[Merging Metropolitan Services] Why don't other places have to play these games?

**Wesley Mouch** · June-13-11, 11:12 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/2011061...get-cuts-stand[/QUOTE]

Article does not explain WHY council is doing this. Just that they are.

**Richard** · June-13-11, 11:45 PM

[QUOTE=Wesley Article does not explain WHY council is doing this. Just that they are.[/QUOTE]

They do not have to explain why ,the citizens have decided that they are their representatives and have in-trusted them to do the right thing in the best interests of all no questions asked. [[Insert rolling eyes emotion here)

What kinda baffles me is some can get together to tear down a fence ,rightly so because of an injustice served, but yet very few are showing up at the doorstep of the biggest injustice that is the root cause and has the biggest impact on everybody's quality of life. Make sense ?

**Novine** · June-14-11, 05:44 AM

The majority of the current Council has shown that they are willing to push Bing to cut more and do more reforms. They don't trust Bing numbers and I would be skeptical of Bing's numbers. Bing hasn't shown the ability to deliver on the budget projections he's made. Anyone who hasn't seen this coming hasn't been paying attention.

**professorscott** · June-14-11, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

The majority of the current Council has shown that they are willing to push Bing to cut more and do more reforms. They don't trust Bing numbers and I would be skeptical of Bing's numbers. Bing hasn't shown the ability to deliver on the budget projections he's made. Anyone who hasn't seen this coming hasn't been paying attention.

Yep. Bing's numbers are based on sources of revenue that are not certain and in my opinion not even likely. He is grandstanding to make the choice appear to be between a functioning city and one which is not, which is IMVHO irresponsible. I think you could cut another $50 million from the city budget in ways most people would never even notice.

Note that Council did not demand: cut Sunday bus service, halt the People Mover, etc. and Pugh has gone as far as to say, well, the Mayor can move around money between departments as he sees fit. The Council is interested in the bottom line, and the Mayor is trying to make it look very harsh and drastic, which it is not.

**BrushStart** · June-14-11, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by professorscott

Yep. Bing's numbers are based on sources of revenue that are not certain and in my opinion not even likely. He is grandstanding to make the choice appear to be between a functioning city and one which is not, which is IMVHO irresponsible. I think you could cut another $50 million from the city budget in ways most people would never even notice.

Note that Council did not demand: cut Sunday bus service, halt the People Mover, etc. and Pugh has gone as far as to say, well, the Mayor can move around money between departments as he sees fit. The Council is interested in the bottom line, and the Mayor is trying to make it look very harsh and drastic, which it is not.

I really try to give Bing the benefit of the doubt, but you may be right; he may be bluffing. BUT, suppose you're wrong, and there really is no room to eliminate the extra $50 million, what then? Are we seriously at the point of slashing Hart Plaza, the People Mover, bus services, and Belle Isle facilities? Is there any precedence for such an extreme loss of public services? I'd be upset if just one of the aforementioned cuts was taking place by itself, but eliminating all of these services at once would send the region into shock.