Fewer Cops, Firemen, Teachers, Schools & Bad Roads - Broke America

We slide slowly into the abyss when it comes to the government services that we have taken for granted for years and it is a result of basic math ruled by the deep recession. We have to realize that the landslide that was the economy going over the cliff began in full force during September, October and November of 2008 before the election of President Barack Obama. That means that we have been mired in this situation for 2 years and 5 months.

While private industry tends to feel the effects of an economic downturn immediately, government entities tend to lag behind in feeling the pain because their revenue sources are affected later and over time. Businesses runs on more of a real time basis on monthly and quarterly revenue changes. Dips in revenue for a company will be met with changes on the cost side in the form of employee layoffs or other actions if the declines are lasting. Government revenues will dip later if an economic downturn lasts long enough.

Most state, local and national governments can weather small or short dips in tax income by dipping into special funds or floating a bond to accomplish special projects. When a downturn lasts as long as this one and then is compounded by the real estate collapse, then it is a 1 2 punch. Drops in consumer spending is killing state and local sales tax income. The housing crisis, falling property values and foreclosures severely dented property tax revenue that cities, counties and schools depend on. After two years the buffer is gone and there is simply not enough tax money coming in to meet past spending requirements.

The revenue shortfall means less of everything that we took for granted. Fewer policemen, firemen and teachers, but we may have more potholes in the streets. As an example the Dallas Independent School District is looking at possibly laying off 3,100 teachers, 800 support personnel and other cutbacks. Some cities are reducing police officers and fire fighters. On the other side of the coin is less to spend on things like street maintenance and repair. Many cities are already in the hole due to extra costs from dealing with cleanups after huge winter snow and ice storms.

So what does a country feel like with no local public pools open, as some cities have gone to,and fewer public library branches. When will the first news story come up where service cutbacks are blamed for some crime taking place because of reduced police presence or a home burns down because the closest fire station was closed due to budget cuts. The response will be sobering as we realize that there is a new reality at hand in the United States.

Is The State Of Wisconsin The Last Stand For Labor Unions

                             Wisconsin State Flag

The government worker standoff in the state of Wisconsin is like something rarely seen in the United States, true civil protest against a system that workers feel is meant to strip them of dignity and bargaining power. The tone from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is an old one filled with pre-union age code words wrapped in modern vernacular.

A statement from the Governor says that managers must have the ability to manage is his rational for stripping bargaining rights from the public unions although they have agreed to fiscal concession to deal with state budget issues. That statement translates into I make the rules, you have no say, so shut up and take it. This same theme has been echoed in other states, although the delay caused by the protests and Democrats leaving the state of Wisconsin has allowed the light of day to shine on the real issue, which is not the budget, but breaking the union.

In this strange time we live in public employees have somehow become the bad guys. Teachers, firemen and other civil servants are no being painted as spoiled elites. This must stop. Fire fighters were the heroes after the  September 11 attacks on the Wold Trade Center and now they are being branded as part of the problem. Some regular Americans are buying into this line of thinking and some politicians know that hard times are the ideal field to sow seeds of division.