Comments on: Budget cutting recommendations for Baltimore

By: MMdYcbbgcx

MMdYcbbgcx — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:44:52 +0000

2011…

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By: Bart Kinlein

Bart Kinlein — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:50:34 +0000

It’s not so much the city employees’ pay as it is the retirement system. That’s where costs are out of control. Take a look at those costs.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:52:03 +0000

If I never thought you were a pompous blowhard before now, this piece sealed the deal. Every city worker should take a 5% paycut? I think you can add “writing” underneath “run for public office” to your list of things to never do again.

By: Patricia Caldwell

Patricia Caldwell — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:41:59 +0000

Reading this was a waste of time. I won’t click again.

By: Willie

Willie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:12:07 +0000

Adam I believe your heart is in the right place, but please start using your brain. After reading a 250 page transition report THIS is what you have to offer? Did you even research what the Energy Division does? If you are going to pretend to be a journalist-type, at least make a phone call to learn the responsibilities and contributions of the office. Unless your intent is simply to get page views by printing reactionary, thoughtless tripe – I believed you could do better.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:56:26 +0000

Of course some city unions need to accept the realities of wage and benefit freezes, even cuts when we’re facing a fiscal crisis of this magnitude. But once again, I think you’re tossing around the phrase “city workers” rather flippantly, without looking at the realities of that definition. A teacher’s assistant who makes $19K a year, is already BARELY above the federal poverty line (which for a household of 2 is currently $14,570). The average rent in Baltimore is already nearly 50% of the income of a worker making 20K a year, which IS in fact the salary of many workers on the city payroll (janitors, day care counselors,people who collect your trash, et al,.) I realize that perhaps you’re flying loose with the phrase for rhetorical effect, but all it really serves to do is alienate readers from your arguments. Perusing this blog you seem to have no little concern for the low-wage city workers who happen to be the ones MOST vulnerable to what will be the inevitable cuts in city services (closing of rec centers, fare hikes and eliminations of service on MTA, limitations on library hours – as libraries serve as de facto day care for many low-income workers). A 5% wage cut on this segment of the workforce, in tandem with say, an increase in light rail or bus fare, essentially creates a new class of welfare dependants.

Now, finding a constructive way to progressively tax well-endowed 501(c)(3)s like Johns Hopkins – who happens to own a third of the land in Baltimore – that is something to consider.

By: Edvado

Edvado — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:32:09 +0000

Every city employee takes a 5% tax cut, huh?
That’s fine as long as YOU and every other citizen in the state are taking one too. And as long as you can get BGE to lower rates by 5%, and let’s make sure there aren’t any parking or bus fare hikes coming to add to the misery.