One gentle reader raises questions re Boss Godfrey priorities
By Concerned About Safety
Interesting article in the Standard Examiner this morning regarding the high fuel costs and the challenges police departments are faced with in budget over runs.
It would seem to me that Boss Godfrey would have budgeted some of the one time monies to allow for the budget over runs, rather than piss it away on popsicles, and other shaky business deals.
Ogden Police is $130,000 over for this last budget year alone just on fuel costs.
The other unnerving part is the Chief Greiner blames the council for not budgeting more money for fuel costs.
The last time I checked, the Mayor is the clown who puts together a budget and presents it to the council. They can add money to certain areas of the budget, but the Boss doesn’t have to spend it on the areas designated by the Council. I would think that the budget presented by Godfrey is his baby, not the Council's.
It shows me where the Godfrey Administrations priorities are as far as funding necessary items in the budget, popsicles, or public safety. Which would you prefer?
I would choose public safety, but I'm not Godfrey.
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6 comments:
Interesting that the budget for the fiscal year that began July 1st did not include increased amount for fuel costs.
But also interesting that Bountiful has found a way to decrease use [and costs] rather than cannibalizing other parts of its law enforcement budget. I suspect part of the problem is that police chiefs, mayors and city councils have been used to cheap gas so long [like most of the rest of us, and all those who bought gas-guzzling SUV's as drive-to-work cars in the last two years], they've not put a whole lot of effort into finding ways to use it more efficiently, as Bountiful seems to have done.
As for Greiner's whining: (a) did the Mayor's submitted budget have a significant increase in it for police fuel costs? If not, then the responsibility is the Mayor's and the Council's. And, come to think of it, Chief Greiner's, since it is his job to convey to the Mayor [aka his boss] his department's vital needs, and then his responsibility as well to effectively convey those needs to the Council. Have to wonder, is his second job as a state legislator interfering with his job as Ogden Police Chief? Absent his responsibilities as a legislator, might he have had time and energy to convince the Administration, and the Council of the need to budget for soaring fuel costs... or the need to institute conservation policies like Bountiful's?
Seems to me there's plenty of responsibility to spread around on this one.
Perhaps worth noting that the police shortfall on fuel could have been paid four times over, I think, with the money Ogden had to spend making a bond payment for the Rec Center/Junction project which Hizzonah assured the Council and the public the city would not have to pay.
And the beat goes on....
Greiner could never complain that Godfrey dropped the ball on this. Godfrey would consider that insuborination. Greiner's been around long enough to understand the game. Blaming it on the council is always a safe bet for the lackeys who cower in Godfrey's shadow.
Hell, anyone who pays attention to the news would know the cost for doing business is on the rise. Godfrey, Greiner and all should know that.
I would like to know what the actual percentage overage is incurred with the figures submitted by Greiner the Whiner.
In fact it would be nice to know what the total for all City overages are.
The Godfrey bunch knows that the costs to do business is ever increasing, they pray for high utility bills for the hard working families in Ogden, so that they can gouge them with their hidden utility taxes (fees).
I think that the whole bunch should have saved up for the rainy day that is hitting us now.
Screw the popsicle; I want police, fire, garbage, streets, and all the other services we pay for, not some stupid attraction for a private entrepreneur.
Greiner must not have any sense of reality to say that his fuel budget is going to be 40% more for the up coming year. Why didnt he and the administration budget for it?
Bountiful must have some savy leadership to plan ahaed.
Higher fuel costs also impact garbage collection and snow removal budgets. Bet those haven't been figured in either.
What stinks about this is that gas was approaching $4/gallon when the council approved the submitted budget. If I, a mere lumpencitizen could see the writing on the wall, why couldn't both branbches of our City government?
BTW, there are streets in Ogden where lane striping is nearly or totally invisible. Why isn't the City taking care of this as well. Guess you need gas to get the striping guys around.
Maybe we can get some of the money val south wick left to sponsor a police car or two and pay for the gas as they take him away to prison. How about it Godfrey.
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