Posted on 08/06/2010 12:30:03 PM PDT by reaganaut1
Plenty of businesses and governments furloughed workers this year, but Hawaii went further — it furloughed its schoolchildren. Public schools across the state closed on 17 Fridays during the past school year to save money, giving students the shortest academic year in the nation and sending working parents scrambling to find care for them.
Many transit systems have cut service to make ends meet, but Clayton County, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, decided to cut all the way, and shut down its entire public bus system. Its last buses ran on March 31, stranding 8,400 daily riders.
Even public safety has not been immune to the budget ax. In Colorado Springs, the downturn will be remembered, quite literally, as a dark age: the city switched off a third of its 24,512 streetlights to save money on electricity, while trimming its police force and auctioning off its police helicopters.
Faced with the steepest and longest decline in tax collections on record, state, county and city governments have resorted to major life-changing cuts in core services like education, transportation and public safety that, not too long ago, would have been unthinkable. And services in many areas could get worse before they get better.
The length of the downturn means that many places have used up all their budget gimmicks, cut services, raised taxes, spent their stimulus money — and remained in the hole. Even with Congress set to approve extra stimulus aid, some analysts say states are still facing huge shortfalls.
Cities and states are notorious for crying wolf around budget time, and for issuing dire warnings about draconian cuts that never seem to materialize. But the Great Recession has been different.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The irony is that state and local governments are cutting way back while, at the same time, we have the biggest statist to have ever occupied the White House. Of course, it’s the federal govt. that dramatically expanding.
Once again the Times gets it wrong: it was governments going to extremes that got us where we are. Now they’re having to cut back.
A friend of mine was going to work in HI on a very technical assignment and brought his family. After a couple of months experiencing Hawaii’s jokes called public schools, he returned to the mainland with his children.
If one wants a prime example of what liberals have done to schools - go to Hawaii. Supremely beautiful and wonderful people. BUT... the education produces Obamas. ‘Nuff said.
I’ll bet there’s a lot of meaningless city jobs that could be cut to save those police helicopters and streetlights. It’s just a matter of priorities. It’s criminal that cities would rather keep BS make-work programs in place (diversity coordinators, grant coordinators, bloated administration, etc.) instead of doing the actual work they’re supposed to do, like public safety, street maintenance, etc.
}:-)4
Cut back on fire departments (use volunteers only) and Police Contract the gangs to police the inner cities. Use Voluteer Police. Make brothels legal and tax them. Make drugs legal and tax them, Cut off all museums, bus services, and kill the lights after 11:00 PM. These would save money —or we could pay the politicians Zip—let them give of there time for free—they are all rich anyway.
Just landed at home in reno from chicago. Turned on radio when I got in my car and the very first thing I heard was harry reid bitching about ensign hating police, fire fighters, and teachers. I started screaming at the radio as I was leaving the airport parking lot “There is not one thing in the Entire state budget that can be cut other than police, fire, or teachers...NOT ONE THING....REALLY????L
Since you greedy little people won’t let us raise your taxes, I guess we’ll just have to cut off your services.
Not good enough. I want to see some admins fired. FIRED. I want less teachers laid off and more assistant principals. In fact, lay off everyone at the school except the teachers and maybe the school cop.
I’m willing to bet that in none of these situations were welfare payments nor social services cut.
Despite the fog of recovery summer coming from the WH, the reality of declining tax receipts tells the real story of the economy.
Better to learn to surf than attend communist indoctrination camps.
>> sending working parents scrambling to find care for them.
In a sane World, it should only be necessary for 1 adult in the household to work. Perhaps it’s not an issue of sanity but preference.
>> it should only be necessary for 1 adult in the household to work ...
... outside of the home.
“If government functions are so important, stop treating them as feeding troughs for public sector unions.”
EXACTLY! IIRC government regulates utility companies and DENY them substantial profits and such because they are VITAL to the “public good!” However, the ACTUAL public sector jobs are allowed to have pensions that will be better than the majority of the people who PAID for those benefits!
What is wrong with this picture?
But I'll bet the planning department was.
“I want less teachers laid off and more assistant principals. In fact, lay off everyone at the school except the teachers and maybe the school cop.”
BTTT!!! All school personal can stay - if you are at the Administration office - GOOD BYE!
At some ISDs, there are secretaries for the principal, each vice-principal, one for the counselors and then the front desk clerks and attendance clerks! RIDICULOUS!
You just nailed it. They always threaten to cut police, firemen, and teachers first. You never hear them threaten to cut pensions, benefits, administrators, or lawyers because nobody would care. I am sure the budgets will require that some teachers, police, and firefighters will be cut, but this battle cry is just a tactic intended to inflame people.
The bone and muscle is placed on the outside, so that it may be trimmed first, in order to protect the precious fat within.
Government has yet to catch on that IT is the problem here....
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