| Planning Smarter |
| The city’s budget problem didn’t happen
over night and to think that they can be resolved over
night by continuing to push a Pro Property Tax policy
is absurd. A property tax will only continue to fuel the
City’s spending habits and weaken the economy. |
| Mesa got into this mess by past city councils putting
fourth bonds to the citizens without providing a source
of funds to pay those bonds back. What the city council
did was obligate themselves to using the City’s
general fund, without any thought as to future payments.
Now the city claims they don’t have enough money
to pay their obligations without cutting city services
and or instigating a primary property tax. |
| Just as you and I would do when we have over spent and
put on credit that big screen TV, new car, Gucci purse,
on credit we have to pay it back. What do we do, we tighten
our belts, cut back an eating out, moves, and trips to
Disney Land or things we want until we are out of our
financial crisis. What the city and other candidates will
try to get you to believe is that we can borrow our way
out of debt. They will say if you give us just a like
more money we can solve this problem. That’s absurd.
Show me were borrowing more money put you less in debt
and solved your financial woes, if anything it compounds
the problem and makes it worst. I’m not about compounding
the problem, but resolving them now. |
| We need to start by planning smarter. We need to take
a strong look at were the money is spent, are there departments
which are duplicating work? If so combine them. Lets look
at individual programs within departments, are they performing
to the standard set, if not get rid of them. For example
red light cameras, this program has never worked as we
were led to believe, and instead of getting rid of it,
the city continues to throw money into a program that
isn’t providing the returns anticipated and is operating
in the red each month. Look at the travel expenses pointed
out in the Tribune, over one million spent. One million
dollars can fund a fire station for the first year of
operation or two patrol squads for one year. |
| The city needs to get back to providing basic city services
of protecting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In government, the same as in business when we go beyond
our core function and try to do more than we are capable
of doing, we get side tracked and get off course and the
whole business suffers. In business to get back on course
you have to make corrections, drop parts of the business
that aren’t providing the returns but are taking
up large amounts of energy, time and money. |
| I would argue the same is true with government. When
government goes beyond providing core essential services,
and gets pulled in to many directions, with not enough
staff and personnel to handle its functions, it starts
to suffer. To the point were customer services suffers,
it takes longer to get plans reviewed, it takes longer
to get police and fire to respond, maintenance on infrastructure
is put off. |
| Government’s solution, unlike a business solution,
is to say we need more tax dollars. I say no more shifting
the burdened and responsibility to the citizens for your
budgeting mistakes. Do as any business would do or as
a citizen would do, tighten your belt, and sell the dudas
until you get your spending under control. |
| Now is the time for change. To continue to elect people
with the same kind of mind set at those we currently have
will only continue fuel Mesa’s problems. |
| We as the citizens of Mesa can make a difference. I
ask you to join me in making Mesa a place were taxes are
low, neighborhoods are free and business can grow. |
