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Thingish Things

As Cities Go Broke

Written By: William F. B. O'Reilly - Aug• 20•12

Jammin’ Jimmy Vielkind of the Albany Times Union has a very good piece out today on the possibility of struggling New York cities going bankrupt,  as is happening in other parts of the country. 

As an alternative, financial control boards are being proposed.  Why?  Because it gets local electeds off the hook in making tough decisions. 

The Vielkind story reads: 

“Instead, the state’s localities have turned to local fiscal control boards since the 1970s, when the Municipal Assistance Corp. nursed New York City from the brink of default to financial steadiness.

Similar boards have been imposed in Yonkers and Troy, and remain active in Erie and Nassau counties. Former Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch, an architect of the Municipal Assistance Corp., said control boards are a useful ‘political tool’ for local officials facing pressure over unpopular decisions like raising taxes or cutting services.”

If local elected officials can’t make the decisions necessary to save their municipalities, what’s the use of them being in office?  If we know they’re panickers when the ship takes on water, it’s time to throw them overboard. 

This chicken-liver stuff…how out of key in the days of Paul Ryan.

 

 

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