City has money problems?

[sleeptech210]

Damn! That just made me depressed!

[TexasRedneck]

Detroit and the other cities are the warning bell to others such as San Antonio to not overspend and/or overcommit. Things like street cars are an ongoing drain on budgets with no real return. If you think that street cars will ever return even their operating costs, just take a look at VIA.
And now the city has gotten into the education business. Do you really think that's something a municipality has ANY business getting involved in?
The signs are on the wall every time we talk about expanding services/programs - because each one of 'em requires taking money out of the pocket of taxpayers - money that could otherwise be used by the taxpayer on themselves. There are some city services that I fully support (within reason), even though I've never used them, simply because it is something the city should be involved in.
But remember one other key aspect....every time the city takes ownership of a property, it removes it from the tax roles - further reducing property tax rolls.

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

Detroit and the other cities are the warning bell to others such as San Antonio to not overspend and/or overcommit. Things like street cars are an ongoing drain on budgets with no real return. If you think that street cars will ever return even their operating costs, just take a look at VIA.

Very, very few public transit systems worldwide are self-supporting. Nearly all require either additional income sources (e.g. advertising) and/or government subsidies. Even NYC MTA, the most heavily used transit system in North America, only recovers about half of its operating expenses from farebox revenue; the same is true for London. That's just the reality of mass transit systems.

Here's a list that shows the farebox recovery rate for a selection of systems around the world; the only self-supporting ones are in Asia:
Farebox recovery ratio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Torpedos]

I don't know much about it, but when the economy crashed a few years ago, we did not feel it as bad as others. somebody, castro/perry must be doing something good.

[*mud*]

Originally Posted by huckster

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*****

Corruption is a cancer in city govt.
A downward spiral into a vortex, with no bottom.

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I would say that holds true from city council all the way up to the all high and mighty dc slime.
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Originally Posted by huckster

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Anybody here; make the grand reopening of Coolcrest Golf Course? Mud ?
I haven't been there since the seventies. It used to look like paradise in the summer evenings in there,
it was so beautiful.

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a treasure for sure.
I drove by on Sunday.
way to crowded for me and no parking.
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[sleeptech210]

The economy crashed before Castro took office so I wouldn't give him much credit as we have been in a downward spiral since him being elected. Not to mention he cost this city millions and 100s of jobs. If you don't know what I'm talking about educate yourself. Anyhow San Antonio doesn't have money problems we have spending problems.

[dpantle]

Originally Posted by sleeptech210

Anyhow San Antonio doesn't have money problems we have spending problems.

Exactly.

Unfortunately, many in this country (heck, even in this thread) can't quite grasp this concept. This is why the Federal Government is in such sad shape. We live (or used to live) in one of the wealthiest country's in the world, but can't get a handle on our debt due to out of control spending. The answer? Take more out of the private sector. Yeah, that'll fix the problem.

Spending problems are also why you have people who make 6 figures and could live quite comfortably, but instead get themselves in credit trouble. It happens all the time. It's just a matter of simple discipline.

[huckster]

San Antonio city council is not the money eating vortex I wrote of, that is Detroit.
I used them as metaphors for each other,yes. Both cities were founded within ten years of each other,
one by the Spanish the other, Detroit , by the French. Population was identical, at one time.
I did not even mention the Mob, also part of decadent Detroit. They just were trying to dig up Jimmy Hoffa last week up there.
Corruption here? Nah........It would be like equating Canyon Lake with Lake Michigan.
A bank stick up artist with Bernie Madoff.
Or. Coolcrest Golf Course with a grimy, sooty Detroit winter. One bright and sunlit the other
a dark dungeon. I guess one had to have experienced both.
The corruption is endless, and astonishing stretching from the school board embezzling from elementary kids, the Police, an incarcerated mayor, city council previously under indictment, yes all of them,
(one served two years penitentiary time,) to its' crumbling infrastructure.
Ambulances and Firetrucks - occupants the victims of armed robberies. Aluminum porch awnings taken off occupied houses overnight , for its' scrap value.
Entire City- suburbs, without police protection, the equivalent of Alamo Heights and Balconies Heights. The little communities went bankrupt. Detroit had to take up the slack, patrolling there in those cities, difficult for an already stretched too thin police force.
To mention a few problems.

Count your blessings.

Originally Posted by *mud*

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I would say that holds true from city council all the way up to the all high and mighty dc slime.
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a treasure for sure.
I drove by on Sunday.
way to crowded for me and no parking.
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