If you held the city's purse strings. . .
I'd like to hear your thoughts on a question we recently posed to the hordes of candidates running for Cincinnati City Council: faced with budget cuts, how should the city set priorities and funding levels for various services and programs?
Is the rationale of 'growing the tax base' enough to make economic development the city's over-arching priority? Should it and crime top the list, or is better funding of social services and education the long-term answer to the city's problems and key to its growth?
Many candidates brought up the issue of the lack of a current strategic plan for the city. Do you think city leaders lack a framework for making budgetary decisions?
And finally, if you held the red pencil, what would YOU cut?
posted by Krista Ramsey at 12:47 PM
4 Comments:
at 6:01 PM, September 12, 2007 
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at 9:58 PM, September 12, 2007 
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at 11:23 AM, September 13, 2007 
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at 3:01 PM, September 13, 2007 
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Post a Comment*I believe that economic development and progressive investments such as a metro transportation system would top my list. Chief among those concerns is the need to acquire problem properties in blocks within key neighborhoods and promote investment "grants" in the form of properties with contracts structured to ensure high quality development that results in gentrification and renewal. I would also expand public services to homeowners including developing programs for loans that encourage investment in private property.
Also, cutting social services would be key among my list of wasteful programs needing trimming, as the goal should be to bring in a highly educated, motivated workforce that is both diverse, energetic, and progressive. Services should include better curbside service with regard to yard waste, garbage pickup, regular street sweeping, and other efforts aimed at beautification. Subsidizing poor lifestyle choices and underachievers is the last thing the city needs to be spending money on.
Crime is an over-arching concern - an expansion of the city police force and expanded foot patrols are necessary and should be funded aggressively. A dynamic surface transportation project should be aggressively pursued in order to connect thriving and revitalizing neighborhoods to one another, and to regional hotspots of economic prosperity.
The government only has two responsibilities, protection and infrastructure. If there isn't any more money left after those two things, then nothing else gets any money. If there is money left over after those two things, then the government should return that money (yeah right), and let the private sector take over.
The City of Cincinnati and stratigic planning are an oxymoron. How many more consultants need to be hired and committees formed to insulate elected city officials from showing leadership and taking action?
I use to be a Simon Leis fan. But now his "leadership" is bluster and arrogance. With time and power he acts as if he does no wrong, doesn't need to explain his actions to the public, and believes he is GOD-LIKE.
Too Bad. At one time he was a good public servant with some humility.
He really has screwed up the public funding and backing for needed additional jail space.
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