Posted on 02/04/2016 11:24:03 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Many Ferguson residents expressed concern Tuesday that a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice could financially ruin the St. Louis suburb where a police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Residents were about evenly split on whether the city should go along with the agreement, which includes overhauling police policies, training and practices. Cost concerns were a common refrain among opponents.
The cost of implementing the Justice Department-mandated changes would be significant — preliminary estimates are at least $500,000, Mayor James Knowles said. The city already faces a $2.8 million deficit in part to legal fees, lost sales tax revenue from businesses damaged in protests that followed Brown's death, overtime costs for officers handling the protests, and lost revenue from municipal court changes already implemented.
Ferguson voters will consider two tax increases in April - one imposing an economic development sales tax, the other a property tax increase that would cost about $76 annually for a home worth $100,000. If voters turn down the tax increases, the city will have to make even deeper cuts.
Many of those opposing the consent agreement were white. Supporters were split between blacks and whites.
Tom Sansevere, who is white, said the Justice Department should help pay for improvements.
Blake Ashby, who is white, believes the agreement would lead to dissolution of Ferguson.
"If you want to see Ferguson wiped off the map, sign this consent decree," Ashby said.
Adrian Shropshire, who is black, urged the council to approve the deal.
"What the DOJ has presented are not punitive demands, they're constitutional demands," Shropshire said." There's so much in this consent decree we need so badly."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I’d say just shut it dow, the town, the police department, the whole nine yards.
They made their bed, let them sleep in it.
Under the guise of reform black officials shall henceforth govern.
I’d like to see a town mayor tell the DOJ to f-off, saying we’ll manage ourselves according to what the board and electorate want.
What would the DOJ do?
Legal and morally correct shoot. . .and yet the obummer non-justice department attacks and “kills” a small town.
Right.
Bill “The Jolly Teen Giant’s” family for the costs?
If there are any conservatives left n Ferguson they should leave immediately and let it be the leftist bastion they want it to be.
All of this could have been avoided if a thug had just paid for his damn Swisher Sweets.
Besides taxing those who still pay taxes there, they should prorate a fair share to the public assistance crowd and deduct it from their welfare checks.
I know, but can you imagine what their houses are now worth? Maybe 1/2 of what they were worth before the riots.
Ya know, I’m not generally a big supporter of police in general, as they are more often than not little more than tax collectors for the welfare state, but this is pretty stupid because the incident they are hanging their proverbial hat on is so terribly flimsy. Given what I’ve seen and read, the shooting of Michael Brown was absolutely justified.
It’s one of those things that I find to be really interesting about what’s going on in our nation today. Just about every ‘incident’ that gets widely reported is based on nothing but lies and manipulation, while similar incidents that have the benefit of actually being based on truth are glossed over and forgotten.
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