“We need”—no problem!   We’ll just raise a few taxes, so says City Director Philip Merry, Jr.  Director Merry says “I’m moved by the police situation.”  And with that said, Director Merry instructs the City Board to consider a franchise tax and an alcohol tax to come up with ½ Million to satisfy Chief Lindsey’s funding thirst. A tax that will never end.

Chief Lindsey opined that the city budget for 2014 created slots for 8 new police officers.  Of course, no justification for the 8 new slots given.

In the grand manner that only a bureaucrat or politician can conjure up, Chief Lindsey allowed that the 8 would only cost $655,000 for salaries & benefits per year, plus an additional $200,000 for pensions per year.  Divide the $855,000 by 8 and the result is $106,875.00 per officer…not a bad day’s work. How many private sector citizens bring in that kind of money?  This is a good example of how middleclass citizens are being stiffed by government bunko squads.  Government employees make on average 21.5% more than private sector employees. It is past time to do away with the protection racket.

The police budget for the years 2010-11-12 was $15.2 million.   The budget for 2013 is $16.9 million for an increase of $1.7 million over the past 3 years.  Again, no justification for the $1.7 million egregious increase, particularly at a time when our city is losing jobs.

The phrase “we need” became the battle cry for bureaucrats and politicians decades ago, and when the “we need” flag went up politicians & bureaucrats jumped to attention, as is the case with Director Phillip Merry and his Grand Gesture—Let’s Raise Taxes!
Let’s introduce a much more honorable battle cry “Make do with less!, and do it now”.

Speaking of the Fort Smith city police, are they receiving any of their training from the Dept. of Homeland Security and if so, why?  Taking this thought a little further down the road, police and sheriff’s departments receiving military hardware is absolutely not needed and is promoting a paramilitary attitude toward police work.

Joe McCutchen
Fort Smith
arkansasfreedom.net