Show me the “other services” to cut
District 9 Councilman Kevin Wolff, who’d called for a 1-cent reduction to the rate, dismissed the argument that a tax cut could affect the city’s basic services.
“It angers me when I hear that argument, and it angers the people I represent,” Wolff said.
The proposed budget for the general fund, he noted, allocates tens of million of dollars for “other services” — beyond public safety, public works, libraries, parks, courts and animal control. “It’s not, by any stretch of the imagination, basic services.”
You know what angers me? It angers me when council members like Wolff claim there are plenty of “other services” to cut but won’t name specific ones.
It would appear that the new council members would be neck deep into the budget process by now since they will soon have to approve a new budget. So, where are all the areas that Diane Cibrian said we could cut once she had a chance to consult with the city manager?
Councilwoman Diane Cibrian, who represents District 8 on the North Side, supported the tax cut but also said she “unequivocally” favors looking for more funding in the budget to hire police officers.
Well, where is she going to get the money to hire more officers? What programs is she going to cut?
Both Cibrian and Wolff can thank the threat of a tax rollback election for the proposed tax cut. In order to avoid a rollback election, the council will vote for a meaningless tax cut for northside homeowners. How convenient for them that they can continue to whine for tax relief without having to say explicitly what they’re willing to cut. Can you imagine if they had to campaign on what they would cut to provide a tax cut of 15 cents? When will people realize that a “meaningful” tax cut will result in an even more “meaningful” cut in services?
Technorati Tags: Kevin Wolff, District 9, San Antonio, Diane Cibrian, District 10, San Antonio, tax relief, property tax cut
Filed under: Diane Cibrian, District 10, District 9, Kevin Wolff, San Antonio, property tax cut, tax relief
I like you guys better when you slam Cibrian. But this is what I don’t understand about blogs. You guys always criticize what she and Wolfe don’t say. So why don’t you contact her office and ask? Or is that against the tenets of blogging?
I think a blog article about you asking Cibrian what she would cut and her response would be a great read.