I can read the frustration. But it takes great courage not to put people in a position where they no longer contribute to the economy by being unemployed. This is no time to be laying people off for political posturing.
Why? 1. Economies are cyclical, and this one will come back as all others have. Why lay off people only to likely re-hire or re-staff later. In most cases, layoffs create serious productivity issues and much anxiety among surviving workers. Very expensive proposition all round. 2. Laid off workers drain more resources from public agencies of all kinds without an ability to contribute anything being jobless. Another tax strain as well. 3. Laid-off citizens don't/can't support the local economy with dollars they don't have and that further hurts the local economy, delaying a rebound. Public employees cannot be held responsible for the costs of infrastructure replacement and repair. It is dichotomy to suggest that taxes should come down and employees laid off while attempting to address deferred infrastructure maintenance and replacement. In other words, it's not only politically courageous to stand up to the naysayers who want it all from both ends of the economic spectrum, it is wise and prudent in both human and fiscal terms. Infrastructure repair and replacement must necessarily be financed by bonds, given the expense, and since infrastructure benefits the entire Metro Area as much as the city, the state and county and other entities should be involved in throwing into the pot. Expenses don't disappear with employee layoffs. They get worse. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -------- Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right. --Mahatma Gandhi From: "Lisa McDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 10:23:06 -0600 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Heart of the Beast Lost? My only disagreement with your statement is that right now taxes in Minneapolis are going up and the end result is less service. We are not even maintaining the current rate of service. Opportunities to redefine and cut duplicative services haven't been explored to the full extent. For example Focus Minneapolis was passed in a gutted version and since the Mayor sent a letter in May of this year letting employees no there will be no worker cuts, we know there will be no savings. Minneapolis is ignoring it's infrastructure. Public works has been cut till there isn't any more to cut. Cities that ignore their infrastructure do so at their own peril. Detroit is a prime example. Lisa McDonald East Harriet _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
