Here’s a great column by a Kenosha Alderman that every West Bend alderman and Washington County Supervisor should read.
I strongly support our officers and firefighters and believe they need to be well funded. A central tenet of our government is to protect our rights, which includes the right to be free and safe, and I believe it to be a proper and moral use of taxpayer money. Knocking doors during my campaign, the vast majority of residents told me safety was their number one concern. So I think it’s imperative to allocate the City’s budget to move towards that assurance.
However, prioritizing funds is not the same as raising taxes, which my constituents are against. The City needs to fix its debt and development problem in order to free up funds. I also believe the way this proposal is being presented to the public is misleading and unethical. I ultimately voted “No” for the referendum, which passed 16-1.
Public Safety already accounts for 54% of the budget, while some of the departments (parks, libraries) suggested for diverting funds away from are each eating up 5% or less of the budget.
5% (or less) seems like a pretty small slice of the pie to me, but obviously others feel that is too much. With that in mind, what % of a gov’t budget should be directed towards those type of things?
Sure would be interesting to compare the numbers to those of the 1970 budget, inflation-adjusted, right?
Simple Pengine… If you could only be bothered to read…
“We’ve spent millions of dollars for 3 museums and 5 libraries with low turnout and six-figure salaries.”
The point of the article and the elected official (not a bartender or bus boy) was that 17% of the budget going to debt is stupid. Derrrrp.
Debt reduction/elimination wasn’t the only thing discussed in this opinion piece. The Alderperson also mentioned a few specific programs by name, such as the Bookmobile (library) and an Archery Program (parks), which prompted my question – How much, percentage-wise, is a reasonable amount to have budgeted for public services such as libraries and parks?
The new Alderperson mentioned “an archery range proposal”… Not quite what you make it out to be
He also mentioned this, right after Bookmobile… “All these things might be wonderful, but it’s hard to argue that they take priority over the safety of your family. ”
And then goes into some really shady the council is doing, shit like the 28k spent on propaganda cards… The history of that action, and how they are lying and gaslighting the public on it.
But don’t question any of that…. Just focus on trying to pull a couple heartstrings by mentioning “archery and bookmobile and parks and libraries“. It’s what the council wants for an ROI on its 28k wasted on a postcard program full of bullshit.