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Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/4/2010 7:41:26 PM

AnimusRex

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The city of Colorado Springs decends into financial chaos, as streetlights are turned off, police and firemen are laid off, and parks go unmowed and unwatered.

From the article:
Though officials and citizens put public safety above all in the budget, police and firefighting still lost more than $5.5 million this year. Positions that will go empty range from a domestic violence specialist to a deputy chief to juvenile offender officers. Fire squad 108 loses three firefighters. Putting the helicopters up for sale and eliminating the officers and a mechanic banked $877,000.

Turning out the lights, literally, is one of the high-profile trims aggravating some residents. The city-run Colorado Springs Utilities will shut down 8,000 to 10,000 of more than 24,000 streetlights, to save $1.2 million in energy and bulb replacement.

Hansen, the criminal-justice student, grows especially exasperated when recalling a scary incident a few years ago as she waited for a bus. She said a carload of drunken men approached her until the police helicopter that had been trailing them turned a spotlight on the men and chased them off. Now the helicopter is gone, and the streetlight she was waiting under is threatened as well.

"I don't know a person in this city who doesn't think that's just the stupidest thing on the planet," Hansen said. "Colorado Springs leaders put patches on problems and hope that will handle it."

Somewhere, Ayn Rand is having an orgasm.

Her first.

< Message edited by AnimusRex -- 2/4/2010 7:45:18 PM >

Post #: 1

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/4/2010 8:02:11 PM

MzMia

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Thanks for sharing this AR.
Imagine this same scenario, played out in many cities across the United States.
Imagine even more budget cuts, than the ones in that article.
With all the states and cities slashing budgets down to the bone, I really don't think
many people realize the impact these cuts will have on them and their lives.

Until you are the one waiting longer for buses {due to budget cuts}, standing under dim lights {due to budget cuts}, with no security {due to budget cuts} and need to call and wait longer periods of time, for a police response, a fire truck response, an ambulance/EMT's.

Welcome to a new day.

< Message edited by MzMia -- 2/4/2010 8:14:20 PM >

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(in reply to AnimusRex)

Post #: 2

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/4/2010 11:48:17 PM

Brain

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This is why some people/economists say the stimulus was not enough. Obama tried to prevent this from happening. I can't believe those anuses on Wall Street are so greedy to block financial reform and risk this happening again.

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Post #: 3

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 12:05:16 AM

Real0ne

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Joined: 10/25/2004
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quote:

ORIGINAL: MzMia

Thanks for sharing this AR.
Imagine this same scenario, played out in many cities across the United States.
Imagine even more budget cuts, than the ones in that article.
With all the states and cities slashing budgets down to the bone, I really don't think
many people realize the impact these cuts will have on them and their lives.

Until you are the one waiting longer for buses {due to budget cuts}, standing under dim lights {due to budget cuts}, with no security {due to budget cuts} and need to call and wait longer periods of time, for a police response, a fire truck response, an ambulance/EMT's.

Welcome to a new day.

it demonstrates what an abysmal failure your government is :)

that is on both sides, that is both the hatfields and the mcoys. LOLOL

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Post #: 4

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 1:07:44 AM

NeedToUseYou

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Cutting some of these city lights wouldn't be a bad idea, However, and that's a big However, some form of minimal common sense should be applied. Like in this town, they have lights on very very low traffic areas, and there isn't anything like a bus stop or anything there, no sane person person should be there, at 2 am, it just provides light for the squirrels at 4 am in the morning.

Those type of areas I'd have no problem getting rid of every other pole. It doesn't sound like that's what they did. Maybe it is, don't know.

As far as cutting regular cops and fire fighters that's generally a bad way to go, IMO.

However, with public services it is a fact in general that they are only available in sufficient quantities when the demand for them is minimal. As soon as a real "crisis" occurs and the influx comes searching for the value of their previous tax dollars, they already spent that money on flower gardens, and the fifth city park, or ridiculous beautification projects.

Lack of planning for disaster is what causes these situations.

Of course that is based on my local observations of the priorities of the local government. There are always some take of "city" beautification, or some million dollar thing at the park, or whatever. Now, things are worse, they are talking of shutting the city pool down, which obviously very few want anyway, as it doesn't draw enough customers to even pay the employees. Trash a million or two there.

