintaining city services and avoiding tax increases amid a recession that hurt the city's manufacturing-dependent economy.The City of Cleveland has avoided layoffs by saving money through increased efficiency.SO your love don't blame Don statment is not true.Cleveland is twice as big as Akron.

KING DON, RECALL THYSELF!

FALL ON THY SWORD MY GOOD FELLOW!

@ Louis_Debose - Two things you got wrong. Not all of the unions voted to accept the city's proposals, and the money isn't a bonus.

It'd be nice if people who support the mayor in this issue, would get their facts straight before they spoke.

Just think. If the city hadn't shelled out the money for Summa's Acute care center, Youngs Restaurant, and the Howe House, No one would have gotten laid off, and the city would have had some money left over in the kitty

If he was emotional and getting choked up, maybe Don is going through "the change". Anyone notice if he had one of those battery operated hand-held fans with him to ward off hot flashes? Give him a break folks, it ain't easy being hormonal and run a city into the ground.

Let's not forget the Spicer Village condos that the city helped pay for. I hear that was a wise investment.

@stephend6 - Where are the 21 new police hires we were promised during the FOP voting to support the recall or not?

That is why many people voted against the recall because the mayor supported hiring police. Our neighborhood is really bad.

We need the new police class and the laid off firefighters on the streets. I know there are at least 21 candidates with signed job offers and there are a lot of police about to retire. We need to get the new class trained before everyone retires and before the list expires. I really hope something comes about from this hearing.

And why is the City of Akron in financial trouble? Here are a couple of reasons:

The City has expended to date . . . . on the Howe House Relocation project
the sum of $2,335,186.00

The City has expended to date . . . . . on the Young's Restaurant Project the sum of $828,441.37

I haven't figured out how far that money, had it not been foolishly wasted, would have gone to retain those firemen, but it's just an example of Plusquellic's ineptitude.

The reporter says that Plusquellic got choked up when discussing the fireman layoff. What a sad sack he is.

R M Kraus
Akron

Gauer and his cry babies should have taken the concessions if they're so concerned about their bretherin.

I wonder.. if the hearing sides with the firefighters, and they go back to work, and there was not a shortfall if they can go back and look at our police situation and use the 5.7 million federal grant akron got to hire the new police class?

I feel for the firefighters, but the reality is the union gambled and lost and so did a fine young class of firefighters. Greed? Maybe. It is a shame no concessions were made in this very challenging economic environment. Yes the other unions made concessions and that made all the difference. I find it comical when many post about specific city expenditures with no understanding of budgeting and how certain items are funded. Gang......cut backs are being made across the nation...that is a reality. The Mayor cares deeply about this city plain and simple. The civil service commission has to hold this hearing, but it will change nothing. The ABJ in its reporting I feel is showing the passion the Mayor has and how he does not take these decisions lightly. This is great reporting. Lastly, most of you posting would not last and hour as Mayor…..you would go home a cry. Don has done a amazing jo

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller

XD40...

What?

Have "The Don" admit that he was wrong?

It will never happen.

Gauer is doing something the rest of the city workers are afraid to do and that is to stand up to a blubbering Mayor . If it is one thing Akron doesn't need is a shortage of firemen or policemen in an era arson and crime. They are an asset to the community unlike most of the politicians who just drain the coffers for their own pleasures.

Didn't the firemen vote against concessions that would have stopped the layoff of 38 of them? The 38 laid off firemen should be asking why their colleagues voted them out of a job, instead of trying to blame the mayor.

SlamOne...

The Firefighters have a CONTRACT with the City. It is up to the CITY to PROVE that there was no alternative to breaking the contract, not the other way around.

@ Louis_Debose

Only the firefighters decided that they were "too good" to accept a single concession. If they had put off receiving their bonus ($700,000 in November) for two years, not a single firefigter would have been laid off.

