This is from the brains of Groot's operation?

The office designed to help aldermen keep tabs on how the city spends tax dollars detailed a proposal on Thursday that would cut $55 million from the Chicago Police Department’s $1.7 billion budget in 2021 to help fill Chicago’s massive budget shortfall. The recommendation is the first from Kenneth Williams, who was named to lead the City Council’s Office of Financial Analysis in May after aldermen expanded the office’s power in an effort to provide a counterpoint to the annual budget proposal from the mayor’s office. Williams said he went through the department’s budget to find savings by cutting “perks” and things that are “nice to have, but not need to have” and identified savings equal to about 3% of the 2020 departmental budget. The city could save $30.5 million by cutting tuition reimbursement programs and uniform allowances for police officers and commanders and another $23.5 million by cutting quarterly payments to sergeants and to those assigned to special units, according to the proposal. Another $1 million could be saved by reducing spending on police at O’Hare and Midway airports.



Perks? These were negotiated benefits from the City to employees. In fact, most of these so-called "perks" were offered in lieu of pay raises so that the City didn't have to factor them into pension payments - and does everyone remember how well the City kept up on those pension payments over the intervening decades?

For these benefits to be surrendered, Groot better be prepared to add the total value to salaries - we were always the good guys/gals in these negotiations, sparing the City (and taxpayers) increased pension payments.

And this is just dumb:

The City Council’s Office of Financial Analysis also recommended that the city require officers to carry liability insurance as a way to reduce the cost to taxpayers to settle misconduct lawsuits. That change would require a change in state law.

Perhaps if the Corp Counsel actually fought the nuisance cases (like they did under J-Fledgar) instead of settling them with connected firms (that make political contributions to the Machine), then they would (A) make it less attractive to file bullshit cases and (B) have money to fight the cases that need fighting. J-Fledgar saved the City millions fighting suits and made plaintiff attorneys angry enough to threaten Rahm into settlements again.

Anyone know why Groot isn't cutting half of the aldercreatures? New York is three times as big as Chicago and gets by with as many politicians.

How about the CPS? Their budget is $7.7 billion - four-and-one-half times the Police Department. Surely there is room for massive cuts, especially when they aren't even using any of their buildings, supplies or physical plant personnel.



Labels: department issues, money questions