Anyway, I don't know the exact situation in colorado, but I know how it works here.

Hopefully, they find what is necessary and what is not after this, and don't provide more than they can rationally sustain.

(in reply to AnimusRex)

Post #: 5

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 10:53:30 AM

popeye1250

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All governments should be making "cuts" instead of doing things like raising the taxes on ciggarettes by a thousand percent or beer by hundreds of percents.
That's the "easy" way out; "let's tax the hell out of smokers and beer drinkers!"
And in the federal govt there is all kinds of things that can be cut or done away with all together.

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Post #: 6

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 11:45:40 AM

AnimusRex

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quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250
And in the federal govt there is all kinds of things that can be cut or done away with all together.

Such as?

I mean, do you have even a general suggestion as to what areas we should cut, so as to delete 1.4 Trillion in spending?
We spend:

1.0 Trillion on Defense/ Homeland Security
0.8 Trillion on Medicare
0.7 Trillion on Social Security
0.5 Trillion on interest on the debt
0.5 Trillion on every other fucking thing the Federal government does.
3.5 Trillion in spending

We take in 2.1 Trillion in revenue.

3.5- 2.1= 1.4 Trillion shortfall.

So of these 6 categories, where would you find 1.4 Trillion (or about a third of all spending) in cuts?

< Message edited by AnimusRex -- 2/5/2010 11:48:36 AM >

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RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 11:46:53 AM

pahunkboy

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From: Central Pennsylvania
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what took them so long?

why not make them solar- then it would be free. a no brainer.

but again- what took them so long? we been broke many times before.

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Post #: 8

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 3:19:28 PM

Silence8

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I don't know whether this is related, but I've noticed an upsurge in parking enforcement lately. Of course, there's really nowhere to park (in the city), and metered spots have an hour-limit, and parking lots cost the same as the ticket. Ugh.

(in reply to pahunkboy)

Post #: 9

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 3:29:18 PM

Moonhead

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
why not make them solar- then it would be free. a no brainer.

At a guess because people might be a lot more inclined to nick a lamppost with a storage battery and a solar cell that they could remove and turn to their own use than one that's wired into the city's power grid. Then there's the cost of modifying all of the lampposts in the city as well, which is bound to be a bit intimidating for a local government that's trying to save money.

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Post #: 10

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 4:31:43 PM

pahunkboy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Silence8

I don't know whether this is related, but I've noticed an upsurge in parking enforcement lately. Of course, there's really nowhere to park (in the city), and metered spots have an hour-limit, and parking lots cost the same as the ticket. Ugh.

You do realize that being you suggest this- that you could be labeled a conspiracy theorist?

Cities need revenue. So generating revenue is - something they want. It is a good thing.

If $1 in enforcement would bring in $40 of revenue= then chances are- they will go for it.

(in reply to Silence8)

Post #: 11

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 4:33:29 PM

pahunkboy

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From: Central Pennsylvania
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
why not make them solar- then it would be free. a no brainer.

At a guess because people might be a lot more inclined to nick a lamppost with a storage battery and a solar cell that they could remove and turn to their own use than one that's wired into the city's power grid. Then there's the cost of modifying all of the lampposts in the city as well, which is bound to be a bit intimidating for a local government that's trying to save money.

but we had a stimulus- and green is good. solar- if it can not help us out then is a failed experiment.

(in reply to Moonhead)

Post #: 12

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 4:36:03 PM

Moonhead

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Just out of interest, is there anything that isn't the NWO's fault?

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(Simon R Green on the late James Herbert)

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Post #: 13

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 5:00:37 PM

thompsonx

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

Just out of interest, is there anything that isn't the NWO's fault?

Only the OWO.

(in reply to Moonhead)

Post #: 14

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 5:31:42 PM

rachel529

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i know how to fix our budget- legalize marijuana!! and tax the living shit out of it! :D

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Post #: 15

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 5:37:18 PM

popeye1250

Posts: 18104
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From: New Hampshire
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quote:

ORIGINAL: AnimusRex

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250
And in the federal govt there is all kinds of things that can be cut or done away with all together.