Why would the firefighters be "too good" to accept a reasonable concession? First of all, they didnt only have to defer their longevity payments to avoid any layoffs. There was a lot more to it than that. The city also wanted the new class of firefighters to take a two week unpaid furlough between the time of proposed layoffs and the end of this year. Is that a fair bargain? I dont think it is for them, I didnt hear about police officers having to take unpaid furlough time as part of their concessions, so why would the fire union agree to that? Check you facts before posting

Also, great article and sound clips about the hearing on akronnewsnow. Check it out! My favorite is what Miller-Dawson said about the unemployment. If every laid off person had a job and didnt need unemployment would they really be fighting this issue of the layoffs?

http://akronnewsnow.com/news/itemdetail.asp?ID=35898&section=news&subsection=localnews&title=AUDIO_Akron_Firefighter_Layoffs_Subject_of_He

Why are there so many arrogant, condescending, ill-mannered people in Akron...mayors, judges, attorneys and clergymen? Perhaps they just want to be big fish in a little pond.

the don what a joke may he choke on all his lies.

Here we go again akronisdynamic, you are so ignorant, the fact of the matter is the mayor and his finance director are lying and have been way before the layoffs, that is why they are having to try to explain themselves now. You know the next step will be in a court of law because we all know how the kangaroo court of the civil service commission works. Can you answer me one question? Who picks the civil service commissioners? I was part of the negotiations prior to the layoffs. we made several offers to make concessions but were denied because it wasn't what the city wanted. The talks ended when the city refused to give us a number of what they needed back for concessions.
We know,as do the police,that the city is just negotiating our contract through all these politics.
The city hates COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. Louis-Dubous
let me know if ASCME ever ratified there vote on concessions. Mr. Kraus glad to see you are finally seeing the truth

Somebody says that everyone across the country is in trouble, so we, here in Akron, should not feel bad.

Somebody says that the mayor feels deeply about this city plain and simple.

It's plain and simple that Plusquellic got Akron into the mess that it is.

So, let's all get together and have a pity party and cry our eyes out.

rmk/akron

Wait until the January water bill gets here,if you want to see anger and contempt for this Mayor

Maybe if the Beacon printed just the facts about what goes on in Akron; the people would be able to distinguish who did what and we would know who to believe.

Times will get better...but thank goodness in the mean time we have Don as our Mayor. We are FAR better off then most cities in the state and nation. He is bold and makes tought decisions.

Herbert B. Swope:
I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.

Referring back to the story the other day of Summit County auditing their insurance coverage and Akron "pursuing" an audit of their own...they should have done all the auditing BEFORE the layoffs. How can they claim it was a necessity if they they've never audited a huge expense like insurance premiums? Payroll & benefits are probably the highest percentage of their budget to begin with.

Most of these Don supporters posting on here think he actually cares about the city more than he does about lining his own pockets. He is a liar, a drunk, and I'm sure he is probably corrupt.

Yawn........ just another BS story about the Mayor and idiots like Akronisdynamic blogging and praising him like he single handedly save Akron. You sir need to come up for air

Isn't time he takes another "economic development" vaca-err trip to bring business back to Akron?

Not nice dduckster.

Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies.
Elizabeth E. Bowen

Akronisdynamic probably is the Mayor....Nobody can love Don that much except Don himself lol

The guy with the quotes is a more than perfect . . . . . . . . you fill in any fitting word than you can think of . . . . . . I put in fool.

A lot of the problems stem from the City's lack of a plan. Is the Beacon going to report the actually "savings" of laying off the firefighters.

First, up till the day before the layoffs the City and Fire Administration had no idea exactly who was getting laid off. Basically, they forgot to count the guy serving his country over sees, but that spare someone else.

Second, the City instituted a policy where by "compensatory time" was given in lieu of Over-time, thus saving the City money in the short term. However, when this time was banked, the Firefighters were being paid at a lower rate. When they were laid off, the City had to pay them for this time, at their current rates. The net effect is the City paid more in the long run.

