Liberty's Blog

The problem with goverment.

Funny Bill posted this in his blog.C.Y.A., Put Others At Risk

(USA Today) Cleveland, Ohio - Police and firefighters with jobs on the line during budget cuts last year want to know why the city's political jobs also weren't on the chopping block. Some want to amend the city charter to reduce the size of the City Council from 21 members. The $6.2 million annual budget to run the council is more than the budgets of Columbus and Cincinnati combined.

He also quotes the Cleveland Plain Dealer The city council while reluctent to cut their own numbers along with their staff are cutting away police and fire fighters, Apparently they believe their own job are more important than the public safety personel they wish to elliminate.

When Deanna Strefas realized her husband could be laid off as a Cleveland police officer late last year, she wondered why the city's political jobs weren't on the chopping block, too.

After all, Cleveland's City Council is bigger and costs more than those of Columbus and Cincinnati combined.


Strefas wasn't alone. Many members of the safety forces complained during last year's budget cuts that Cleveland's council was too big and cost too much, especially with population on the decline. Some called for amending the city charter to reduce the council's size - something that hasn't been done since 1981.

Questions linger today: Does the city still need 21 council members? Can't it save big chunks of money by reducing the number?

City Council, and the 46 staff members who work for it, cost the city $6.2 million. Each council member makes nearly $68,000 a year.

"That money is twice or three times what their constituents make," Strefas said. "The people paying taxes aren't winning."

Members of council insist that residents get better representation and quicker responses because they, with relatively small wards, are in touch with communities. And residents have come to expect a wide array of services from their representatives.

"We have a more up-close view," said first-term Councilman Kevin Conwell, who represents parts of Glenville and University Circle. "The neighbors knock on my door and say, 'I need a job, I need a roof on my house, I need a wheelchair ramp.' We have to be job developers, marriage counselors, anything they want us to be."

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posted by Liberty @ 8:09 PM