Money Tree People Speak

I see the Money Tree People are alive and well in Escondido.

The Escondido City Council needs to close a $2 million gap.

“Despite pleas from frustrated residents, the Escondido City Council has endorsed a plan to help balance the city budget by closing the East Valley library branch, both municipal pools and the Escondido Skate Park.”

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_a6a4678d-a26d-52b3-b36d-917e282635b4.html?mode=story

The Special Interests are out in force to get those libraries, pools and skate parks to remain open. They do not say where the money is going to come from, presumably the Money Tree.

Cries were heard that “the children” will suffer — they will become more obese and commit more vandalism. The teachers also cry that they work “for the children” – but children are being harmed all over America as their families lose their homes, and all of this places a greater tax burden on the few productive members who remain.

“They were particularly critical of plans to cut $863,000 from the city’s roughly $4 million annual recreation budget, contending that cutting recreation programs would increase local obesity rates and spur more vandalism and graffiti.”

ibid

What is it about being broke that these Special Interests don’t understand?

In their own families, they have had to reduce their expenses because of the recession, or the gas prices, or something – but somehow they believe that the City can continue to spend at the same level as before, or more likely, the City can cut someone else’s program, some yet undefined program, to leave their special project alone.

Every city is going through this same dance. Every city is out of money, as is every county, state and indeed the nation.

Reality bites.