Third, DMD is offer her rocker... Not take unemployment. Is the job market so great, that you can just leave on job and fall into another? The City is self-insured, they pay DOLLAR for DOLLAR everything that these former employees get in unemployment.

The question is how much did the City "Save" compared to what they were asking for?

Can the University just take over the city? They seem more capable.

oooh hey, I Don Prusquerric I dont need some dumb royer ask me why I rayoff!

@stephend6, before you again use Cleveland as the model of how things are done, how are a few highlights from just the last couple of days:
* announced a budget gap that could be as high as $50 million for 2010
* 100 homicides already this year, only 102 all of last year

Ohio.com don't censore me it is not coo and you are lame.

====================
Akron TOOL
akron, oh
Posted 10:03 PM, 11/12/2009

oooh hey, I Don Prusquerric I dont need some dumb royer ask me why I rayoff!
=====================

LMFAO!!!

The PEOPLE of Akron suffer at the hands of this miserable, drunk.
I hope that Demo Don NEVER has to call 911 if his home is on fire.
When will this circus end?

How many white shirts were laid off in Don Plusquellic's office? All I know is when my house is on fire or I'm faced with a sudden medical emergency, I call 911 and not Don's office, home, or his favorite watering hole. The taxpayers of Akron are being deceived by letting him layoff Police and Fire/Medics. They provide an essential service as opposed to the suits who collect big salaries and do noting but attend meetings and try and justify their worthless jobs.

Plusquellic has a friend? Who ... Jack Daniels?

TinaB, Your mistaken if you think Plusquellic has only one friend. He has multiple friends beside Jack Daniels and they include Jim Beam, George Dickel, Hiram Walker, Colonel Lee, Old Grand Dad, Erza Brooks, and last but not least, Bud Weiser. Please don't discredit our honorable mayor by insinuating he has only one friend.

Akron TOOL: LOL! So off color and off topic that I couldn't help but laugh. Thanks for that.

akronisdynamic
Posted 05:03 PM, 11/12/2009
"Lastly, most of you posting would not last and hour as Mayor…..you would go home a cry. Don has done a amazing jo"
You seem to be missing some keys.

I smell a FBI probe coming, I hope!!

Forget "Emporer Don"- everybody knows he's gone too far & he can't hide it except from his zombie-like followers. What about the Finance director?? In the initial article posted Miller-Dawson couldn't provide reasonable answers as to the finances-How can you say you have a "Deficit" when you cannot advise what formula you used to reach that conclusion tgat you're broke?

Typo "that you're broke"

OK... here is the harsh reality. There are a few of you that post on every article, rant and rave the mayor is no good, got you hopes up that a recall would pass, get a sense you are gaining momentum, but in the end you know you are a handful of bitter folks that post and represent a very small minority in Akron. Look, most of the city is happy with the Mayor and the state of the city. This is a great town. Simple. I know for you folks it is frustrating because it seems nothing touches the Mayor....but there is nothing out there to touch him. He is respected at a state and national level. While you sit and post he is admired and that drives you crazy does it not.

This bit from the Plain Dealer I feel is a great explanation of what describes what you folks want-
We don't want a mayor with guts and vision. We don't need a mayor who understands that decaying, rust belt cities desperately need someone who floats big ideas -- someone who isn't afraid to fail. We want one of those dime-a-dozen mayors who do little or nothing significant -- but do it politely and rarely offend.

”Big thinking precedes great achievement”
- Wilfred Peterson

=============================
AkronIsDynamic posted:

I know for you folks it is frustrating because it seems nothing touches the Mayor....but there is nothing out there to touch him.

He is respected at a state and national level.
=============================

And exactly how many dollars did 'Mr. Respected By' bring home towards the $2-3-4-5-600 Million sewer repairs?

@Overtaxed Voter- Apparently, the Federal EPA had no idea who they were dealing with.

akronisdynamic:

Don't speak for us or tell us what we want. You cannot know, as you haven't had an original thought since you first sipped the Plusquellic Kool-Aid.