Such as?

I mean, do you have even a general suggestion as to what areas we should cut, so as to delete 1.4 Trillion in spending?
We spend:

1.0 Trillion on Defense/ Homeland Security
0.8 Trillion on Medicare
0.7 Trillion on Social Security
0.5 Trillion on interest on the debt
0.5 Trillion on every other fucking thing the Federal government does.
3.5 Trillion in spending

We take in 2.1 Trillion in revenue.

3.5- 2.1= 1.4 Trillion shortfall.

So of these 6 categories, where would you find 1.4 Trillion (or about a third of all spending) in cuts?

Rex, half the state dept, get rid of "Energy" and "Education" get out of the foreign aid business, "Agency for International Developement."
Get us out of NAFTA, Cafta and the other "free trade" things to increase tax revenues in this country.

_____________________________

"But Your Honor, this is not a Jury of my Peers, these people are all decent, honest, law-abiding citizens!"

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Post #: 16

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 5:54:20 PM

AnimusRex

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quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250
Rex, half the state dept, get rid of "Energy" and "Education" get out of the foreign aid business, "Agency for International Developement."
Get us out of NAFTA, Cafta and the other "free trade" things to increase tax revenues in this country.

Ok, so lets put that into place:
State Dept- current budget 0.024 Trillion; half of that equals 0.012Trillion
Education Dept- Current budget 0.046 Trillion;
Energy Dept- 0.026 Trillion
Total spending savings= 0.084 Trillion

So the new budget is:

1.0 Trillion on Defense/ Homeland Security
0.8 Trillion on Medicare
0.7 Trillion on Social Security
0.5 Trillion on interest on the debt
0.416 Trillion on every other fucking thing the Federal government does.
3.416 Trillion in spending

We take in 2.1 Trillion in revenue.
3.416- 2.1= 1.316 Trillion shortfall

How much will repeal of NAFTA add? I don't know; Would it raise revenue by 1.3 trillion dollars?
Maybe- but I doubt it.

My point here isn't to be argumentative, but to show that the easy cuts like Education and Energy are meaningless; what we spend on the overall machinery of the Federal government is peanuts, pocket change compared to what we spend on Defense/ Homeland Security, SS and Medicare.

Those three are the ones most popular with the public, and the most difficult to cut. They are difficult because even conservative Republican Senators like Richard Shelby are addicted to pork; even today Sen. Shelby blocked every single Obama appointments, simply to extort more tax money for his campaign contributors.

Next week of course he will be solemnly lecturing us on the need to cut wasteful spending and close the deficit.

Until we accept that taxes are what bring us the things we enjoy, like defense, elderly who don't have to beg in the street, and medical care for the poor, we will keep running deeper and deeper in the red, until we become a Third World basket case like Somalia- which has remarkably low taxes I might add.

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Post #: 17

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 6:16:20 PM

rachel529

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a pack of cigarettes costs roughly 25 cents to manufacture from start to finish. that same pack if full of joints would be worth 100 dollars on the street. make 80 of it tax.... plus the savings in your police, dea, and prison system? deficit goes poof

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Post #: 18

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 6:33:25 PM

Thadius

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quote:

ORIGINAL: rachel529

a pack of cigarettes costs roughly 25 cents to manufacture from start to finish. that same pack if full of joints would be worth 100 dollars on the street. make 80 of it tax.... plus the savings in your police, dea, and prison system? deficit goes poof

Making it legal would also drop the street value (no risk = no need to retain lawyers, etc...). Taxing it would be a great winfall, however I am not sure it would offset the current money made from seizures, rehab, and penalties.

They just opened a pot superstore out in California, complete with a doctor right next door. CBS story on Pot Superstore

Who knows, maybe it will become a national chain.

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Post #: 19

RE: Welcome to the Dark Age - 2/5/2010 6:40:08 PM

AnimusRex

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Most weekdays I go for a run along Venice boardwalk; there are at least 4 medical marijuana stores just in one mile stretch. All in all there are almost 1,000 pot stores operating in the LA area.

The state is eyeing this tax base very carefully; I would be surprised if it is not fully legalized within a couple years.

(in reply to Thadius)

Post #: 20

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