Bossier City Councilman David Jones says that he is ‘gravely concerned’ about passage of the tax renewal on May 1st. In an email to My Bossier, Jones says “The city cuts were huge. There is nothing left to address the magnitude of the hole that non-passage would cause.” He goes on to say “the cuts would probably lead to fire station closures, lay-offs, and pay cuts. Not a threat, just the truth.”On the increase in the pension fund, which is expected to cause another $1,000,000 shortfall in the 2010 budget, Jones says that it “is more of a legislative question. The State legislature has to change the system to make them more accountable to their members. Currently they can make terrible decisions and we have to make them whole again. There will be legislation offered this next session. Who knows if it will pass? Without a doubt, the pension is and will be the biggest problem in Bossier City's finances and current services will be sacrificed to make state mandated payments. The pension is the cause of our deficit.”
The retirement fund, the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System, or MPERS, has been under investigation by the Attorney General since October. MPERS been criticized in recent years for investing in golf courses that never turned a profit, two of them in the Bossier Parish.
I asked Jones about the fact that Bossier City has trained so many policemen and firemen only to see them go to other departments. He answered that “it makes me sick to think that we paid for training for another department and that we purchased equipment that will sit on a shelf.”
When it comes to the tax renewal or the specter of facing more cuts, he says “people either want to pay for it, or they don't want it.”
During the budget process last fall, David Jones promised that he would not vote for a budget that contained any cuts to public safety. He kept true to his word, voting against the final compromise budget which did make those cuts.
Well Mr Jones, while I appreciate the information, a mea culpa would probably go a long way with the Bossier City citizens. It's really easy to blame the mayor alone, but isn't it true that all of this spending and misuse of city funds has to be appoved by the very city council that you have sat on for the last several years? Enough finger-pointing. How about this: "We really screwed up the city's finances and now these young men and women with young families will pay the price for our ineptitude." How about, "we did this and we promise to do whatever it takes to fix it" or better yet, "I'm in this job for 3 more years, so I'll spend the next 3 years fixing this mess I've helped create then I promise not to ever ever run for office again, in hopes that I won't get a chance to rob you of your livelihoods again."...How about that, Mr Jones?
ReplyDeleteWhere did he blame the mayor?
ReplyDeleteGood to see at least one Bossier City Councilman apologize and treat the citizens like citizens.
ReplyDeleteI heard from a friend that Scott Irwin called the police and firemen "whiners" and tried to pass the buck regarding the budget cuts.
No one said Mr Jones blamed the Mayor. The point is not one city official has claimed his share of accountability. Not the mayor, not one city councilman (nearly every one has been in office since this mess started back during the Dement administration.) See, they've all made out like this just suddenly happened and not one of them can conceive of how this just "popped up", but this financial mess started with the Dement administration and these fine men have allowed it to worsen by being irresponsible with our city's money and keeping mum during election time. My elementary-age child can budget better than that. Wake up and smell the coffee people. These men allowed this to happen with the full knowledge that this was coming and did nothing to stop it,in fact made it worse. I'd just like to see just one of them own up to being responsible for this. They are steady destroying the lives of young families and comprimising the safety of our city, and not one of them has anything to lose.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is the city was aware of the retirement increases quite a while back. Bossier city can't ever tell the truth, seems to be a fault of theirs. I for one, will not vote for this tax renewal until someone explains how we got in this situation and accepts some of the responsibility. Mr. Jones has not been a friend of public safety at all. His votes are political and nothing else. Pay cuts? he says, when is his going to be cut? What has he or any elected person had taken from them? It's a joke for a city
ReplyDeletetruthseeker~
ReplyDeleteI understand why you do not feel you should pass the tax renewal until someone in city government takes responsibly for what they have done. I do hope that you realize by voting no you will not hurt the people responsible for this mess. Once again the men and women who have done nothing but serve the city of Bossier will be the only people who actually suffer. I am sure everyone in city government is stressed over this situation but I can assure you they will not loose their homes and lifestyles because you vote no. My family will because my husband will loose his job. Please remember if you vote no the only people you will hurt are the people who serve your city on a daily basis and actually put their lives on the line to do so. I hope you do not take my response as an attack on you or your views because I do not intent it in that way.
I would like to add that I do blame the mayor and everyone else in city government who has failed the employees of Bossier city as well as the citizens.
Heather Carter
Anonymous @ 3:49-
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head with your post. Jones is just as much at fault as the Mayor. He signed off on the budgets every year...Just like the rest of the council. They all need to go come election time.
The only thing David Jones is "gravely concerned" about is David Jones. Please remember that the city council and mayor, have nothing to lose if this tax doesn't pass. If you vote no, not a single elected official will be late on a bill or face losing his home, but a minimum of 40 families will lose their incomes. They will be laid-off on a last hired basis, meaning these are the lowest guys on the totem pole...They are the ones who walk into burning buildings, strap on bullet-proof vests, cut you out of your wrecked cars, take drunks and those that would harm you off the streets....and they do it for less than $38,000 per year....less than the mayor's receptionist. If you vote 'no', you'll punish the hero not the villain in this crisis. I understand the anger with the city government, but please don't punish the heros. Fire the clowns who let this happen when they ask to keep their jobs.
ReplyDelete"only thing that David Jones is gravely concerned about is David Jones", You hit the nail on the head. Jones is a snake in the grass and is no friend to public safety. Hey Jones how about the complaint you tried to file on the officer who spoke up in a city council meeting, or how upset you were because your speech did not get a standing ovation. Or how about the officer that, because of you, is on leave right now. David Jones is a slimeball.
ReplyDeleteI know Jones and he is only concerned about himself. He needs to GO! resign while you still have a little bit of dignity
ReplyDeleteThe city council needs to save face and resign, they are a joke. They are the ones that vote on the budget every year, that includes Mr. Jones, who I hear through the gravevine wants to be mayor. Jones will be lucky to get re-elected.
ReplyDeleteMr Jones might just go down as one of the most hated politicians in our city. He embodies the good ol boy, drunk with ego and power image that has shamed our state in the past. The man is a worm. He has abused the power and privlege the people of his district gave him over and over. He displays the kind of spoiled brat behavior of someone who has never had to work for anything in his life, someone who has never had to fight to keep anything in his life. He was so disrespectful this fall as city employees pleaded for their jobs that I, for one, was embarassed. Is that really who you want representing you? Do your district a favor Mr Jones, stop pretending to be "gravely concerned" and quit now. I'm not sure how much more of your "concern" our city can afford.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the fact that David Jones would communicate with me and come onto this forum where he knew he would be castigated. Do any of you give him points for that?
ReplyDeleteLet's see who else we can get to talk to us :-)
I'm concerned because all the finger pointing in the world is not going to fix the current situation. I am not a fan of David Jones but it takes more than one vote to pass anything that is put before the city council. City government is to blame for this mess not any one person.
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ReplyDeleteHilary Simpson