Another deficit?

Jacksonville, FL is a great city, we, the residents and citizens have a lot going for us, great temperatures this summer, nice periods of rain. The summer has been ideal so far. As we get closer to October 1, which is the deadline for the City to reach a compromise on a budget, we see that the Mayor wants to eliminate police and fire and libraries, again.

Cutting services is, to me, like cutting off your fingers, you know you need them, but you cannot afford them. Why can't we afford them? Our costs for our pensions keeps rising and rising and rising. The mayor did find a way to cut some money from the pension issue, but it is not enough to balance the budget each year, which is what he should have accomplished. How can you claim to solve a problem, if every year you run a deficit?

So we go through the summer, waiting, hoping, remembering last year and how the budget came down to the bitter end. We don't know what backroom deals will take place, we only know that  one way or another, a new budget for our great city will get signed and implemented. Hopefully with the same police, fire and library personnel. We shall see.

Jack