ABOUT THOSE PIQUES

Yesterday someone sent in this comment: “Make like my mother: If you don't have something nice to say about someone don't say anything at all."

Since Thursday blog was a list of 7 subjects that I wante3d to write about, but couldn’t find enough political correct wording; I was going to postpone anything about all those critical matters.

The rest of the blog was a series of personal piques. Thus I have no idea what anon was referring to in his comment.

Well tonight I can’t find anything nice to write about Congress, the Republicans, the Democrats and even the President.

It is one week before the end of this fiscal year and except for the Senators and Representatives salaries; Medicare Medicaid, and Social Security payments no one will get a check unless a new even temporary authorization is passed.

On October 15 the country will be forced to default on its entire obligation! Imagine what will happen to our money, savings and the world’s economy.

Oh don’t worry; our statesmen have a great at the last minute solution to prevent that happening; just raise the debt ceiling once again. They will never have to pay it off and the fact that our investments and savings will become worthless is not their problem.   

At present all of the measures tied to the debt-ceiling increase have passed the Republican-controlled House before, only to be ignored by the Senate.  

Don’t place all the blame on those dastardly Republicans who refuse to cut taxes but want a decrease in funding government sponsored programs including entitlements. The Democrats who are a minority in the House but a majority in the Senate are adamant about not reducing by even 1% any federally funded social program and want to raise taxes on the ‘rich”. Of course their definition of rich goes back to perhaps the 1950’s value of the dollar.

The word compromise does not belong in any politician’s politically correct dictionary; to use it would lose credibility with the voters back home.

That is why such needed fiscal bills to impact on next year’s budget like the “Farm Bill” which carries major benefits to farmers, but passed the House will never get by the Senate even if they bring it to the floor because for some reason “food stamps” are part of that bill and they have been drastically cut.

“The House debt ceiling bill is not complete, but as described to House Republicans on Friday morning, it will have something for every stripe of Republican in the diverse and often splintered House conference. It would block the health care law for a year, roll back environmental regulations on industrial boilers and coal ash, set forth binding parameters for the overhaul and simplification of the tax code, facilitate the construction of the Keystone pipeline from Canada’s oil shale fields to export facilities and refineries in Louisiana, and possibly contain other items of a House Republican wish list that has grown long over three years of divided government.” (NY Times)

It does seem that our President is also not willing to give an inch on any of his domestic projects. Yes he did back down on Syria but that was because he found a majority of the country and its Congressional representatives were against it. Putin came to his rescue but not for the USA’s benefit.

Don’t read this blog (too late) since I can’t find anything nice to write about Washington.

Among my piques is one reportedly about elected and appointed city officials being in arrears on tax payments or PMUA charges. I think there could be something ethically wrong if such a situation exists and that person voted on spending my fare share of taxes.

I suspect that with an election 6 weeks away something might surface.

 Noon: For those that have3 access to the Times I would recommend reading today's  (Saturday) story:House Bill Links Health Care Law and Budget Plan There is a possibility hat the link might work if you click on it.

TODAY'S BLOG

This blog was supposed to address one or all of ;(1) America’s Mid-East policies,(2) Our foreign policy if any,(3) The fact that by Oct 1. Our national budget for the year ends and it looks like there will not be a new one in place, (4) We have reached  the debt limit and Congress’s answer will be to further mortgage the future by increasing the limit,(5) the mandatory personal health Insurance will be in effect5 Jan. 1, 2014, (6) the Insurance exchanges begin operations on 10/1/13,(7) the four-4- biggest budget items are the entitlements; Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the  always increasing interests payments on the National debt.

