Trimming back
I think this is a rather good take on this proposed budget cuts, though I have to question the Fourth of July fireworks being cut. While I agree it's something that is 'nice' to have, it also seems to me that it's possible to find $13,000 somewhere else.
In addition, is it terribly wise to cut back on traffic enforcement on a Georgia football home game? These are the types of questions the commission wants to hear from the public, so let me encourage everyone to attend a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Governmental Building.
In addition, is it terribly wise to cut back on traffic enforcement on a Georgia football home game? These are the types of questions the commission wants to hear from the public, so let me encourage everyone to attend a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Governmental Building.
posted by Jmac at 7:15 AM
14 Comments:
Since you think the cuts are such a great deal, I'll let you deliver the news to the two employees that I have to lay off come June 30th. I guess at least they will have the chance to ride a the extended late night bus service.
Easy sweetheart ...
I'm actually in favor of preserving funding and increasing the millage rate as proposed by the commission. I've been discussing this issue from the most practical sense for those who employ the logic that we shouldn't raise the millage rate and how we should go about doing that.
My recommendation for those folks, if you recall, was to trim back on the pay increases and proportionally spread the remaining funds across the population of employees, working to catch up in the coming years with larger-than-average raises.
As far as telling your employees, pardon me for sounding somewhat callous but ... tough. If you are in a management position, then sometimes you make unpopular decisions and have unpleasant discussions. I've done that plenty of times in my professional career and, yeah, it does suck big time.
But such is life. I just had to tell someone who does some contract work for me that I would have to scale back her hours due to some upcoming projections I've got to deal with. It's not good for her, and I hated having that discussion. However, judging by the fiscal realities, it was something that had to be done, and I hope come fall I can resume a schedule that features more hours for her.
I'd rather not see the millage rate raised. But, that said, I can think of a lot of people who bleed me more than ACC does -- mainly the school district, which angers me a great deal and is charging all of us the maximum legally-allowable rate.
... mainly the school district, which angers me a great deal and is charging all of us the maximum legally-allowable rate.
Amen.
I too echo the thought and thank God for the legally mandated rate for the school district.
As for the anon post, I think JMac that you many have slightly missed their point - I think that they were upset that some services were being expanded in a time of budget reductions while other services (assuming like the one that his/her 2 employees currently provide) are reduced.
Something that I tend to agree with. I posted it before, but I still fail to see the logic of adding staff (even if the majority are grant funded now - though I never have seen a grant funded position stay a grant funded position for more than 3 or 5 years before being converted to a general fund position) and services at this time.
My family simply does not add additional liabilities at a time of budget tightening, the government should be doing the same.
"My family simply does not add additional liabilities at a time of budget tightening, the government should be doing the same"
But this reasoning by comparison assumes that your family and the govt are similar entities, with similar sets of responsibilities. Clearly, they're not, so why should they be expected to have to behave in the same way?
We are similar entities in the sense that we both should (need?) to operate within a set budget. Something this elected body seems to be reluctant to do.
The tax hearing is at City Hall, prior to the agenda-setting meeting.
Is no one going to say that the school district needs that money? I know there are a lot of people here who disagree with me, but I still think it does.
But you are completely differentr entities in that your family is not expected to provide services to 100k plus people. Your ability to make choices of what to cut is not the same as govt's. You're really comparing apples and oranges for a cheap political point, but the comparison really doesn;t stand up.
Is no one going to say that the school district needs that money? I know there are a lot of people here who disagree with me, but I still think it does.
I don't disagree with you per se, but the problem is also the fact that the state has been underfunding its share of QBE meaning the local school boards are having to pick up the slack and, in places like Athens-Clarke County which feature a diverse population of needs, that means higher costs per pupil.
But you are completely differentr entities in that your family is not expected to provide services to 100k plus people. Your ability to make choices of what to cut is not the same as govt's. You're really comparing apples and oranges for a cheap political point, but the comparison really doesn;t stand up.
I don't think there's an attempt to score cheap political points at work here and, in theory, I don't necessarily disagree with PavePlanet. The same things which impact his family, and mine, such as rising fuel costs (as one example) impact any other entity be it another family, local government, private business, etc. Those costs must be managed, which sometimes means increasing how much money you devote to them.
His point, however, that the government should cut back isn't one that is without merit though. Regularly spending beyond one's means is poor practice for any entity, and if these types of things are worthy expenditures - investing in affordable housing, expanding bus service, meeting rising costs - then it's not unreasonable to consider if there are other areas where it could cut back.
Again, I'm content with the increase in the millage rate, but if you want to keep it where it is the only practical way to me is the reduce the size of the pay raises.
I don't disagree with you per se, but the problem is also the fact that the state has been underfunding its share of QBE meaning the local school boards are having to pick up the slack and, in places like Athens-Clarke County which feature a diverse population of needs, that means higher costs per pupil.
Well, yes. I know. It still boils down to them needing the money. Of course I believe in the state meeting its responsibilities, but if it won't (and I think we're all pretty sure it won't, at least for a while), the money has to come from somewhere.
Yes, clearly govts need to live within their means and make sure they don't spend more than they bring in in revenue. But the argument that because families are having to cut back so should government if a fallacious comparison.
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