Huntington's budget is the same old story

Proposed Huntington city budget shows little to no change for upcoming fiscal year


The economic struggles of the country have their affect on many cities around the country, and as Mayor Kim Wolfe explained in his address of the proposed budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Huntington is no different.

Even with the small steps to economic recovery that can be seen around the nation, small cities such as Huntington are still feeling the recession effects. “The budget being presented has cuts in a number of different areas,” Wolfe said. “Most significant are cuts in personnel, within finance, Mayor’s Office, Public Works, civilian staff at the Police Department and keeping the current vacancies unfilled at the Fire Department for a second year in a row.”

This year’s proposed budget shows little to no change from last year’s budget, or even the year before that. The expenditures budget for the city in 2009 was $41.7 million, it dropped to $38.9 million in 2010, and the proposed budget for the upcoming year is $39.8 million. With numbers that large, and the changes being so small, the percent of change is relatively insignificant.

The two largest expenditures of the city over the past three years have been the Police and Fire Departments. Those departments have accounted for over 50% of the cities spending over the past three years and those numbers are set to continue. The problem is that the numbers have remained flat over the past three years, which has not allowed for improvements, and according to City Council representative Sandra Clements, has reduced the overall effectiveness of the departments.

“When you lay people off it reduces the efficiency of the department,” Clements said. “We have to learn to live within our budget and work with what we have.”

Although the proposed layoffs and cuts will be minimal, they will still leave holes within the city departments. An increase in city revenue would be the only way to save those jobs, but as of right now there is only a slight increase from the previous year. With the B&O tax and Municipal Service Fees bringing in most of the money for the city (Table 1), it will be up to the city leadership to come up with creative methods to increase the amount of money coming in for city use.

“This year’s financial picture without additional revenue sources is just as difficult, if not more so,” Wolfe said. “The proposed 2011-12 budget does not see any significant increases in revenue.” If the city is going to prosper and allow city employees to keep their jobs, there is going to have to be significant increases in revenue in the upcoming years.

Mayor Wolfe, the ball is in your court.

To: Burnis Morris

From: Troy Hemingway

Re: Cabell County Public Library/Library Board Investigative Story
Date: March 30, 2011


Subject: Growth of Technology (Internet and e-books) and how it has impacted the library

Scope: The growth of technology and emergence of the information age has affected the entire world. Libraries have had to evolve with the technology and I will investigate different programs and shifts the library has introduced to better serve the public.

Need: Libraries have long been a big part of the community. People use the library for many different functions so it is important that the public knows what is now being offered beyond just books.

Methods: The method of this story will be investigative with an anecdotal lead. I want the story to investigate how changes have affected the library, but also tell a story of what is now being offered and how people can use the resource.
Sources: The sources of this story will be interviews. I plan to interview at least one member of the board, the director of the library and some library employees. I want a broad scope of input.
Presentation: This story will be hard news, but with an anecdotal lead. It is very newsworthy for people to know the current state of the library. A misconception is that the library only offers books and computers, but that is not the case. I will also include charts to show funding and growth of certain aspects of the library.

Follow-up: This story definitely has the potential to have follow-up stories. As the library grows and evolves, it will allow for more and more stories. The library is too important to become insignificant. People need to learn about the great resources that are available.

Huntington City Council Meeting Highlights - March 27, 2011

I was able to attend the city council meeting last night and it was a very exciting meeting. The first detail that caught my eye is that Mayor Kim Wolfe was not in attendance. This was the first meeting I have ever been to when the Mayor was not there. Also, there were two gentlemen in the audience who were very passionate about their feelings and made sure they let the city council know about it. One of them had to be told that his time had expired mulitple times and went on rants about religion and even evolution.

The second man asked where the Mayor was, and was not given an answer. He made it known that the Mayor has missed about 3-4 meetings already this year. His problem was that he was not given the date and time of a sanitary board meeting that he demanded to be in attendance for. Councilman Mark Bates apologized for his mistake and told the gentleman he will be informed of the next meeting's time.

The council then voted as ususal on multiple ordinances and the terms of two people within city departments. The meeting was very unusual and I was happy to have been in attendance.

