Third World America

Macleans ^ | 14 September 2010 | Luiza Savage

[Publius]

In February, the board of commissioners of Ohio’s Ashtabula County faced a scene familiar to local governments across America: a budget shortfall. They began to cut spending and reduced the sheriff’s budget by 20 per cent. A law enforcement agency staff that only a few years ago numbered 112, and had subsequently been pared down to 70, was cut again to 49 people and just one squad car for a county of 1,900 sq. km along the shore of Lake Erie. The sheriff’s department adapted. “We have no patrol units. There is no one on the streets. We respond to only crimes in progress. We don’t respond to property crimes,” deputy sheriff Ron Fenton told Maclean’s. The county once had a “very proactive” detective division in narcotics. Now, there is no detective division. “We are down to one evidence officer and he just runs the evidence room in case someone wants to claim property,” said Fenton. “People are getting property stolen, their houses broken into, and there is no one investigating. We are basically just writing up a report for the insurance company.”

[sergeantdave]

“Like you, I take the fatalist position. Certain events have been set in motion, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop them.”

Fatalist position? You bet your sweet patooie you do. Really happy you weren’t around at the Normandy landing, the Okinawa battle or the 1775 Consitutional convention.

Look up Determinism. You sound like one of these fatalistic Tibetan hinayana Buddhists.

Read some books on American heroes. Start with George Washington.

[Iron Munro]

Generally, the first thing local governments do when faced with falling tax revenue or a voter refusal to approve of new taxes is to threaten reductions in police, fire, library, road maintenance, and other services that will be immediately felt by the voters.

If voters do not approve of more and higher taxes, the second thing they do is to carry through on some of their threats.

One thing they rarely do at the start is to to cut back on politicians’ staffs, cut back on the myriad offices and empires they have built in grand buildings, and they never propose cuts on the freebies and handouts.

Oh, they might cut back on summer programs in the parks or activities at rec centers but that is because the loss of those programs is something that will get the message through to taxpayers:

“Pony up more taxes or the cuts that affect you will continue.”

When is the last time your local government made any kind of a concentrated effort to clean up the welfare roles? When is the last time you heard the local government/school board propose to stop spending money on gay studies or gay and race issues?

Instead of working to reduce births among teens in the ghetto they build child care centers in junior high schools.
God forbid they offend anyone by suggesting it might not be a good thing to have a forth or fifth generation of unmarried teenagers start another single parent “family” supported by taxpayer funded handouts.

[wally_bert]

I’m sure good ole Wille T. would have no problem with that.

[EBH]

I believe somewhere here on FR is an article about the authorities telling the folks of Ashtabula to arm themselves. They were on their own.

[truth_seeker]

“Funny how the county isn’t cutting any social services. It is just cutting the important stuff. Must be their way of punishing the voters for not agreeing to more tax hikes.”

That is the typical MO, supported by self-perpetuating rules, grants from the feds and state, contingent on certain things.

Olde fashioned zero based budgeting in government would be fascinating, and could save a lot of money, if conducted with an open mind.

[TheOldLady]

bump

[Jabba the Nutt]

Here's what you do as Sheriff in this county. Encouraged all citizens to arm themselves. Organize call trees to contact and call out citizens in the case of an emergency. Start citizen training yesterday. Encourage businesses and stores to arm themselves, along with teachers an employees at other institutions to arm themselves. And publicize these measures.

Crime will drop.

[saintgermaine]

Thanks for pointing this out as I missed this one. Very good observation.

[saintgermaine]

Thanks for pointing this out as I missed this one. Very good observation.

[Lexinom]

Great post!

[Lexinom]

Thanks for the history lesson.

I recall also that the Red Russians marched right into the Czars palace in St. Petersburg, which was unguarded.

[CommieCutter]

Funny how the county isn’t cutting any social services. It is just cutting the important stuff. Must be their way of punishing the voters for not agreeing to more tax hikes.

This is how I always imagined the Feds doing it. They would cut the items that are the most necessary first, but keep the stupid s%!T like foreign aide to the middle east, and art institutions that put crosses in urine.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

Thanks for the kudos - I think you got what I was saying.

 

Through all the huffing and puffing by citizens far and wide about "taking our country back" that has been going on for a good while - and I'm talking in general, all around off and on the internet, not just here on FR - I keep wondering if people really know for sure what that might entail. It's not foolishness, not at all, but I have to ask the rhetorical question of just how much discomfort is anyone willing to go through and tolerate to "take our country back", wondering if anyone has the concept of what all that may involve. How much personal wealth, sweat, tears and even blood is anyone willing to dedicate. Folk have to realize that any sincere and tangible taking-the-country-back work at any level be it local, state or federal will involve messing with someone's steady paycheck, most likely the paychecks of a lot of someones, and I will tell you from firsthand experience that people who think they have a right to it no matter what, will get downright vicious - I've been there, done that and have more than a t-shirt to show for it. Prepare to take damage, but also be able and ready to deal it right back. Once there is realization that there are consequences for every threat or act on their part, no matter how small, they tend to lose stomach for it and back off or even flee further engagement. It's a matter of being more disciplined, dedicated and obstinate 24/7-365 than they could ever be.