With the loss of $47 million funding from the federal government, places Lane County in the unique position of asking its citizens to approve the "public safety tax" to make up the difference. The payment, which served as the lifeblood for schools, roads, criminal justice and public health has expired in September 2006 and there is very little sign from Congress that they will be renewed again.
"If the county loses the (federal payments), and this is not made up in some way, we as a community and a region are facing a public safety crisis we've never seen here," Eugene Police Chief Rob Lehner said during the Feb. 15 Police Commission meeting. "If a Eugene police officer catches someone stealing a car red-handed, the only action the officer could take is to make the thief give the car back, and then let the criminal go free if the DA decides to stop prosecuting auto crimes.which adds to the list that the DA has already publicly advertised of other crimes that he will no longer prosecute
maybe they (Lane County and Eugene) should go back to the "right pocket, left pocket, it's all the same pair of pants" rule of funding and decide what's more important. What I have been saying, and I think what the public has been saying for a long time, is live within your means and decide what is more important.
Why is it very easy to get money to build new parks, spend $1 million on a special bus Project, and numerous other feel-good projects, however when it comes down to the basics of running a city we suddenly are unable to find the money to do so.
Like with my own budget... my family does not go out very often for entertainment because we decided to put the necessities of life such as little things like housing, electricity, food as a more higher priority than going to the movies and spending money that we just don't have.
In my opinion, local government should start doing the same. Until then, I will always vote no on any budget increases.
2 comments:
For me it's all about respect. I feel that the government has no respect for the public in general. How could the county suggest an income tax knowing that government pensions would be exempt? How come immediately after a defeat they are talking about ramming though a tax that is twice as large as needed to fund at the current level?
With the availability of the internet it would be very easy to brake down all the departments expenditures for the public to see where their tax dollars go instead of a lame $200,000 publicity campaign that seemed to have the opposite effect than intended.
I would think that if the law enforcement officers are not going to do their job, which entails arresting criminals and says nothing about choosing which ones, then we need to replace them with officers that will. I refuse to pay for something I am not getting. I also think that what they are suggesting is coercion. Hold us over a barrel until we give them money. Now THAT is upholding the law.....isn't it? Makes you wonder what happened to all the crack they confiscated during raids on kitchens.
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