Omaha Forums

That said lets look at this now:

Suttle told everyone he would cut property taxes, but would not say how.  Barely 2 weeks into his term, he raises property taxes.  He then cuts spending from the main entity used to bring out of state money into the city.

From someone who touted his experience as an engineer, I expected something a bit more than "raise taxes" as the solution to our city's budget concerns.  My 6 year old could have come up with that.

24% interest rate on Suttle's SUV

http://omaha.com/article/20090703/NEWS01/707039959

Jim Suttle's aides ignored the first rule of car shopping when picking the new mayor's SUV: Check the fine print.
The result: The lease on Suttle's Dodge Durango hybrid carries an interest rate of 24 percent.

This is a case study in not doing your job.

I don't blame Suttle for selecting a Dodge Durango hybrid, but at some point, someone should have seen the price tag and said "whoa!"  I know city policy has been to lease these vehicles, but things have changed and leasing this vehicle makes no sense.  The answer about "the city can't afford to buy it" makes no sense either.  It's bureacracy run amok.

I met Mayor Suttle last night, at a GLBT social gathering in Dundee.  I give him kudos for showing up (along with at least one state senator).  In chatting with him I mentioned that one way of raising money for the depleted city budget would be to sell portions of Rosenblatt Stadium (bleacher seats, chairs, bricks, etc.).  It sounded from his response that he had never thought about that.  He mentioned that he would look into it, but said that the salvage contract had already probably been signed and he thought that the zoo was going to be the benefactor of that.  That would also be okay, I suppose, but the city should have, um, covered the bases, on this issue long ago.  I think that easily a couple hundred thousand dollars could be raised to defer other city expenses with such a sale.

Big E wrote:24% interest rate on Suttle's SUV

http://omaha.com/article/20090703/NEWS01/707039959

Jim Suttle's aides ignored the first rule of car shopping when picking the new mayor's SUV: Check the fine print.
The result: The lease on Suttle's Dodge Durango hybrid carries an interest rate of 24 percent.

This is a case study in not doing your job.

As I said above:

joeglow wrote:

cdub wrote: Its the financing that makes it 63K.  Nobody thinks the vehicle had a sticker price of that.  

Really?  Assuming it is a $45,000 vehicle and we get to own the vehicle after the 4 years, that works out to almost 16% a year.  If we have to pay to own the vehicle after that period, it is an even higher rate.  Has our credit, as a city, dropped so much that the bum in the park could get a better rate than us.

Regardless of if this is "small" or not, something wrong is going on here.

look for the recall petitions to start in 5 months (probably the day after the mandatory 6 month waiting period for recalls).

look for the recall petitions to start in 5 months (probably the day after the mandatory 6 month waiting period for recalls).

omahastylee459 wrote:

look for the recall petitions to start in 5 months (probably the day after the mandatory 6 month waiting period for recalls).

Say what you want. but there have been a ton of callers into KFAB stating just this and Becka is calling for it after this.

I would sign it.  This from the guy he has not yet hired a finance director and says he does not need one right now (after he said, while sitting on the city council, he didn't realize the city had any budget issues).  The guy is flat out incompetent and too many people voted for him simply because of the D behind his name.

nativeomahan wrote:  It sounded from his response that he had never thought about that.  

Sounds like his response to anyone I've ever known to ask him a question about anything. He's a goddam retard.

Since most of the radio shows today were "best of" and what not, I turned on KFAB.  The guy brought up an interesting point about Suttle's arrogance.

1.  Matt Samp - His firing, "just political BS" - no questions taken
2.  Matt Samp's firing,  read statement - no questions taken
3.  Pay freezes, city workers take 4 year freeze, he takes two year freeze.
4.  The Durango with a 24% Apr - but he doesn't need a financial adviser.

What happen to "I'm an Engineer, I listen to people and make the best decision", not it just seems, I am going to do what ever the heck I want.

Brad wrote: 3.  Pay freezes, city workers take 4 year freeze, he takes two year freeze.

Mind you, this is AFTER he gave all his people 2-4 years worth of raises in their starting salaries over what Fahey's staff was making.

joeglow wrote:The guy is flat out incompetent and too many people voted for him simply because of the D behind his name.

People flat out voted for him simply because he wasn't Daub.

Big E wrote:

joeglow wrote:The guy is flat out incompetent and too many people voted for him simply because of the D behind his name.

People flat out voted for him simply because he wasn't Daub.

Probably.  That post was the Ralston Beer Garden speaking.

joeglow wrote:

Big E wrote:

joeglow wrote:The guy is flat out incompetent and too many people voted for him simply because of the D behind his name.

People flat out voted for him simply because he wasn't Daub.

Probably.  That post was the Ralston Beer Garden speaking.

Coherency in drunk post? I don't believe it!

DTO Luv wrote:Coherency in drunk post? I don't believe it!

I think my drunk and your drunk are a bit different.  :D

joeglow wrote:I think my drunk and your drunk are a bit different.  :D

I think DTO's Drunk and all the rest of us are a bit different!

Brad wrote:

joeglow wrote:I think my drunk and your drunk are a bit different.  :D

I think DTO's Drunk and all the rest of us are a bit different!

Amateurs all.

Big E wrote:Amateurs all.

Says the guy that complemented me on my composure while completely inebriated...

Brad wrote:

Big E wrote:Amateurs all.

Says the guy that complemented me on my composure while completely inebriated...

Are you flirting with me?

Big E wrote:Are you flirting with me?

No, that would be D'Shawn.

Suttle's great decision making on display yet again. Hires a former HDR guy for planning director and gives him a fat $40K+ raise over outgoing Steve Jensen's pay.

"Cunningham's salary will be $185,000. Jensen's is $143,500.

