Of Chickens and Roosting

“As man sows, so shall he reap. In works of fiction, such men are sometimes converted. More often, in real life, they do not change their natures until they are converted into dust.” - Charles W. Chesnutt


Well...Hannon has done it again.  The Press & Sun Bulletin reported today that the Johnson City Police received an arbitration award for back pay for 2006-2008 of approximately one million dollars.  Hannon proceeds to blame the police, their union, and the arbitrators.  However, if Hannon is looking for someone to blame, he need only look in the mirror.  Hannon has taken a slash and burn approach in all Village matters.  The chickens have come home to roost.

By way of background, the Johnson City police have been without a contract for over five years.  During most of that time, either as a trustee or as mayor, Hannon has talked tough.  He has made threats and proclamations about what he will or will not do. He has made clear to everyone involved that he is the "boss man".  While some may have mistaken his false bravado for action, in reality, he was fiddling while Rome burned. 

Hannon has had numerous opportunities to resolve the stalemate with the police.  As recently as a year ago, the PBA offered a package that would have brought them current for slightly more than this two year award.  But Hannon and Silas and Davis and Balles were all too shortsighted to see the merit of this offer.  Much like their rejection of fire fighter concessions, they placed their egos above the best interest of Village residents.  They rolled the dice and lost!  And Village residents are left to pay the tab.  And the tab is still running since the Village will need to arbitrate 2008-date.

Now Hannon is threatening dismantling the department or double digit tax increases.  If either of these things occur, it will be solely due to Hannon's incompetence.  Some taxpayers may believe that Hannon's gamble was justified.  You win some and you lose some.  However, there is no justifying  his poor planning in the face of possible defeat.  The Press & Sun Bulletin reported that although facing a price tag of one million dollars, Hannon only budgeted $200,000 for a possible award.  If this isn't malfeasance, it is certainly incompetence.

We taxpayers deserve better than this.  Hannon's overblown ego has collided with his small intellect.  And the results are on display for all to see.

And now Hannon has provided further ammunition to the dissolutionist.  Yet this wound was self inflicted. 
Was this Hannon's plan all along?

Although Hannon is not on the ballot this year, his crony and lead dissolutionist John Sullivan is.  Sullivan has cheered every half -baked scheme hatched by Hannon.  One has to assume that if Sullivan is elected, he will continue to support Hannon's ruinous policies.  For this reason, if we can't hold Hannon to account at the polls, Sullivan will be a fitting surrogate.