NIFA member rips Jon Kaiman for "reckless" behavio

[onthejob]

www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nifa-member-rips-jon-kaiman-for-reckless-behavior-1.6700994
NIFA member rips Jon Kaiman for "reckless" behavior
December 31, 2013 by CELESTE HADRICK / [e-mail]


An outgoing member of the Nassau's financial control board has ripped into the board's new chairman Jon Kaiman for "reckless and irresponsible behavior" in dealing with the county's unions and for "vulgar" and "foul-mouthed" tirades against himself and staff.

George Marlin, whose four-year term on the board of Nassau Interim Finance Authority is set to expire Tuesday at midnight, delivered a letter to Kaiman this week saying he was "alarmed by some of your public activities and instances of inappropriate public behavior since you joined the NIFA board of directors."

Kaiman on Tuesday shrugged off Marlin's complaints as false and "bitter," saying the letter "seems to be more about George Marlin than me or the board or what we're doing."


Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo appointed Kaiman in September to replace longtime chairman Ronald Stack, a Marlin ally. Stack was seen by some as an obstacle toward reaching a new deal with the PBA, the county's largest police union, while Kaiman said from the start that he was there to figure out "what needs to be done and getting a resolution."

In his letter delivered before a public NIFA Board meeting Monday, Marlin accused Kaiman of negotiating with the county's Police Benevolent Association, which has proposed contract concessions in an effort to lift a wage freeze imposed by NIFA three years ago. He said a NIFA board member cannot be part of a negotiation because NIFA must judge any final contract proposal.

Marlin also said Kaiman's participation in a December negotiating session that included PBA lawyers, who are representing the union in a lawsuit challenging the freeze, demonstrated "reckless and irresponsible behavior."

Kaiman has consistently denied that he is negotiating terms. On Tuesday, Kaiman said in an interview, "I'm facilitating a discussion. I don't have the authorization to make a deal. That's between the county and the union leaders. I do have the ability to bring them to the table and facilitate a discussion with the goal that we get to . . . a cost-neutral or cost-savings result."

Marlin also alleged that Kaiman directed a "vulgar and boisterous verbal tirade" at him within earshot of police and county officials when Marlin showed up at an October meeting between the county, Kaiman and the PBA.

Marlin said Kaiman "violated the rules of civility" by telling NIFA counsel Jeremy Wise to "shut the -- up" as he attempted to advise Kaiman during the December meeting with the county and PBA. Marlin said he had learned about this "from sources" outside NIFA.

"Your fescennine verbal abuse, in my judgment damaged the integrity of a state agency and diminished the reputation of a dedicated public servant," Marlin wrote.

Marlin said Kaiman should "offer a public apology" for his behavior and cease all negotiations.

Kaiman said he would not comment on the subject of the meetings but said, "I think the conversations generally have been high-end and professional. Whether I disagree with Mr. Marlin or he doesn't like my tone, I can't really address . . . I have a lot of respect [for Wise] and we're working together."

Wise declined to comment.

Kaiman added, "Mr. Marlin, seems to be a bit bitter about the situation. That's beyond my control."

Marlin could continue to serve on the NIFA board as a holdover until Cuomo appoints a replacement, which by law must be recommended by the state Senate.

[onthejob]

One of his articles:
Government-employee, teacher, and healthcare unions that pursue self-interest – not public interests – have in many ways perverted the original intent of organized labor. They are no longer proponents of fair treatment, but of never ending entitlements that have resulted in the high taxes and longer-term municipal debt that is driving many state and local governments to the brink of bankruptcy.

In my home state, New York, we have the highest combined state and local taxes in the nation because our government and legislative leaders are beholden to public, teacher, and healthcare labor unions, which reward them with campaign contributions and union volunteers.

Tammany Hall bosses no longer control the political process and political agendas – the unions do. And woe to the elected official who strays and publicly supports charter schools or aid to parochial schools or Medicaid reform or pension reform or cuts in wasteful social spending to balance budgets. The unions will order their membership to the polls to evict that person from office.

