The president of the Greater Bristol Labor Council said he “quite ticked off” at the signs erected by supporters of the chief operating officer proposal that portray the referendum as a showdown between unions and taxpayers.
Mike Petosa said that the signs “really show the ignorance” of the charter change backers “about what we are and who we are. We are taxpayers also.”
Petosa said the proposal to create an administrative chief at City Hall is “so full of holes that it’s not funny,” including any provision for paying the expected $250,000 tab to hire an experienced professional to do the job.
“If they think they’re helping the city, they’re not,” Petosa said.
He said that Bristol “is in a lot better shape than a lot of other cities” because its leadership has done a good job over the years of protecting its financial standing and balancing the service needs of residents with their ability to pay.
Petosa said there is “a core group” pushing the chief operating officer that includes businessman Craig Yarde, former Republican mayoral contender Ken Johnson and city Councilors Craig Minor and Ken Cockayne.
“These people have their own agenda,” Petosa said.
There’s something they wanted that they couldn’t have” so they claim there’s no accountability at City Hall, he said.
Petosa said he’s upset they decided to make an issue out of the unions, which have traditionally had good relations with mayors and city councilors in Bristol.
“It shows their lack of professionalism,” Petosa said.
He said that Cockayne in particular has been going after municipal unions since day one.
“If he wants to cause labor unrest in Bristol, he may just get it,” Petosa said.
He said that Yarde may be a good businessman, but he doesn’t know anything about how city government operates.
Besides, Petosa said, Yarde demonstrated his commitment to Bristol a decade ago when “he moved his company and 400 jobs out of town” to Southington.
Petosa said he trusts that voters will see through the weak arguments raised by COO supporters and will opt to keep the existing governmental structure in place.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
30 comments:
Typical Republican "scare and fear" tactics(haven't we seen this before somewhere?).They want this to be an "us vs.them" issue(taxpayers v. unions).It's their only hope of success.COO proponents still have failed miserably to answer even the simplest of questions regarding salary,authority or how the taxpayers are to be left out of the dismissal proceedure(even though they are footing the bill for all this).It should also be noted that the union and Democrats are not the only ones opposing this chsange.The opposition is pretty much across the board as far as I can see.Contrary to what the COO proponents would have you believe,this is NOT an "us v. them" issue!
The union is just worried they won't have the strings to pull as they do now with Ward, Nicastro and McCauley!
So Petosa, just because Cockayne is working for ALL the taxpayers he is "going after municipal unions"?
Of course, if he was one of your boy's you have your pockets in you'd like him!! It's good to see someone working for the people for a change instead of doing what you say!
Keep up the great work Cockayne! You've got them scared
Cockayne should be scared of himself because one day he will be able to comprehend how he is only working for his own self-interests.
Zoppo for Mayor 09
Johnson for Mayor 09
Cockayne for Mayor 09
Anyone but Ward for Mayor 09
if the unions are against it. I'm for it !! PAY your way Unions !!! I'm sick of paying for you !!!!
Seeing as Ward has already defeated 2 of your 3 candidates, and seeing that your third choice, "mad dog," is definitely NOT mayoral material, I wouldn't count on any one of em taking over City Hall anytime in the near future....LOL!!!
Re-WARD in 09!!!
“These people have their own agenda,” Petosa said.
And, Petosa has his own agenda as well...
Who paid for the Red Vote No signs? Who send letters home to Union workers telling them how to vote on the COO? The UNIONS did.
Who does Petosa represent? The Unions.
So before you blast others Petosa -- look in the mirror.
2:09pm - you don't want to forget to include minor '09 - then you'll have 4 republicans vying for the same seat.
2:31 poster,
Yes, your correct! Ward is much better mayorial! good to see we can have a mayor with a temper and who you can have a drink with!
Ward...working for the best interest of the Unions!!
A Mayor the Unions can count on!
Petosa why are you so upset that the people will make this decision?
You guys don't know when you had it good.
looks to me as though the coo people are so nervous about the outcome that they have shifted their scare tactics from the unions to ward and next year's election - what a bunch of gutless, useless panty-hoses. y'all take a cute little curtsey now big boys.
