Foolish over-spending remains the problem
After years of wasting monies, the chickens have finally come home to roost on the policies of Cincinnati City Council last Monday when the City Manager announced layoffs of 138 police officers and the closure of four fire companies.
“If Council would limit their role to the basic functions of government,” said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd, “there would be now and for the foreseeable future, more than enough funds to police the streets and provide adequate fire protection.”
However, for decades, Cincinnati City Council has spent hundreds of millions on non-priority projects such as subsidizing the Film Commission and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, operating a City environmental protection, inspections of nursing homes and day care centers, all of which are duplicative of state and federal agencies, and squandered limited city resources on ill-considered mega-projects such as the $42 million squandered on the Riverfront Transit Center. Currently it is spending money planning and promoting a trolley plan that will never happen.
COAST believes that City Council intends to foist a massive property or earnings tax increase on Cincinnatians shortly after the November 4 elections to pay for these foolish spending policies.
You guys are so obsessed with the Transit Center, you'd think you'd have the facts right by now. The transit portion of the transit center cost $18 million, much of that paid for by ODOT and a federal grant. The Transit Center was not a city project and wouldn't have happened if it was funded only by the city.
ReplyDeleteThe Provost of Cincinnati is right! As long as State and Federal governments are willing to chip in on a waste of tax dollars it's OK for the city to waste tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteWasting tax dollars?? Four fire companies that aren't necessary and 138 desk jockeys from the police department aren't wasted tax dollars? Funny to see COAST supporting the FOPs exploitation of our tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteThere you have it folks. UC student and the rest of the streetcar lackeys hate cops and firemen. COAST, on the other hand, is standing up for public safety.
ReplyDeleteWhere did I say that? I actually live in a neighborhood where I need to police unlike you sir. I am in constant dialogue with them, and they know as well as I do that they are much more reliant on good citizens like me to keep neighborhoods safe than more policeman. When was the last time you volunteered your time to help the police?
ReplyDeleteFirst of all UC Student, you have no idea where I live. I happen to live in a fairly high-crime area, where a police presence is an absolute necessity.
ReplyDeleteSecond, you're the one who called the laid off policemen "desk jockeys". If that's not a negative comment on the police then I don't know what is. For the record, by the way, those being laid off are not desk jockeys but hard working BEAT COPS. You know, the ones you CLAIM to have a constant dialogue with.
"When was the last time you volunteered your time to help the police?"
- I'm a citizens on patrol member and volunteer monthly. How about you?
Show me where beat cops got laid off. It was not patrol officers. Some officers assigned to special units got laid off. Those are not "beat cops". This whole mentality of the police being off limits is ridiculous. Nice to see COAST supporting inefficiency.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-924-did-cranley-luken-plant-seeds-for-layoffs.html
So UC student,
ReplyDeleteSince you are now the expert on determining the necessary safe manning of fire companies for "minimal" coverage in this city that has a propensity for abusing it's 911 system, then why not tell your story to the 3 dead people that have been victims of the missing companies during the "brownouts". I'm sure there will be more to come.....
UC Student...the 138 cops that will be laid off will be the last 138 cops hired. They are all on the streets. You don't through each individual area of the police department and pick and choose. Last hired, first fired as the saying goes. So please, do us all a favor and either get your facts straight or shut up.
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