Posted on 01/06/2009 7:06:29 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Wait Listed by Jail
"The recession is driving America's city governments into an epic fiscal storm. Unlike earlier downturns, all three big revenue sources--income, property and sales taxes--are falling together. Cumulative budget shortfalls are already in the tens of billions of dollars. ... This recession seems sure to be so serious, say urban finance experts, that many cities will be forced to go well beyond their familiar tight-times reductions in park and library budgets. A growing possibility: to cut into that historially inviolate sector--police officers and firefighters. ... How to do it? There's an oft-neglected candidate: corrections. Because of politically motivated manadatory sentencing legislation, prisoner rolls have been growing rapidly, reaching world-leading shares of the total population. Complains Maricopa County, Ariz., Manager David Smith: ... 'We're going broke slowly with this criminal justice system'," Neal Pierce at the Houston Chronicle, 30 November 2008.
Ping!
There's yer economic boom.
Lib's wet dream: Preferably arrest Evangelical Christians and use them as slave labor.
Whenever government claims that "money is tight" (we all know this is never really a true claim) the first things that are offered up for budget cuts are schools, police, firefighters or any other vital government service. You never see any other reductions in spending for any other program (*cough*welfare*cough*).
That's how government gets people to support tax hikes.
Stop putting nonviolent drug offenders in jail. Legalize pot. Problem solved.
The problem is that evangelical Christians are very law abiding folk. The solution is to pass laws that evangelical Christians are likely to break, such as draconian gun control laws, or the prohibition of home schooling. Then enforce the hell out of the new laws.
Fiscal prudence would’ve stipulated that governments cut spending during boom times and create reserves.
But bureaucrats and politicians watching expenses and saving for a rainy day?
Not on your life.
Create or use a convenient pretext, e.g., OKC bombing.
Part of the problem is arrests over drug use. Also the DUI patrol. I know these habits cause problems but I think we have more important things to worry about than whether a guy has a quarter ounce of marijuana in his car.
The city of Fresno has had a surplus and the unions are badgering the management to spend it all immediately. Instead the city cut wages 8%. They are concerned that the surplus won’t take them all the way through the recession. It’s hard because my husband works for the city. I hope he doesn’t get laid off. He’s a little worried.
“Cumulative budget shortfalls are already in the tens of billions of dollars...”
It’s got to be much more than that. The state of Wisconsin, alone, is $5.4 BILLION in debt!! Every other BLUE or Purple state is at that debt figure, or worse.
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