Suttle today defended Cunningham's pay. “You find good people. You pay them well, and you get out of the way.”

He acknowledged the city's “horrible” financial problems but said the city needs good talent to realize its “bright future.”


Link to the full Omaha World Herald article.....

http://omaha.com/article/20090706/NEWS01/707069898

the1wags wrote:Suttle's great decision making on display yet again. Hires a former HDR guy for planning director and gives him a fat $40K+ raise over outgoing Steve Jensen's pay.

"Cunningham's salary will be $185,000. Jensen's is $143,500.

Suttle today defended Cunningham's pay. “You find good people. You pay them well, and you get out of the way.”

He acknowledged the city's “horrible” financial problems but said the city needs good talent to realize its “bright future.”


Link to the full Omaha World Herald article.....

http://omaha.com/article/20090706/NEWS01/707069898

Whoa whoa whoa! Lets not be so quick to condemn the mayor. Let me find out how close of a relative this guy is and then we'll bust out the pitchforks.

Sincerely,
D'Shawn Cunningham

the1wags wrote:Suttle's great decision making on display yet again. Hires a former HDR guy for planning director and gives him a fat $40K+ raise over outgoing Steve Jensen's pay.

"Cunningham's salary will be $185,000. Jensen's is $143,500.

Suttle today defended Cunningham's pay. “You find good people. You pay them well, and you get out of the way.”

He acknowledged the city's “horrible” financial problems but said the city needs good talent to realize its “bright future.”


Link to the full Omaha World Herald article.....

http://omaha.com/article/20090706/NEWS01/707069898

The problem is that no matter how great he is, there will be a sizable drop off.  Also, they could have easily found someone with actual city planning department experience, even from a great city that we aspire to emulate, and paid less dough.  I hope he lives up to the salary.

Obviously Suttle just doesn't get it:

From wowt.com:
There's mounting criticism over what Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle is paying the people he hired himself. The latest example is the salary given to a secretary turned office manager.

Channel Six News has learned the mayor is paying his secretary $68,000. Former Mayor Fahey's made around $47,000. The woman had been a city council staffer making considerably less.

Link to the full article: http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/50536632.html

Who does he think he is? Paying a secretary (or even an office manager) $68,000- most office managers don't even make that in the private sector.  Is this the first time he's ever managed a budget or hired someone? I'm all for paying people what they are worth, but it is important to pay them in the market range for the position.

Sorry, it just blows my mind that he is cutting back library hours, closing pools, talking about selling golf courses, etc. but he has the nerve to get an expensive hybrid SUV and pay everyone he is hiring well above the market rate for their positions.

I agree Regis. I tried (and still am) to be optimistic about Suttle, but he's already off to a REALLY bad start.

I know, I'm growing to despise him more and more.

But, his people are taking a pay freeze.  Of course, I would as well.....right after you gave me a 50% raise.

Well suttle is finding money to pay for the salaries.  He is closing all swimming pools one week earlier than planned and shutting down a summer program called Sun Dogs --- savings $75,000.Guess that pays for a couple of those new staff member raises.  :roll:

Does everyone have their pitchforks and torches ready?

I have to wonder how Fahey or Daub would handle this budget crunch before I completely slam Jim Simple, but I can't for the life of me think that either of those two would have been giving their staff such significant raises as they have. And certainly not 2 months into their jobs.

Any guesses as to when the Suttle recall effort will begin?   By spring will be my vote.

Uffda wrote:Well suttle is finding money to pay for the salaries.  He is closing all swimming pools one week earlier than planned and shutting down a summer program called Sun Dogs --- savings $75,000.Guess that pays for a couple of those new staff member raises.  :roll:

I'm all for the closing down of pools and the SunDawgs program to save money, but his staff raises make every cost cutting initiative suspect.  The city council has to approve these measures, do they not? I would hope the city council would stone-wall any of his measures until he brings his staff's salary back down.  If someone could tell me if that is feasible, I'll start writing letters to the city council right now.

I think each department is responsible for "selecting" where budget cuts take place, after they're told by how much to cut.  I don't think the City Council has anything to do with that process.

I saw on the news over lunch that these plans were actually instituted by Fahey before leaving office

I'm seriously starting to get concerned about how Omaha will fare under this idiot's term. My optimism is fading fast.  :(

I am on a sabbatical from hammering him.  While he has done nothing positive yet, I have vowed to wait and see.

Just from a leadership perspective- if you are asking all of your departments/managers to trim their budgets, yet you (as the leader) don't trim yours... it looks very suspect and is a very quick way to lose the respect of your subordinates. For the people who are accepting the high salaries, it will make their job even harder because their subordinates will look at them and wonder why they are not making any sacrifices when everyone else is sacrificing something. I think this could really impact Suttle's effectiveness with the city work force, even after things start getting better.

Looks like he finally found a finance director.  I figured he'd get someone from EZ Check but he may have done better.  He is paying twice what the old one made though.  Nice work!

He must be using the swimming pool savings to pay some of the $80,000 increase in salary

What the |expletive| kind of dumbfuk logic is Suttle using? The city finances are in dire times so I'll nearly double the pay of the person to fix it becuase it's critical??? It's her job to do it whether she makes $100,000 or $180,000!

Also if she does fix the budget is she going to take an $80,000 pay cut because she did her job? Or is she going to want get an increase for the job well done?

His whole logic in hiring people has been to get the right people in the job. But how the |expletive| does he know they're going to be worth the added expense when they haven't even done anything yet? What's going to happen years down the road when those people want raises? What's going to happen when those people quit and the new guy wants to come in at even more than the old guy did?

Jim Suttle is a f*cking retard.

Uffda wrote:He must be using the swimming pool savings to pay some of the $80,000 increase in salary

That's what I thought.