Beach workers fret over privatizing plan

STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: mccaleb4thdist@aol.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com

August 16, 2001

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, IT COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SAVING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY, OR WHICH ELECTED
OFFICIAL WILL GET THE NEXT NEW SUV OR CROWN FORD.

How supervisors spent $1 million in 'discretionary" funds
Click here

By MELISSA M. SCALLAN
THE SUN HERALD 

Monday, April 30, 2007

County workers who maintain the beaches are worried about losing pay and possibly their jobs if the work is given to a private contractor.

What I do not understand is why all of the past years our Harrison County Supervisors committed Fraud, Waste, & Abuse.

And now that the Sun Herald Newspaper found the corruption our supervisors for years have been doing.

They think they can make things right by cutting the counties department.

Employees with the Harrison County Sand Beach Department think the Board of Supervisors should look for cuts in departments that cost more.

The best way to save money is for Governor Ronnie Musgrove to remove all five (5) Harrison County Supervisors.

"There's a lot of upset people," said Mark Crawford, 54, who has worked for the department for seven years. "I don't know why they want to pick on sand beach. They should cut their own budget because they're making more money."

REMEMBER: MONEY, POWER, & PERKS + FRAUD, WASTE, & ABUSE = CORRUPTION.

This fits our Harrison County Supervisors to a tee, don’t you agree.

Why wasn’t this problem fixed seven years ago?

Monday, the supervisors got their first briefing on a proposal to privatize the beach department. Some supervisors believe this will save the county money.

The biggest savings would be for our supervisors to resign that would be a savings.

"I hope the board is looking at savings to the taxpayers," board President Larry Benefield said. "Privatization is always controversial. We have to balance the concerns of the employees with the best interest of the taxpayers.

"I hope the board is looking at savings to the taxpayers,"

Am I missing something here, I thought this article was all about saving the taxpayers money.

"I understand the concerns," he said. "But if someone can work for the county, they can work for a private company. If they can't, then you have to scratch your head."

That is why Governor Ronnie Musgrove should remove the five (5) Harrison County Supervisors and hire a manager to do the same job.

Benefield said supervisors are looking at the beach department because its scope of work is easier to define and because of increasing costs.

I would want to know just how much of savings a private contractor would save the taxpayers.

The Sand Beach Department has 30 employees and costs $1.8 million annually. The department also uses inmate labor to keep beaches, medians and sidewalks clean between Biloxi and Long Beach. It also cuts grass on medians and keeps sidewalks weed-free.

I believe people should be hired to do inmates work.

This will give someone a job that needs the money, perhaps to raise a family.

The proposal, being drafted by Brown & Mitchell consulting firm, calls for a private company to hire the county's staff for a 90-day trial period, after which it could fire any employees it didn't want to keep.

This proposal sounds like a setup too me.

Why do you need a private contractor to fire the workers, can’t the county do that.

George Adler has worked for the beach department for three years. His wife stays at home to care for their four children, so any loss of income would devastate his family, Adler said.

George Adler’s job could determine who will get the next SUV.

This has been the mentality of our elected officials over the past several years.

"We've been told we'll get lower pay and no benefits," he said. "If they cut our pay, we'll have to go out and get insurance. That would be like starting all over again."

And you think our supervisors are worried about you.

What is wrong with you, the only thing your supervisors care about is getting re-elected.

And they will do what ever is necessary to obtain that goal.

Adler and other employees believe privatization won't benefit the county. "Right now we use inmates, so the contractor will have to hire more people," he said. "That will end up costing the county more money."

You may be right, but then again what makes you think more people will be hired.

Supervisors should get a proposal within the next several weeks, and if they approve it, a private company could take over the beach department by October or November.

I will request a copy of the proposal in order to understand the difference between hiring a private company and not hiring a private company.

Melissa Scallan can be reached at 896-0541 or at mmscallan@sunherald.com

STEVEN A. McCALEB
COMMENTARY
MY OPINION