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Furor over employee salaries

The Madera Tribune received the following comments online about articles and local happenings. City hall shakeup

Speculation has been that longtime city administrator David Tooley, and possibly other high-ranking city officials, may be stepping down, or may have been terminated last week after weeks of criticism by residents claiming “excessive” raises and salaries being paid to senior staff by the City of Madera.

“Carlos Gomez” wrote, “Poor job on city development downtown is not desirable for dining, walking, shopping. This town should be respected and old town should be rehabilitated to a desirable old town; lots of money going to Clovis and Fresno shoppings and entertainment because Madera is not cool. But then again, who runs this town?”

“Dan Waterhouse” wrote, “There’s an old joke about Madera — that it’s the training ground for Fresno and Clovis. People go to work in Madera to get a few years experience and then leave for greener pastures, or they retire from somewhere else and wrap up their careers in Madera.”

“Cindy Chidlaw Diaz” wrote, “To bad there isn’t the same shake up at The County of Madera. No one is worth money like this in Madera period!”

“Carey Roland” responded, “Exactly, before they destroyed the Ranchos.”

“Michelle Garcia” replied, “Everyone agrees, but need to remember that at the voting polls.”

“Joel Martinez” wrote, “Usually people are offered handsome pay raises to keep their job. 31 percent. Wow!!!!! I’m pretty sure anyone would be happy with the current pay scale. Heck I was happy with the 1 percent we received in the military. They say that two things motivate people in life ... fear and greed, this is obviously isn’t fear. Remember the good ol’ days when people just served their community for the people?”

“Alicia Hernandez” wrote, “I wish that they would stop funding this corruption of a town because it’s like who’s pocketing the rest of the taxpayers’ money ... small town and bigo thieves around here it’s time to clean out the swamp ... and family related in offices that don’t know crap ... Madera ur a punch of thief’s.”

“Michelle Garcia” responded, “Please remember at the voting booth. All city and county officials!”

“Hernandez” replied, “Michelle Garcia that don’t make any difference to me as much as I vote this county will do there self motive... this county needs help in many departments and when try to get help it’s like no one cares to help you out; do I feel like my taxes are being misled in places where there not to be so Madera I know how they handle things — very poorly sorry to say.”

“Michelle Garcia” wrote, “Reading all the comments gives me hope we are finally going to turn our city and county governments around. Get out these high-paid favorite employees. Why no articles on the county of Madera? Madera Tribune are you doing your job keeping our citizens informed? Nope!”

“Dale Drozen” replied, “The city article was a great start. Email the editor asking for an article like this on the County.”

“Garcia” responded, “I will.”

“Rosie Garza” wrote, “I’m sure they will be retiring soon ... still getting that money not good..”

“Diane Christian” wrote, “Meanwhile the rest of us keep getting tapped for public safety $$$. Ridiculous.”

“Kym Smith Salter” wrote, “Should look back at the minutes of when they wanted emergency funds for the water pumps!!!”

“Sandy Wilson Myers” wrote, “And folks that’s where are money goes.”

“Sky Fierro” wrote, “Let’s start getting RID OF ALL OF THEM!!!”

“Bobby Sheikh” wrote, “Max 4 years term for each City Council member should be in place.”

“Michelle Garcia” replied, “Let’s get an initiative going! We the people need to make the change!”

“Carey Roland” wrote, “Too bad you didn’t care two elections ago.”

“April Molina” wrote, “It would seem they are trying to fix their mistake. Let’s show some grace. They’re human.”

“Michelle Garcia” responded, “It didn’t happen overnight. We the people need to keep up the pressure all the way to the voting poll.”

“Kym Smith Salter” wrote, “The City called an off meeting tonight.....hmmm.”

“Dale Drozen” wrote, “Now post Madera County.”

“Cindy Chidlaw Diaz” replied, “I agree post it. Let the County get shaken up too.”

“Angela Ponte” wrote, “Wow, they make lots!”

“Sue Alexander” wrote, “Bunch of crooks!”

“Kym Smith Salter” wrote, “Fantastic article!!!”

“Phillip Pistoresi” wrote, “Wow!”

“Bobby Sheikh” wrote, “About time !!!!”

“Khalid Chaudhry” wrote, “They must pass the ordinance, if you work for the city then live in the city. High speed rail

The California High Speed Rail Authority recently promoted its continuance in building the high speed rail in California.

“Michael Gaynor” wrote the definition for the word “boondoggle,” in reference to the point of the project being a “waste of time.”

“Dale Drozen” wrote, “Now there is what I call a plan! High speed to Bakersfield then get on a bus.”

“Loren Davis” wrote, “Waste of money.” Distribution center opening

The City of Fresno city manager’s office recently announced the coming of Ulta Beauty’s distribution center and are looking for employees.

“Samantha Shane” wrote, “Jesse they are gonna need someone to run their warehouse and you can get me a discount.”

“Jesse Lamberton” wrote, “Thomas will never stop contacting me if I took this job.”

“Shane” replied, “Jesse Lamberton it’s a win win!”

“Rocio Gutierrez” wrote, “Yurii Lopez look for u” Rants and raves

Rant — The City of Chowchilla posted a notice informing residents not to rake leaves into streets for safety reasons. “Keanu N Keanu Armentrout” wrote, “only to people living in the city lol”

Rant — The U.S. Forest Service announced that a historic 129 million trees on 8.9 million acres have died due to drought and bark beetles in the state of California. “Alberto Hernández Onofre” wrote (translated from Spanish), “This is serious. We’re on the verge of an environmental cataclysm. There will be no wars for millions of people to die. We’ll die for excess heat. Lack of oxygen. Fires are hard to control. And excessive polluting gases. May God protect us.”

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To chime in online, visit our website (www.maderatribune.com) or find us on Twitter (@MadTrib) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/maderatribune). Ben Falcon is moderator of this online feature.

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