We swear…hic…..
Jennifer Roberts, her fellow county commissioners, and county staff sound like they are suddenly getting sober over the potential loss of the county’s triple AAA credit rating. Of course, we told you what happen the minute the county foolishly popped the cork on jacking the county’s debt ceiling from 16 to 22 percent of the operating budget back in 2008.
Kaboom.
On the revenue side, the county had a completely rose-colored assumption of ever-increasing tax booty. In other words, boom times were assumed to be the norm. On the spending side, despite a fairly rigorous priority ranking scheme within the county budget, we simply opted to buy everything. Back to our tried and true grocery store metaphor.
The county went shopping for dinner with a $20 bill. Steak and salad cost $18, SunDrop $3. County officials — cheered on by staff — concluded the only way to buy dinner was to put it all on a credit card. Afterall, when they went shopping next week they surely would have $22 to spend.
Except we don’t and now the banks want to hike our credit card rate if we don’t shape up, set some priorities, and stick with them. Families all over America have confronted this reality, why should Mecklenburg County be any different?
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2010 At 6:51 am, Tweets that mention The Meck Deck » Blog Archive » County Debt Binge: Sobriety? -- Topsy.com Said:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jeff A. Taylor. Jeff A. Taylor said: County Debt Binge: Sobriety? http://charlotte.johnlocke.org/blog/?p=7500 [...]
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2010 At 7:26 am, Woody Said:
We need a BOCC who will make a public pledge to cut spending and stay within our means…..is there any chance those who are running for the BOCC this year will make that pledge……and I’m hoping that I do not need to add the definition of “pledge” !!!
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2010 At 7:48 am, musicmax Said:
>> Families all over America have confronted this reality
I call BS on that one. Remember Peggy Joseph?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI
Americans’ sense of entitlement – even at Pay Grades five and six rungs above Ms. Joseph’s, has never run higher.
>> I’m hoping that I do not need to add the definition of “pledge” !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP9_kkzfN-w
Yeah, THAT works.
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2010 At 8:56 am, The Meck Deck » Blog Archive » County Debt Binge: Sobriety? Debt on Me Said:
[...] post: The Meck Deck » Blog Archive » County Debt Binge: Sobriety? By admin | category: Uncategorized | tags: ask-these, cork, county, from-2-95, [...]
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2010 At 9:39 am, JoeColetti Said:
Maybe the county’s expecting to have new rules placed on the bankers it borrows from, and a bailout like some homeowners and credit card holders have gotten.
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2010 At 2:58 pm, Woody Said:
To MM: based on that, we should just all pack it in……let’s step back from the “dark view” of the future and remember what happened to the last gentleman you mention….do you think Scott Brown doesn’t understand what will happen if he goes crazy up there….you have touched on something that is important…in regards to “Peggy Joseph” and all of us…we must be better judges of character, including our own, to choose better candidates….until there is enough of us choosing candidates for the right reason instead of what we personally can get out of them….it will not change!