Huntington City Council Meeting - March 27, 2011

I will be attending the Huntington City Council meeting tonight to finish up my required three meetings to attend for the semester. I was unaware that the meeting was even happening so I was very happy to find out because I needed this last event to attend. I am anticipating the meeting being very similar to previous meetings I have attended. I expect votes on ordinances and terms of employees, but nothing too groundbreaking to occur. I also expect there to be some discussion on the final version of the proposed budget.

Nonprofit Story Proposal

To: Burnis Morris


From: Troy Hemingway

Re: Story Outline for Nonprofit piece

Date: March 18, 2011



Subject: Affects of Economy on Huntington City Mission



Scope: The downward shift of the economy has affected many around the country. The Huntington City Mission is no different, and I will research what programs and plans have changed due to a decrease in available funds.



Need: Nonprofit organizations are big parts of the local community. People deserve to know what is going on at these organizations and what the donations are being used for. It is also important to get exposure for the organizations and their programs.



Methods: The method of this story will stem from mostly interviews and research. I will research the internet, mainly the organizations website and also Guidestar to look at the 990 of the organization.



Sources: The sources of this story will be from interviews of employees at the organization. I will speak with the director, general employees and also volunteers. The organization’s website and other sites talking about programs and plans of the organization will also be used.



Presentation: The presentation of the story will be hard news. I will be reporting on the status of the organization and how the economy has affected its ability to continue its programs. The story will not have any charts or graphs, but I plan to include photos of the building and maybe of the employees.



Follow-up: This story definitely has the potential to have follow-up stories. The organization will continue its operations throughout the year, and any programs that are worthy of news coverage could be written about. Also, any changes to donations or programs that have been stable throughout the years would be worthy of stories as well.

Faculty Senate Meeting Highlights

The second meeting I attended this semester was the faculty senate meeting on March 17th. The meeting was pretty surprising, with not much being accomplished besides arguing over semantics. The politics of the meeting were professional, with motions and seconds to pass different suggestions, but the overall decisions that were made and arguments over those decisions seemed juvenile.

The main decsions that were made were regarding wording in faculty documentation describing tenure and promotions. Although those are very important factors to working members of the University, there could have been some items that were more important that could have been addressed. The semantics of a couple of sections regarding those topics took a complete 30-45 minutes to discuss.

Faculty Senate Meeting - March 17, 2011

I will be attending the faculty senate meeting today at 4 p.m. at the student center on campus. I am going to fulfill part two of my requirement of attending three government meetings throughout the semester. I have never been to a Marshall faculty senate meeting before and am interested in what the proceedings will be. I assume that various topics regarding school policy and future plans will be discussed. I will blog later to report on what the proceedings were and some changes that are going to come about. It should be interesting to see how the faculty senate differs from other meetings such as city council.

Proposal: City of Huntington budget story

TO: Burnis Morris

FROM: Troy Hemingway

Re: Story Outline for City of Huntington budget for FY 2012

Date: March 17, 2011

Subject: Examination of proposed FY 2012 Huntington city budget.

Scope: I will research the proposed budget from the current year, as well as the changes that have come from previous year’s budgets. I will also research changes within specific departments to see how economic struggles have affected the city.

Need: The residents of the city of Huntington deserve to know as much as possible about the proposed budget for the upcoming year. It is their tax money going towards these expenditures, so they have a right to know where the money is going.

Methods: The story will stem from research done of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as previous budgets. I will research the city of Huntington’s website, as well as physical documents that I have at my disposal.

Sources: The main sources for this story will be the actual budgets proposals. Some additional sources could be minutes from city council meetings or the state of the city address. I also have interviewed two members of the Huntington city council.

Presentation: The presentation of the story will have two main forms. One main story about the budget itself, and a sidebar story about how the budget has affected the fire and police departments. I will also include charts and graphs about where the money is coming from and where it is going.

Follow-up: There could be additional stories that follow-up on this budget story. Any changes that happen throughout the year, as well as cuts or layoffs that happen within major departments will lead to available stories throughout the year.

