Lifeguards and Blackguards

[XLFD]

In this article from June 22, 2010 our City Manager finally quantified why the City of Ludington had ditched the lifeguard program for that year.  No City Official of Ludington ever had made any official statement about that budget cut before then, even during the budget debate (or lack thereof):

 

Ludington city manager John Shay said the city also cut its lifeguard program, saving about $27,000.

“This was just one of many cuts we made,” he said. “It was a decision made strictly based on financial reasons. If we had the resources we once had, we would probably still have the lifeguard program.”

 

Oh really.  Financial reasons.  Let's look at the savings we've reaped.

 

In 2009, the City had a lifeguard program that cost a little over $22,000 after paying a little over $23,000 the previous year of 2008.  In 2010, the City went cold turkey on 'beach safety' and wound up paying quite a bit for it.

 

 

First, the Anthony Goldsmith drowning, which would have likely been avoided by having lifeguards, had a multi-agency search for his body that lasted days and cost many thousands of dollars just for paying all the responders wages for the time involved in the search.  On Labor Day, another drowning occurred out near the lighthouse during inclement conditions also incurred days of recovery response.  The absence of lifeguards was bandied about the area, and few citizens I talked with argued against their presence being good for safety and for tourism.

 

After these tragedies, the City belatedly in February of this year put $40,000 into a beach safety program for this year.  This was to go into life rings and for beach rangers patrolling the beach.   No one drowned this year, and I would not argue that the life rings are a good thing to have on the breakwall for emergency use.   But I would doubt any would convincingly argue that the beach is more safe with a single ranger, usually, who is posted a ways away from the beach area than with a group of three lifeguards near the water's edge along the Stearns' beach area. 

 

But remember, John Shay assured us in 2010, that the decision to drop lifeguards was strictly for financial reasons.  Here's the proposed 2012 budget, including the 2013 and 2014 estimates for "beach safety":

 

 

 

 

You add up the columns for 2012-4, and its $27,300 each year.  If you add the $40,000 budgeted for this year, add to it the $27,300 for next year, you will have spent $67,300 for 2011-2012.  That's three years of having the lifeguard program at 2009 costs, and then the City is keyed into an amount that is   $5000 more than what that rate was. 

 

Why not save ourselves $5000 a year and bring the lifeguard program back?  The status quo is Less safe, more costly.

 

Why grid our beach with tire tracks from the ranger-mobile disturbing people's beach experience, when we can have the quiet and calming presence of approachable lifeguards ready to spring into action to save lives?  The status quo is Less tourist-friendly, more potential liability.

 

Why hire a couple code-enforcers with code-enforcement as their priority, when you can hire a crew of 5-8 of our local champion caliber swimmers hungry for summer jobs--all the while saving money and actually making the beach safe?   I don't get it, Mr. Shay, I really don't.

[AQUAMAN]

Trouble is, the drum beat is becoming more distant and lower in key. The ONLY way to reverse that is to do something different, involving the drum beat to ring louder and more closely to the people it's intended for. It's hard to push an envelope off the table that's already laying on the floor, that of poor decisions by policymakers in power, and their willingness to spend even more money on new cost-saving ideas that are plainly not saving any money over past ideas of lifeguards on duty. Proving this to our Torchers is great, proving it to the entire public, well, that's a great BIG GIANT step forward that shouldn't be missed imo. Since Kaye is the finance cmte. guru, why not ask her how this came about? And how she defends it in a new budget, or does she pass this kind of thing to Shay, obviously, the one with whom she has a new allegiance and so much praise for, and the ONLY one on panel, that explained and detailed the upcoming budget for the new year, not the finance cmte. chairwoman as would be expected in her position. I might also add, that while praise continued to be lauded on Shay over and over again for his recent years work, I believe none of it could have happened without his assistant Steckel and other coworkers that were given most of the duties, while he just oversaw them from a distance as per the usual.

[Heaven Therzke]

this one don't hear any drums at all just a bunch of clucking.  X-LFD go into city hall and then don't pass go as you go to jail.  the Daily News is a good paper in touch with Lud. and will get out why you did it.  maybe your ET buddy can hold you hand and go with you.  don't worry i can look over your web cite.

[XLFD]

Heaven, you probably don't know anything about Vaclav Havel, but he died earlier today, and I am devoting a thread to his memory, because he was no less than a great man who rose from humble origins.  One of his memorable quotes was that:  "Even a purely moral act that has no hope of any immediate and visible political effect can gradually and indirectly, over time, gain in political significance."   I will continue to act morally and within the law, while exposing the opposite behavior of those in City Hall and beyond.  Movements take time when you're up against a juggernaut.

Aquaman, I am sure you remember Havel with fondness, and leave you with two of his quotes:  "Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed." and

"There's always something suspect about an intellectual on the winning side." 

 

And look what happened with him against the powerful forces of the that time; a bloodless revolution where the forces of good came out on top.

[Heaven Therzke]

forces of goof, more like it.  never heard of vaclev havel but he sounds evil with all those v's in his name.  your wacky views will never gain significance here, go over to poland or wherever he was from and protest there.

[AQUAMAN]

It's hard to stop an RX fiasco? or is it?  Still wonder where that $6400 rental fee is from........must be real importante? Like signage in 22Kt.Gold? Gracias. P.S. never studied Czek politics, I prefer USA's like Jefferson/Franklin/Adams/Madison/Monroe.......et al.

[Dave]

If the LDN is such a great paper, why do they do stories where they don't attempt to get ALL of the facts? Really hard to have faith when the 'journalist' (which at this point, is pretty much stretching the definition for anyone working at the LDN) when they make no attempt at getting both sides of a story.

[AQUAMAN]

Dittos to that Dave, the once respected reporters that worked at the LDN are now retired, and have been replaced with the dumb clucks of today's inept reporters. We've witnessed this time and again when any important county/city news item is reported by the Muskegon Chronicle, GR Press, or other 9&10 types that can and do identify with all the facts, and usually, way ahead of the LDN's lackluster lagging performance. The weaved web of covering local politics/city affairs clearly shows this time after time. When the Editor and owner himself leaves the daily reporting and fact finding to others whims and judgements, along with biased editorials, it's bound to get pretty fouled up. Too bad Jackson isn't more attentive and sensitive to his duties of the freedom of the press, as would be expected and warranted.