As easily dismissed as a person is for blindly hating the mayor regardless of circumstance, you are equally easily dismissed for blindly supporting every move he makes. Your opinion simply doesn't matter, since it's the exact same every time.

Just wanted to save you the trouble of posting such lengthy entries in the future. No need to thank me.

Socks

Don is a big thinking Mayor, not your average Joe. My point is this....no matter who is in office...in time many of the folks that post will complain because they are simply unhappy people. Akron is a shinning light in a nation with crumbling urban areas. I do not think everything the Mayor does is perfect by any means...but when looking at Akron comparatively and what he has accomplished the forest looks good. If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they get so caught up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger picture.

@Akronis...: You cannot convince some people not to touch the hot stove. Most of these folks will never understand the true nature of Don's work, or worth.

@anyone that thinks AkronIsDynamic is the mayor: You are mistaken. AkronIsDynamic is a friend of mine; he ain't the mayor. You people JUST HATE IT when he posts those GREAT quotes. Bag off y'all.

akron sucks.i do not obbey the law according to the police,i obbey according to the thugs.avoiding them and ignoring the police works fine.besides,akron leaders are working to get rich from the casinos and wont let police do thier jobs.100 years from now people will look back and it will be clear that there were people controlling things to make a prophet.manwhile,the people of akron suffer.the leaders in ohio resemble the mafia,using the police as thier cronies.after all theese years we still havent changed and never will.when we come to this conclusion that people will always have to be held accountable,maybe we will make progress.untill then we will continue to be lied to and cheated by our governmental leaders.akron sucks

do they post comments anymore.

I heard that akronisdynamics computer was traced back to dave leiberths office

dduckster,

Why does your town still read "Akron, OH?". You said you were moving after the recall trouncing.

=========================
stleo
akron, oh
Posted 11:48 AM, 11/13/2009

@anyone that thinks AkronIsDynamic is the mayor: You are mistaken. AkronIsDynamic is a friend of mine; he ain't the mayor. You people JUST HATE IT when he posts those GREAT quotes. Bag off y'all.
==========================

Marco Sommerville has spoken lol

stleo...you are the man.


f.f.whocares...you got me. Darn it.

Johnboy

That is funny. lol

Many of the laid-off firefighters attended the hearing.

Perhaps they should also attend the city of Akron's upcoming holiday activities!!

Sheriff's Dept is next!

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."

"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand."

"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."

"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."

"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."

"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.


Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change

Dang, my brother! That was GREAT! Way to go.(Not that the foolish will stop talking junk.)

The lady knows how to read Mr. Mayor, but does your Finance Director know how to too add or subtract? The best answer to a budget question is “I don’t know.” Thus the city has been put into a major risk in my opinion.
Do you know why there were all those firefighter’s there? They for once wanted to see you squirm and worm your way out of answers. You had all those rookies train till the end and then all of a sudden it’s hit the road? What a lapse in judgment, this had to have been seen coming. You just cannot miss how many million?
But the fallacy of it al is when you show such emotional deceit it is pathetic. Can you not even stand up and be a man about it? But this is the same old thing, just a different day.
One other thing I notice is you can sure dish it but cannot take it.

Im getting hooched at the Firehouse grill.

@akronisdynamic:

But, if I may ask old wise one ...

If I am the pencil then why am I so vehemently cursed at when held by a golfer?

ScottyBoy

lol

I have a photo of Mayor Don on my nightstand. When I awake from a restful night of slumber, I roll over and see the Mayor first thing in the morning. It is then taht I know I am safe for the rest of the day.

these fire fighters millionaires who do nothing every day are the enemies of the taxpayers. they should be arrested for grand larceny every time they collect a paycheck. they laugh at the taxpayers even though they feign heroics. the closest they come to a fire is when they watch towering inferno and fight amongst themselves who gets the lazyboy.