New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

 NBCRG has no problem with an appropriate number of paramedics!

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel  published an article on Wednesday October 31, Section B1, about the City of New Berlin wanting to hire 19 new full time Paramedics for a total force of 27. Unfortunately this enthusiasm for paramedics has offended other rescue personnel, such as emergency medical technicians (EMT) who bristle at suggestions the EMT's offer substandard care that is little more than a fast ride to the hospital.

 Don Hunjadi, the executive director of the Wisconsin EMS Association says New Berlin fire officials "owe the EMT basics in the state a huge apology". He also said "Don't get me wrong, I completely support and advocate that New Berlin should be at the paramedic level, but to say that it is substandard, or is nothing except a fast ride to the hospital is just not true".

 Hunjadi is surprised that New Berlin, with a population of 38,600, doesn't think that it cannot provide 24-hour coverage with its existing eight full time paramedics and two other certified paramedics. "I would like to see what the heck they are going to do with all those other people" he said. 

The Mayor and Common Council's next questions should be: What are we going to do with all these people? Do  we really need  specialists  at all locations? A comparison might be similar to going to a Brain Surgeon just because you have a headache. In other words we do not need  crews of specialists at all locations

Since we are told that New Berlin is not in conformance with the state, We better check to see what they say about numbers of paramedics in larger cities as Waukesha and West Allis 

Surrounding communities  were charted as follows:

Elm Grove, 6000  pop. 12 paramedics

Franklin     32000 pop. 23 paramedics

Mukwonago 6000 pop. 3 full time, 7 on call  paramedics

New Berlin 38600 pop. 27 sought paramedic

Brookfield  39600 pop.  23 paramedics

West Allis 60000 pop   27 paramedics

Waukesha 67000 Pop  23 paramedics

We would suggest that alderman read the entire well written article and see if we are  getting a Rolls Royce system, when a Chrysler system would be satisfactory.  We are a growing community as Fire Chief Dobernig stated, but we are growing slowly. Let us not be stampeded into approving something for the sake of doing something. Talk to surrounding communities  and do what is best for New Berlin

NBCRG
 

Mission Statement of New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

In recognition of the principle that organized citizens can be more effective than citizens acting as individuals in helping to shape government policy at whatever level, the following constitute the objectives of this organization.

 
1. To encourage citizens to actively participate in the process of establishing government policy on issues of concern. 

2. To adopt positions on government issues and to make these positions known to government officials.

3. To inform the public about significant issues and to recommend public action when deemed necessary.

4. To hold government officials and employees accountable for their actions or lack of actions.

5. To recruit and help elect candidates to public office who best express the positions taken by this organization. 

The above mission statement was written in 2005 and revised on May 3, 2007 

 There will be a special meeting of the New Berlin Common Council Tuesday at 7:00pm to discuss and possibly vote to schedule a public hearing for the 2008 City budget. Mayor Chiovatero was instructed to revise his budget to a point in line with the Council instructions to keep the 2008 levy at a Zero or a low increase., compared to the 2007 levy. The budget proposed by the Mayor would increase the  tax rate by more than 10%.

The 10% increase is higher than the increases sought last year. The 2007 rate was up more than 5% from 2006. This may have been the reason that several alderman lost their elections April 2007.

The 10% increase does not contain any funds for any rebuilding of Calhoun Road, Sidewalks, side paths or Bike Trails which supporters call "Alternate Transportation". The Alternate Transportation  Committee projects some 45 miles of these trails at unknown costs which some say are $25,000,000

The Board of Public works has projected road rebuilding in the future of some $45,000,000. It is time to prioritize our tax revenue to what we need and what some would like to have.


NBCRG hopes that Aldermen will say no to this massive increase in the Levy. Remember that there are no decreases in the departmental budgets, there is just less of an increase than department heads would like to have,