THE GUARDIAN read in the IPT today Tom Dale thinks buying lunch for Nampa City employees at his February state of the city address. City Councilman Bob Henry has raised concerns about spending $1,500.00 of taxpayer money for 102 city employees to have lunch on Nampa taxpayers.
The City of Caldwell used to host a Christmas dinner party for Caldwell City employees to the tune of $10,000.00 until THE GUARDIAN pointed out Idaho Attorney General Opinion 78-44 states:
"Question Presented:
You asked if it was proper for public employees to use public funds for expendatures for Christmas parties
Conclusion:
Without express authority, a municipal corporation smay not appropriate the public revenue for celebrations, entertainments, sports and games, etc. Such power cannot be implied, McQuillin on Municipal Corporations, Vol. 18, ss39.22, p55."
The City of Caldwell has wisely ceased any spending of pubic monies for Christmas parties and other functions like the State of the City Address by Mayor Nancolas when AG Opinion 78-44 was pointed out to city officials. Meanwhile Mayor Dale has exempted himself from following the Idaho Attorney General Opinion on use of public tax dollars for parties.
Nampa Councilman Bob Henry's instincts are correct in this matter as well as his observations about funding city employees lunch at taxpayer expense is just plain wrong. THE GUARDIAN would like to applaud Councilman Henry's observation on a free lunch for Nampa City employees is simply not the right thing to do nor is it the right message to be sending to taxpayers.
Here's a link to the IPT story on the $1,500.00 lunch: http://www.idahopress.com/news/local/nampa-spends-on-employee-lunches/article_2908c6a2-6a7c-11e1-a000-001871e3ce6c.html
How many employees does Nampa have? How many city employees are in Caldwell? How many Caldwell employees are driving around Caldwell in city owned pickup trucks at any given time between 8:00 AM and 4:40 PM? The taxpayers are owed a big thanks from these city workers for such cushy jobs!
ReplyDeleteTeflon Tom's statement about this being a long term tradition is bunk. Mayor Horn may have started luncheons and the State of the City gatherings, but no mayor before then did. I remember, because I used to work for the city back then, and to the best of my knowledge I never got invited to a luncheon to hear the mayor speak. Stop wasting the taxpayers hard earned money Mayor Dale.
ReplyDeleteCaldwells mayor bosts that he does not do this in Caldwell. If he would like to clean up the recoard completly, I would suggest he write a check for the tax payer money that was spent to purchas he and his family memberships in the YMCA. He even got cought. Oh by the way he doesn;t do it any more
ReplyDeleteAl says,
ReplyDeleteTom Dale simply purchased 102 votes.
I am most thankful for Bob Henry paying attention to what is going on in Nampa. For way too long taxpayers have been abused by Tom Dale and his rubber stamp city council. I know $1500 bucks won't make or break the Nampa budget but it sure sends the wrong message to those of us paying the bills.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been one hell of a lunch. My only question is who got the dogie bag. It must have been a very productive afternoon with all the city folk workers nodding off in their chairs digesting.
ReplyDeleteThe free lunch is nothing. Tom Dale has a shopping list of projects for urban renewal property taxes that is well over $200 Million. We have a legislature in full support of all this and voters locked out of any oversight. Mr. Dale continues to preach the Music Man Scam of spending our way to prosperity and the lemmings of Nampa letting him get away with it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. You know what the old saying is, is if they rip you off small, they will rip you off big, or if you give a bum one smoke, he will be back and take all your smokes. Sure glad the city council isn't so rubber stamped like it used to be.
DeleteIn light of the fact that the cost of this lunch was paid for with "general fund" monies,(AKA public revenue) there should be demand made of Mr. Dale to personally repatriate these monies from his own pocket.
ReplyDeleteSo here it is:
Open letter to Mayor Thomas Dale:
Your expenditure of public revenue without express authority demands that you personally repay the general fund the amount of $1500 immediately.
Express permission is defined as written permission under the law. If you can affirmatively show that such a written document authorizing this expenditure, please feel free to submit said document.
If no such express permission exits, and you are unable to repay the amount in one lump sum, I am sure that arrangements can be made to have funds withheld from your salary each pay period until fully repaid.
P.S. The record reflects that you have already availed yourself of this type of special repayment plan in the past(over payment of car expense it was)so you should have no problem arranging it again this time.
Sincerely, John and Jane Taxpayer
I applaud Mr. Henry's enthusiasm to watch public funds. I also join him in his disdain for the greedy public employees that have caused all of this Nations problems. Dirty pigs in the public trough sleeping on the job, scoffing at potholes, digging holes in the road. I am perfectly fine with any polluted run off going into the streams, I mean how bad can that water be? I am also okay with using a bucket for a sewer and I believe your sewage should be your own problem. It does kind of make me glad I am not a public employee because when Mr. Henry finishes with them I hope they all end up a sniveling broken person. Mr. Henry will destroy the wretched public employee. Hooray for him!
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a true disgruntled public employee. You work for the city of Nampa, and you are overpaid in comparison to other city's in Canyon County. Be happy you have a job and a man like Mr. Henry to go after the fraud and waste so you can keep your job. Maybe you should blow the whistle yourself otherwise you do deserve to be a sniveling broken person. I am a taxpayer and I DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY.
ReplyDeleteThe results of the school district vote here in the Nampa and Vallivue area is a precursor vote to what is going to happen in 2013 if Tom and Team Tom decide to run for office again. They will lose bigtime.
ReplyDelete