Detroit City Council Rejects Resolution to Reduce their Budget 30%

[HistoryNotHisStory]

The Detroit City Council rejects a measure by a 6-2 vote to slash their operating budget by 30%

Gary Brown wisely introduced the measure. Joann Watson was approving of the cost-cutting measure. However, the rest of the City Council decided that it was too excessive. Yet, they intend to ask workers to take pay cuts and benefits.

I applaud Gary Brown by leading by example to make the necessary cuts.

What the other City Council fails to understand that if an Emergency Financial Manager [[EFM) comes in they can expect an 100% cut to their budget. The new EFM will most likely make the Council obsolete. For historical example, take a look at what happen to the legislative bodies of Benton Harbor and Pontiac. Their City Council was fired when the EFM took charge.

So why prolong the inevitable.


Message to Gov. Snyder: "Please bring in the EFM today!"

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111213/METRO01/112130407/Detroit-City-Council-votes-down-30-cut-its-own-budget?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[Artistic]

Every step of the way these politicians hang themselves....politically this is what we have become. Unfortunatley we will need alot of give and no take in order to fend off an EM.

[gazhekwe]

There's a lot they could cut. Bodyguards, cars, drivers...

[skyl4rk]

The Emergency Manager law automatically stops all payment to the Mayor and City Council upon declaration of a financial emergency and appointment of an Emergency Manager.

[Detroit Stylin]

Ok so since we now see the buffonery of our city council how about we collectively get off of our collective butts and protest and MAKE the city council take the cut. Since they dont want to do it on their ow then we need to let them know that WE the PEOPLE who ELECTED them need to do what it is the PEOPLE want and NOT what THEY want to do. If we keep sitting on our asses and bitching about it instead of doing something about it then we deserved exactly what we get...

[jcole]

They could go to being a part time council, but then that would mean having to find real jobs outside of their cushy ones. Why does a city the size of Detroit need all of the council members on full time payroll? Most of them are never going to vote to cut their own payments and perks, any more that the Senate and House are.

[ProudMidwesterner]

Well, well, well, this does not paint them in a good light, since all of the fat and much of the meat is about to be carved right out of the city budget yet they balk at a one-third budget cut.

[downtownguy]

Ok so since we now see the buffonery of our city council how about we collectively get off of our collective butts and protest and MAKE the city council take the cut. Since they dont want to do it on their ow then we need to let them know that WE the PEOPLE who ELECTED them need to do what it is the PEOPLE want and NOT what THEY want to do. If we keep sitting on our asses and bitching about it instead of doing something about it then we deserved exactly what we get...

I like your thinking. What do you propose? Perhaps an Occupy CAY Municipal Building movement?

[313WX]

I was hoping I would be wrong about this outcome, but I guess not.

Gary Brown knew darn well this proposal was dead on arrival too. He's jsut doing some political posturing, because he doesn't want to lose his job when the EFM comes in.

He feels everyone else should take a cut in their pension yet he thinks he deserve two pensions from the city [[one for his work on council and another for his work in DPD).

[Claire]

Bring on the Financial Manger.

City council can't cut their budget? One of the council members say that he has already taken a 30% cut? Well what do you think about the rest of the working people of Detroit. And you are still asking union members to give...well lets start with you.

So what if you have already taken 30%, take an additional 10%.

Workers have to pay the same bills that you do. But its ok for us to continue to give back? But its not ok for you? Get rid of all the council members. You guys are looking real crazy right about now.

[corktownyuppie]

You know, there are a lot of reasons why you can justify not taking a paycut. Perhaps your skills are irreplaceable in the marketplace. Maybe the value you produce more than justifies the cost as an investment. "I already took a paycut." is the lowest level of logic in existence.

"Hey, why didn't you make your bed? "I already did that."
"Hey, why are you quitting the game in the 3rd quarter? "I already played 3 quarters."

Wow.

