Once the bailouts stop, municipalities will get down to the business of problem solving.
A lot of money can be save from various types of consolidation.
Did you know there are counties in certain states that only have a population of less than 500 people? In Arkansas, there is a county where we have some farmland that has not one, but two county seats. It involves a long-standing feud, but results in the county taxpayers funding some duplicative functions.
As for the schools, are you sure that your school enrollments are even increasing? Are you trying to maintain teacher positions that aren't needed? Are your school budgets proving inadequate because of the amount of money going out to retirement benefits for retired teachers and school administrators?
I say this because we all, myself included, think in terms of expanding, enlarging, increasing. It's human nature I think. More, bigger, better. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that. It's just that there do comes times when the thinking must shift to conserving, decreasing and optimizing what's on hand, and I believe now is one of those times.
Steve is absolutely right when he worries about what is being left for our children and grandchildren. How can our children hope for increasing wages if the company or public agency they work for is paying off the bloated retirement benefits of the previous generation? |
