Deceit And Negative Controversy

The following is a commentary by David Bain, Town of Alexandria Highway Superintendent

ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!

I’M WRITING THIS LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF ALEXANDRIA. ENOUGHOF THIS INFORMATION CONSISTING OF LIES AND HALF TRUTHS. I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN MY WHOLE LIFE AND EVEN BEING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OR SEEN SUCH DECEIT AND NEGATIVE CONTROVERSY CONCERNING OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO BE FAIR TO BOTH THE TAXPAYERS I SERVE AS WELL AS MY EMPLOYEES. I HAVE ALWAYS STOOD BEHIND MY CREWS IN ALL DEPARTMENTS. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE LIES AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS BOTH ON THE INTERNET AND STREETS CONCERNING MY ELECTED POSITION, DUTIES, BENEFITS AND CHARACTER HAVE BEEN UNDER FIRE. NORMALLY I WOULD JUST LET THESE ACCUSATIONS RUN THEIR COURSE, BUT RECENTLY THEY HAVE GOTTEN COMPLETELY OUT OF HAND! 

HERE’S THE FACTS! ALL THIS NEGATIVE PUBLIC GARBAGE HAS EFFECTED MY ELECTED POSITION BOTH WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE HIGHWAY CREW. THERE ARE TWO HIGHWAY EMPLOYEES RUNNING FOR MY OFFICE, ANDY DAVIS AND JERRY DURAND. ANDY INFORMS ME THAT HIS REASON IS TO “BLOCK JERRY DURAND FROM BEING ELECTED”AS JERRY’S REASON I’M TOLD IS “BECAUSE HE WAS APPROACHED SOMETIME AGO TO RUN”.ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND ANY ONE MAY CHOOSE TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND I CERTAINLY HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT, I REALLY FEEL THAT ANY EMPLOYEE THAT CHOOSES TO RUN AGAINST ME IS, AT THE VERY LEAST, DISRESPECTFUL WHEN I HIRED THEM AND HAVE TREATED THEM FAIR AND WITH RESPECT! BOTH OF THESE EMPLOYEES IN MY OPINION ARE GOOD EMPLOYEES AND PERFORM THEIR DAILY DUTIES VERY WELL. BECAUSE OF ALL THE DECEPTION CONCERNING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY (SOME CERTAINLY JUSTIFIED!), SOME OF MY EMPLOYEES HAVE CHOSE TO TURN AGAINST ME! I AM TOLD THEIR MAIN REASON IS BECAUSE THEY FEEL I HAVE SOME HOW LET THEM DOWN BY HAVING RETIREMENT HEALTH CARE BETTER THAN WHAT THEY RECEIVE. 

WELL HERE’S THE BREAKDOWN; UNDER “LOCAL LAW # 2” WHEN I RETIRE DEPENDING ON MY YEARS OF SERVICE AND AGE, I WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HEALTH CARE UNDER A DIFFERENT POLICY (NOT THE EXISTING POLICY) BY THE TOWN AND MY COVERAGE WOULD CONSIST OF A SINGLE PLAN OF WHICH I WOULD CONTRIBUTE 15% AT TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE DOWN TO 5% WITH THIRTY OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE, AT AGE 65 IF I AM NOT STILL EMPLOYED BY THE TOWN I WILL BE UNDER MEDICARE AS MY PRIMARY COVERAGE AND UNDER A SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE THAT I MUST PURCHASE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE TOWN’S PERCENTAGE REIMBURSEMENT BASED AGAIN ON MY YEARS OF SERVICE. RIGHT NOW MY HEALTHCARE TOTAL COST IS $8,091.00; I CONTRIBUTE 10% AND COPAY WHATEVER THE POLICY DOESN'T COVER. THE HIGHWAY EMPLOYEES UNDER THE TEAMSTER CONTRACT RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING: FAMILY PLAN-$26,625.52 PR. YR., 2 PERSON PLAN-$19,321.64 AND SINGLE PLAN-$9,999.08. ALL THE EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTE 10% COPAY AND PAY ANY AMOUNT NOT COVERED UNDER THE INSURANCE. AT THEIR TIME OF RETIREMENT, EACH EMPLOYEE WILL RECEIVE $450.00 TO $750.00 PER MONTH FROM THE TOWN TOWARDS THEIR PURCHASED HEALTHCARE PLAN BASED ON THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE, MIN OF 20 YEARS. EACH EMPLOYEE WILL ALSO HAVE A CHOICE OF BANKING ACCRUED HOURS OF SICK TIME TO OFFSET THEIR HEALTHCARE TO AGE 65 OR RECEIVE PAYMENT OF THEIR TOTAL ACCRUED SICK TIME AT THE TIME OF THEIR RETIREMENT. 

 IN MY OPINION I FEEL ALL FULL TIME EMPLOYEES SHOULD RECEIVE HEALTHCARE AND I KNOW THE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES HAVE NO PROBLEM CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR PLANS, BUT I CERTAINLY FEEL, AS THEY DO, THAT THE PART TIME EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT RECEIVE THE SAME BENEFITS. UNDERSTAND THAT THE PART TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVE THE SAME HEALTHCARE AS THE FULL TIME. I FEEL THAT ALL PART TIME EMPLOYEES SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST, ONLY RECEIVE THE SINGLE PLAN AND OR CONTRIBUTE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE TOWARDS THEIR BENEFIT. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT LOCAL POLITICAL ENGAGEMENTS INVOLVING MY OFFICE AS WELL AS MY EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE ALL WORKED HARD TO PERFORM OUR DUTIES AND WITH ALL THIS POLITICAL CHAOS GOING ON, IT HAS CAUSED DISRESPECT AND DECEIT AGAINST MY ELECTED OFFICE AND OUR DEDICATED EMPLOYEES. THIS TOWNSHIP DESERVES BETTER! I AM RESPECTIVELY REQUESTING YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS LAST TERM IN OFFICE AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS OUR EMPLOYEES.

SINCERELY,

DAVID H. BAIN