Saving Citizen’s Money…Guard Dog’s Take

So there has been some hullabaloo around the Naperville city council’s total compensation and health benefits etc. but if we remember back our forefathers lived in a time before there was a business of medicine culture.  This being the case, it was this council or the councils from past that granted themselves the privilege of healthcare coverage.  In the private sector, you must work more than 32 hours a week to be considered a full-time employee before you are offered healthcare coverage.  If the council is not willing to measure their time so it is at least 32 hours, then perhaps they can initiate a vote that healthcare coverage is not a part of the compensation package.  Granted, this would probably be something they would have come into effect after they are long gone (see the term limit referendum) but this would certainly save tax payer’s money.

Here are some other ways the council can save taxpayer money, all it takes is some simple logic.

• Reduce the size of council by 50%…therefore reducing taxpayer burden by 50%
• Being on the City Council is a pro bono opportunity.  Remember, the founding fathers would perform government work in their free-time.  It was a privilege to be the voice of their constituents not the constituents were privileged to have their representation.
• A stopwatch.  This simple device could be used during public forum to show speakers at public forum that their allotted 3 minutes is complete.  Currently Naperville is paying an individual to measure the time of the speaker and they sometimes rudely interrupt the speaker as they are in mid sentence.  This simple stopwatch would allow the speaker to know their time and the microphone is simply muted when appropriate.  Additionally, limiting the “usual suspects” (thank you councilman McElroy) and those speakers whom the council “approves” to the same 3 minutes allows for balance of opinion and insight.  Here are some highlights of when the “Speaker’s time is up”