Claiming that “Mad Dog is back,” city Councilor Ken Cockayne today blasted the mayor for being a 'coward' who's in the pocket of the unions.
Cockayne decried Mayor Art Ward’s decision to put so many union representatives on a new panel looking into the possibility of tapping excess pension cash to lower property taxes.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Cockayne said. “The unions basically control the whole board. This is not a fair and balanced committee.”
Nine of the 19 members of the committee are union representatives and some of the others are friendly to the unions.
“When I looked at the list, I almost fell off my chair,” Cockayne said.
Cockayne said the pro-union leaning of the panel is “another example of Ward pandering to the people who got him elected.”
Cockayne also took a shot at Ward for failing to put himself on the panel.
“Removing himself from the issue is just cowardly,” Cockayne said. He said the mayor ought to be the panel’s chairman so he would have a stake in its decision.
Ward “has really stacked this committee knowing the outcome,” Cockayne said.
“Here’s an example of direct savings for the taxpayers and we know what their answer is going to be,” Cockayne said.
He said the unions won’t agree to transfer money from the pension accounts to cover their own health care without getting something extra in return.
Cockayne said the decision about how to handle the pension excess is “a management issue” and “not a collective bargaining issue.”
There’s no reason to give unions so many seats at the decision-making table, Cockayne said.
Ward said this week that he wanted each of the city’s unions to have a representative so they would all understand the issues at stake and know what’s going on.
Here's the committee membership list:
Phyllis Amodio (public health union)
T.J. Barnes (Retirement Board)
Cliff Block (City Council)
Greg Boulanger (Local 818)
Dan Carter (BPSA)
Dale Clift (city attorney)
Ken Cockayne (City Council)
Steve DeVaux (school business manager)
Diane Ferguson (personnel director)
Jack Hines (Fire Board)
Paul Keegan (Local 1338)
Glenn Klocko (city comptroller)
Peter Kot (police union)
Chad Lockhart (Local 2267)
Rich Miecznikowski (finance chairman)
Peter Munn (fire union)
Collen Ryder (education secretaries)
Mayra Sampson (Local 233)
Bill Veits (city treasurer)
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
61 comments:
cockayne is already starting to make excuses for why his way is not the hughway to be traveled on this issue.
maybe if you thought for a second rather than spouting off on everything that you disagree with - which is everything anyone else has thought of over the past year - you might gain an insight rather than an attitude.
start practicing the methods for " taking your foot out of your big fat mouth" and start to listen for the next year - you might even learn something (emphasis on "might".
I love it - "MAD DOG" - cockayne must be referring to himself - it's a good thing that the "mad dog" doesn't have any teeth because he would be biting himself in the butt as he chased his tail trying to make sense out the stupidity of his actions versus just going in circles as he is doing now.
Cockayne is nothing but a typical republican that attacks anyone whho doesn't agree with him. Who's pocket is he in ? T.J's ?
ken, you had better learn the definitions of the terms that you (mis)use.
if you are calling ward a coward and, as such, insinuating that you are a hero - get over yourself.
A hero isn't someone who disagrees with everyone by calling them names.
A hero is someone such as a warrior like the young soldier who has been injured in combat - get over yourself, a hero you are not.
You're wrong Mr. Union Hack (aka 1:17 PM & 1:23 PM)...
Ken Cockayne is 100% correct. These appointments are a fraud, these appointments are disgusting and this board is a total farce. Mayor Ward should be ashamed of himself.
Thanks for looking out for the taxpayers Cockayne!
Keep up the good work!
Ken is 100% correct on this. All he was asking for with this committee was for the transfer of funds to be looked at by a fair and balanced committee, but Ward stacked the deck. I was at that meeting last night and Ward was a part of the committee at first, or at least it appeared that way. Is he on it any longer? If he isn't then he is a coward! He gets to step back and let this thing play out how he orchestrated it then he can say - Oh well, that's what the committee recommended. This is complete BS! Thanks for nothing Mayor coWard!
