Welp, it seems that the Democrats have not only decimated law enforcement, but they are also decimating firefighters, whether intentional or not.
In Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, the Democrats have apparently annihilated all the available funding for the city.
Not just the routine fiscal irresponsibility, but total annihilation of city resources.
To the extent that Mayor John Whitmire has flatly proclaimed that the city is completely “broke” following decades of excessive, irresponsible spending.
“’I think we can all agree that we’re broke,” Whitmire drawled.
Just how broke?
Not paying firefighters broke.
“The city has been struggling to make firefighters whole, from meeting its contractual obligation to their pension, to paying backpay and wage hikes that have been promised years ago,” the Daily Mail detailed.
“Promised years ago.” Seriously, say no more.
Humorously, Whitmire was sure to insist that he inherited the financial mess and had nothing to do with its presently abysmal state.
“This gives us a chance to discuss the financial picture of this City. It is broken! It was broken when I got here,” Whitmire insisted.
Indeed, the city seems to have rapidly fallen into a massive deficit following the cessation of federal funding.
John Diamond, who serves as the Center for Public Finance Director at Rice University, provided keen insight into why Houston has plummeted as rapidly as it has, to the point that it apparently jeopardizes firefighters dependent on the city for their salary.
“COVID really silenced the conversation because we got so much money from the federal government that we were able to make our budgets work, but really, this problem started 20 years ago, almost a quarter of a century ago, with the pension funds,” Diamond informed KTRK.
Indeed. Pension funds for the legions of government administrators, whose job responsibilities appear as critical as those of “diversity managers” at Facebook.
Valid or not, Whitmire’s excuse is all too similar to too many other asinine excuses that varied liberals have been giving for years.
Exhibit A: Biden’s crazed excuses for his son’s overseas business dealings … assuming that Hunter wasn’t the mere cover for Biden himself. Or Obama.
Now, Whitmire is tasked with pulling the city out of its self-inflicted $160M deficit, one likely left behind by former Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Turner falsely claimed he was leaving behind a $420M surplus, a number that was clearly wildly out of touch with reality.
“The budget surplus is largely thanks to $1 billion in federal recovery funds Houston received during the pandemic, which Turner has mostly used to cover city expenses while driving up its reserve account,” the Houston Chronicle reported.
Typical.
Regardless, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago may all be following Houston down the deficit-laden road, especially as they continue to shamelessly welcome hordes and hordes of illegal migrants.
In the meantime, Houston better hope it doesn’t find itself in desperate need of firefighters.
Author: Jane Jones