[Dexlin]

I really don't care, because the EM will be here soon enough, but can someone tell me when Gary Brown was elected mayor or city council president? That guy hasn't met a memeber of the media he's disliked. How much is he personally worth after he got through with Kwame, and what does he drive? That, I'm interested in. Kind of reminds me of Snyder and Bing not wanting to take their salaries all the while everyone knows that it's really not much for a millionaire to give up sh%t like this.

You know, I agree with Gary on a lot of stuff, but I can not abide by his style and his grandstanding. There is a stink of arrogance that comes off the guy that really rubs me the wrong way, and that can often take away from whatever point he's trying to make.

[English]

I really don't care, because the EM will be here soon enough, but can someone tell me when Gary Brown was elected mayor or city council president? That guy hasn't met a memeber of the media he's disliked. How much is he personally worth after he got through with Kwame, and what does he drive? That, I'm interested in. Kind of reminds me of Snyder and Bing not wanting to take their salaries all the while everyone knows that it's really not much for a millionaire to give up sh%t like this.

You know, I agree with Gary on a lot of stuff, but I can not abide by his style and his grandstanding. There is a stink of arrogance that comes off the guy that really rubs me the wrong way, and that can often take away from whatever point he's trying to make.

Is there anyone on the Council you have use for?

[Scottathew]

Council is a joke. I'm rather anti-union, but how the hell can you ask the Union to cut their benefits when council is unwilling to cut waste...

[English]

BTW, on Charles Pugh's FB page, he has this explanation...

Let's get the FACTS straight. While it's true that Council voted down cutting our budget by 30% on Tuesday, it's important to note that we've already cut our budget by 27% percent in 2011 [[10% at the beginning of the fiscal year, and another 17% this week). I've cut my own budget by 25% to a historic low for the upcoming fiscal year. In the last week alone, most Council offices have laid off staff...ers, including 4 from my own office. Furthermore, there are none of these so-called "perks" to speak of. None of us have these alleged personal bodyguards or drivers, and I pay for all the gas and maintenance on my city-issued vehicle, making it NO cost to the city. And finally, while Council has shown fiscal leadership and made painstaking cuts on our own, in total, our budget is actually less than ONE PERCENT of the entire City budget. So I just want that to be very clear. As a leader, I welcome all opinions and ideas on the job I'm doing, but the prerequisite for constructive criticism is to first know what you're talking about.

Well. I guess he told us. I've never been a Pugh naysayer, but in the light of everything the city faces, I might have been silent, or taken a different tack. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a glorified teacher.

[bailey]

BTW, on Charles Pugh's FB page, he has this explanation...



Well. I guess he told us. I've never been a Pugh naysayer, but in the light of everything the city faces, I might have been silent, or taken a different tack. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a glorified teacher.

See, when you hear politicians talk about something "not costing the city"...or "we've already taken cuts" one should be locating one's wallet and grabbing on tight.

Chuck, if it costs the city nothing and youre already paying for everything....then what is the harm in giving it up? Imagine the optics in a news story about you turning in your keys. But no, a sternly worded rebuke is muuuuch better.

these people are just so fucking dumb. it's truly tragic. EFM... bring it.

[Danny]

I was EFM I will tell the Detroit City Council and all city employees. By next month you all lose 30 percent of your paychecks. You all lose your health care benefits and other pensions will be eliminated in order to close the cap on the 153 million dollar deficit. If you all don't like it, just resign your post and leave city business to my friends to the private corporations.

[English]

Is there any reason for any public employee to have a city-issued vehicle? I get why municipalities [[and corporations) invest in service vehicles, vans, trucks, and the like. I might understand why the mayor or other titular figurehead of a large city shouldn't drive around on their own. There are security reasons why you might need a bodyguard and a chauffeur, even though it smarts in a city this poor. The argument could be made that the mayor is a target for kidnappers and madmen... I get it.

But what is with other bigwigs not using their personal vehicles, especially in a city like Detroit? Can't you write the gas, mileage, and expenses of a personally owned vehicle, used for business, off your taxes? I never understood this practice, even when applied to top DPS officials. Please shed some light on this. Is it for security reasons? If so, at what level should we decide that the expense outweighs the risk?

