Cuts to the City of Philly's budget

Mayor Nutter announced yesterday, or the day before I can't keep my news days straight, that he was making significant cuts to the City's budget. He's taking a 10% pay cut himself, not paying the police force over time, closing the majority of the City's pools, a few libraries and a few fire ladders and engines. I am getting a lot of emails from my mom friends, some of whom I know, some I don't, saying to call the Mayor's office and insist that they don't close our fire engine and protest the closing of our neighborhood pools. I will not be making any such call.

First of all, I hope that some of the same people who are complaining didn't also file official reports saying that their way-too-low property taxes should not be raised for the first time in more than ten years. I hope some of these same people didn't cheat the city of the taxes its owed by reporting to the city that they bought their house for $1 when they really paid hundreds of thousands of dollars so as to not have to pay the real estate transfer tax. If you're not willing to pay the city what it is rightfully owed then don't complain when our services are cut.

Second, times are tough. The City doesn't have as much revenue as it had in the past. The responsible thing to do as the leader of our city is to balance the budget and make significant changes that will keep the absolute necessities operational -- a police force, fire fighters, trash removal etc... Not a single police officer of fire fighter is being laid off and all of the City's recreational departments will remain open.

Having said all of this, I do agree with one woman who wrote to my mom's group about all of the City owned cars that its employees drive around -- gas paid for and all. That should definitely be eliminated and would save the City tons, I'm sure.