Thousands of Firefighters Protest Bloomberg's Budget Cuts

Thousands of Firefighters Protest Bloomberg's Budget Cuts

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An estimated 1,000 New York City firefighters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, Friday morning, from Engine Company 205 in Brooklyn Heights to City Hall, where they were joined by 5,000 more (union estimates placed the size of the crowd at 10,000), protesting billionaire fascist Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to close 20 fire companies, in order to cut $55 million from the fire department's budget. The Uniformed Firefighters Association advertised the rally with full-page ads depicting Bloomberg as the Grim Reaper, which declared "Closing FDNY companies threatens your life. Mike Bloom

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UFA president Steve Cassidy described today's rally as "democracy in action," with firefighters and community activists gathering at City hall to tell Bloomberg "that closing firehouses is compromising their safety and they're not going to stand for it." Assemblyman Peter Abbate of Brooklyn was more blunt, telling the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, yesterday, that "When someone dies, the blood will be on Mayor Bloomberg's hands."

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Where does the money come from then? No job is ever guaranteed, especially in the public service sector.

reply to post by Xcathdra


It's a cost of $55 million they are trying to cut, probably about the same cost as the bonuses for one private bank bailed out with public money. Job's like firefighters are pretty important in a city, take a look at the heroics of 9/11 firefighters for evidence. They are the ones who deserve a milllion dollar bonus or a job at least.

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

It's a cost of $55 million they are trying to cut, probably about the same cost as the bonuses for one private bank bailed out with public money. Job's like firefighters are pretty important in a city, take a look at the heroics of 9/11 firefighters for evidence. They are the ones who deserve a milllion dollar bonus or a job at least.

I understand that, but the Police nor Fire are revenue positive. They are supported through taxes. If tax evenue is down, where does the moeny come from? where does it get cut?

reply to post by Xcathdra

I understand that, but the Police nor Fire are revenue positive. They are supported through taxes. If tax evenue is down, where does the moeny come from? where does it get cut?

Cut military expense, bring home some troops and stop firing those $250,000 missiles and drones like they are..
Maybe even stop giving $3 billion to Israel who are in far better shape that the US economically as it is..

I could go on...

reply to post by Xcathdra


Well I guess if the people of New York want a fire service and a police force they should be prepared to pay more in taxes either that or they charge for their service direct. They will only respond to your request if you pay them first. If you cant afford to pay then you will not be helped by the police and your property will burn down. I think a tax increase would be preferable.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I don't know about the US but here in Australia the Fire Fighting needs are paid for by our insurance premiums..
In fact if we don't have fire insurance then we receive a bill if the firefighters are called to our home..
It can be many thousands of dollars..

reply to post by backinblack


Im not sure how it works in the US either, but Im pretty sure here in the UK our Police and fire services are paid for with council taxes.

reply to post by woodwardjnr
I think it depends on what state, or even local community. Some pay for firefighters in taxes, others use the same method as the Australian method. It's all up to the local community on how they want the services to be dealt with. The same goes for services such as garbage. Some communities i have lived in had a completely privately ran garbage system, others where paid for by taxes.

hell no my taxes dollars should not got to nyc firefighters or police when i do not even live in the area.

no federal taxes dollars should goto overinflated corrupt unionized state governments.

they are the states own damn problems not mine or anyone else that doesnt live in that state.

either lay off or cut benifits 90%,80%,70%60%50% is better than 100% of nothing.

if you keep the status quoe that will happen the cash will run dry.

same story different day different thread make someone elses problem everyones.

Originally posted by backinblack
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

I understand that, but the Police nor Fire are revenue positive. They are supported through taxes. If tax evenue is down, where does the moeny come from? where does it get cut?

Cut military expense, bring home some troops and stop firing those $250,000 missiles and drones like they are..
Maybe even stop giving $3 billion to Israel who are in far better shape that the US economically as it is..

I could go on...

respectfully,

Your suggestion might be valid, but I dont think you understand how our government works.

What we are talking about is the City of New York, not the Federal Government. The city of new york has nothing at all to do with military forces. They are solely municipal. Even cutting military at the State and fEderal level wont see money going into the budget for New York city.

