PDA

View Full Version : Cities in trouble



Peter1469
07-24-2013, 05:26 AM
Here is a list of 10 cities (http://washingtonexaminer.com/exography-19-u.s.-cities-have-proportionately-bigger-workforces-than-bankrupted-detroit/article/2533338) in trouble, maybe Detroit style:

I will read the article after work; having a high number of government employees is one issue. The issue that got Detroit was not funding / under funding its pension plan.

Common
07-24-2013, 05:58 AM
Here is a list of 10 cities (http://washingtonexaminer.com/exography-19-u.s.-cities-have-proportionately-bigger-workforces-than-bankrupted-detroit/article/2533338) in trouble, maybe Detroit style:

I will read the article after work; having a high number of government employees is one issue. The issue that got Detroit was not funding / under funding its pension plan.

The same thing the state of NJ did, Jersey put themselves in debt. They never lived up to their "HALF of the Obligation" and it was all Republicans that shafted the workers.

zelmo1234
07-24-2013, 06:41 AM
It is interesting that some how people think that this level of government is sustainable!

Take NYC for example, you have each person paying 4611.00 just to fund the city workers, not to mention pensions and everything else that must be funded!

It is not hard to see that many are on the path to insolvency I say the sooner the better!

midcan5
07-24-2013, 06:57 AM
When our grandparents lived in the city they walked to work, often millwork, clothing, machinery, etc. When my parents lived in the city they made things for WWII and then later for building and construction and factory work still existed. When I first worked in the city, I repaired things down to the broken part. Later as technology changed, I managed systems, distributed systems, still later as technology once again changed, I saw the work leave the city. The nature of work changed, we were to be a service industrial nation. That too change as communications changed and corporations changed. Service was now an Asian Indian or some other place where profit could be amde. Third world nations now make what our grandparents made. But still there is a great deal of work in America if only Americans saw the value of supporting the nation that supports them. FDR did it, Eisenhower did it - now no one does it. I'll leave the 'it' open for discussion. Detroit died because America changed.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/09/11898/5-facts-about-overseas-outsourcing/
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/bain-capital-mitt-romney-outsourcing-china-global-tech
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlyonaShow/search?query=outsourcing


Do you drive an ad for Japan, Korea, Germany, if so look no further than the closest mirror......

Do you shop in Walmart because their prices are cheaper than a union shop, if so ....

http://thepoliticalforums.com/threads/14752-Seven-Surprising-Truths-about-the-World?p=330182&viewfull=1#post330182

Mainecoons
07-24-2013, 07:03 AM
That too, but you cannot ignore the contribution that liberal-run city governments made to the exodus via bad schools, crappy services, high taxes, and bloated, lazy, overpaid "workers."

Every one of the cities in big trouble has the same common denominator of long-term liberal tax and spend rule.

midcan5
07-26-2013, 07:23 AM
More on Jobs today.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1003.lynn-longman.html

Mainecoons
07-26-2013, 07:30 AM
Very interest read and definitely makes good points about over-consolidation and anti-trust. What they don't seem to grasp is how government drives this, by making the hiring of people more expensive, by creating unrestrained free trade and by simply failing to enforce the laws on the books.

Since 2009, the work force has actually shrunk. Not growing was bad enough but with government compounding the problem of taxes, regulations and legislation like ObamaCare, now both the quality and quantity of jobs has dropped drastically.

patrickt
07-26-2013, 08:26 AM
People need to take a look at what government positions they're funding. In the city where I lived we had a city radon inspector. He inspects homes for unacceptably high levels of radon. In twenty years, he hasn't found one but the position is still funded. And, there's the city arborists. He tells people what trees and plants they're allowed to plant and what they're not allowed to plant and what plants they should plant and what plants they shouldn't plant.

And, take a look at employees they don't have. Do they have someone whose job is to scrutinize the use of government credit cards? Our city didn't. That was left up to the newspaper reporters but most of the reporters have been fired now. How about someone auditing the travel expenses? I was told once by a manager how to always fly 1st class when that was prohibited except in rare emergencies which could certainly be arranged.

How much does your city spend on liquor?

One year when we were in the midst of our annual budget crisis we were getting a pep talk on cutting expenses from the CEO. As he spoke, the truck with $80,000 worth of furniture for his office pulled up. The room got very quiet and I said, "John, want me to tell them to take the furniture back?" "No, I want you to leave." There was no laughter in the room but a lot of sudden need to have hands over faces.