Comments on: Let’s Wake Up & Complain As Much As Possible

By: Steven

Steven — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:24:04 +0000

Municipal services are not the same as a business.

When a business is losing revenue it is because their products or services are not in demand. They cut staff and that allows them to cut cost in accordance with their loss of demand.

The demand for Municipal services has not reduced, nor will it. Despite the eroding economy, the citizens of this city still expect their trash to be removed, their streets to be policed and their parks to be mowed. All those jobs require people.

In a perfect world, city staff could be cut to accommodate budget shortfalls. However, the municipal staff has already been cut to a critical level in most departments already. The merger resulted in reduced revenue every year since it occurred and every year since 2002 the city has reduced the number of people it employs. True, there have been no layoffs, but unfilled jobs have been cut from the rolls.

If people want layoffs then they will have to accept that municipal services will suffer. It’s just that simple.

By: FDR or RWR

FDR or RWR — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:15:46 +0000

There could be an argument to be made that the imposition of term limits could also have a downside. And, that downside isn’t a partisan matter.

By: Tom B.

Tom B. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:51:44 +0000

C-J corrections run on A2 daily.

By: Mark H (Not Hebert)

Mark H (Not Hebert) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:49:17 +0000

I’m sure it is tough Jason, I was speaking of the dead weight you referred to. I agree with you Jason. It seems like we always get the “we’ll have to lay off police and firefighters” in hopes of scaring the public into allowing greater taxes to support the unneeded administrative crony (how many assist mayors and spokespeople do we need) or dead weight paper pusher.

Companies have to find efficiencies to manage hard times, it seems government is never willing really do that beyond token measures. I think the unions do have a lot to do with that lack of efficiency.

By: JasonL

JasonL — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:20:35 +0000

So, the previous layoffs weren’t your cup of tea? Being one whose head was on the block, I’d disagree with you. The problem is with “double dippers” and cronyism.
As much as I hate to say it, the unions are also an issue.
There are many things that can be done to streamline government, from upgrading equipment (no card reading parking meters? Really?) to lopping off “dead weight.”

By: Mark H (Not Hebert)

Mark H (Not Hebert) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:34:35 +0000

The city is going to have to make the tough decision that every other business in the country has to make, and that is to lay off staff.

Why should government be some panacea of employment where you are guaranteed to never lose your job. The costs saved by an unpaid day here or there is minuscule compared to the benefit costs saved by a reduction in staff.

It is a horrible situation, but if the revenue money isn’t there, it isn’t fair to increase taxes and take more money away from every other company and worker in the city, to protect one group of workers from layoffs.