November 5, 2008

Ward strips Cockayne from GASB 45 Committee

Memo from Mayor Art Ward to city Councilor Ken Cockayne, date today:

To: Councilman Kenneth Cockayne

From: Arthur J. Ward

Date: November 5, 2008

Sub: GASB 45 Advisory Board

Effective immediately, you are hereby removed from the GASB 45 Advisory Board.

As a result of your demonstrated biased opinions, lack of sensitivity to the considerations to be addressd, and absence of objectivity in attempting to arrive at an adequate and equitable resolution to the elements for a bonefide decision, relative to GASB 45, it is impossible for me to retain your presence as a member of this board.

In addition, your tendency to provoke animosity through inflammatory opinions does not serve the best interest of the mission of the board, which is to arrive at a reasonable consensus with regard to GASB 45.

Councilman Michael B. Rimcoski will replace you in this position and you will be reassigned to the Commission on Disabilities.

*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

59 comments:

Anonymous said...

Buh-bye Mad Dog!

Anonymous said...

Again the Unions at their best! This city is going to hell! Because we have a councilman that wants answers and is letting everyone know that the Unions run city hall - he gets kicked off a board! What a shame..Art Ward you just made a very dumb poltical move my friend. Ken C. - this might just get you the Mayor postion if you want it in the next election. Holy cow what a mess this city is!

Anonymous said...

oh no...cockayne got Ward mad. Ward must protect his union boys!!

Anonymous said...

Ward loosing his temper again. Bet he will be at the bar later having a drink

Anonymous said...

I don't get it. What's wrong with having Union representation on a committee deciding what should be done with Union money.

Am I missing something here?

Anonymous said...

Criteria for Mayor of Bristol: Who has the baddest temper, Ward of Johnson?

Anonymous said...

Why should Cockayne not expect that after he shoots his mouth off to the press that there would not be repercussions? Ward is absolutely right: Cockayne has been vocal about his anti-union bias so how can he fulfill his responsibility to arrive at a fair and objective decision? Good job Mayor Ward for looking out for ALL taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

4:30, 4:31, 4:31 (Ken?)

Come on now, we all know this isn't about unions or the mayor's temper, and it's defintely not about getting answers. If Ken had really wanted answers, he would have put on his big-boy pants and gone to the mayor in person....instead, he chose the cowardly route of going straight to the media (again!) with his silly and embarrassing "mad dog" attack (a last ditch attempt to sway the vote for the COO?). No matter what, he's proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's easily manipulated, conniving, childish, and definitely not up for the task at hand. I join the poster at 4:18 PM in wishing Ken a fond farwell - "Buh-bye Mad Dog"!

Anonymous said...

GREAT Commission for Cockayne, Disabilities. What better person to put on the Disability Commission than the person with the biggest disability, Ken Cockayne!!!!

Congratulations Mad Dog!!!

Are you going to run sniffling and crying and whimpering like a puppy dog to your handlers, Johnson and Yard? Maybe you can find some solace from Minor also!!

Anonymous said...

No matter what Ken is correct and the tax payers will know the truth soon about these pensions. And believe me if a dime of tax payer money goes to anything other then back to the tax payer - you will never see another Democrat elected in this city. Which will not hold good for all you union workers!

Anonymous said...

Looks like Ward just gave "Mad Dog" a rabies shot.

Anonymous said...

No matter what, even if Ken was correct (and he wasn't), his handling of the situation was totally unprofessional, incredibly juvenile and downright pathetic. His "mad dog" routine is an embarrassment....it's just too bad nobody muzzled him sooner!

Anonymous said...

WHen is Ward going to stop trying to stifle other points of view?

Anonymous said...

Retain your presence! Retain your presence! Retain your presence!

Anonymous said...

"No matter what Ken is correct and the tax payers will know the truth soon about these pensions. And believe me if a dime of tax payer money goes to anything other then back to the tax payer - you will never see another Democrat elected in this city. Which will not hold good for all you union workers!"

This comment shows a total lack of understanding of the issue. Soon the truth will come out and we will find out where all this misinformation is coming from.

Anonymous said...

Ward is an embarrassment to our City. Can't wait til his term is over. He won't get re-elected.

Anonymous said...

How childish of Ward. People have different opinions, doesn't mean Cockayne has to agree with everyone else. So, what's this Ken's punishment?? Get over yourself Ward, stop being a puppet to the Union and start doing your job.

Anonymous said...

This just shows that Ward is in for the unions. He doesn't care about the taxpayers of Bristol, he is more concerned with his wife's pension and benefits...

Anonymous said...

I am happy that Ken is finally getting the truth about the unions out to the public.

Anonymous said...

Ward should be stripped of Mayor.

Anonymous said...

Ward thinks he is so big and bad now. You are only out to serve your people...and they are the UNIONS.

Anonymous said...