The City either needs to raise taxes, cut spending in other areas to allow a shift in funds to the fire department, downsize somewhere in city government.

Which goes back to the question - where does the city get the money from? Raising taxes will go over as well as a fart in a dive helmet.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Where it should come from is raise the taxes back to where they were prior to George Bush. Everyone keeps screaming about oh don't tax the rich. It is only sensible to return them to where they were before they bought off George Bush and his tax cuts.

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

Well I guess if the people of New York want a fire service and a police force they should be prepared to pay more in taxes either that or they charge for their service direct. They will only respond to your request if you pay them first. If you cant afford to pay then you will not be helped by the police and your property will burn down. I think a tax increase would be preferable.

New York already is taxing its citzens to death.. We as a people either need to come to the realization that we get what we pay for nad the days of getting something for next to nothing is over with. If we cant afford it, we cant afford it and must fund another way to deal with the problem.

Personally, the government needs to go back to basics, and quit expanding to the extent of intertwining itself into the personal lives of the people they serve.

Originally posted by redrose123
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

Where it should come from is raise the taxes back to where they were prior to George Bush. Everyone keeps screaming about oh don't tax the rich. It is only sensible to return them to where they were before they bought off George Bush and his tax cuts.

Even getting rid of the Bush tax cuts wont be enough to fix the problem. Taxing only works for so long, before people decide to move elsewhere, and then we are back to square one. Not enough money to support the services. The State of Illinois is a prime example of this. They raised taxes on businesses substanitally instead of cutting spending. The surrounding states are seeing a bump in business because thats where they are relocating to, moving out of illinoise.

Eventually, the tax rate will hit a certain level where the people will essentially become indentured servents, turning over their entire paychecks to pay for a service.

Cut spending, reduce services etc etc etc.

Live within a budget... We as citizens must do that or we go to jail and have items reposesed. It should not be any different for the government.

reply to post by Xcathdra

respectfully,
Your suggestion might be valid, but I dont think you understand how our government works.
What we are talking about is the City of New York, not the Federal Government. The city of new york has nothing at all to do with military forces. They are solely municipal. Even cutting military at the State and fEderal level wont see money going into the budget for New York city.

Respectfully, I think I have a fair grasp on how Governments work..
If the Fed wasn't WASTING so much money on useless things like wars and aid to countries that don't need it, then they wouldn't be screwing the entire economy as they are and these states could then look after themselves..

The Fed is what is destroying America..

reply to post by backinblack


No, you dont understand how our government works. You are talking about the FEdreral Government, which has nothing to do with the city government of New York. It does not matter what the FEds do in this case, since none of that money goes to NYC for general revenue.

New York city is municipal - they take in taxes and pay their bills out of their taxes. They either raise taxes or cut spending to live within their means.

The feds have NOTHING at all to do with this. The feds could end all foreign aid and it would not help New York City.

reply to post by Xcathdra

New York city is municipal - they take in taxes and pay their bills out of their taxes. They either raise taxes or cut spending to live within their means.

The feds have NOTHING at all to do with this. The feds could end all foreign aid and it would not help New York City.

Really?
The Fed has destroyed the economy of EVERY state with their laws favoring big business..
If not for the Fed there would be JOBS, not factories overseas sending cheap goods to the US..

Don't tell me the Fed makes no difference....

reply to post by backinblack


We have city government, which falls within counties. Counties have government which fall within States. The States have their own government.

All of the states are represented in the Federal Government in the US Senate. The people of the states are presented in the Federal Government in the Us House of REpresentatives.

The City of New York collects taxes, and spends those taxes to run their city. The FEderal Government has NOTHING to do with that. The City of New York can increase taxes, decreaseservices, or find cuts in other areas. The fEderal Government has nothing to do with how the Mayor of New York runs the city.

Blame the federal government all you want, however, again it has nothing to dow ith New York citys budget issue. Tax revenue is down, and the city has not reduced services to take that into account.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Mate I know what you're saying..
A bad state Government can ruin a state..

But it takes a bad Federal Government to ruin a country..

Look around you, read the news, check the employment rates..

Is it one state in trouble or many?
Did each state cause this themselves or was it Federal politics??