Union boys are all getting nervous now! God forbid they might accually have to earn there pay!
Ward, Nicastro and McCauley can only protect you so long!
Tomorrow the Tax Payers take back there city! We have all had enough of the Union hacks running our city to the ground!
Petosa and company...Feel your wrap around the city start to slip?
There are tons of city workers voting Yes for the COO..I am one of them! We have had enough with the city politics and I cant even get into what is wrong because this is not the place for it! But help the employees out and believe me there is a lot more of us that are for the COO then against it. Vote yes! Thank You!
3:48pm - somewhat dumb to think that the likes of minor, cockayne and johnson will be taking care of you - kiss the welfare of your family goodbye and start looking for a job.
4:03 - and your prissy name is?
"Keep up the great work Cockayne! You've got them scared"
More like he's got em laughing their asses off....Hey mad dog, here mad dog....sit! Good dog! LMAO!!!
2:45 Sweetheart, the drinking thing is getting really, really old and if memory serves, Mr. Johnson holds the crown for temper tantrum throwing. Sorry that your COO thing is tanking. Maybe you should try venting your frustration in a more productive manner?.... I know, why don't you grab a leash and take mad dog out for a walk!
I never agree with unions, so I guess hell has frozen over: vote no COO!
I still disagree with unions on the Convention: vote yes so we have an opportunity to change our Constitution.
Ward is definitely the bigger hothead.
7:48pm - ken cockayne, that was weak, at best.
The unions were the ones that set the wages that every employer paid to their employees including all you union haters out there. If it wasn't for the unions, your fathers and grandfathers would have never made enough money to afford houses, food on the table for their families, health care benefits, etc. Every single one of you union haters have benefited in one way or the other from the efforts of the unions. It's so easy to blame someone else for your own mis-givings and it's not your fault for being jealous. If the union jobs are so great and the work is so easy, then why aren't all of you naysayers working for union jobs? I've got my cushy union job and I'm happy to take your money for it too. Bristol has been setting an example as a model for other cities for it's ability to manage their finances for years now and it hasn't changed. If it ain't broke, why try to fix it? The COO is not the answer at this time. Change the Charter to get rid of the "Strong Mayor" form of government to a Town Manager first. You don't have a Chief Operating Officer being paid double the Mayor's salary just to assist the Mayor, that's like putting the carriage before the horse. But, then again, after reading some of the comments here, that's probably how you lead your pitiful lives anyway.
Tim Gamache: If I want to read idiocy I'll read the comics. Please just go for a walk.
I agree that the unions are raping the city taxpayers. However the solution is electing Republicans and enacting binding arbitration reform at the state level. Aren't Yarde and Furey sophisticated enough to know this? Why do they support union controlled Democrats for the State House then?
The COO is a dumb and a flawed idea. Nicastro, Rimjobski, Stortz, and Ward (and probably Couture too...ha ha) are correct (for once)!
Mike, you got no clue why Yarde Metals moved to Southington. What does this point do for the union in response to the purposed COO. People in this community can disagree with the COO but no one can argue about my support for this community. Craig
Craig,
If you recall, all of the suits that were present at the town hall meeting when the C.O.O. was discussed said this had nothing to do with the unions. When you spoke you started out by chastising AFSCME, and stated that they had sent you an e-mail which is not true.
Then you said"I'd like to run this city like Toyota runs their company" Finally tax payes vs. unions?
You are not worried about the teachers, policemen, firemen,public works, park and rec. school secretaries, cutodians, cafeteria workers, water treatment works or any of our other dedicated taxpaying workers in Bristol. You my friend are concerened about your pocketbook only. Petosa is right!
In respose to I'm not for it, binding arbitration reform is your answer? I believe that binding arbirtation was traded for the right do strike.
Maybe we should all make the minimum wage, police, fire, teachers ect.ect. We can then get a parttime jobs at Wal Mart, the great Amer I mean great Chinese ditributor.
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