The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Steyr M40A1 on August 04, 2009, 06:37:21 PM
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http://cfnews13.com/News/National/2009/8/4/guard_troops_may_be_needed_in_troubled_ala._county.html
Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. County
Tuesday, August 04, 2009 4:04:21 PM
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.(AP)
The sheriff in Alabama 's most populous county may call for the National Guard to help maintain order, a spokesman said Tuesday, after a judge cleared the way for cuts in the sheriff's budget and hopes dimmed for a quick end to a budget crisis.
Circuit Judge Joseph L. Boohaker ruled that leaders in Jefferson County _ now trying to head off a municipal bankruptcy filing of historic proportions _ could go ahead with plans to slash $4.1 million from the budget of Sheriff Mike Hale, who had filed a lawsuit that temporarily blocked spending cuts for his office.
About 1,000 county workers already are on unpaid leave because courts threw out a key county tax, and Hale has warned that reductions to his budget would mean fewer patrols by deputies and decreased courthouse security.
A spokesman for Hale, Randy Christian, said the sheriff told Gov. Bob Riley after the ruling that state assistance may be needed to perform basic law enforcement tasks once the department's current funding is exhausted in early September.
"We will certainly be looking at calling in the National Guard," said Christian.
Hale may have to cut as many as 188 deputies and almost 300 civilian workers out of more than 700 employees total because of Boohaker's ruling, Christian said. That would leave just enough workers to staff the county's two jails, which hold about 1,000 prisoners on average.
Christian said the department couldn't close either jail or release inmates, but it would send as many prisoners as possible to the state prison system, which already is badly overcrowded.
Riley previously refused to declare a state of emergency in Jefferson County , which has about 640,000 residents and includes the state's largest city, Birmingham . But he hasn't ruled out sending in Guard members or state troopers if needed.
Members of the county's legislative delegation scheduled a meeting to consider a replacement for the defunct occupational tax. However, Jefferson County Commission president Bettye Fine Collins said she doubted the commission would approve the plan since lawyers already have questioned its constitutionality.
"It wouldn't make sense to support it since we would likely be right back where we are now," Collins said in an interview.
The crisis followed court rulings that blocked Jefferson County from using money from an occupational tax that provided some $75 million annually, or about one-third of its budget.
Riley has promised to call a special session as soon as the county's legislative delegation can agree on a new tax, but prospects for passage are in doubt if Collins and other county commissioners don't go along.
The budget crisis comes as the county seeks to avoid filing what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy ever over some $3.9 billion in sewer bonds it can no longer afford to repay. As with the tax problem, elected leaders can't agree on a solution.
The sewer system is still operating normally, but the county has closed four satellite courthouses because of the loss of the revenue from the occupational tax. Residents are standing in line for hours at the main courthouse to do routine business like renewing car tags.
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Get ready because this about ready to happen all over the country.
The problem is government at all levels is involved in so many unessential programs there is not enough money to go around. We all know what needs to be done but politicians would rather raise taxes than cut spending. Well the time to cut non-essential services is now so there is enough money to spend on pubic safety.
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The "standards" to keep inmates in jail are getting lower in many states. Non-Violent offenders, probation violations, drug arrests, theft not involving injury...
All the people you want back on the street:
Drug Addicted Thieves... break into your shed, garage, HOUSE when you leave... Guess what thieves will always take...??
And it's not your big, heavy flatscreen,...
Hope you all keep them in a safe or secure locked location, or some ingenious location like the Batcave. Tough times always bring out the criminals more than "good" economic times.
The non-violent scumbags just wait til no one's home....The violent one's are why I keep one very close at home, and carry concealed when out and about.
I hate a Fu**** thief.
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My brother just recently started working as a deputy for a different county in Alabama. We were discussing budgets and the whim of politicians/job security and he said (at least in his county but I thought it was state wide) that the sheriffs budget is the sheriffs budget. Nobody can change it, it stays consistent from year to year to keep it safe from politicians who want to rob from them to fund something else.
I guess the judge saw things different. ???
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the sheriffs budget is the sheriffs budget. Nobody can change it, it stays consistent from year to year to keep it safe from politicians who want to rob from them to fund something else.
BSO has already had to furlow deputies, and lay off non essential administrators. The County Commissioners who are a bunch of asshat wannabe politicians, are chopping the BSO budget.
It doesn't have to be a judge...
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My brother just recently started working as a deputy for a different county in Alabama. We were discussing budgets and the whim of politicians/job security and he said (at least in his county but I thought it was state wide) that the sheriffs budget is the sheriffs budget. Nobody can change it, it stays consistent from year to year to keep it safe from politicians who want to rob from them to fund something else.
I guess the judge saw things different. ???
Sheriffs work for the county. When the county gets hit, everyone gets hit. The Sheriff may be able to hold off the inevitable, but numbers are numbers - if the money ain't there, they will have to cut costs.
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Sheriffs work for the county. When the county gets hit, everyone gets hit. The Sheriff may be able to hold off the inevitable, but numbers are numbers - if the money ain't there, they will have to cut costs.
yep,
the local SD was told, 5% cut across the board, or 35 DS go. the union said "nope" the fallowing day 35 DS got pink slips. if there is no money, they won't get paid.
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The point is the feds, state, county and local governments have the money. The elected officials have decided that other programs and services are more important than public safety.
They have chosen not to cut entitlements and non-essential services. Instead they use ploys and stunts like this to become high profile issues. The plan is to cause a problem (CRISIS) that hurts all residents the most. A really high profile cut that everyone will decry.
The next thing they do is hold a press conference and wring their hands and wag their heads. They tell us it was an extremely difficult and hard decision but they didn’t have a choice. There just isn't enough money to go around. If only they could increase taxes to pay for more cops (firefighters, teachers, you add the job).
They want to cause maximum disruption so you will gladly give them the authority to raise taxes.