Northwest Indiana Discussion

Again with another vote tally post.
If it had been Georgie that got that many votes, you'd have built a shrine to him out of one of your seedy apartment buildings.
Why don't you just go to Sweethouse, see the real baker lady, and have yourself a McMuffin biatch!

Lake County Democratic chairman surprised by appointee's defection

42 seconds ago • By Bill Dolan bill.dolan@nwi.com, (219) 662-5328
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CROWN POINT | Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said Thursday he was stung to learn an appointee is working for a political rival.

"I'm caught off guard about this whole thing," the mayor said Thursday after learning Gregory Sanchez is the new chief deputy for Lake County Surveyor George Van Til.

McDermott, who also is the county Democratic chairman, appointed Sanchez in January to represent the party on the county elections board. Sanchez earns $13,400 to attend about a dozen meetings a year.

Van Til this week named Sanchez to be his second in command at a salary of $42,000 a year.

Sanchez couldn't be reached Thursday for comment. He said Tuesday he was unsure whether he would continue on the elections board.

McDermott and Van Til clashed in 2009 when both competed for the job of party boss. McDermott called on Van Til last month to end his re-election campaign for the good of the party after FBI agents raided the surveyor's office and removed electronic and paper documents.

Van Til, who hasn't withdrawn from the Nov. 6 ballot, couldn't be reached Thursday for comment.

McDermott said Thursday, "On the surface, it doesn't smell right. Van Til may have legal issues coming before the elections board, which would definitely be a conflict of interest (for Sanchez) if your employer is George Van Til.

"I've known Greg for years. He was a North Hammond guy, and he never discussed this with me at all. I don't appreciate that, especially when I've had very good communications with Greg on a lot of other issues," McDermott said.

McDermott said he hasn't decided on any course of action at this time. The elections board is set to meet Tuesday.

"I've known Greg for years. He was a North Hammond guy, and he never discussed this with me at all. I don't appreciate that, especially when I've had very good communications with Greg on a lot of other issues," McDermott said.

McDermott said he hasn't decided on any course of action at this time. The elections board is set to meet Tuesday.

“I'm not going to negotiate a new contract ... while they are terrorizing the council president,” McDermott said. “I think it's complete intimidation.”

McDermott cancels starting negotiations with firefighters union after charges against councilman

• Chelsea Schneider Kirk chelsea.schneider@nwi.com, (219) 933-3241


HAMMOND | Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. has canceled a meeting to start contract negotiations with the city's firefighters union in protest over pending charges within the labor organization against City Council President Michael Opinker.

Hammond Professional Firefighters Association Local 556 filed charges against Opinker, who is the department's chief fire inspector, for “wronging” the membership by voting to support an overhaul of the city's insurance coverage.

The union is arguing that when Opinker voted for the ordinance union negotiators were denied the right to discuss insurance coverage in contract negotiations.

McDermott said he decided to cancel the meeting after he learned of the charges.

“I'm not going to negotiate a new contract ... while they are terrorizing the council president,” McDermott said. “I think it's complete intimidation.”

The contract expires at the end of the year, but McDermott said he didn't feel comfortable meeting with the union.

“I will not move forward until this issue is resolved with Councilman Opinker,” McDermott said, “and if that means we won't have a contract Jan. 1, we won't have a contract.”

Local 556 President Ed Lomeli said even with this week's setback, contract negotiations are at least two months behind schedule.

“It's not about the health care overhaul,” Lomeli said. “It's about his going against the union's efforts to negotiate. It's not about the overhaul whatsoever. It's basically about him taking it upon himself to negotiate on the union's behalf.”

Lomeli said the union doesn't like bringing charges against members and pledged that the situation will be handled fairly.

“I don't see the (correlation) between Local 556 internal charges and what it has to do with negotiating with the city of Hammond,” Lomeli said. “I don't see how that even goes together. We don't go and tell the Water Department how they should do their stuff.”

Lomeli said the union has requested that if the situation goes to trial within the organization, a neutral union hear Opinker's case.

He said Opinker could face being kicked out or placed on probation by the union if the charges are upheld.

In May, the Hammond City Council passed an overhaul of the city's insurance plans, a move that's estimated to save the city up to $3 million. In some cases, the plans will increase what employees pay in biweekly deductions.

Responding to the charges, Opinker said he was simply doing his job as a councilman.

“I was trying to save taxpayers some dollars and obviously our union is greedy, and they didn't see it fit to do what I did,” Opinker said. “All I was doing was doing my job.”

Hammond City Council to debate library budget Monday

HAMMOND | Hammond's City Council president wants the Hammond Public Library to show proof the city will not be compelled to cover a proposed $800,000 increase to its budget.

Lacking that proof, the library's 2013 budget proposal is “going to be shot down,” City Council President Michael Opinker said.

Talks between the library and the Hammond City Council have become heated as council members consider the library's annual budget for the first time because of a change in state law. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the budget Monday.

Library administrators contend the additional funding is necessary to upgrade computers and to avoid cutting back on hours, staff and programs.

But Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the library has been “sneaky” in how it approached the city with its budget.

“Somebody has to lose $800,000 if we are going to give the Library Board $800,000,” McDermott said. “They want to rob another local unit of government to continue to operate the way they always had, and it's not fair.”

The proposal would increase the library's budget to $4.8 million, with $3.6 million dedicated to its general fund. The budget also increases the library's tax rate from 22 cents to 29 cents on each $100 of taxable property.

