Budget Cuts

I have always wondered about budget cuts. How can senior managers demand major cuts in a department's budget one year and then expect even more the next?

Why isn't the department manager fired in fact if he/she is able to identify more cuts? Didn't the person understand the first time around the need for frugality? Didn't the organization suffer because of the person's failure to perform?

The comment of mine was prompted by the headline yesterday in the Star: "Council ponders tax freeze---Smallest of expenditures scrutinized as budget cutters look for $27M in savings."

But wait a minute....where were the Budgeteers last year? They went through the line-by-line analysis with Councillor Budget in charge. I thought they did their job but now it looks like they missed $27 million in savings!

Councillor Halberstadt had the nerve to say as an excuse I guess "budgets -- in all departments -- have been "padded" over the years and managers will now have to "manage prudently.... We're trying to eliminate the padding and some managers don't like it." Who cares what they like or don't like. Has there been padding to the extent of that many millions? If so, why are those managers still working for the City? Why didn't the Budgeteers find that padding last year?

Councillor Postma claimed that "major cuts were made last year "and this year there's not much fluff left."

Is there padding or isn't there? So where's the $27 million coming from? I guess the $1,000 reduction of Tylenol tablets from the budget of Huron Lodge might have to go to the Operating Budget Committee members instead for all of the headaches they have.

Councillor Lewenza made the proper comment in the story: "The public should know full well the ramifications of this budget," Lewenza said. "There's never any discussion or debate on the value or the merits of the programs."

The Councillor should know full well about that. He was on this same kick last year about the same topic ie just slashing budgets without looking at programs themselves, demanding priorities be made and decisions taken about cutting or even increasing budgets on a logical basis.

But when push came to shove, on Budget Night last year Councillor Ken backed off the major speech he was to give on the subject. More sound and fury by the Councillor this year or will he have the nerve to lead the attack?