In New York City, the public/non-profit sector is 38 percent of the electorate and in economically challenged Upstate New York, their vote tops 50 percent. As a result of this power, the average New York public sector salary is $60,000 v. $45,000 in the private sector. New York spends $46 billion on Medicaid to keep empty hospitals afloat – more than the combined Medicaid spending of Texas, California, and Florida. Education spending is hitting $20,000 per capita while SAT scores continue to decline.

The Manhattan Institute’s Steve Malanga justly describes public servants as New York’s political masters. “Working both within the Democratic Party and outside it,” he has written, “they have created a coalition of public-sector interests – of tax eaters. Irrespective of the public interest, their interest is always more: more [public] workers with more pay, more social services, more pensions, more benefits – and more taxes.”

When Pope Leo XIII and the American bishops spoke in favor of organized labor, they argued that, to achieve the common good, society must secure for the laborers the status of dignity in the workplace and some security. Today these unions are not interested in pursuing the common good, whereby all members of society benefit, but a collective good in which their group benefits to the exclusion of other groups.

And the public be damned.

 
George J. Marlin is an editor of The Quotable Fulton Sheen. His newst book is Narcissist Nation: Reflections of a Blue-State Conservative.



[lost]

Boohoo. I hope the door doesn't hit poor George in the ass on the way out

[onthejob]

And another:
streetcornerconservative.com/2013/08/05/many-potential-detroits-in-upstate-ny-by-george-j-marlin/

THIS AZZHOLE HAS NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT THE MORTGAGE COLLAPSE AND WALL STREET. THIS IS WHY POLICE/FIRE ARE LEAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. TEA BAGGERS

[overthecap]

Dec 31, 2013 16:38:48 GMT -5 onthejob said:

And another:
streetcornerconservative.com/2013/08/05/many-potential-detroits-in-upstate-ny-by-george-j-marlin/

THIS AZZHOLE HAS NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT THE MORTGAGE COLLAPSE AND WALL STREET. THIS IS WHY POLICE/FIRE ARE LEAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. TEA BAGGERS

Like Patton with War, solve the problem and he has work 'no more'.
He and like him thrive on fiscal insolvency!

[opie]

Marlin is a corporate republican stool pigeon. GOP is the enemy of labor.

[ftnyrs]

George Marlin is a typical 1% corp dovchebag wiping away his tears with $100 bills. He thinks all civil service is beneath him and has no problem letting us know that. Only an elitist would use the term "fescennine".

[ftnyrs]

This is from NEWSMAX.com

George J. Marlin is a contributing editor of TheCatholicThing.org, a political columnist for the Long Island Business News and a contributor to The New York Post.

He served two terms as Executive Director and CEO of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (1995-1997). In that capacity he managed 35 facilities including the World Trade Center, La Guardia, JFK, and Newark Airports, PATH Subway and the four bridges and two tunnels that connect New York and New Jersey.

In 1993, Mr. Marlin was the Conservative Party nominee for mayor of the City of New York. In 1994 he served on Governor-elect Pataki's transition team and in 2010 served on Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo’s transition team. He is a director of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA), a fiscal oversight board.

Mr. Marlin is the author/editor of 11 books, including “Squandered Opportunities: New York’s Pataki Years,” “The American Catholic Voter: Two Hundred Years of Political Impact,” “Fighting the Good Fight: A History of the New York Conservative Party,” “The Quotable Chesterton: A Topical Compilation of the Wit, Wisdom and Satire of G. K. Chesterton,” “The Quotable Fulton Sheen: A Topical Compilation of the Wit, Wisdom, and Satire of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen,” and “The Quotable Paul Johnson: A Topical Compilation of His Wit, Wisdom and Satire.” His articles have appeared in over two dozen periodicals, including The New York Times, National Review, Newsday, The Washington Times and the New York Daily News.

I'd rather punch myself in the deeeeek than read any one of the fore mentioned books. I can only imagine this guy as one of the DUKE brothers from Trading Places.