NO NO NO!!!! I'm pissed and going to rant, beware!

Recently my library system decided that, we are in the middle of a recession. Shocker, huh?

At a meeting management unleashed their new plan to deal with budget issues. Included with this was the termination of ALL part time staff. That's right. All. This is close to 150 or so people. There will be about 40 or so part time jobs that will be open in the next fiscal year. Current part time employees have been invited to apply to gain these positions. When trying for these positions, seniority will not be a factor.

Can you say "popularity contest"? I can.

Many attended this informatory meeting, few survived. However some of the employees caught the tidbit thrown in the middle of the speech about how everyone was special. This tidbit mentioned that they had been looking at this problem for over a year.

OVER A YEAR folks.

While this current plan will allow the library to survive - barely- let us take a look at how the management has handled things for over a year in response to this growing crisis.

Management has been continuing to hire, and promote, tons of new employees. Almost every week or so we received news announcements saying to welcome a new employee, or that that employee was promoted to a position that was not there before. Such as extra clerical positions.

Management received bonuses during this past year, and pay increases... they were doing such a great job, they deserved them.

Management sent employees to an expense-paid conference near San Diego, at an exclusive resort.

Management encouraged employees to go here, there, and everywhere for trainings that were nice, but not vital to the library system.

This year of increased expenses, when they KNEW what the next fiscal year was looking like makes no sense.

Why not do a hiring freeze last year? Reduce some library hours? Limit promotions? Start cutting non-essential staff positions in light of budget cuts.

What are non-essential staff positions, you might ask. Here is a list:
1) Librarian trainees- These are trainees for librarian positions that we are not going to create. 40K a year each.

2) Our P.R. manager. Public relations is nice, but since we now have no budget for many programs and activities, do we really need an 80K a year P.R. person to send formulaic calendars, that will just say when our remaining storytime hours are, to the printer? This job could be done by a secretary or another manager. 80K could help a lot of others keep their jobs.

3) Payroll & accounting. Our staff is getting slashed. How many accountants do we need to process payroll? How about going from 3 to 2?

No, all of the above positions are remaining. Part time employees who are "lucky" enough to come back will be given anywhere from 10-20 hours a week, maximum. Not the 30-35 that they need to survive.

This includes a woman who has worked for the library for 25 years, and who has a daughter to support.

A young woman, and dear friend of mine, who has worked for the library for several years. Her husband is getting laid off from his job.

Another dear friend who works her butt off, and who has a few cats and a new puppy to support.

College students who are paying for housing.

A husband and wife, in their late teens, who just got married.

These are some of the people who are being displaced, who make factions less than non-essential positions... while the library has been tossing money around for the last year. Their jobs could have been saved by just being a little bit frugal.

Does this affect your dearly beloved Berserker? Well, my job is safe. But it does affect me. These are my friends. My extended family. These are the people I share everything with. Yes, this does affect me.

My friends, I love you all. I want to grab on to you and say "Don't go. Don't leave me." I'm selfish. This hurts, so very much.



NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE

The thought & fact that you’re going
Is something I will never believe,
To me this is all a joke
Like someone is playing a game with me

At times we could not stand each other
But yet I still loved you
So now that you’re leaving me
What shall I ever do

Being here without you
Is something I just can’t see
Life, period, without you
Is just not right to me

I know there will be no on like you
No one with your unique style
You are so special to me
Now who will keep me from going senile?

I have connections, baby! Yeah!

A good friend of mine has a younger sister.

Her younger sister has a friend named Erika Lujan.

This friend, Erika, was recently caught with a small arsenal of stolen firearms.

Erika, and a few friends, were involved in a robbery of a gun collector. They stole a van full of guns, intending to sell them, and nearly got away.

A note to thieves and gun-runners. When you have an SUV full of illegal weapons, drive carefully. It seems they crashed, and flipped over while on the freeway. Guns went everywhere.

My friend is a bit disturbed that one of her sister's friends was doing this for extra cash.

Personally I think it is kind of funny. In a roundabout way, I have some serious connections! Plus it makes me feel a bit better about my freaky family.

If you would like to check out the story, here is the link.

Not much else to say

Here is a link to a post I just read from a friend of mine. 'Nuff said.

The ones that got away

During my recent visit to the happiest place on Earth... DISNEYLAND.. there were a few interesting events.

I was there with just a couple of people, a friend of mine and his son. My friend made a couple of new friends. They followed him EVERYWHERE with their cute pink pastel blue backpacks. It was so cute, they even asked him- and his son and I- to dinner. His son was holding on to my hand, and I think they thought that he was my child, and my friend was... well.. available.

When we said we already had reservations somewhere else, they started talking to my friend. Would he like to go to the arcade later? What about ice-cream after dinner?

You know I am the very soul of kindness and compassion. Out of the depths of my heart I offered to take the little guy back to the hotel after dinner, so my friend could have a night off to himself.

The guys then asked him about going on some rides? I had a hard time not laughing. I said that my friend looked like he needed... a ride. I thought he was going to kill me. My friend declined the offer.

Over the next several days we saw them several more times. Each time they were very friendly towards my friend.

As for me? Well I will never let him forget the ones that got away. What else are friends for?

By the way, we ran into them in the Buzz Lightyear line at one point. After the ride Disney allows you to send yourself a free photo- taken on the ride. Instead of choosing the photo of me, or my friend and his son (we had tons of those already). I selected the photo of the two guys who were after my friend.

I figure I can print it out and send him periodic reminders. But for now.. here are the guys!

A NEW YEAR & NEW DREAMS

Well I did not get off my once a day blog until the new year, and I apologize. I will try to do better, and soon I will have my 2007 recap posted. Yes I am still working on it.

Anyway, for those who got me through the season, thank you for all of your help. For those of you who comforted me all through the seasonal family pissing contests, my friends I love you all. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas Day, and New Years Eve. Who knew the hell-i-days could be fun?!?

For my truly fabulous friends at work, including my BFF, you guys are awesome. Thank you so much for all of the fun in 2007, and 2008 will be even better!

And for any romantic out there... let your dreams guide you, let your heart speak for you, and let yourself be happy.

For all of you I wish the best. Happy days. Happy New Year!

Here are some lyrics from Jon McLaughlin's song "So Close."

You’re in my arms
And all the world is calm
The music playing on
For only two
So close together
And when I’m with you
So close to feeling alive
A life goes by
Romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now forever I know
All that I wanted
To hold you
So close
So close to reaching that famous happy end
Almost believing this was not pretend
And now you’re beside me and look how far we’ve come
So far
We are
So close
How could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We’re so close
To reaching that famous happy end
Almost believing this was not pretend
Let’s go on dreaming for we know we are
So close
So close
And still so far