Kilpatrick's Budget Cuts

[Allan]

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is likely to present a plan to overhaul the city's government today. His plan will include eliminating city departments. There are currently 42 departments, which will probably be consolidated into about 25.

He also plans to eliminate city subsidies for libraries and museums in the city, as well as the zoo. Since 2004, the Detroit Institute of Arts has run with no city funding for day-to-day operations. The museums were expecting to receive $2.8 Million and the zoo was expecting to receive $3.2 Million in subsidies from the city next year.

The city has a ratio of city workers to population of 1 to 53. Other cities of similar size have much smaller ratios. Since Kilpatrick has been is office, the number of city employees in Detroit has been reduced by 3000 to 17,000. The new cuts could result in the elimination of 1000 more city jobs.

Read More: http://www.freep.com/money/business/walsh12e_20050412.htm

[rbdetsport]

BYE BYE Detroit Zoo.....

[Ramcharger]

I think the zoo will make it, it has a lot of regional support, but it won't be painless. The Historical Museum, on the other hand, is dead for sure! Additionally, Kwame's budget will penalize one of the few business segments still willing to conduct business in the city, fast food restaurants. Their customers will drive to the suburbs for their burgers just like they do for everything else. As their sales drop, most restaurants will simply close, further eroding Detroit's overall tax base. Way to go Kwame.

By the way, was there any mention in the Mayor's budget about selling Manoogian Mansion and making "His Honor" pay for his own digs?

[baldy]

Yeah, I don't think the city should provide a house for the mayor, and if they do, he needs a large reduction in pay. I also don't remember hearing that he too was taking a 10% paycut, or was reducing the size of security staff.

The Zoo, aquarium and the such need to be run by a regional group, especilally things that aren't even in the city. There are a lot of things that need to be done on a regional level and aren't. Hopefully things like this will help awaken people of the need for regional cooperation.

Taxing fast food?!? Where did that come from?!? I can't say I really approve of this one.

[Allan]

I'm not quite sure where the fast food tax idea came from, lol. I still don't understand why they don't cut out more of the city government before they start taxing residents more. Like the taxes in Detroit aren't already high enough....

[atperry]

I'm not quite sure where the fast food tax idea came from, lol. I still don't understand why they don't cut out more of the city government before they start taxing residents more.  Like the taxes in Detroit aren't already high enough....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe this is an indirect way to get Detroit off the fattest city list

[Allan]

LOL. Interesting thought, but I really don't think a tax of a couple cents is really going to stop Detroiters from eating fast food.

[kgourlay]

LOL.  Interesting thought, but I really don't think a tax of a couple cents is really going to stop Detroiters from eating fast food.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fast food usually equates to cheap food. When I am on a tight budget I tend to lean towards fast food. Sure it's not the healthiest, but there are many other factors to obesity. In Detroit, especially, I would imagine that a tax on fast food would be more of a tax on low income people, not on fat people. Not a good thing, in my opinion.

[dnast]

I hate to be lazy and make others work for me, but I didn't see the part about taxing fast food. How much exactly is fast food being taxed? I can't imagine it being more than a few cents on a dollar. And if that's the case, it shouldn't make a difference on whoever's buying. When you're spending $4 on a meal, you don't really pay attention to the tax.

Hell, from my experience, in the poorer areas it seems like more people throw away small change (i.e. drive of before they get their 7 cents back or just look at their few cents of change when they accidently drop it and walk off). And poor people definitely aren't the only ones who buy fast food.

They could do much worse by adding tax to groceries or something of that nature.

[kgourlay]

Hell, from my experience, in the poorer areas it seems like more people throw away small change (i.e. drive of before they get their 7 cents back or just look at their few cents of change when they accidently drop it and walk off). And poor people definitely aren't the only ones who buy fast food.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hrm, I really have no idea what I'm talking about. Consider yourself disclaimed.

Fast food is already taxed like any other restaurant food. Michigan 6% sales tax. There was a proposal (at the state level I recall) to tax unhealthy food. Not only "fast" food but anything like deep fried food (restaurant food mind you)... Is that the same thing we're talking about?

The idea was similar to the justification for a special tax on cigarettes. Encourage people to live healthier, and make some money at the same time. Arguably to pay for increased medicare, etc. expenses incurred from unhealthy lifestyles.

[dnast]

Well, if it's similar to cigarette tax then it might be a problem; At least if the rate is anynear near as much. I was thinking more on the lines of a few extra cents on a dollar. But I missed the news about any new tax on any kind of food so I don't know.

I don't mind the idea of nudging people toward healthier living, but there's a reason poor people don't eat healthy food as often. IMO, lawmakers need to find ways to lower the cost of medical care (how much they're charging) instead of finding ways to pay more.