City funds low....... what goes?

R

Rojoe67

New member
Well, in Saginaw, Michigan tonight 10 officers will work their last shift. Seems the mishandling of funds and the lack to get additional taxes voted in are the cause. I know Saginaw very well. It can't afford to see the loss of one officer let alone 10. This isn't anything new in our modern world is it? I guess as crime will only increase the citizens whom either can't or won't relocate will have to stand their ground and fight? The State Police and Sheriff's Dept. will try to step in and help out with a little more but how much can they do? I have seen this city slowly but sure enough turn into a drug and gang town. When you have those two activities you have the foundation for all crimes. I think it's sad to see the good folks be forced and pushed out or in fear of such activity........ Strap on for a long hot ugly summer...... Don't think the remaining officers are paid enough for this duty.....But they will do their best trying to keep the peace.......

Ten years ago 200 officers served this city...... Thursday about 88 will serve.... The only good news is Grand Rapids PD is in need of about 10 officers so it's likely a few of these officers might get an offer there?
 
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It's just a ploy by the city to get the people to give in to higher taxes.
If the people had any sense they'd be down at city hall with ropes and pitchforks.
 
Oregon does the same thing, fire the LEO's and then whine about how you are going to die tonite because they aren't there and to give them more money.

Yet, they still spend millions on "arts" (have you seen the crap they call "art" now days?), on wel-fare programs, needle exchanges to the dopers, free AID meds to those who either shared needles or just had sex with everything on two legs and sometimes four, to spend excessive amounts of money into failing school system, for administration positions, not to improve the schools, to build parks and skate board parks that no one will use and will become just another "storefront" for drug dealers and whores, to give money to housing for bums that trash the place and then demand that everything be repaired, etc... :barf:

What they won't fund is public safety and the jails (or the courts). Even when they con the people into voting in new taxes, guess what they still won't fund. And then they have the nerve to ask for another, and another, and another.........

Wayne
 
What happens in some cases, maybe this one maybe not, is that the tax base declines as the population of the area slowly becomes lower income. The higher incomes move out and the lower incomes move in. The area degrades in general as the tax base becomes smaller and smaller. Crime goes up, but taxes go down so police forces go down too, and consequently crimes goes up even more, so the few who are left that can move, move. Leaving room for more low income to move in and crime gets even worse.

The trend after time may reverse, but may not. A lot of urban ghettos were originally middle to upper class neighborhoods at one time. Cycles and cycles and cycles.
 
having lived the first 20 yrs of my life in the Saginaw area, i'm sad to see this trend of crime and lack of law enforcement continue. used to be a pretty good and safe little city, but the older it got, the worse it got, so i stayed out of the 'downtown' area. hope it turns around and glad my parents are looking to move soon.
 
Detroit is another example...

Detroit is another example........

It's tough to lead a city back in the right direction as a mayor is in constant spot light for his interesting spending on the city credit card. Same Mayor has a security detail of some 20+ officers keeping him safe. It must be hard being loved by your city that much? Can you imagine what 20, even 10 more officers would mean for manpower in a few areas that boast of the worst crime statistics? This guy is a trip.......and the more he takes from the crumbling city folks the more they like him and put him back in office again.... :confused:
 
I have worked for a metropolitan city that went through this. I had been a IAFF union Fire Fighter. I and 8 others were promoted to Lieutenants. The crunch hit. The fir-rescue and EMS were disbanded and turned over to volunteers. The city had a good argument for this. NO single member of the FD lived in the city limits.
 
update........ 7-6-05

The LEO's that were cut from the staff were promised a month of continued medical insurance. Well, the city has today changed it's mind and says no coverage will be granted. Hmmm........ What a great place to settle down and call your home :barf: The police get treated worse than the criminals in some cases.... I got a real laugh when the day after the lay-offs a bad case of blu flu struck the force......... A large portion of the remaining officers didn't show to work......Sad to say and those of us not working in Saginaw might say..... I wouldn't do that right? I think if we were in that kettle we might have done the same.
 
Sounds a bit like what Bedford, TX is going through right now.

Some business leaders, as well as some of the wealthier members of the city council, pitched a campaign for a 'Property Tax Rollback'. They stated that the city property tax was the highest in the region, and that it needed to be scaled back immediately. The ads quoted the "thousands of dollars" the average home owner would save if the taxes were rolled back.

You can guess what happened when it came time to vote.

Now all of a sudden the city is having to scale back city services, such as low income childcare, special events such as the Fourth of July celebration, after school programs, and most notably the Police and Fire Departments. All of a sudden there's a massive increase in crime. Predominantly, it has been theft and vandalism (90+ cases in one week).

What's funny, a third party source worked out the savings for the average homeowner in the area, a little over $150.00 per year. Those that benefitted the most were the businesses, such as Wal-Mart and Chase.

The special events supported by the fiscal top 5% of the city, such as Concerts in the Park, remain untouched.
 
Seems the mishandling of funds and the lack to get additional taxes voted in are the cause
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Mishandling - socialism, general corruption and waste. The "we need more money" simply allows the three to increase.
I have seen this city slowly but sure enough turn into a drug and gang town. When you have those two activities you have the foundation for all crimes
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Eliminate socialism, impeach judges failing to use their powers to keep real criminals off the streets, and allow every free man to bear arms in the form that is permitted in Vermont and Alaska, encourage people to do so, and ....
.. good folks be forced and pushed out or in fear of such activity
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... will dimish rapidly. Without any false reliance on public servants.
 
Happens all the time and everywhere :mad:

Having trouble raising taxes???

Start threatening cuts in Schools, Police and Fire Department

Now if those are the areas with the most waste then fine

But in general, they are just trying to scare people.....

I suggest voting for a mayor that will cut waste to fund what is truly important
 
Politicians are addicts, their drug of choice is money. They constantly have to find new ways of generating income.

The escalating costs of petroleum and benefits (Health Insurance) have caught them in a crunch. It will get worse. But too many voters have an interest in keeping the bums in office, because they depend on the politicians for their sustenance.
 
Saginaw is on my list of unliked Michigan cities. Right along side of Detroit and Flint. I do my best to stay out of those cities. Midland has pretty much evertything that Saginaw does nowadays, except for a Gander Mountain and Circuit City, so my trips are down to a few times a year to each of those.

They definitely did right by selling off the Civic Center. They could probably cut their bus transportation, if they haven't already. Other than that, I hae no idea. I'd imagine that they have some sort of arts programs that they could cut. If the city board is paid, cut their pay.
 
Midland......

It's ok with me but I was never a big fan of Dow Chemical and it's downriver issues. Sanford and north are my ideas of pleasant living areas. ;)
 
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