Forget “the community of choice.” Nor’Town is officially “the community of cognitive dissonance.”
In the January 20th meeting of city council, old Phil “Downer” Stoeckinger, the director of finance of the city and lately the most depressing person in Nor’Town, outlined how throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the city’s budget gap just won’t fill it up. (RJ,VN)
Yet, just a day later, at the state of the city address, the mayor all but sang that tune “The Sun’ll come out, tomorroooow!” (VN,Sun)
Lynnette Curtis had some fun with the cognitive dissonance between the Council Meeting and the SOTC:
[Buck] spoke about the $132 million City Hall complex under construction on Las Vegas Boulevard North near Civic Center Drive and the new $9.4 million fire station planned for a portion of City View Park, on Cheyenne Avenue at North Fifth Street.
Buck didn’t mention that the City Council on Wednesday voted to delay the opening of the fire station and use furniture and equipment it already owns to outfit the new City Hall to save money. The city still has an additional $33.4 million to trim to make it through fiscal year 2011. Layoffs are likely. (RJ)
To add even further to the fun, the state’s Economic Forum held meetings on the very next day wherein one economist after another told us we’re doomed. (Sun)
Sigh, who are ya gonna believe?
Among the mayor’s proposals for saving Nor’Town in these times of darkness is an old-timey appeal to “buy local”, which should give one pause. Does visiting the local Wal-Mart count as “buying local” since the corporate headquarters is in Arkansas? What about a booze-filled evening feeding the gambling addiction at Aliante Station? Doesn’t that simply flow into the pockets of Greenspun enterprises and the Fertitta bros down in Sou’Town and Clark County?
By the way, a few things happened at that dark City Council meeting which, as far as I know, didn’t make the papes:
- Council voted to settle the Lamar Kiles’ lawsuit unanimously and without a peep. The city lawyer seemed to be keeping a sharp eye on council members, too, perhaps because a no belly-aching rule may have been part of the settlement. Nor’Townies will enjoy a similar settlement on Weds. Feb. 3rd, when council will probably vote for another settlement of a civil rights suit against the detention center and its medical facility.
- Even as the council meeting fell into darkness, council members voted in favor of an agreement with the firefighters’ union to allow one less firefighter to sit on the truck during calls. It will presumably allow for a reduction in overtime pay while maintaining “operational readiness.” Extra large people may find themselves left behind in a fire or two, too, but given how we’re all on starvation diets now anyway, perhaps that won’t matter too much.
- Also in the dark the city passed a resolution allowing them to float a $145 million dollar bond to pay for water connections and the waste water facilities. I wonder how that’ll affect our new AA- rating?
- And one final question: do meetings in the dark really count as “open meetings” under state law?
What a difference one year makes! Last March, I raised the issue of how the City planned to cover the cost of furnishings (as well as operations and maintenance) for the new City Hall building, and my concerns were dismissed by the previous mayor and council. Mayor Montandon insisted that the the council had it all under control. Now it seems like “too good to be true” usually is. Repaying all of the bonds issued to pay for the new building will become an increasingly difficult task in troubled economic times.