Mayor Dan Sullivan, and Coffey on Ice
So, we know at this point that Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan just can’t bring himself to fully fund the Anchorage Fire Department. $150,000 is just too darn much money to spend on saving people that fall through the ice, or get lost in the back country, or stuck in the mud, or whatever horrible thing the HazMat team might have to save you from.
So, where SHOULD we be spending our money? Shannyn Moore asks the question.
What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks?
So, the mayor “respectfully submitted” the purchase of two Zamboni machines, but doesn’t think the “fall through the ice” rescue team should be funded during the winter months? I wonder if his friendship with Assemblyman Dan Coffey has anything to do with it. Coffey is one of the owners of the Alaskan Aces hockey team.
Hey, Anchorage, with the Zambonies we can make ice, just be careful you don’t fall through any if you’re outdoors having a “Big Wild Life.”
What have we learned?
1) There is actually a Mr. Zamboni and his first name is Frank. Who knew?
2) These Zambonies have a tight turning radius which is really impressive.
3) We got these Zambonies at a screamin’ deal because they usually cost more than $77,000 a piece.
4) My city is spending the same amount of money it’s cutting from vital city rescue services that save people’s lives, on having nice shiny indoor ice.
5) My head hurts after I bang it on the desk.
man, I thought my state was screwed up..my head hurts,also too.
This may be a stupid question, but don’t ice rinks usually have some sort of surface finishing method in place at the time they’re built? Are these replacements?
OMG, that is just…what’s the word? Unfeckingbelivable, as I believe Irishgirl might put it.
This also,too may be a stupid question but why does it take a year and 10 days from the time of the order to delivery? Are these things hand made by the Keebler Elves or what?
Darn tootin, that’s socialism (republican style) and that spells trouble.
This also, too may be a stupid question but why does it take a year and 10 days from the time of the order to delivery? Are these things hand made by the Keebler Elves or what?
Sorry for the double.
Oy, vey. It’s Always Something….((((Gilda, of blessed memory))))
Being a good citizen in the 21st century is Not for Wimps, eh? Just like doing the dishes or the laundry or library work…we finish up and turn around and here we go some more…
I get so weary, sometimes…I get knocked down…but I Do Not Quit. I wrestle with my demons, say my prayers, gather my strength, get “fired up and ready to go,” and jump back in.
You Have been Sullied. Again. My sympathies.
My congressmen are Still Not on Board for reconciliation; they want the interstate shopping option! Arrrggghhhhhhhh!
The wheels of justice grind slowly….
Hum…couldn’t we redesign the ‘equipment storage and ice dumping area’ for less than $150,000. Just wondering – then maybe we wouldn’t need that extra cool really small turning radius?
Maybe they could be fitted to double as rescue vehicles, especially if the drivers are trained in rescue missions.
Is this money coming our of Sully’s sullied insurance money?
zyggy–of course not!
Oh please – and I thought Kentucky was bad! Makes no sense.
Filed under the heading of “Wow….Just…wow…” I live in CA and I thought our leaders were boneheads.
I never, ever thought that any state legislature north of the Mason-Dixon Line could be more screwed-up than Kansas (hey, I was born in and lived in various southern states, they do have an edge on stupidity as far as their politicians go), but having read several Alaskan blogs for over a year now, I can see that Alaska might steal the Crown for Clowns from the south.
It sure makes dealing with the rural Republicans in Kansas who rail against evolution and cannot understand why you cannot teach the Christian Bible in schools and who fear the smallest bottle of cooking wine being sold in grocery stores) so much easier when I read about Alaskan politicos (well, you are getting some good ones here and there, but the others – wow).
Thanks for making me feel a little less depressed about my own state.
#6 post- Yes they are made by hand. Two plants produce 200 machines a year.
Spumoni, macaroni, canneloni, Zamboni — baloney!
I remember the old Michigan Coliseum. College students with snow shovels would remove the ice shavings. Then another student would lay down water, pushing a huge wheel barrel, sort of. All this being smoothed out by a following trowel.
18 pvazwindy Says:
March 8th, 2010 at 5:37 PM
I remember the old Michigan Coliseum. College students with snow shovels would remove the ice shavings. Then another student would lay down water, pushing a huge wheel barrel, sort of. All this being smoothed out by a following trowel.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A manual process that translates into JOBS
Last time I went to Aces and a Seawolves games the ice looked just fine.
Business owners really need to get a grip and wake up.
The loss of the Emergency staff is going to go down hard. Are you a business owner that provides goods and services to tourists w/in the Anchorage area? What do you think will happen with your liability insurance if you lead tours around town and these vital services are cut?
I don’t know the answer to this next bit, but are not city bond ratings predicated on city services? Weigh the Zamboni against rescue.
#
17
Zyxomma Says:
March 8th, 2010 at 5:35 PM
Spumoni, macaroni, canneloni, Zamboni — baloney!
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hee hee… good one
My head hurts just reading about some of the stuff politicians do.
Scary part is they get away with it unless somebody notice and enough other people have wall-eyed fits to make them stop.
No hitting necessary.
are these rinks owned by the City?
If not, why is the city paying fer Zambonies?
We really should make this a drinking game, (it makes me feel like having a drink, a stiff one @ Bernie’s Thursday night).
The fire department sure seems like a black hole to hide expenditures from other departments. I wonder how that works, exactly?
You know whats really crazy? The same guy, Greg Jones – the Planning and Development Director oversees the ice rinks – just like he oversees the department that went waaaaay in arrears on a fancy new software program, by $500,000.
I think he’s awesome. Dan thinks so too and apparently the fire department is the perfect fit to fund all his great spending ideas.
Just what Anchorage needs, creative financing.