We can't afford to pay for the perks any longer. Everyone is cutting corners and flinching from the pain. I don't buy this argument.

[Novine]

"Is there any reason for any public employee to have a city-issued vehicle?"

In some communities, they want police patrol and command officers taking their cars home to speed up response time if they need to be called back in for service and for a presence in the neighborhoods. Otherwise, it's based on the argument that it's cheaper for the community to provide a vehicle than to pay the official for mileage, etc. associated with using the vehicle. Using their personal vehicle for city business also raises questions of liability when the unforeseen happens, like an accident. I'm sure someone has crunched the numbers and the legal issues to say which side of the argument is right. Outside of a handful of the biggest communities and probably the county level, you don't see this kind of stuff going on with the elected officials and department heads, etc. There's simply not enough money to be buying cars for all of them.

[rjk]

I can't say that I blame them.
Why give up your goodies a couple of months before you have to?
Obviously they know a FM is coming.

Someone should be keeping an eye on them. They're probably taking the spare tires, jacks and everything else out of those cars that isn't nailed down.

[Danny]

The Emergency Manager law automatically stops all payment to the Mayor and City Council upon declaration of a financial emergency and appointment of an Emergency Manager.

That's right! Thanks to Synder the Nerd's new EFM Dictator for Life act of 2010.
EFM will be king, queen, pharoah, emperor, emperess, president, CEO, COO,CFO, Caesar, kaiser, czar, mayor, governor, Nebuchadnezzar, tyrant, Czarina, Head of State, Zeus, Thor, Ra, big brother, big sister, commisioner, Furher, Il Duce, Captian, HNIC, HWMIC, Lieutenant, general, corporal, Speaker of the House, ringleader, godfather, godmother, director, judge, jury and executioner of Detroit. There's absolutely nothing Detroiters can do to stop him or her from closing the financial cap on any deficits.

The EFM's will runs the show if any city, township and village in our Great State of Michigan if anyone don't pay its bills.

[English]

In some communities, they want police patrol and command officers taking their cars home to speed up response time if they need to be called back in for service and for a presence in the neighborhoods. Otherwise, it's based on the argument that it's cheaper for the community to provide a vehicle than to pay the official for mileage, etc. associated with using the vehicle. Using their personal vehicle for city business also raises questions of liability when the unforeseen happens, like an accident. I'm sure someone has crunched the numbers and the legal issues to say which side of the argument is right.

Thanks, Novine. I always wondered what the rationale was.

[gnome]

This reminds me of my diabetic uncle who, with two gangrenous legs refused an operation to save his life, insisted to the end he was going to dance home.

City Council insists it is going to dance home. Dance in the limelight of its youth. Dance in the streets of being a World-Class city. Dance with rhinestones on our shoes. Dance the Jit. Dance the Lindyhop, the Watusi, the mosh-pit ... no one is telling us what we can do, we can dance all we want.

Two gangrenous legs. Fetid. Stinking. Black with rot. But defiant and proud of who he'd been. Of what he use to do. Of how smooth he was and handsome. The girls would swoon, the boys were envious. No one was his equal. Had a ring that showed he won at the Waldorf. His jewel.

That is Detroit. Full of deathly pride. Too proud it admit it can't work anymore. Too proud acknowledge the dance is over. Too proud to admit that being a World-Class city is far away; too proud to admit being a Third-World city is closer.

[bartock]

BTW, on Charles Pugh's FB page, he has this explanation...



Well. I guess he told us. I've never been a Pugh naysayer, but in the light of everything the city faces, I might have been silent, or taken a different tack. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a glorified teacher.

Yeah, Pugh has a lot of bills to not pay.

[Scottathew]

Yeah, Pugh has a lot of bills to not pay.

HAHA, too true. Why voters would make him council president is beyond me. He filed for bankruptcy during his campaign!