---- Begin Original Message ---- A lot of Dyna's points have validity, but one of the hard things about this discussion is the concept of "cutting the GROWTH". If we're really talking about taking anticipated GROWTH and reducing it, how do we know how much cutting in staff that implies. Is it also reducing the INCREASE in staff? Also, Dyna seems to see the problem in cutting employee pay (strike, blue flu), but the same idea applies to cutting police funds. Clearly, this will take some enlightened management, made harder in the police case by the aggressive leadership of the Police Federation. RT may end up feeling lucky he didn't get rid of Chief Olson.
I particularly noticed the phrase "except for senior staff". What is the idea behind that? Is there an ASSUMPTION that senior staff are inherently the most VALUABLE staff? That doesnt square with my experience as a city employee. There are people who've never worked anywhere else but the city, who certainly know a lot about city processes, but who are bad apples who spoil the barrel. Also, they are not union members, so they aren't protected by the AFSCME contract. Trouble is that it would take KNOWLEDGE of what is going on to pick them out and delete their positions, so I'm pessimistic that the political representatives will ever be able to cut deadwood. By the way, the idea of using smaller vehicles for EMT calls sounds like a good one. Except that it requires adding to the equipment of the fire department. I suppose the logic of sending fire trucks and fire employees is that we're paying the employees already and own the equipment already. We're simply getting more utilization out of them. -------------- Jim Mork--Cooper "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out." Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail _______________________________________ 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
