The LuLac Edition #2558, November 11th, 2013

Outsourcing. (From becomeablogger.com)

OUTSOURCING IN LUZERNE COUNTY

During the recent campaign, I heard a lot of talk about how certain candidates were going to outsource all of the county jobs for more efficiency. Interestingly, I did not hear that from anyone running. No candidate at least to my knowledge ever used the word outsource. But County Council member Edd Brominski brought up a point in a soon to be published letter to the editor. Take a look:
Editor:
There was much ado among the county work force about Giamber and Taffera wanting to outsources services. It was all false. However, look at the outsourcing having been done by council to date.
A none tax paying, non voting Manager from California.
A former budget director, paid no taxes nor voted here, from Lehigh County.
An insurance company from the Lehigh area (council voted out a local agency that employed local property owners and voters).
Another budget director, who resigned, from Lackawanna County.. Non tax payer and non voter.
Director of Corrections from Lehigh County. Has an address here but does not live here, pay taxes here or vote here.
Fired a competent director of elections to hire a Wyoming county part time commissioner’s clerk/part time election office worker. She did move to the county and I presume she votes and hopefully pays taxes.
Every panel for selecting division heads had people from outside Luzerne County. In fact, the two panel members who selected the director of Corrections were from the Lehigh County area, and knew their choice for 26 years. One of the panel was hired by the director choice, 26 years ago!!! Conflict? Not according to the Director or the council. His appointment was ratified by the council, but not with my vote.
Presently we are having the C/Y agency reviewed by 4 people from as far away as Philadelphia. There is nothing wrong in C/Y except no one wants the job of director.
We have lost 2 engineers. They are now being replaced by a former policeman who heads 911 (he has no engineering experience).
Budget and finance has had 5 temporary heads since 1/1/12, a purchasing director left, head of IT has left, the Register of Wills and the Prothonotary were sent home instead of assigning them duties, the Zoning Head is retiring, the list goes on...
So far, there has not been one idea presented by council or the manager for solving our fiscal problems except, fire people and/or raise taxes. There is a business who wishes to come into the county to provide work and income , however , the chair scheduled them to make a presentation in the FUTURE!!! No hurry to get them started!!! That company was recommended to council by me and Rick Morelli for presentation.
I also arranged and attended a meeting last year with about a dozen community and elected leaders and the manager to start promoting Luzerne County and it’s assets, had business professionals make presentations to the manager regarding cost saving measures dealing with utilities ,yet, none of them have been approached for input to this date!!!
Outsourcing by Giamber and Taffera!!!! We are self destructing and outsourcing voluntarily and intentionally.
We are on the way to being not a strong Luzerne County, but a copy of Detroit.
Edd Brominski
Luzerne County Council Member