Tag Archives: Eric Levitt

The new new thing in pensions

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

Ever since we can remember (in our case, that’s 2012), the City has been struggling to find ways to ensure that it will be able to pay its retired employees the pensions it promised them. The problem is simple:  As … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Alameda next?

Posted on August 15, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

First came the cities of San Francisco and Pasadena, which mandated that all of their employees get vaccinated against the COVID‑19 virus (and submit proof thereof) as soon as the federal Food and Drug Administration formally approves one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Firefighters | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“Progressive” budgeting

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

At the Merry-Go-Round, we read the City of Alameda’s General Fund budget pretty carefully, and we like to think we understand all of the items the budget contains. One line in the proposed two-year budget presented to Council on May … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

UBI for Alameda?

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

When we read in The Atlantic online a few weeks ago about the latest “progressive” idea sweeping the country – “universal basic income” – we immediately wondered how long it would take our local pretenders to the throne of wokeness … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Where in the world is Edmond Rodriguez?

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

Edmond Rodriguez, who was appointed Alameda fire chief after former City Manager Jill Keimach refused to bow to a pressure campaign to force her to give the position to the candidate selected by the Alameda firefighters’ union, has retired after … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Test case

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Robert Sullwold

It seemed like a good idea at the time. The City of Alameda would “partner” with a company called CityHealth Urgent Care, which runs urgent-care facilities in Oakland and San Leandro, to offer testing for the coronavirus at the Research … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Keeping ’em on the job

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Robert Sullwold

When City Manager Eric Levitt presented his revised Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget last week, the staff report made his priorities clear: “First, the approach to the budget is to limit layoffs. . . .  We anticipate bringing back part-time employees … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Who’s getting aid from the City

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Robert Sullwold

You can tell a lot about elected officials’ priorities – and their politics – when you look at the decisions they make about who is entitled to get financial assistance from the government during the coronavirus crisis. Take the federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The coronavirus and the City budget

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Robert Sullwold

More than 2,100 U.S. cities brace for budget shortfalls due to coronavirus, survey finds, with many planning cuts and layoffs That was the headline in the April 14 edition of the Washington Post over a story about a survey conducted … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged , | 2 Comments

What Alameda is doing to prepare for the coronavirus

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Robert Sullwold

Relentlessly (if parochially) focused on all things Alameda, the Merry-Go-Round began to wonder, as we watched and read the stories about the coronavirus (aka COVID-19) crisis, what our local public agencies were preparing to do about it. So we decided … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments