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Post by ohwell on Sept 2, 2009 4:58:35 GMT -5
If you run for mayor, I will vote for you.
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Post by gridbug on Sept 2, 2009 7:06:00 GMT -5
Funny, Littlefield has no problem finding the money in the budget to provide cars for himself, the city council, judges, and other higher paid officials (you know, the ones that can afford their own cars)
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Post by LimitedRecourse on Sept 2, 2009 9:24:09 GMT -5
There was also money in this "painful" budget to fund $14 MILLION DOLLARS for softball fields.
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Post by daworm on Sept 2, 2009 10:28:14 GMT -5
To be fair, things like that are not completely a budget drain but an investment. Softball tournaments bring in a lot of money via hotel taxes and vendor sales. I don't know if we'll make the $14 mill back at all, or make back more, but things like that do have a payback. If it makes more than it costs, then it helps the budget rather than hurts it. Don't know if that's the case or not, but it needs to be checked before just saying it is bad.
I'm not so sure I could say the same about "splash parks" or lumps of rock and bailing wire they call art around here, nor whether the "film commission" generates any revenue for the city. Perhaps they increase tourism and generate more than they cost, but I'd rather doubt it. Softball, I could believe, most of the rest, not so much.
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Post by gridbug on Sept 2, 2009 10:40:00 GMT -5
I really doubt that $14M of tax revenue will be generated from softball. I do not know how much the hotel taxes are, but if it were sales taxes then softball would have to generate over $140M of sales! Do you REALLY think that softball brings $140 MILLION in business to Chattanooga?
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Post by LimitedRecourse on Sept 2, 2009 10:40:24 GMT -5
"To be fair, things like that are not completely a budget drain but an investment."
Not much of an investment if you have no police officers to protect the citizens using the facilities. Also, it's not much of a benefit to the citizens if they are too worried that they and their families will not be safe there and don't go. They also will not go if they are uncertain their homes won't be invaded by burglars while enjoying such a nice "investment."
It seems to me that investing in the City's image of being a safe environment to live in and visit is MUCH more important than pandering to a small softball lobbying minority.
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Post by augie47 on Sept 2, 2009 11:08:53 GMT -5
There is obviously something to be said for investments that reap dividends. Riverfront proves that. However, I don't think the honorable Mayor needs to use the ball-field investments as a example right now: www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_156924.aspIn a vote of the TSSAA board of control Monday, the city of Murfreesboro was awarded the prestigious Spring Fling five-sport state tournament event for the next three years, 2010-2012. On the other hand, he might want to review numerous studies that have shown the financial benefits to "take home" police vehicles. Add all the intangible benefits and this latest move I believe will be listed in the "blunder" category. |
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Post by gridbug on Sept 2, 2009 11:29:51 GMT -5
This is the same mayor that heralded chip sealing roads and the decimation of weekly recycling as improvements. At least he's consistent.
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Laura Rice
Senior Forumite
Just full of sass and sunshine!
Posts: 3,264
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Post by Laura Rice on Sept 2, 2009 11:59:44 GMT -5
This is the same mayor that heralded chip sealing roads and the decimation of weekly recycling as improvements. At least he's consistent.  Anybody been on Norcross Rd lately? It seemed to be the worst of most of the roads done... It's repaved now! The dude needs to step down and someone needs grab the reigns of this cool city and fix everything he is has SOOO screwed up! This is a great place to live and he is just making things worse. |
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Post by el Gusano on Sept 2, 2009 12:40:02 GMT -5
So, Worm, how about if they don't recoup the entire $14million?
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Post by daworm on Sept 2, 2009 15:35:33 GMT -5
Read what I wrote, LR. If (and I said IF because I don't know) it generates more, let's say for sake of example, 20 mill in revenue, then there would be 6 mill MORE available to do things like, oh, pay for police. I don't know if that's the case, but there are some things that we spend money on that have a positive return and that's one thing that at least MIGHT be among them.
Why, obviously, if it is a net loss, and not an essential service, then it needs to go onto the back burner. Note, I'd consider many things government does, and should do, as net losses. Police is one, we'll never generate more revenue from the police department than we spend. But it is essential. Unless something like softball generates revenue, when times are hard, it should be eliminated. People might scream, but I'd include things like the arts, symphony, and other "social" programs in that category too. They are wonderful things to have, when you can afford them, but not essential.
Some things, like building maintenance, road work, sewage, drainage, etc. can't be cut too far for too long, or they'll end up costing far more to fix when they fail than the maintenance costs to keep them up.
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Post by daworm on Sept 2, 2009 15:36:31 GMT -5
There are more tournaments than just the Spring Fling.
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Post by fftspam on Sept 3, 2009 1:13:07 GMT -5
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Post by LimitedRecourse on Sept 3, 2009 8:54:46 GMT -5
The PRIORITIES are the issue, worm. I'm all for social programs and sports amenities WHEN WE CAN AFFORD THEM. But for the mayor to say that "We don't have the money in the budget for pay raises, take home cars or even the salaries we were promised (longevity pay has been cut---this was our salve to cover the no pay raise during the last fi-ass-co). It's bad enough to LIE o the entire county about how the annexed areas will have adequate coverage (all hiring/academies have been stopped---positions ELIMINATED) but to LIE to the City (his constituents) saying there is no money, yet secretively spending $14 MILLION is beyond the pale.
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Post by daworm on Sept 3, 2009 15:55:07 GMT -5
Again, though, something that makes money for the city is rare. I can see something like that getting a high priority. There's plenty of things that don't make money that Littlefield is wasting money on, you don't have to kill the ones that do.
It's kind of like those take home cars. If you don't have them, you don't have a source of secondary income, plus you have to buy your own gas to go back and forth to work, so cutting them makes you lose money. Same with programs that make money, if you cut them, you don't make money, and to gain $14 million, you lose $20 million. Who would make that kind of deal? That's about as dumb as emptying your 401K to get $50K, when it costs 40% early withdrawal and many times that in compound interest. Sure, it may be a quick fix to an immediate problem, but in the long run it is disastrous.
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Post by fftspam on Sept 4, 2009 0:25:12 GMT -5
Not too long ago the city council, at Ron's request, spent $500,000 to pay for a consultant to figure out why it smells like shit in the area around Pine/Chestnut/Market/7th/8th/9th. I thought we have staff engineers working Public Works?
Ron has a background in Public Works, right? And why isn't Public Works doing their job? What do they do? Why does Ron need to pump money to some outside consulting firm?
I can give you the root cause of the problem downtown.. for FREE!! Save the $500k....
Shit don't flow up hill.
Shit smells like shit in the summer.
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Post by Tsavodiner on Sept 4, 2009 1:01:36 GMT -5
But have you ever been to Chattanooga City Hall?  |
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Post by ohwell on Sept 4, 2009 6:13:17 GMT -5
I do not feel that in any way does Littlefield protect me or my property. I do feel that the two police cars in my area are a deterrent to crime. So, how much does Littlefield make? Let's use that money to benefit our police officers. Also, if you outlawed soft ball, my feelings would be hurt.
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