Mayor Coleman's budget cuts
Tough times. Not so tough cuts. They will primarily affect programs aimed at the poor, in my opinion. All the better to plead for or demand new revenue. "It's for the [low income] children." It's a game they play. And if the program is eliminated, the employee can be shifted (if liked and a faithful in the party) or dropped (if not doing a good job or is not supportive of the party).
Mayor Michael B. Coleman proposed a 2009 budget yesterday that slashes services and lays off more city workers, he used the word sacrifice nine times and said "it is clear we're going to need new revenue. Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 15, 2008
Here's how it shakes out, although there were proposals in
August and
September also. Here are the cuts:
- Community crime patrol funding, 54%
- Neighborhood Pride Centers, 38%
- Downtown Development, 60%
- Neighborhood Health Centers, 18.5%
- Alcohol & drug services eliminated
- Public health reduced to $22.1 million from $26.3 in 2008
- reduce waste collection to once every 2 weeks from once a week
- less bulk (sofas, etc. at the curb or yard) collection
- close 10-12 recreation centers
- close 3 swimming pools
- no funding for Jazz & Rib Fest or Festival Latino
- reduce summer jobs for kids
- after school programming cut 18%
Tough times. Not so tough cuts. They will primarily affect programs aimed at the poor, in my opinion. All the better to plead for or demand new revenue. "It's for the [low income] children." It's a game they play. And if the program is eliminated, the employee can be shifted (if liked and a faithful in the party) or dropped (if not doing a good job or is not supportive of the party).
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2 comments:
Murray sez:
I took particular note of cutting waste collection from once a week to once every two weeks. In The Villages, our Florida retreat, they collect waste TWICE a week with no recycling. That's ridiculous since most households contain two or less residents. Plus you would think that being a retirement community we would recycle.
Here in Mt. Morris we have waste pickup and recycling once a week.
I should have made it more clear; waste I think is yard and trash, not garbage. I think the garbage will still get picked up, unless it snows, or is a holiday, or there's a strike, etc.
I'm a bit surprised you need pick up twice a week. Must have pretty good tax base.
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