Ken the Crusader! I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of the negative comments about Cockayne on this site are from the Unions. They hate this guy b/c he fights for everything. Just keep things fair and he would have no leg to stand on, but when things like this happen time and time again he will keep screaming and fighting. Thank you Ken for standing up for the taxpayers!
give credit to TJ for having the common sense ignore cockayne - just like every other taxpayer does.
Mad Dog sounds about right....emphasis on the "Mad."
kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny - burp - atta boy kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny, kenny - lulla bye and good night - kenny, kenny, kenny boy.
heard that cockayne's halloween costume was going to be a pamper wrapped around his mouth but he gave up on that idea when he learned that everyone would recognize him.
And who appointed Cockayne to be the Saviour of the people?
Is he the only one that knows what is right?
He is listening to a few of the wrong people, and losing any effectiveness he might have had.
All you union hacks are mad because you can't tell Cockayne what to do like you do McCalley and Nicastro!
Tsk, tsk, tsk....typical Kenny "look at me" Cockayne going off half cocked and clueless (as usual). Does he really have to alert the media every time he's unhappy?
Cockayne you better watch out or you won't get the Unions Endorsment next year!!
Haha....I crack my self up! Like Cockayne would want it!
Go Ken go! Stop the pension! Then we wont have to deal with this mess we are in!
Ken may shoot from the hip and be a little brash, but he is right on with this issue. This is one area that he has done his research on. The fact that Ward is trying to sabotage it is obvious. More pandering to the unions - who could have seen that coming?
The unions are ripped! This is great. Finally someone with a backbone to stand up for the taxpayers.
Mayor coWard! I love the new monaker.
Way to call it like you see it.
Mayor coWard the great avoider!
Thanks for nothing Art.
Kenny is my hero!
Cocaine is always willing to fight for what is right. He'll get my vote everytime.
How could Ward think this is okay? He completely loaded the committee. What a joke!
Cockayne is nothing but a typical republican that attacks anyone whho doesn't agree with him. Who's pocket is he in ? T.J's ?
it's really too bad that cockayne doesn't realize that this action will not eliminate pensions nor does he have the decency to allow TJ Barnes the opportunity to direct the meetings of this committee or realize that this board only reccomends an action to the finance board and the city council for a final decision.
kenny, you have about as much right to sit on the city council as charles manson has to run a day care center. fool.
really wish that you would stop putting all of this self-adoring comments on here ken. people have to know that even if they agree with you on an issue - you are still a real jerk.
4:32 - if kenny is your hero, go out and get a blow-up doll, it'll probably require less hot air.
kenny, does mommy care where you are tonight? probably not, we don't either.
hey mad dog - bite this.
Gee - 4:30, 4:31, 4:32, 4:32, 4:33, 4:34 - Let me think....hmmm who could this mystery man be???
....What a dork!
Whether Ken is a jerk or not, 17 out of the 19 get paychecks from the city.
The only two who don't are Hines & Mize.
Way to stack the deck Art CoWard.
Who wants to eliminate pensions?
I wonder if this will get him the front page tomorrow.
MAD DOG THANK GOD YOU WORK FOR US THE TAX PAYER. THESE PEOPLE THINK WERE STUPID NEXT ELECTION GONE WITH THE UNION.
I am pretty sure T.J Barnes doesn't get a paycheck from the city either.
So 3 of the 19 are not getting paid or have any benefit beside the potential tax savings as taxpayers. Lets explore this option before we just say no. We are one of very few communities that even have this as an option!!
The unions can be the heros here for a change and encourage this instead of standing in the way. The transfer of these funds does nothing to hurt them at all.
Why didn't Cockayne be man enough to call the mayor a coward to his face first instead of releasing it to the press?
It makes one question his character and who is truly the coward of the two?
mommy and daddy must be real proud of kenny boy tonight - maybe they can divorce kenny and move on with their life or, at least, make kenny take back his maiden name.