Plans for Non-Profit Piece on the Ceredo-Kenova Community Center

Here is some information that I was able to gather from GuideStar.org. The information came from the C-K Community Center's 2009 Form 990. I plan to contact either the President or Director of the center to discuss any setbacks as a result of the state of the economy as well as any new ideas for fundraising.  It will be important to talk to as many employees as possible to get  a true view of the entire center. I will also want to know if any programs or activities have been canceled or cut in the past couple years.

Total Revenue  -   $176,536

Total Expenses -  $153,940

Total Assets -        $197,513

President – Larry S. Moore

No officer or trustee receives any compensation

P.O. Box 724

Ceredo, WV  25507

304-453-1121

www.c-kcommunitycenter.org

February Update on the Library

This is my second update on my semester long project. I have come up with an idea of my story. It will investigate the changes that have taken place within the library due to advancements in technology, particularly the Internet and e-books. It will be an interesting story because people need to know that the library is more than just hard copies of books and is a viable resource in the community.

Huntington State of the City Address and City Council Meeting

The first meeting I attended to fulfill my requirement of three was the State of the City address followed by the Huntington City Council meeting. The State of the City address was really informative, with a presentation of the new expectations of the city budget, as well as some new programs that are coming in the new year. Mayor Kim Wolfe described the new budget, saying that there aren't many changes from last years budget and many of the same economic struggles can be expected.

He also mentioned some layoffs and cuts that will be happening within various departments around the city. Although those are never wanted, they are sometimes necessary and the city will continue to function despite the losses. The city council meeting after was just like I have become accustomed to. There was voting on a couple of people's terms in various departments and some discussion on some of the city taxes and fees.

Huntington State of the City and City Council Meeting

The first meeting I will be attending this semester is the Huntington State of the City address followed by a City Council meeting. I will be prepared to take a lot of notes and voice record the meetings because I will be doing a lot of work with the State of the City address specifically. I have never attended a State of the City address before, so I am looking forward to that. It will be interesting to see how Huntington is changing and what plans and projects the Mayor has in store for the upcoming year.

I have attended Huntington City Council meetings before and expect much of the same. There will be voting regarding new procedures and also voting to keep empolyees at their positions for additional terms. I also expect some local citizens to be there to discuss any issues they have with the state of Huntington.

Investigative Reporting Study

Troy Hemingway
JMC 414

#1 – p. 20-21
1. What is the headline on the investigative article you brought to class for discussion today? ____Who’s Teaching L.A.’s Kids? (L.A. Times)

2. Does the headline accurately express what the investigation is about?
Yes or No. _______Yes_________ Explain _______It is an investigation of the teachers in the L.A. area and what level of education they are providing.

3. Why is your story investigative -- compared with a story about the apprehension of a jail escapee? ___It involves research, analysis and then using that analysis to make informed observations.

4. Is your story a routine government or business story? Yes or No. ____Yes, Department of Education is part of the government._______

5. Explain why it is or is not a routine story. ____It is not a story that can just be put together in a short amount of time like a hard news story. It took time to research the teachers and to truly find out what level of education they are providing. It also put people on the spot and made them accountable.

6. In your story, does the news organization give the target of its investigation a fair opportunity to give his/her side? Yes or No. __Yes____

7. Quote directly from your story to provide proof that the target of the investigation was given his/her fair say. _____"Not every teacher works with every kid," said Smith, 63, who started teaching in 1996. "Sometimes there are personality conflicts."_________________________________________________________

8. Does the news organization point to a key document as part of its investigation? Yes or No. _____Yes_________

9. Explain/discuss the key document used in the investigation. _________2006 Report by L.A. Unified Researchers on the quality of schools in L.A.

10. Do graphics and/or photos accompany the article? Yes or No. _____No___________

11. Do the graphics and/or photos accompanying the article more understanding of the issue? Yes or No. ______No_____ Explain _____There is only one picture accompanying the online version of the article and it is of a teacher.

