Some Toledo Budgetary Musings, Some Questions and Some Comments...

This post will key around the first of four recent Toledo Blade Articles (appropriately cited and attributed), so bear with me because this could get even more convoluted for me than usual...

Note: Mugshots of “duh grousing mayor” will (mercifully) not be included...

In this Saturday, Nov. 15th Toledo Blade article, “No new police or firefighters in Finkbeiner '09 city budget, 40 municipal employees face layoff” (by Ignazio Messina, Blade Staff Writer), “duh mayor” plans on NOT hiring any police and Fire classes and laying off about (anyone besides me willing to bet that this number is low?) 40 existing employees, while closing all but one public pool...

Comment:
BTW, the “Fudge-It” was delivered under cover of darkness, at approximately “Oh Dark Thirty.” while “duh mayor” was conveniently elsewhere (out of splatter range, while the “fit hit the shan”) even though he had previously entertained (leaked the “Fudge-It) to certain, select media prior to sharing the bad news with the City Council..., imagine that.


“The mayor said the city’s residents and employees will have to make sacrifices in 2009, and he even promised to cut his own $136,000 salary by 15 percent.”

Comment:
It seems to me that “duh mayor” (at $136,000 per year) will feel much less of a pinch that those who were supposed to have been in the now canceled Police and Fire classes and at least 40 additional City workers, making his sacrifice but a token gesture (like this is hardly something I would classify as either ”PAIN or SACRIFICE...”.


”Making 40 layoffs across all departments except police and fire...”

Comment:
This makes for a “feel good” gesture, but totally disregards the fact that many of those employees work in/for self-sustaining (self-funded) Departments like Public Utilities and other services paid for via assessed funds. The only place that jobs need to be cut is in the non-public safety portion of the general fund...


”Canceling planned police cadet and new firefighter classes to save $5.3 million...”

Comment:
Yes, but at what price? Police and Fire overtime, filled with higher seniority (and, higher paid) workers costs the taxpayers more than it would if paid to fresh recruits, who are being paid at a lower seniority wage rate.

Besides, we will always be needing newer officers and “duh mayor's public safety hiring track record, quite frankly, stinks...


”Granting no pay raises for any city employee, except for Teamsters Local 20, the union representing trash collectors. Those workers will get a 3 percent pay increase as a result of arbitration for 2009”

Comment:
Really...?

Does anybody besides me see a strike (which always costs more money than taking a more pragmatic approach, like talking to the unions) looming on the horizon?

That's why I've speculated that that number of 40 employees could/will be low...


”Requiring, through contract negotiations, health insurance co-pays from all city employees”

”Comment:”
Fair and comparable co-pays for sure, but increasing co-pays AND potential pay cuts (or, at least, no raises) IMNHO, isn't looking at the whole picture.

Hey, maybe if “duh mayor” with a (complete with an open mind) Fat Chance!, were to talk with (not, dictate to) the unions...

(They're there, and you can't just ignore them, so why not engage them in working, together, on a solution...).


“Closing all city pools except Detwiler Pool and the splash pad at Savage Park, both of which will be paid for with money from the Toledo CityParks Fund trust”

”Comment:”
This will only lead to fighting and animosity and is NOT the answer.

Either open all of the pools or leave them all closed.

Or, perhaps lease the pools/parks to independent operators.

Nowhere, to my knowledge, in the City Charter are swimming pools mandated...


Musical Garbage Cans/Automation...
”Changing refuse collection to cut overtime and deploying more automated garbage trucks in September, 2009”

”Comment:”
The Musical Garbage Cans game sounds like a real hoot, but there are other options, like taking the historical collection volume records and implementing Light/Heavy collection schedules.

There are times of the year when garbage pickup every other week could easily work, especially if we take the next logical step and begin recycling yard wastes and other “compostables...”


”Shutting down all nonessential business for four days...”

Which brings up the obvious question:
If a “city business” is nonessential, then what/why are we providing it to begin with?


”Reducing funding for the city’s criminal justice program and Toledo Municipal Court by $2.3 million...”

Comment/Question:
Wasn't this tried in the 2008 Fudge-It?

And, what makes “duh mayor” think it will fly this time?


”Robert Reinbolt, the mayor’s chief of staff, said the Finkbeiner administration would not agree to any contracts that do not reflect the needed cost-savings - which include pay freezes, medical premium co-pays, and pension pickups...”

Comment:
On the comparable & reasonable co-pays there is no dispute.

The rest though is up to good faith negotiations, which means on BOTH sides....

One-sided proclamations or edicts from “on high” though, do not qualify as “good faith....


(Fictional income and expenditure comments disregarded...)


”Mr. Finkbeiner also has to balance the 2008 general operating budget by cutting up to $10 million.”

Comment:
Seeing as it is almost December, good luck on this one...

(And, speaking of denying the realities of the situation...)


”The budget ran into the red this year from a number of sluggish revenue sources, including income taxes not meeting expectations.”

Comment:
Let me take a stab at clarifying this.

The budget ran into the red this (as with every other “carty”) year, because of “duh mayor's” penchant for overspending on HIS personal agenda, despite the reality that population, and therefore income keeps shrinking...

And, the well is only so deep.



Let's face it folks, “duh mayor” plays fast and loose with the “Fudge-It” while ignoring the realities of declining revenue.

The only thing that gets his full and undivided attention are his pet projects (you know the ones....); they ALWAYS COME FIRST, (before the “Fudge-It” runs dry) and he has to talk about cutting things. . .

Next Installment/Part 2 of 4...