Author
|
Post |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The February edition of the east Village News has a hard hitting piece on the Pierce Senior center by kate Cole. This article is a must read for those in this area.
Mike Brown indicated there is a contract in place for the Pierce Park golf course which shares part of the Senior center building. A partition can be opened up to accomadate large gatherings as the Center is rented out for weddings and other events.
However, under the rules promulgated and enforced by the county Senior Services Administrator Lynn Radzilowski, the center has had their county share of the senior millage cut from $113,000 to about $70,000 to $80,000. Radizilowski is a new hire in a newly created position by the county and is paid from the senior millage. There was some confusion about the salary range so she ended up with the highest on the salary range.
Many, like the Bob Leonard Show, warned residents not to vote for this millage using th county as a fiducuary because the implementation of the millage would be sunject to political whims by the county commissioners, some of whom could care less about the City of Flint.
When the county proposed a county wide Parks millage. Genesee County Parks Director Amy McMillen was at least up fornt about how the millage would be used. Every political unit would pay in, but each unit would have to apply for funding for their projects. Naturally, the project went down in smoke.
With the senior millage, agencies serving the elderly poor lobbied for the millage assuming they would get more funding. Not so as every county agency wanting funding had their hand out and more Genesee County bureacracy was created. Now those new positions claim they still don't have enough money.
Shouldn't the sheriff and the prosecutor be prosecuting crimes of abuse and neglect? Why do they need so much money and why is there so few results. we have had a few spectatcular arrests but those were from wealthier out-county victims. I have not seen in the media one elder abuse case in the City of Flint that was prosecuted by these new elder abuse units. Probably, because most of Flint residents are too poor to be concerned with.
And the very poor and the handicapped have not received additional services as promised.
This millage is a boondoggle as far as i am concerned! |
|
|
Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:32 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
An even more ominous sign for the Pierce Center is the Substantial Amendment to the 2011-12 Action Plan regarding the Community Block Development Grant Funds that was published in the Flint Journal on Friday, February 10 2012 (A4).
Originally funded:
Senior centers $125,250
Youth Centers $41,750
Police Activities league $$25,050
New funding:
Crim Foundation Senior centers $83,500
Youth Centers $0
Police Activities League $45,000
What do these changes mean? since the city is only required to post these changes in the newspaper and we have no council meetins where these changes would be discussed, how can anyone know.
Many Flint residents don't read the print paper and these changes are not online, or at least i can't locate them, in the Journal or the City websites. So they will mostly go unnoticed.
This is a good question for concerned citizens to ask in one of the upcoming meetings with Brown.
What is a Crim Foundation Senior center? |
|
|
Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:45 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Other changes involve:
Increased funding for Big Brothers Big Sisters from $30,000 to $60,000.
Human Relations Community Resource Center loses all of their $41, 500 allocation.
Sidewalk replacement drops from $324, 627 to $200,000.
Smith Village Infrastructure increases from $750, 000 to $1,109,927.
(I must confess i have no idea what a pride block is)
Pride Blocks drops from $100,000 to $0
Code enforcement drops from $150,000 to $0. |
|
|
Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:53 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
The new CDBG allocations:
Housing
Ramps $200,000
Citywide Emergency rehab $275,000
Public Improvements
Demolition $200,000
Sidewalks $200,000
Total $925,000 |
|
|
Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:56 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Comments from the public can be made to Suznnw Wilcox, Environmental Officer, City of Flint Department of community and Economic Development (810) 766-7436 x 3011
There obviously is no plan for a public comment plan as in the past.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:59 am |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
I should add that it is my understanding that most of the CDBG funding for senior center can only be used to cover utilities,etc. Tell me if this is incorrect. |
|
|
Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:01 am |
|
|
|