Breaking bad news gently in the dialect of high glaze

Anyone you know get a raise of $5,000 this year? How about $9,000 - $11,000? Huh? Probably not? We know. Most people got a cut in pay and benefits - few raises were seen.

Well, maybe that's because the people you know all work for private enterprises – maybe, maybe not. 

The point? Some people who work for McLennan County got those kind of raises, and it was paid from the “fluff” pointed out by certain fiscally conservative dudes and dudettes of the Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Party. What is fluff? Good question, especially since the numbers show it's a steady 16.5 percent of the county budget, year to year. 

 Fluff is budgeted Funds Left Unspent Fatuously and Fortuitously. (FLUFF)Anyway, rather than cut the fluff – which would be cutting muscle and not fat, if fluff can be considered muscle – your County Commissioners voted to raise certain salaries in the Information Tecnhology (IT) department by the above named figures. (click here for a good time!)

 County Treasurer Danny Volcik replaced the First Assistant County Treasurer with a newly hired Juvenile Probation Officer at about $50,000 a year, and we're off to the races, but not without Commissioners Mashek and Gibson letting the world know they were on the ball about how the position was advertised. 

 Was it internal, or external? They were assured it had been done in accordance with County policy. 

Finally, Judge Jim Lewis broke up the chatter by saying that approval was more a formality than a necessity. “He (County Treasurer Danny Volcik) can hire anyone he chooses.” 

Onvarts! Troot da fawg... 

 Next question: Now that we've heard from the TEA Party – long, loudly and at great length – what is their intended course of action, as in “Whadda ya' gonna do 'bout it? Huh? Huh? Come on, what'cha gon' do 'bout it?”