The Drake Equation: Outer Space Math

Library Assistant Karen Ricketson is getting a 30 percent raise.

That's news to Karen Ricketson.

In a recent commentary on WIRY, radio "personality" Ducky Drake offered his take on the wrap up of negotiations between the union representing the Plattsburgh Public Library staff and the Library Board. These negotiations have been dragging on for over three years. Why so long? Part of the problem is that a new negotiator would become involved in the talks, restarting the process.

One would think the City of Plattsburgh would try to avoid such a overextended process which means more expense in the long run. That's not to say the City should hand over anything the PPL staff wants. But efficient, consistent bargaining saves money compared to dragged out deliberations involving retroactive pay that keeps accumulating over the years.

Ducky contends that the city is now stuck with an extra $86,000 it has to cough up since the negotiations ended. But shouldn't the city have anticipated a retroactive payout instead of assuming a zero percent increase over the period the staff worked without a contract? If you think a bill is going to come due, you should set aside some of your money to cover that eventuality. That's Budget 101.

But Ducky's main point is that union representative Karen Ricketson is getting a 30 percent increase in pay -- or so he claims. Karen would like Ducky to put his calculations down on paper. She suspects he used a dubious method in arriving at 30 percent.

Writog wonders if Drake channeled his figures from deep space; Bizarro World math.

Also in his recent commentary Ducky declared he really isn't against the Public Library, that he thinks he provides a valuable service.

Keep in mind that this is the same man who a few months ago wanted to completely shut down PPL, saying that it only provided a duplication of services offered by other libraries in the city like the one at Plattsburgh State.