Cockayne and Klocko: they deserve each other.
All of you people who attacked Cockayne should be ashamed. I am not saying he is right, but that all of you are not right either. How can the majority of people be so mean and say mean things about his family shame on you. Put yourself in his spot. There should be no reason to be so nasty weather you like him or not. The other side of the coin is that
ward is no saint either. Every person on that list are all his yes men except mize. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU
Go Cockayne Go!
Don't let them slow you down. They just aren't used to people telling it like it is.
Meize is one of his biggest YES men.
The pension must go! Stop with the pension! The tax payers do not want the pension! The tax payers could care less if city workers get a pension, because 80% of the people paying taxes DO NOT GET A PENSION! So lets get off the idea of having to fund this short fall with tax payer money and lets think of how we can stop the pension for new hires and employees that are not vested yet? I want to see the math of the cost savings for the tax payer if we where to stop the pension today! Steve can you work this into a story of some sort? The tax payers deserve all view points.
12:29 Why don't you donate YOUR pension or don't you have one and your just jealous ?
good morning, a new day, a new perspective.
has mr. cockayne considered the legal expense to the city if all avenues/entities are not considered in this GASB-45 program and the city is sued?
taxpayers might well be incurring resounding costs far greater than any expenses realized by including all concerned bodies in the process.
"Go Cockayne Go! Don't let them slow you down. They just aren't used to people telling it like it is."
More like we're not used to community leaders acting like petulant children. Cockayne showed very poor judgment and a total lack of a spinal cord by going into his childish "mad dog" tirade instead of going directly to the Mayor and voicing his concerns. He's obviously driven by the desire to see his name on the front page....."Mad dog" is an embarrassment to the City of Bristol. He owes Mr. Ward and the entire City an apology....hopefully followed by his immediate resignation.
tell you something right now, regardless of your stance on this issue, at least ken wasn't so stupid to call ward a coward to his face because ward would have mopped him up like a dry sponge in a river.
On second thought, maybe it wasn't because ken wasn't stupid, probably had no balls.
ken
you finally awoken the sleeping giants of Bristol. Give it to them and never stop being the great "watch Dog" for this city.
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Mr and Mrs Cockayne you both should commented for the good work you have done with your son. Thank you
Ken must of bumped his head pretty hard when he fell off his chair....maybe that would explain his assinine behavior.
I don't believe that bumping his head stuff - that is just an excuse that ken uses to explain his stupid actions.
C'mon now, Kenny C. is one of the Bristol GOP best and brightest, along with Kenny J.
They are the future!
Both of them together would still come up 51 cards short of a deck.
I would take Ken over Art hands down, anytime anywhere.
Let's set up a steel cage match! coWard can talk all he wants, Cockayne would would whoop him!
"Let's set up a steel cage match"
....Well at least then, Ken would be forced to actually face the mayor like a real man instead of the little chicken that he's proved himself to be.
I believe that the proposal about cockayne and ward meeting face to face was used only as an expression, not to have anyone think that a child of ken's age would think about coming to
fist-a-cuffs with someone over 60 years of age.
Although with the mindless actions and disrespect displayed by cockayne over the past year, anything is possible.
11:30am - am glad that you recognized cockayne for what he is, action wise anyhow, a kid.
Actually kids are probably taught how to handle delicate situation, especially those of their own making,with a bit more respect and temperment.
Classless cockayne sounds about right.
8:59
You can thank Schafrick and Mocabee.
And it will get worse before it gets better.
The GOP is self destructing.
gotta figure that cockayne and minor will probably be out of town for a few days after Tuesday, licking their wounds.
4:46
I agree, but you will have to admit that Art is doing a good job of self destruction also.
when you have a city council beholden to a prude who lost a primary and a council afraid to stand on their own two feet - pretty hard to accomplish anything.
this city council is like the bush administration, things can only get better when they get tossed.
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