But go and look around a little closer; there are some other insurers that have been allowed into the State. Dig a little my Vienna neighbor. It should make you proud to know your very high costs help to offset the deals made with the various Governmental entities that almost without exception go back to the same company year after year. If your premium is more than $100/ month for your family, you should be working for Vienna. It gets great rates.
I earlier noted my expectation of a double digit increase this year. Well it almost happened but my insurance added the Self Plus One that has been so lucrative for Vienna at $30/ month premium. Mine only increase by 8.45% for next year instead of the 10.58% on my old plan with my insurer. Now I am going to pay almost $300/ month for my coverage. That on top of no Cost of Living Increases for me and all the rest of the Federal Retirees. This being the 3rd time in 6 years. But as Ms. Smith, City Council Member said the $728. they received two years ago and was part of the $3,000 on 1 July this year is NOT a raise. Boy, I can bet all the Federal folks would loved to have "not gotten" that raise?
So Mr. Schwartz, don't just blame Obamacare for your increases; some of it is used to offset the State/ County/ City plans I would suspect. After all, someone has to pay?
Noted last Mar (2015), that West Virginia is the number 6 of the worst 10 States for spending your Tax Dollars. Number 22 in Taxes and number 46 in government services. Another record we should be proud of? Yet, as you should all know, the Taxes be a goin' up? The Fire Board Fee is about to go to press with the County Commission. The State is thinking way too hard on a 1% Sales Tax for the Counties? And as we are finding out painfully each time we see another report on State finances, it is going deeper and deeper into the hole for this fiscal year on top of what went south last fiscal year.
Also see where WVU- P got ate up on their Purchasing Protocols for 2012- 2014. The usual suspects: No Competitive Bidding; Not even bid out (these are called sole sourcing and is usually connected to "sweetheart deals"?) and finally not even any paperwork? The Public Evaluation Research Division for the State should be commended for their findings. While it ran into the millions on expenditures, Mr. Lampkin, the new President at WVU-P says no hanky panky went on. With no paperwork or bidding, how could he truly know? I smell "put the best face on a mess that he could" song? I question but Mr. Lampkin was not honest in his comments? These attempts are usually called "damage control" and maybe why he is now the new President?
Now if one changes the WVU_P to Vienna; same music, just different words. Things here are just as bad OR worse. I have noted this several times. Allow me to comment some on the Health Insurance. For at least 13 years the same carrier got an automatic renewal each year. In 2013 when I began asking questions about Mr. Rapp's policy and the fact that it was NOT being bid per State Law is when the City started the round the Mayberry pole tricks. That is right I said "Mayberry" for some good reasons. And one of them that I don't buy into is that the people of Vienna are stupid.
See where the Legislature is going to try and unhorse common core for the kids? WOW, it will be one of the best things that could happen IF and I repeat IF they go back to teaching them the basics. Some of you know of what I speak? Simple but effective Readin', Ritin' and 'rithmatic. The kids need better if they are to do better. Kinda suspect the Teachers Unions and any other Administrative Unions in the Schools are going to fight this? They now have too much meat left on the bone to cross the National Union and Mr. Obama and his crew? I would like to be wrong on this; but the retired teachers and administrators who have made second careers in the Legislature are going to go in lockstep as they are told.
Pretty sure those of us taking the PN&S in any capacity just got our sweet letter advising yet another increase with each renewal as we go along. Actually has been for a while, I just got my letter Monday the 16th. Could not quite get the numbers to match and will easily admit I am not very smart so fired off an email to Mr. Spanner, who is in charge of Operations. He sent my letter to a Mr. Tranquill, who lo and behold actually called me!! At the end of the call I sincerely thanked him for the contact. And I meant it!
I have tried to talk to him before via phone and email, but never a sigh back in my direction. Very friendly, which surprised me since he noted very, very busy at paper and under staffed. Well long and the short was not just the $5- 6 more dollars for a Sunday only each 6 months but the $.21 a day for the Plus Digital access. So my $52/ 6 months suddenly went to $100/ 6 months. Pretty healthy increase for something that has minimal use.
He noted what I had been watching for almost a year and that was take the Sunday only and on some days, one could go to the digital side and see that daily paper. Now he was doing this because he now knew people, I think were dropping the daily for just the Sunday only? This was really one of the few benefits of taking the paper. The chance to go to the daily as a freebie or so he thought . Afraid of losing about a $1 million/ year in subscriptions if we all got smart?
Now he was more than willing to sign me up even for the daily and Sunday on the spot at the $214/ year rate to include the Plus Digital access. Value here to him is I could go to my Cellphone/ IPad/ Tablet or whatever to access the paper anywhere/ anytime. Only problem for me is I don't have any of the above. A landline and a Desktop works fine for me. So I guess I will have to go to a 7 day delivery for the paper OR Sunday only and use the Library? Sadly this paper with its visibility to do so much good is not really much more to a bird lover than canary carpeting? At least it seems for the Vienna folks?
Notice I did not say NEWS; the paper is so poor on reporting what is going on in Vienna that I have noted several times its perceived limited value to Vienna? Great for pap and crap; but not much truth in what is alleged to be really going on here? I have said that over and over. This blog is the most honest source of ANYTHING that is really going on some times in some areas. I am a little biased but this is what I call "Truth in Advertising".
This is a great, wonderful, fine Community per the people who are living here. The local City Council and some of the Department Heads have such limited value that they should be encouraged to seek success in a new area out side of Vienna Government. Not going to say any names or positions at the moment. But the never ending FOIAs I do show who is naughty and who is nice? Lotta coal going into stockings again this year.
Now I have it on what I would consider impeccable sources that at the City Council Meeting on the 12th while in the Executive Session, one of the session attendees was told to "shut up". Not quite Roberts Rules of Order, but it works for Himself if challenged on anything? The session was supposedly called because of our old friend, the John Mansville project? I am really not so sure after the disharmony that occurred?
Will for sure be interesting on the 19th when they have their next meeting to see if anyone comes and talks to me? No film at 11, but for sure the Truth.
This is easy, no one talked to me. Why? Because the Council Meeting was cancelled due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. This on the 19th? Wasn't cancelled on the City Website Calendar? No notice anywhere UNLESS one walked up to the Door going into the Council Chambers. Now, I know I am usually the only true outsider in these meetings. Most of the "audience" are Department Heads and sycophants. And interestingly enough, they are all notified of the Meeting status. We are fortunate that sometimes, and I mean sometimes, others will take an interest in the City if only for a single meeting while pursuing an individual agenda. To me this is just another slap in the face to the Community. It will advise those who are considered important; the rest can go to Hell.
Let me end on a note of good stuff. On the 13th of March, we get to go back onto Daylight Savings Time (DST). We are closer and closer to doing away with Standard Time; even for the little while we have it now. Can not understand, how the U.S., managed to get along for hundreds of years on Standard Time? ' nuff said.