Since I am having trouble avoiding writing anything that is not politically correct any comments on most of the above will have to wait while I ponder. In the mean time this most benevolent person will share some of his own piques;

• The driver who zooms pass you on the right as the light starts to turn green.
• The driver stopped in the left turn lane who goes straight when the light changes.
• The driver who does not turn on his left turn signal until after the light changes.
• The driver three cars behind who leans on his horn because, due to a car waiting to make a left turn, the line has not moved.
• The doctor’s office where there are still patients before you waiting 45 minutes after your own appointment time.
• The bill for money owed after a visit when the allowable Medicare fee has been completely paid by Medicare plus secondary coverage.
• Being told that bill is just a computer error.
• No appointments available for at least 3 o4 weeks; regardless of the urgency.
• Being addressed by first name by some 20 year old. Where has respect gone?
• The vindictive anonymous commenter.
• Still not being able to express an opinion about 2013 health care.  
• The dumb person talking on the smart phone in a public place.

There are many more and I am sure all of you have multitudes of annoyances that I have not touched.

Well two more weeks to back to the Council.

CITY GOVERNMENT AND FINANCES

The news that Eric Berry is leaving in 5 days to accept a position elsewhere should surprise no one.  In 4 months there will be, thank goodness, a new administration, and if the most likely  Mayor will be Adrian Mapp the chances of Berry being reappointed would be little better than that proverbial snowball in hell. He and Mapp have had clashes in the past.

If one were to speculate the only Department head that merits retention would be Eric Jackson of Public Works and Urban Development. Indeed Jackson could be a good City Administrator. The fly in that ointment is the fact that Jackson has been mentioned as one of nest year’s potential candidates for Mayor of Trenton.

Unfortunately, our Mayor will still have three months to exercise her unique brand of municipal fiscal management. There will be still time for the now puppet majority on the Council to turn their backs on her manipulations with the approved budget.

There are members still on the Council who felt that a costly fuss was being made over a matter of $20,000.00 and who agreed to pay for her legal expenses when she sued the Council (and the City). These same individuals will have no problem with her spending $4,000.00 of funds from the Recreation on an event which she sponsored that was not in the budget nor received Council approval.

Every year the Council notes that it has received the Auditors report and recommendations from the previous fiscal year. Every year it has approved a plan for resolving the defects found by the Auditor; and every year the same problems continued to exist uncorrected.

Yesterday I posted some of the Auditor’s recommendations. Three more uncorrected errors are noted in this year’s report for 2012:

 (1) An internal monthly procedure for reconciliation of the general ledger was not performed. The City did not comply with N.J.A.C 5:30-5.7 in that the General Ledger balances did not agree to bank reconciliations and subsidiary records such as the tax proof; revenue ledger, budget expenditure ledgers, check registers, etc.”

(2) The City has not reported the actuarial determined liabilities of its other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) as required---.

(3)The financial records were not updated during SFY 2012 for fixed assets purchases and retirements.

All the above could suggest that irregularities in the use of city funds could occur undetected. There have been unfilled essential post that deal with finances for most of this administration. The Council has not consistently pushed for those positions to be filled.

The Auditor's annual report is not a forensic document since it is just based on data supplied by the city. To go into a detail examination would be a costly procedure but perhaps it will be worthwhile.

THE 2012 AUDITORS REPORT.

Nine months after December 31, 2012 we have received the City’s Auditor’s report for 2012.

Per AJ’s cover letter: “Upon receipt of notice from Director of Local Government Services that audit report has been filed, the Governing Body must, within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the audit, pass a resolution stating they have reviewed, at a minimum, the general comments and recommendations of the Registered Municipal Accountant and sign a Group Affidavit as evidence.” Don’t expect the Councilors to read and digest all 145 pages.

“Finally, within sixty (60) days of receipt of the audit, the Governing Body must adopt a corrective action plan prepared by the Chief Financial Officer, which should include a description of each finding, an analysis of why it occurred, an action plan to correct, and the date of the corrected action.” 

Out of the 21 recommendations by the Auditors for 2013 only 1 was not previously recommended to be implemented in 2012. All other  20 recommendations are recurrent from the preceding years. A portion of recommendations in the report follow:

RECOMMENDATIONS

PURCHASING”

*That all City purchases be made through the Purchasing Agent.

