Alabama County Set to Halt Services, Shut Buildings

[cindy25]

starve the beast can work


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.CwwA.37.g8&refer=worldwide

[CMoore]

I live in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Their obvious tact is to first eliminate those county functions which will cause the most inconvenience to the residents. Other Alabama counties get by without an occupational tax, why can't Jefferson? The situation in Alabama has become so grave and corrupt that "starve the beast" is the only option left to the taxpayers. I hope we have more of it statewide. Bring it on.

[silverhawks]

I live in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Their obvious tact is to first eliminate those county functions which will cause the most inconvenience to the residents. Other Alabama counties get by without an occupational tax, why can't Jefferson? The situation in Alabama has become so grave and corrupt that "starve the beast" is the only option left to the taxpayers. I hope we have more of it statewide. Bring it on.

I live in Shelby County, and we've always marveled at the tax rates Jefferson has to suffer under. I say bring it on BIG TIME.

[moostraks]

They should start with their social services departments but that's how they make all their federal dollars.

[angelatc]

They'll shut down fire, transportation, police and garbage while funding things like the arts.....just to prove we need them.

[nobody's_hero]

When it comes to starving the government, local governments would be the last place that I'd start.

I'm not saying there's no waste at local governments (rather, I think my local government just blew a heaping wad of money on our Board of Education).

However, the state and federal governments will look at struggling local governments and, as always, rush in to fill the void, while not realizing that they are the ones causing it (or, perhaps they do realize it, and it is all part of the master plan to run everything from the top-down).

When my local fire department shuts down, rest assured, the Feds will be there with open chains waiting for someone to apply for a grant, complete with all the strings and stipulations. :(

Score one for centralized government tyranny. :(