[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by mattgrande

No escape, police budget 5 per cent
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...get-5-per-cent



So, I'm confused about what happens now. Can council just say "Nope, you're only getting a 1% increase?" Are we forced to give them 5%?

I think if they had said, "Okay, we can scale it back to a 3% increase," they'd have no problems getting it passed, but just coming back and essentially telling the city to get fucked is going to create some friction on council.

It will end up as a "turning back the clock"/"tightening all belts" debate, but it's not without precedent. NYC is regularly at loggerheads with its cops over budget issues.

From earlier this month: Mayor Bloomberg says budget cuts mean NYPD must shrink

Shortly afterward, he said the city was on track to set a record low in murders and crime even though the city has cut the number of New York Police Department officers on the payroll by more than 5,000 since 2002.

"Just think about that. The job is not to spend as much as you can. The job is to provide the service you need and then do it as efficiently as you can," Bloomberg said.