City Axes Jobs, Programs, Fire Trucks to Balance Budget (Philadelphia)

NBC Philadelphia ^ | 11/6/2008 | Dan Stamm

[philsfan24]

Philadelphia residents and workers are going find fewer programs, fire engines, libraries, pools and less snow removal in the coming year as all city departments are taking a budget cut hit.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced some tough budget decisions.

Mayor Nutter Addresses the City's Budget Crisis close

Mayor Michael Nutter is expected to announce the city's plans for making up a $1 billion shortfall in the budget.

220 city workers will be fired and 600 currently open jobs will remain unfilled to save money.

Mayor Nutter announced that the city has to cut $100 million from the current city spending. He has opted to not make outright cuts but instead cutback on certain programs and areas.

Here are some of the cuts:

* Fewer trucks at some firehouses

* Closure of 11 free library branches

* The elimination of the DARE (drug and alcohol resistance) and GREAT (gang resistance training) programs

* Closure of city curfew centers

* No snow removal unless 12 inches fall

* Closure of the 92nd Police district serving Fairmount Park

* 62 of 73 outdoor city pools won't open next summer

* No more residential street cleaning and leave removal

* Freeze on tax reductions

* three city ice rinks will be closed this winter

* An end to bulk trash pickup including large appliances like refrigerators

[philsfan24]

what a disaster. this is brought to you by 50 years of backwards socialism and big government. coming to the rest of the country soon.

[MarineBrat]

I’m amazed by this story. There’s actually people who still want to live in Philly?

[Madeleine Ward]

Exact same happening in our town of 40,000.

Mayor sounded so sad that people were losing their jobs.

Gee, government has to join the real world.

[GSWarrior]

Did they axe axes?

[calenel]

Offer up gimmees and freebees to get (re)elected and then cut essential services to pay for it. Raise taxes to re-institute the previously cut essential services. Repeat.

[mia]

You don’t understand. These jobs will now be filled by Senior “volunteers” who recieve Social Security. The Seniors get government money, so they can now do this work. According to a Blogger at US News & World Report, this is what Michelle OBama had proposed. Where she proposed this, I don’t know, but the young blogger thought it was a just return for getting gov’t money.

[Mac from Cleveland]

The Philly New Black Panthers laid off 20% of their “voter service reps”-it’s so bad they’re going to generic billy clubs.

[philsfan24]

in 2006, dems took the US congress, a majority of the governorships, a majority of state houses and the economy has gone to ****. couple that with a stealth economic liberal president and this is what we get. of course, conservatives/republicans will get the blame for it all. thanks bush.

[calenel]

I agree, the most economic trouble, including the worst of the collapse of the housing market, has occurred in the last two years.

[philly-d-kidder]

Philadelphia has the most convoluted tax structure for starting a Company on top of High Taxes and the UNION (Monopoly of Labour) Thugs... That ruin the city! 50% more to build a Building due to Monoply of Labour!

[thefactor]

NYC will have over a $4 billion short-fall in the coming year or two.

our mayor did a lot of similar things in terms of cuts and will raise taxes.

the obama freaks will not be happy with the pool closures! look for a lot of open fire hydrants this summer.

[Swiss]

Well going after the Boy Scouts because of the Gays and Karma happens.