I am glad we have Ken on the council, he is the only one thinking about the city. Thank you Ken for sticking up for us non union people. People who pay their own benefits and earn their money.

Anonymous said...

cockayne for mayor!! he has my vote

Anonymous said...

How about a "no confidence" vote.

Anonymous said...

"How childish of Ward. People have different opinions, doesn't mean Cockayne has to agree with everyone else."

How childish of Ward???? Uh, gee....Ward wasn't the one who went skulking off to alert the media. This isn't about "different opinions." This is about Mad Dog trying to incite the voters by announcing to the public his biased and misconstrued slant on the GASB 45 committee. In his frenzied rush to bash the mayor, he totally failed to educate himself about the reasoning behind the selections. His behavior was childish and unprofessional to say the least....he's an embarrassment to our City.

Anonymous said...

This is about pension money that rightfully belongs to the retired city employees. This money was invested wisely so that the fund is now considered "overfunded". The fund was established with help from the taxpayers at the onset so that there would be no burden on the taxpayers in the future, and because of that foresight the taxpayers have not put one cent into that fund since its inception.

Now that the fund is fully funded and doesn't cost the taxpayers one cent, Cockayne and others want to raid the fund to offset tax increases for services. This is exactly the type of boneheaded moves the Federal Government did to Social Security, raided the fund while saying that they would put it back and never did, and now what, Social Security is going bankrupt.

Look at the State Government, they borrowed from the State Employee pension funds and teacher pension funds to solve budget crises in the past and never put the money back as promised causing these funds to become seriously underfunded. One way or the other, us taxpayers are going to be responsible to replenish these funds.

Leave the pension fumd alone!!! Raiding the fund is only going to cause problems for your children because they will have to pay for your bonehead mistakes.

Anonymous said...

STeve,

Did you get this memo from the Mayor or Cockayne?

Anonymous said...

At least Cockayne tells the truth. Ward needs a backbone when it comes the Unions. We need someone like Cockayne looking out for the people who actually grew up in this town and care about what happens here.

Anonymous said...

Ward will be gone in no time. He doesn't make the right decisions for OUR city.

Anonymous said...

"At least Cockayne tells the truth"

HAHAHAHAAHAH ~ Cockayne wouldn't know the truth if it walked up and slapped him in the face. No need to worry about Ward's backbone, it's just fine....it's Kenny's total lack of one that's so disconcerting!

Oh, and as far as Ward not making the right decisions for our city....he kicked "mad dog" to the curb...looks like he's doing the right thing to me! LOL!!!!

Anonymous said...

Remember how loud and long Ward moaned when Stortz did not reassign him to to Public Works???

Anonymous said...

Mr. Cockayne, you should really begin to pay more attention to your business rather than spending all day on this blog patting yourself on the back, otherwise your customers will have to experience ANOTHER PRICE HIKE to pay for your down-time.

Anonymous said...

"At least Cockayne tells the truth."

The problem is , it appears someone is not telling HIM the whole truth about this issue. It is hard to believe that he has discussed this issue with the comptroller, personnel director and city pension lawyers and he still displays such misunderstanding.

Anonymous said...

I think the Mayor did the right thing. I don't see how Cockayne can go into this committee with the right balanced mindset. He doesn't seem to be listening to anyone but himself.

Anonymous said...

This committee doesn't have voting powers for a final decision, only a recommendation. So what is Cockayne worried about? It has all the right type of people in it. The finance board and the treasurer aren't going to make a decision based on just the union members. Especially Bill Veits.

Anonymous said...

November 6, 2008 11:26 AM:

Wake up you fool(s).

Ken Cockayne is speaking for many. Maybe or maybe not the majority, but there are many, many people (including me) that share his views. And guess what? WE'RE RIGHT!

Anonymous said...

"Ken Cockayne is speaking for many"

....if you're saying that Ken is a puppet, I agree!

"but there are many, many people (including me) that share his views. And guess what? WE'RE RIGHT!"

....opinions are like, er...rectal sphincters. Everyone has one and everyone thinks everyone else's stinks....YOURS DOES!

Anonymous said...

"Ken Cockayne is speaking for many. Maybe or maybe not the majority, but there are many, many people (including me) that share his views. And guess what? WE'RE RIGHT!"

There are many people that share Mr. Cockayne's views. He would have you believe that he is speaking in the best interests of the taxpayer. In reality, the views you share with him are not pro taxpayer, but simply anti-union. The vast majority of union members are Bristol taxpayers, yet Mr. Cockayne
shows nothing but jealousy and disdain for this group of taxpayers. That is why he was relieved of his duty on the GASB group, you can't have that type of hostility in a committee that is trying to be fair and impartial. You have a right to agree with him, but at least admit where your sentiments lie.

Anonymous said...