Rene Greenleaf, the library's director, said the library has consistently asked for a tax rate higher than it expects to receive, so increases to its budget are at least considered.

“That's all we are saying,” Greenleaf said. “We have to ask for it in order for it even to be considered, period.”

Greenleaf said she expects the budget proposal is causing concern because passing it through the city is a new process. State law now requires the library to present its budget to the City Council because its board is appointed and it's requesting a funding increase.

Greenleaf said the library wants its 2013 budget to better match its levy, which has been frozen at $3.7 million for the general fund since 2007.

“I think the real sticking point is, 'Are we going to get caught with some additional money that has to be expended that we already don't have?' I think that's what the problem is, they don't understand the dynamic and what we are trying to do,” Greenleaf said.

City Controller Bobby Lendi said the City Council runs the risk of the state approving the library budget, as is, if it agrees to the proposal.

“If the (Department of Local Government Finance) happens to approve an inflated, artificial budget, those tax dollars have to come from somewhere, and tax dollars are distributed proportionally to taxing entities based on tax rates,” Lendi said.

“If the tax rate increases, their proportion increases.”

Library administrators stress the system's financial situation is dire. The library is currently using contingency funds to make ends meet, but that money will not be available next year, Cornell White, the library's financial analyst, said. Last year, funding constraints forced the library to close the E.B. Hayward and Howard branches.

To save on costs, McDermott questioned if the library has considered consolidating with the Lake County Public Library.

“That would be an easy way right there to rid yourself of administrative salaries and probably save a couple hundred thousands of dollars,” McDermott said. “At least as far as I know that's not a very hard thing to do.”

Greenleaf argued there is no legal method to make that happen because libraries outside of the Lake County system have their own tax rates.

“It's more than brick and mortar,” Greenleaf said. “This library is the bedrock of this community.”
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Updated: Tuesday, 09 Oct 2012, 5:57 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 09 Oct 2012, 5:57 PM EDT

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — Court records say a northern Indiana businessman has agreed to plead guilty to paying a bribe to a Hammond city councilman.

The Times reports (http://bit.ly/QSbNew ) attorneys for David Johnson of Munster filed the proposed agreement Tuesday in federal court in Hammond. Johnson was among six people indicted last week in five separate public corruption cases.

An indictment alleged Johnson gave $10,500 to Councilman Alfonso Salinas to steer $310,000 in public work toward Johnson's company, Dave's Tree Service.

Documents say Johnson has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. attorney's office. In return, federal prosecutors agree to seek a more lenient sentence. Johnson could face up to 10 years in prison.

Phone messages left for Salinas at his city council office by The Associated Press weren't returned.

“It's hard to forecast what the financial situation will be like in Hammond four years from now,” McDermott said of the one-year length.

“I thought it was intimidation and trying to intimidate an elected official. Obviously, I'm happy they dropped the charges,” McDermott said.

Hammond firefighters drop charges against councilman, contract negotiations to proceed

HAMMOND | Contract negotiations with Hammond firefighters are back on after the union dropped charges against a city councilman, Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. confirmed Thursday.

McDermott had held off on negotiating with Hammond Professional Firefighters Association Local 556, saying he saw the charges as the union trying to intimidate City Council President Michael Opinker.

“I thought it was intimidation and trying to intimidate an elected official. Obviously, I'm happy they dropped the charges,” McDermott said.

The union filed charges within its labor organization against Opinker, a Local 556 member and the department's chief fire inspector, following his City Council vote in favor of a controversial overhaul of the health insurance coverage offered to city employees.

Local 556 President Ed Lomeli confirmed the charges were dropped and said the union was extending an “olive branch” to begin negotiations.

“We're both trying to step forward in the right direction instead of arguing about who is doing what,” Lomeli said. “We want to move forward.”

The thaw comes days before the Hammond City Council is set to vote Monday on salaries for 2013.

Under the city's initial proposal, firefighters were seeing a flat $250 raise, less than the 1 percent raise other city employees will likely see next year.

Now that the union has dropped the charges, McDermott said the city will budget 1 percent raises for firefighters in the salary proposal coming before the council on Monday. However, McDermott said he can lower the proposed raise if talks don't proceed well.

“We thought that was the best course of action,” McDermott said.

Hammond police officers and public works employees represented by Teamsters Local 142 have agreed to one-year contracts that provide for 1 percent raises.

Opinker said the union gave him a letter Thursday indicating the charges were dropped.

“I wish I had gotten it awhile ago,” Opinker said. “It is what it is. I finally got it.”


Freddie Jackson - 1 hour ago
"Now that the union has dropped the charges, McDermott said the city will budget 1 percent raises for firefighters in the salary proposal coming before the council on Monday. However, McDermott said he can lower the proposed raise if talks don't proceed well."

Tommyboy must have gotten beat up alot as a kid out in Napa.He is such an arrogant a*s.

Please Feds hurry up!

Turk182
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Turk182 - 2 hours ago
“I thought it was intimidation and trying to intimidate an elected official. Obviously, I'm happy they dropped the charges,” McDermott said."

And nobody knows more about intimidation than the boy mayor!

They got exactly what everyone else got save the non good faith bully tactics from McDermott. No other unit of employees gave up anything in "negotiations". OhPee got the union charges against him dropped, cost him nothing, and the city immediately rolls over and grants the 1%? Was McDermott negotiating for the city or OhPee?