Posted on 08/05/2009 8:45:58 PM PDT by john in springfield
Cash-Strapped Alabama County Feels Crush of Recession
Embroiled in a budget crisis, the largest county in Alabama is slashing services left and right, leading to mass layoffs as well as heightened concerns that public safety could be in jeopardy.
Jefferson County has so far closed satellite offices in outlying communities and laid off more than 1,000 employees -- about a quarter of the public workforce...
Sheriff Mike Hale, who lost a court battle to block the county commissioners from making the cuts, said public safety is critical in his district... "...we just need a presence on the street..."
The budget crisis comes as the county seeks to avoid filing what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy ever over some $3.9 billion in sewer bonds it can no longer afford to repay...
Already, budget cuts in other Jefferson County government offices have forced residents to stand in long lines for even routine services, like vehicle tag renewals...
Jefferson County's delegation to the state legislature is hoping to find a solution, even a stop-gap one. The delegation intends to introduce a bill in a special session next week authorizing commissioners to impose a new occupational tax on every worker in the county.
Supporters from both parties concede it's an imperfect solution, but they insist it's far better than continuing to shut down county government or calling in the National Guard.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
First of all, it's official. The government really is throwing your money down a sh**hole.
Secondly, their ultimate solution to hard economic times is to extort even MORE money from those of us who are struggling harder than ever just to make ends meet.
In fact, that seems to be about the ONLY damn thing that politicians from both parties can agree on!
So they come up with THIS BS. Every person who works in this county is now going to have to pay a new "occupational tax." So if you live in Jefferson County, you're now going to pay a special new tax just for the privilege of working for a living.
It's starting to look like it's not just the clowns at the federal level who need to all be recalled.
An Obama county no doubt.
Let’s see. I’ll bet they have overspent for years and now they’ll want the US taxpayer to come in and bail them out. Hard to feel sorry for this county. Now they can reap what they have sowed.
Looks like Jefferson County was the ONLY county in the State of Alabama that voted for Obama in the last election. Moreover, all 6 county races were swept by the Democrats.
They have two problems down there. The first is the way they funded their sewage improvements. The second and more pressing is that the county budget relied on an occupational tax that is currently being challenged in court.
I think a lot of counties in this country would find themselves in trouble if their main source of tax revenue was blocked without a substitute.
“So if you live in Jefferson County, you’re now going to pay a special new tax just for the privilege of working for a living.”
Not uncommon... have to pay one in Jackson, MI too (birthplace of the GOP).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.