I know Ken personally and he is the most honest person I know. He would help anyone in need. I think most of the negative comments are coming from City and Union workers who didn't want the truth to come out, but now it has. I agree 100% with Cockayne, I am glad he is looking out for us taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

1:05 ....And so does yours !

Anonymous said...

Kenny was criticized by many for blowing his top, going to the media, and not sitting down with the mayor.

Let me ask, with Artie being older, possibly wiser, more experienced, did he try to sit down with Kenny BEFORE he dropped the bomb?

Semms like both are equally guilty, and not really doing Bristol any good.

Anonymous said...

"Let me ask, with Artie being older, possibly wiser, more experienced, did he try to sit down with Kenny BEFORE he dropped the bomb?"

Art may be older and (a lot) wiser, but unless he had a crystal ball, how could he possibly know what was going on in the vast wasteland of Ken's mind? If Ken had questions it was up to HIM to get the answers. Instead, he acted like a mad dog and went straight into attack mode, embarrassing himself and the entire City with his childish antics....not really doing Bristol any good at all.

Anonymous said...

"I know Ken personally and he is the most honest person I know."

If he is as honest as you say, he is either getting bad information or he doesn't understand the issue.

"I think most of the negative comments are coming from City and Union workers who didn't want the truth to come out, but now it has."

What "truth" are you talking about?
If you think union workers are afraid of the truth, do you think they would have agreed to join the
GASB committee? So far, the only person on the GASB committee to provide information is Mr. Klocko, and his information was incomplete not totally accurate.

Anonymous said...

11:26 AM

Yeah, you're a legend in your own mind!

Anonymous said...

4:33
Artie knew HE was going to remove Kenny (but didn't even tell his council).
That is when Artie should have setthe example by inviting Kenny into the office or calling him by phone and told him what was going down.

He jumped all over Kenny and then did basically the same thing.

Two little kids if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

"Yeah, you're a legend in your own mind!"

Sorry, but that really doesn't answer my question. What truth are you talking about?

Anonymous said...

7:34 - cockayne, get over it - you are a screw-up who screwed-up again. face it and move on - hopefully, out of town.

Anonymous said...

"That is when Artie should have setthe example by inviting Kenny into the office or calling him by phone and told him what was going down."

Artie's the Mayor, not Kenny's teacher, not Kenny's mommy....if Kenny needs to be coddled and have his hand held, he should do us all a big favor and throw in the towel!

Anonymous said...

well now we can understand why ward always, supposedly, hollered at poor kenny, like a school kid, whenever kenny was on the dunce stool in ward's office - the seat was reserved for kenny and no one else had the opportunity to sit on it.
self-explanatory; kenny is as kenny does - dumb.

Anonymous said...

8:37 poster

Youy are a bit confused. Geladino is the one that throws in the towel.

Anonymous said...

3:27pm - must be a republican thing.

Anonymous said...

8:37 - or at least cockayne could stuff the towel down his throat and use it as a gag....

Anonymous said...

Artie, keep fighting for us. Don't let them touch our pension! All the republicins want to do is spend and spend and spend. Not all of us make the money they make. They should try working for a living instead of surviving offf Daddy Warbucks - TJ!

Anonymous said...

Heard through the grapevine that comatose cockayne is going around town trying to get people to believe that he "really didn't mean the things that he said", just another example of no brain, no convictions or no standing what so ever. what a complete weasel....

Anonymous said...

"Artie, keep fighting for us. Don't let them touch our pension!"

Of course he is going to keep fighting for you, he is worried about his wives pension. He'll need that when he is out of a job next year!!!

Anonymous said...

Ward is nothing but a drunk and hothead. He should act like a leader. He is an embarrassment to our town. As a taxpayer, he has does nothing to better our town. What happened to "moving Bristol forWARD", I haven't seen anything he said he was going to do before he got elected. He is a joke. Cockayne would be a better mayor then he could ever be. If Cockayne ever runs for mayor, he has my vote and I know many more who feel the same way.

Anonymous said...

Nice try 9:30 (Ken?). I like the way you added "hothead" to the really, really old and worn out "drunk" insult. At least you're trying! Unfortunately, I still think Ken Johnson's ridiculous hissy fit at the council meeting still holds the prize for the "hothead" award. I can't honestly say I've ever seen Ward lose his cool, although I wouldn't blame him if he did with some of the shameless, nasty, immature behavior of some of the people he has to deal with.

As far as Cockayne for Mayor(LOL!!!)....I do believe that ship has sailed/sunk. His involvement in the COO debacle, his failure to communicate, his total lack of a spinal cord, his slanderous and slimy "mad dog" public attack on the mayor, all very good reasons why the only position Ken is qualified for is village idiot! LMAO!!!!

Anonymous said...

If Ward gets reelected, his retirement compensation (all from the government) will exceed Nicastros.

Quite an accomplishment!

Anonymous said...

Good for him! He's getting the same compensation anyone else would get for doing the same job. Can't begrudge him for that.