12. What demographic would be interested in this story? ____Parents in the L.A. area. Also, teachers in the L.A. area.
13. How many people are affected by this investigation? _The population of L.A. is very large so a lot.______________________

14. Are there unanswered questions in this story? ______No, I felt it was complete.

15. Should there be a follow up to this story? _______Yes______________

16. Can you determine how the reporter got this story? Yes or No. _____Yes__________
17. Explain what you see that indicates how the reporter got the story. _____The three reporters that worked together mention research that they did to get his facts. Also there are many quotes from teachers and also some from students throughout the story.

#2 – p. 21
What is your idea for an investigative story? _____I would like to do an investigative story on the progress of Marshall University adding a baseball field as an on-campus facility. It has been years in the works and there have been talks of progress, but the team continues to play more than 75% of its home games in Charleston and that is unacceptable.

Is your story idea something someone has tried to hide? Yes or No. __No
Is it important to the public welfare? Yes or No. __No
Will it be the product of the reporter and not government? Yes or No. __No

January update on the Library

So far I have not done too much for my semester long project. Things have been busy, and I have put this on the backburner for now. I plan to do many interviews and meetings along the way, and have already called to schedule an interview at the library.

The Huntington Library Board's meetings are every third Tuesday of the month at the main branch. I plan to attend at least one of the meetings to get an idea of what goes on. I will also request some budget information to see where the money is coming from and where it is going.

President Focuses on Unity and Progress in State of the Union Address

By Troy Hemingway

President Barack Obama said Americans must stand together and work for the future Tuesday in his State of the Union address.

"We are part of the American family," Obama said. "We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed;"

A focus on teh future was paramount in the emotional speech, with key topics including jobs, health care, education and the economy.

Obama tackled jobs and the economy at the beginning of his speech. In a previous column, I predicted that those two topics would be a priority in his address, and they certainly were. Obama reminisced about when jobs were abundant and working for a living was easier to accomplish.

Such is not the case in our 2011 job market, and Obama presented a challenge for us to continue to be the most productive workers in the world. "The competition for jobs is real," Obama said. "But this shouldn't discourage us. It should challange us."

The president also said he is open to continuing work on reforming the health care program in thsi country. He said, "anything can be improved" and he is eagerto work towards improving the system. I predicted Obama would address health care because it has been one of the foundations of his tenure in the White House.

Obama called out to Congress, and also to the general public, to move on from the battles that have caused little to no progress over the past two years and focus on fixing what needs fixing and moving forward.

On education, Obama called for Americans to remember a key fact of our educational system that is often overlooked. He said that teachers are to be respected and revered for the work they do each day in the lives of children.

"Let's also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a child's success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom," Obama said. "In South Korea, teachers are known as 'nation builders'. Here in America, it's time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect."

One topic that I failed to predict, but should have known was going to be addressed, is government spending. For years, our government has been spending more money than it has been taking in. Obama used a great comparison to show what we, as a nation, should expect from our government. "Every day, families sacrifice to live within their means," Obama said. "They deserve a government that does the same."

Obama proposed a plan to freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years. Although that sounds like a long-shot, if accomplished, that would be pivotal towards lowering the deficit and solidifying our economic future.

One final part of the address that I predicted was Obama stressing the fact that change will take work. "The idea of America endures," Obama said. "Our destiny remains our choice."

The government creates policy, but the public practices it. Growth and progress can only be achieved through hard work and unity.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. President.

Predicting Obama's State of the Union Address

Predicting President Barack Obama’s topics that he will say in his second State of the Union Address should be a piece of cake.

With the issues now affecting the country, it is relatively easy to distinguish the problems and agendas that will be discussed this upcoming Tuesday when he takes the podium. Obama will certainly address issues that have affected our country in the past, and continue to affect our country today.

One such topic that is sure to be discussed is the nation’s unemployment problem. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the country is facing one of the worst unemployment periods in our history, with over 9% of the country without a job.

Ronald Reagan also faced such a crisis. Although Reagan and Obama are on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to policy and agenda, both faced similar job markets that are near all-time lows. Also, Obama and Reagan had similar approval ratings at this point in their terms. Both were below the 50% line and both were struggling to find an answer. Reagan’s answer came in the form of “Reaganomics”. We have yet to see Obama’s defining answer, but steps towards a resolution will surely be mentioned in this speech.