Palin, thought a zamboni was an electronic device she could pack in her purse, for overnights.
Is Dan the Man selling the Zambonis they already have? Put them on Craigslist, and give the profits to the Fire Department. What? Those dollars are already allocated toward the son’s life insurance policy? Rats….
1. Yes, there is a Zamboni family (just like Frank Zappa’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. Zappa).
2. I doubt that the 375 days is due to the throughput of the Zamboni elves. It looks to me like somebody’s accounting trick — maybe Zamboni doesn’t want to take the order this quarter, or maybe it means Anchorage doesn’t have to put it on accounts payable immediately. But a year and ten days is not likely to be an authentic estimate of time to manufacture.
3. The discount sucks, considering they’re buying two.
4. What’s missing from the memo (although, perhaps, it’s in the Departmental Memorandum) is any actual justification for the purchase. Having written or reviewed justifications for some tens of millions of dollars worth of capital equipment, I can assure you that in industry (you know, capitalism) saying — however truthfully — “this is a really cool thing at a really good price” is interesting, but never sufficient. The absolute necessity is “why do we need this thing”. And not “because it has the best turning radius”. WHY DO WE NEED THIS THING AT ALL?
It shouldn’t be a hard question. “The old one broke, repairs are too expensive, it’ll be cheaper in the long run, it’s a safety issue” are all perfectly reasonable (if true). For this case, you could even try “the quality of the resurfacing as we do it now is inadequate”, although that might be a harder sell when money is tight.
But there has to be some reason other than that the item is available for sale.
I wonder if Sullivan applies the same level of justification to capital equipment purchases for his bar.
Along with the other questions asked here [in the OP, @ 9 & @ 24], would these two modern marvels (with the super short turning radius) be replacements for *current* ice refinishing machines? And, if so, how old are the current machines? Anyone know? beth.
–@26…and probably why she’s so enamoured of ‘the Mystik’ also too?
[[Sorry ~ couldn't he'p myself, though; pvazwindy's comment was just too SP-full to ignore. Okay ~ I know; I know...I'm going now to sit myself in the corner and give myself a good talking to for posting gutter snark. ]] b.–
Wow, just wow…
What’s the tuition for the Sully Palin School of Refined Grifting? Are online classes available?
10 ED Says:
March 8th, 2010 at 3:59 PM
Maybe they could be fitted to double as rescue vehicles, especially if the drivers are trained in rescue missions.
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Good one! beth.
Nothing like a public official who uses the municipal checking account for personal desires.
I read somewhere that if you put really big inflatable bags under a zamboni that it floats. No, seriously!! Inflate those bags and you can use it for rescure purposes!! What a great use of public funds!! Besides, why does a city need firefighters or rescue services?? All they do is save lives!! A zamboni will help the puck bounce better. sheeeessshhhh… don’t you people know anything? Gosh, get your priorities straight!!
Yikes!
As bad as things are in my state, New Mexico, I am certain this level of mismanagement would result in removal from office. Peacefully. I think.
Wow!
The Firefighters union backed another candidate for mayor and not
Sullivan. Mayor Sullivan has Fired the Chief, cut their budget and blamed
their contract for all the problems of the City since day one.
He’s a class act.
Tom McAlister Says:
March 8th, 2010 at 10:27 PM
The Firefighters union backed another candidate for mayor and not
Sullivan. Mayor Sullivan has Fired the Chief, cut their budget and blamed
their contract for all the problems of the City since day one.
He’s a class act.
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Well, why didn’t you say so! That explains everything! Sully and the “Don’t get mad, get even” crowd are simply doing what they do best, screwing the public.Their excuse is perfectly logical, for them.
Sullivan; Coffey, if this is true, you make me sick!!!!!!!
All serious hockey fans already know of Frank Zamboni. I believe he passed on a few years back, but his kids run the show.
One of the original Zamboni machines ended up at Sand Lake Elementary back in the late 70s. And yes, both Boeke and Dempsey ice arenas have “Zams” already. I can only surmise that they have worn out.
The Aces do practice at Ben Boeke, so you may be on to something there. If you want a better story, research who owned the land that the “Sullivan” arena is built on. George’s buddies that’s who! They made out like bandits.
#28 Strangelet, you are exactly right. Thanks for saying it better than I could.
Neither the Aces nor the Seawolfs play at Dempsey or Ben Boeke. Which is no excuse for cuts to vital services.
Aces practice at Ben Boeke. AKM
The reason for the purchase is said to be in the “attached Departmental Memorandum,” which we don’t see here, but that Assembly members presumably saw. I agree it is “interesting” that the reason Anchorage needs these machines isn’t given in this memorandum — it’s hardly a detail, and surely could have been stated in a paragraph. Maybe they’re to be kept in reserve for when hell freezes over.
What isn’t mentioned is time of payment. If payment is to be at the time of order, Zamboni gets a year’s interest-free loan — unless that’s what the “discount” is. On the other hand, if payment is to be on delivery (or shipment), the purpose might have been (I’m not an accountant) to keep the expenditure off this year’s books (and taxpayers’ radar), and when the bill comes due it will be impossible to do anything but pay it. It would not be surprising if the machines were built one at a time, but it could hardly take a year to build two of them. A couple of weeks, max? They probably have a waiting list, but a year’s backlog would be the envy of any business, especially now.
“Tour boat” parnell idolizes “nilapharas”, he still is doing her and her “quitter” husband todd’s business. she is still his “boss”..parnell has never hunted, he sold plastic cross’ by the sears mall all his youth. he and his dad pat!.. not hunters at all! just religious trinket salesmen..i bought stuff for my mom there! our gov. should stop the “tour boat poop dumpin” in our AK. waters, WHILE LEAVING THE WOLVES ALONE! grr!