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There are programs that need to be cut. They just need to go away. We can't afford to do social engineering. I will provide more info on this once I can ferret out where millions of $$ are going to these programs.
Libraries are a safe haven for many folks, including elderly who are in poor housing (some place to go in day that is warm and safe and entertaining); at-risk kids who are home alone and go to the library after school to study so they can be good students and stay out of neighborhood trouble; children and adults who do not have net access (or even a computer) at home; homeless folks who have nowhere to go to get online, do a job search, etc; out of work folks who can go research job market, work on resumes and network during the day; and pre-school moms and kids who can spend part of the day exploring both books and the computer (and any reading programs the library may provide for kids).
Libraries here have not been closed since the Great Depression. There is absolutely NO REASON this city should have done such crazy things as spend $5 Million on trash bins when that money should have gone to libraries.
The newspaper is not going to do a blame thing about exposing the "pet projects" where money is going and it will be up to US, at a grassroots level, to ferret out these low priority programs and make it public.
Can someone please do the research and find out where we can get access to the city and county budget? I want a detailed line by line budget - not some summary.
I am at deadline today and so cannot give this my full effort. If someone can do this and post a link or how we can get that budget, I will take time in the coming days to go thru/ it and ask that others do, also. I am experienced in forensic auditing of not for profit program expenditures, so I know how much time this will take and I know the rest of you are busy, too - but if we join together, we can dig out the programs that SHOULD HAVE BEEN CUT, along with salary reductions that would allow folks to still keep their jobs. It is tedious but who is going to do it if we don't? NO ONE.
I will commit myself to this but need your help, first with getting the budget. I will pay for it if I have to, but it should be available to the public.
Anyone willing to take on this project with me? These are your tax dollars at work and I have already noted some expenditures for programs while dealing with the United Way debacle that I felt should be questioned - and in fact, should be eliminated. So I know there are ways to trim millions from this budget and shift those funds to more important needs.
Of course, CMS's budget itself would be a heyday and fertile ground for investigation, but that budget will have to be examined separately (no way I could begin to dig in on both).
There is power in numbers and we are the city! We are the county! All of us deserve answers and we must demand accountability.
There are programs that need to be cut. They just need to go away. We can't afford to do social engineering. I will provide more info on this once I can ferret out where millions of $$ are going to these programs.
Libraries are a safe haven for many folks, including elderly who are in poor housing (some place to go in day that is warm and safe and entertaining); at-risk kids who are home alone and go to the library after school to study so they can be good students and stay out of neighborhood trouble; children and adults who do not have net access (or even a computer) at home; homeless folks who have nowhere to go to get online, do a job search, etc; out of work folks who can go research job market, work on resumes and network during the day; and pre-school moms and kids who can spend part of the day exploring both books and the computer (and any reading programs the library may provide for kids).
Libraries here have not been closed since the Great Depression. There is absolutely NO REASON this city should have done such crazy things as spend $5 Million on trash bins when that money should have gone to libraries.
The newspaper is not going to do a blame thing about exposing the "pet projects" where money is going and it will be up to US, at a grassroots level, to ferret out these low priority programs and make it public.
Ani,
Seems to me that the people in government have no clue to what is going on in the real world. Common sense would be to keep the libraries open, teachers employed, etc.. while reducing the budget in other area's. But we know there is no common sense in government.
If you believe the cost of this bill will stay at those levels just take a look at what Medicare was suppose to cost the government and what it actually costs them now.
Bigger government = more taxes. It just never ends. I feel bad for my children. I really get the feeling that a lot of people are on the breaking point with our government/taxes.
Was it the City Counsel a few years ago who took an expensive trip/vacation for their budget meeting and got busted on the news? Or am I thinking of the school board?
Was it the City Counsel a few years ago who took an expensive trip/vacation for their budget meeting and got busted on the news? Or am I thinking of the school board?
yikes,
I believe it was the school board?
And didn't the county commissioners do something similar?
Seems to me that the people in government have no clue to what is going on in the real world. Common sense would be to keep the libraries open, teachers employed, etc.. while reducing the budget in other area's. But we know there is no common sense in government.
If you believe the cost of this bill will stay at those levels just take a look at what Medicare was suppose to cost the government and what it actually costs them now.
Bigger government = more taxes. It just never ends. I feel bad for my children. I really get the feeling that a lot of people are on the breaking point with our government/taxes.
you are SO, SO right!
Those who are making these decisions are so out of touch with reality it is
disgusting !! Those types I do not want making decisions for me or my family, they aren't capable.
One place to start would be abandoning, at least temporarily, anything having to do with light rail and trolley. The Pineville line is fine, but studies and all the other costs are doing no good.
Isn't Ray's Splash Planet city/county? If it is, sell it off.
Golf courses....they are run by a management company but could be sold off, even at a discount, and take care of some of the budget issues.
I disagree with closing libraries. I think it is a horrible idea for many reasons. While cutting salaries sounds like a good idea, I'm not sure I agree with it, even though most of the salaries shouldn't have been allowed to climb to where they are.
Or we could let all the prisoners out of jail since none of them did what they are in there for. It could save money on housing, the legal system, maintenance, and more. There has got to be a few entrepreneurs in jail right now who could help lower the unemployment rate.
All I know is that there are some cuts that need to be made and will be wildly unpopular, but people will just have to get over it. It might even bring about some new levels of personal responsibility. Then again......
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