Another topic that is sure to be outlined is the economy. The economy has been terrible since the end of the Bush administration, and Obama has been working to reverse the problem since he stepped in office. Stimulus packages have helped, but long-term relief is still far in the distance.

Franklin D. Roosevelt also faced an economic crisis. In his State of the Union address in 1934, his main focus was recovering from the Great Depression. Expect Obama’s address to have a heavy focus on trying to recover from an economic crisis of our own.

Obama has also made changes in health care during his first two years as the Chief Executive. Although there have been both positive and negative responses to the changes he has made, one thing is for certain – changes are necessary.

Bill Clinton also made quite a splash when he attempted to reform health care early in his term and the changes were for the better. Clinton was also able to bring positive changes to the struggling economy at the beginning of his term as well.

There is probably no past president that better exemplifies Obama as President John F. Kennedy. They are eerily similar in both personality and politics. Ted Sorensen, Kennedy’s chief speechwriter, probably put it best. “Both Kennedy and Obama have fantastically winning smiles and I might say both are very relaxed in front of an audience and on television," Sorensen said. “They don’t shout into a microphone, they talk.”

That is what Obama needs to do with his address to the country. He needs them to see that he is more than just a politician; he is an American citizen that wants to see the changes he promised as bad as we do. Far too often politicians speak at the public instead of speaking to them.

The issues facing our country today are not issues that will be solved with laws and policies. It will take concerted efforts from the citizens. We have become a society that is far too comfortable with laziness and complacency. Expect Obama to address those opinions and tell the American public to change its course.

Change starts at the top, but in order for successful change, it must be maintained at the bottom.

Thoughts about President Obama's Upcoming State of the Union Address

President Obama's upcoming SOU Address is quickly approaching. Obama is known as a wonderful public speaker, able to grab the attention of the crowd and hold it as he relays his thoughts.
Obama has many similarities to previous President's when it comes to speaking style. The most similar to him however is John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was young, eloquent and most of all, he was different. He brought something to the White House that had never been there before, much the same as Obama has done.
Obama also has similarities with Bill Clinton. Their approval rating was about the same at this point of their terms, with Clinton also dealing with economic troubles and attempting to reform health care.
Surprisingly, you can also find similarities between two presidents on opposite sides of the spectrum as well. Reagan also had some similarities that we can see in Obama, as his approval rating was also in the low 40-percent range, and Reagan also faced a tremendous unemployment struggle. Reagan's term saw an unemployment rate of over 9%, which is about what Obama is facing right now.
Knowing all of these facts, it is pretty easy to predict the issues Obama will addresss in his upcoming speech. The topics of health care, the economy, jobs and our troops overseas are sure to be talked about, with Obama delivering plans in his normal eloquent style.

Discussion of Columns and Columnists

Paul Krugman's most recent column is titled "Climate of Hate". The column oultined what Krugman feels was a contributing factor to the atrocity that happened in Arizona last week. Krugman's writing style is very smooth, with seamless transitions and valid reasoning. The column is clearly opinionated, but that is to be expected.

Krugman makes his points known throughout the column, and it is obvious that he is not afraid to step on any toes. The NY Times by all means tends to be more towards the liberal left when it comes to content, and Krugman's column is an example of that. In reading through his three most recent columns, all of them describe what the negative results would be if conservatives or republicans gain seats in Congress or gain any ground in policy. There is nothing wrong with being opinionated, and his writing style throughout the columns makes his opinion easy to identify.

The City Room blog is dedicated to different stories that are happening in and around New York City. The first couple stories talk about the recent crazy winter weather and some of the older stories deal with other events happening within the city.

The Quad is a neat blog that is dedicated entirely to college sports. The stories are mostly related to college football or basketball, and the blog is one that has entertaining and informative content.

The Lede is a news only blog connected with the NY Times. All of the entries deal with different world news stories that you wouldn't find in your average local newspaper. The entries on this blog are also very informative.