City revenues down; budget cuts looming

[LordGerald]

Interesting article here. Nothing surprising, except Couch's ultimate admission that "there will be a budget cut." More intriguing is the quote about cuts "across the board and in a lot of different areas."

Next budget year starts July 1, so there's six more months to turn it around, but most city and state budgets are planned well in advance. I think the declining sales tax revenue is more than a trend and it's going to hit city and state governments pretty hard in 2010.

Link: http://www.okc.biz/article/12-16-200...s_decline.aspx

[wsucougz]

I'm glad we got Maps signed and sealed. Interesting timing, though, as this would have given the opposition a lot of ammo.

[kevinpate]

I'm glad we got Maps signed and sealed. Interesting timing, though, as this would have given the opposition a lot of ammo.

Seems to me the NTM side WAS discussing this, at least those who were discussing and not shrilling were including declining revenues and staff hits out on the horizon.

So, not sure it would have given the NTM position any extra ammo. However, if the shrill amongst them had been paying more attention to the less shrill, it is possible that election could have been much closer, at a minimum.

[rcjunkie]

I'm glad we got Maps signed and sealed. Interesting timing, though, as this would have given the opposition a lot of ammo.

The City could have received millions of dollars in tax/revunue increase's, but if it didn't include raises, they still would have used it as ammo.

[Spartan]

Remember those 40 or so police officers that Tulsa let go last week?

This morning the City of Tulsa announced that they're considering laying off another 100 police officers AND firefighters. We'll know by tonight what the official plan is, they say it "changes every hour" whatever that means.

I know you all are tired of hearing this, but in the beginning of this mess OKC was relatively unscathed..now I wouldn't say we're still unscathed, but we're a LOT better off than everyone else.

[mrbob]

Tulsa Police department new call. This is car 37 I need backup, dispatch says car 37 there is no backup . Car 37 says so what do I do now. Dispatch : Oh just shoot them.

[HOT ROD]

lol

[JustTheFactsPlease]

Interesting article here. Nothing surprising, except Couch's ultimate admission that "there will be a budget cut." More intriguing is the quote about cuts "across the board and in a lot of different areas."

Next budget year starts July 1, so there's six more months to turn it around, but most city and state budgets are planned well in advance. I think the declining sales tax revenue is more than a trend and it's going to hit city and state governments pretty hard in 2010.

Link: http://www.okc.biz/article/12-16-200...s_decline.aspx

The budget cut is not a new admission. Mr Couch was saying just before the Maps3 vote. The current budget cuts are effective January 1, 2010. 2% across the board cuts which means Fire and Police are at the TOP of the chopping block.

I am sure there will be more come July 1, 2010.

http://nomaps3.com/Memo_from_CM_to_D..._22__2009_.PDF

[JustTheFactsPlease]

The City could have received millions of dollars in tax/revunue increase's, but if it didn't include raises, they still would have used it as ammo.

It is STILL an issue that the city is cutting jobs. Not all city employees demanded a raise.

I am still concerned about the safety of the populace of OKC amidst such budget cuts especially as the city expands people and needs.

It will be interesting to see how much crime increases with the already made budget cuts effective January 1, 2010 plus the ones that will happen July 1, 2010.

rcjunkie - not everything is about raises.

[rcjunkie]

After working for the City for 27 plus years and dealing with groups on contract issues, I see things differently then someone looking from the outside.

[Mikemarsh51]

Lord Gerald, still waiting on your dream to come true!

[soonerguru]

Lord Gerald, still waiting on your dream to come true!

Snide.

[Mikemarsh51]

Come on Guru, he had super secret special information! I just wanted to know what happened. If you read his post you can almost hear him salivating.

[Spartan]

Lord Gerald, still waiting on your dream to come true!

What is yours, a day where we live in a police state where the police budget is 75% of public funds?

[gmwise]

If we dont do something soon, then we may have to have it at 75% of the funds for crime suppression

[Spartan]

That's when you stop dragging your feet and go ahead and legalize half of the victimless crimes that we have people doing 40 years in jail for..

[so1rfan]

The internet is not a contest. There are no winners, just a bunch of whiny losers.

[MGE1977]

That's when you stop dragging your feet and go ahead and legalize half of the victimless crimes that we have people doing 40 years in jail for..

And then there came a voice from a Hooka smoking Hooker, from the craps table, amidst the din of cock fights and snarling pitbulls, who had previously been hiding in a Ghillie suit fashioned from the offals of an overgrown yard on the NE side of OKC.

[gmwise]

actually ne of Edmond on the property own by a retired cop...lol

[JustTheFactsPlease]

That's when you stop dragging your feet and go ahead and legalize half of the victimless crimes that we have people doing 40 years in jail for..

What "victimless" crimes are you referring to?

Are there really victimless crimes? Or just crimes that we don't feel sympathy for the victims...?

[gmwise]

I wonder if Bernie's crime is victimless.

[soonerguru]

Marijuana smoking is victimless.

[Mikemarsh51]

Soonerguru, I am more of a Libertarian myself, yet I believe we need rules. Here are my 2 favorite stories about the victimless crimes of casual drug use. 1. I worked with a bricklayer named Red, the boss was telling us what he had paid us for the year. He told Red that he had paid him $17,000.00 dollars in the last year, Red say's "there no way you paid me that kind of money", So ther is Red a victim of his own casual drug abuse, with nothing to show for it. But he had a good time. 2. Another guy was snorting a few lines of coke, when his clip board fell backward into the floor. Hard not to laugh when someone is sniffing the carpet as not to miss any of it. They make themselves their own victim and the rest of us pay for it.

[JustTheFactsPlease]

Marijuana smoking is victimless.

Tell that to the person who died in a marijuana drug deal gone wrong and their families.

Tell that to the kids of people using marijuana who are in prison.

There are victims in those cases.


NEXT!!!

[gmwise]

I think its mostly the harder drugs, but how about all the alcohol deals that gone wrong..ie drunk driving.
Being in control is all important to me.
My point is never ever rely on drugs/booze for a " good time".