*That the encumbrance accounting  system  required  by the  Division  of Local Government  services be  adequately maintained.

*That open purchase orders be reviewed periodically and cancelled if no longer valid.

TAX COLLECTOR

*That all tax receipts be deposited within 48 hours of receipt. *That a detailed analysis of outside lien redemption balances at  year end be maintained.

*That  third  party  lien  redemptions  be  remitted  to  the  outside  lienholders  in  a  timely

*That  the  Tax  Collector's  monthly  reports  be  filed  with  the  Finance  Office  on  a timely

*That the detailed billing ledger be reconciled with the actual tax requirements.

*That the tax collector maintain adequate bond coverage.

FINANCE

*That the Current Fund General Ledger be accurately maintained.

*That the  City obtain the  necessary actuarial  information  required  to  report the  long-term  liabilities related to its Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPE B)  Programs.

*That grants receivable and  appropriated grant reserves from  prior year be  reviewed  and  cleared  of  record  where  appropriate;  the  grant  appropriation  ledger  should  then  be reviewed for proper disposition.

*That Dedication  by  Rider approval  be  requested  from  the State of New Jersey for Trust reserves and that Trust reserves not eligible for rider approval be  cancelled of record.

*That interfund balances be cleared of record.

*That unsupported balance sheet items in  the sewer utility fund  be  cancelled of record.

*That  efforts  be  made  to  collect  delinquent  Payment  in  Lieu  of  Taxes  (PILOT)

*That all the County portion of PILOT payments be remitted to the County of Union.

That the City's fixed asset ledger me maintained on  a current basis

DEPARTMENTS

*That monthly animal control State reports be reconciled with license fees collected.

*That all City Departments maintain accurate records of monies collected.

*That  receipts  collected  by  the  City's  Departments  be  reconciled  with  the  amounts recorded by the Finance Office. *Unresolved prior year recommendations

There is no excuse for the Administration not to have filled the CFO position with an individual who was full time, The vacancy in purchasing is inexcusable.

Although all the Administration is responsible for maintaining proper fiscal procedures and having the personnel to carry out fiscal management; it should be the duty of the Council to make sure that proper financial management occurs by memorializing the status  of corrective actions monthly at its meetings.

 In the data portion of the report comparisons are made between YR 2011 and YR 2012. ; however  comparison is like apples with oranges since the 2012 budget was a 6 months transitional one for the second half of 2011.

( more comments to follow)

POST WEEKEND POST

“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS” Thus spoke the Queen of Hearts. However that happened in Wonderland not in OZ

Perhaps if the Queen of Hearts lived in Washington DC!!!

Sunday eve and it is time to rejoin the Blog world.  However  a weekend of meditation and  a Sunday of  football has left me with  vague ideas about what I should focus on for the blog.

Big Blue and  the Eagles have demonstrated that they can put on a good show; but cannot win. In fact neither can Obama in the national political Arena, Congress can put on the show but it is meaningless.

Party politics has precedent over national and international  problems. On Oct.1 unless a budget plan is agreed upon the government will have to shut down.

Of course since those Representatives who have to approve of any budget  will to their surprise find out that their pay is in jepordy they will hold an emergence session and pass a temporary solution that will solve all problems by raising the Debt celing and further risk making our dollars valueless.

Perhaps we could persuade Putin to broker deals.

Obama care requires the state insurance exchanges to be operation  by Oct. 1,2013. When the premiums are posted those that are counting on that vehicle will get ticker shock and opt out.

New Jersey’s exchange will be set up by the Feds. One of the supposed original participants “Aetna” has announced that it will not participate ‘at this time” since it did not believe that the premium  returns would make the enterprise profitable.

No one has been able to calculate the impact on small business, and on the number of employees who will find themselves out of a job.

Is it true that IBM and FedEx among others  are planning big changes in their “medical plans” especially related to the retirees who have become Medicare participants?  Yup!!!

Off Monday am to a social visit (routine check) with a MD. By the time the computer check list is completed there is no time for the patient.