Detroit budget cuts: Bing, City Council edge closer to compromise

[MSUguy]

MACKINAC ISLAND -- Detroit Mayor Dave Bing didn't participate in any sessions
Thursday at the Mackinac Policy Conference, but he stayed busy on the
island.


He spent a good portion of the day huddling with City Council members, trying
to convince them not to override his Wednesday veto of $50 million in
additional cuts they added to Bing's proposed budget.
Among those he met with were Charles Pugh, the council president, and members
Saunteel Jenkins and Andre Spivey. Bing was trying to reach a compromise that
would significantly reduce the $50 million in cuts to the 2011-12 budget.

Am I the only hoping that Council stands it's ground? It seems clear to me that Bing isn't l willing to make unpopular choice as said he was, I never thought I'd see the day Council would pushing for deeper budget cuts.

http://www.freep.com/article/2011060...ser-compromise

[Dbest]

It's fairly obvious that council is a joke. They are only taking a particular side to make things more difficult for Mayor Bing. This group is dull, uninformed, arrogant, overpaid, and has a massive sense of entitlement in the COD.
I know that every headline lately involving the city and media working together to try and expose corruption and the people who are involved is a GIGANTIC step. Look no further than Mayor Bing in facilitating this recent wave.There may be a shred of transparency Downtown for once.... I'm encouraged. Screw the council.... Hang in there Dave. Detroit needs a person, not another politician.

[MSUguy]

Or maybe council for once more serious about really making hard choices on the budget something Bing ran on ,but so far has been unwilling to do.

[Fnemecek]

It's fairly obvious that council is a joke. They are only taking a particular side to make things more difficult for Mayor Bing. This group is dull, uninformed, arrogant, overpaid, and has a massive sense of entitlement in the COD.

How in the world does want to bring our spending in line with our revenue any of those things?

[Fnemecek]

Am I the only hoping that Council stands it's ground?

Not in the least. If anything, I don't think the Council cut enough.

The "draconian" cuts that Mayor Bing vetoed will still leave DPD with a budget that is 61% above average on a per resident basis. If the Bing Administration can't put together a decent police department with 61% more money than anyone else, it's time to put some new people in charge.

[mam2009]

It's fairly obvious that council is a joke. They are only taking a particular side to make things more difficult for Mayor Bing. This group is dull, uninformed, arrogant, overpaid, and has a massive sense of entitlement in the COD...Screw the council.... Hang in there Dave. Detroit needs a person, not another politician.

Why would the Council WANT to make things difficult for Mayor Bing? The City is required to pass a BALANCED budget -- meaning one where expenditures match REALISTIC revenue projections. Why would the Council pass a budget with unrealistic revenue projections like $20 million in increased gaming taxes when there is NO realistic possibility of getting enough votes in Lansing to pass the legislation to allow gaming taxes to be increased? For the last nine years the City has had an average annual deficit of $53 million. Why wouldn't the City Council want to be fiscally conservative & budget accordingly? Please stop with the mindless rhetoric. I'm so glad the media is recognizing that Council is not just a group of inept obstructionists as so many DYes! posters seem to believe. It seems that they are getting better at telling their side of the issues to the media.

[Dbest]

Explain to me what council has done to aid mayor Bing since he came into office? I'm sure it's as easy council wants to put things, NOT! We will cut this and that and bingo! Sorry but the Mayor is ultimately held accountable so I'm glad he is not listening to these frauds in council. What have any those council members done to make Detroit better? I rest my case...

[mwilbert]

What has Mayor Bing done to aid Mayor Bing since he came into office?

I'm not that critical of the mayor, but he hasn't exactly offered a coherent program to this point, other than being less corrupt than certain other mayors. The council is objecting to the fact that Bing isn't cutting the budget enough, and taking action to cut more. You may think the Mayor's budget is appropriate, but dealing with the budget is pretty much what the Council's job is. That's the form of government Detroit has.

[FreepOpinion]

We'll be talking about the budget with Detroit City Councilmember Gary Brown today during a web chat at 4 pm on www.freepopinion.com, in case anyone is interested in submitting a question about the budget to Gary Brown.

[bailey]

Not in the least. If anything, I don't think the Council cut enough.

The "draconian" cuts that Mayor Bing vetoed will still leave DPD with a budget that is 61% above average on a per resident basis. If the Bing Administration can't put together a decent police department with 61% more money than anyone else, it's time to put some new people in charge.

I agree with that sentiment, however, I wonder if the area of the patrol affects that statistic at all? Is it apples to apples when you have a city as physically large as Detroit?

[maxx]

So did BROWN have anything interesting to say?

http://www.freep.com/article/2011121...ers-pay-by-10-

Have council members cut their own budgets?

[Danny]

KING BING'S plan is only going to last 18 months. It would buy some time to come up with another budget proposal to save their precious "Black City" from a "White dictatorship" Hold the fort Black Detroit Leaders!

What would the state review board is going to say! "THAT'S REDICULOUS!"

This sentence sounds like a race card, but I want to keep my words comical and codespeak purposes.