As most here in the state of Illinois know, the City of Chicago is going through its first “reduced service day” today in an effort to help balance the budget.
Many City of Chicago offices will be closed Monday for a reduced-service day to help balance the 2009 budget.
City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed, according to a news release.
As part of the 2009 budget, and without pay for affected city employees, reduced-service days also will be held on the Friday after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve.
On the reduced-service days, the city will have only the minimum amount of staff for essential city services.
The reduced staffing will not apply to police, fire or other direct public-safety providers, the city said.
City garbage collection and street sweeping will not take place on Monday, with those pickups or routes expected to be delayed one day.
The city expects to save $8.3 million over the three reduced-service days. This means the city cuts more than $2.7 MILLION from the budget each day it reduces services.
What do you think about the reduced service days? Do you support the idea?
Eric Odom
Eric Odom is Executive Director and Co-Founder of the American Liberty Alliance. Eric is a libertarian minded, free-market activist. His profession is web strategy and online community development.
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Sure, if it can save jobs and/or money….I’m all for it!
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I like the idea of saving some money, but it still doesn’t fix WHY we need reduced service days, in the first place.
Having days off here and there are nice quick fix band-aids, but don’t address the core budget issues.
So, go ahead Chicago and cut some days work, but start looking at the reasons for them.
A lot of companies are having some of their employees take days off of work with no pay. It stinks, but it sure beats layoffs. For me, the same goes for reduced-service days: it’s unfortunate, but it sure beats deficit spending and higher taxes. If only we could get this kind of sacrifice at the federal level…
Why not just cut the number of positions and ensure people work full days? How much money does this city waste? I heard this morning that the city employees 27 park administrators and each makes $90,000 a year. Is that really necessary? I think these no service days are a way to hold the city hostage. It’s just bully tactics.
I think the reduced service days are a great idea, but as someone else said, it does not address the underlying issue of how the City spends money, and fails to prioritze City service and analyze them on a cost/benefit basis.
Good Band-aid, But it just goes to show that they need to make some cuts that are going to hurt the Politicians, But if they don’t make the cuts it will Detroit the city (ok not that bad)
I think everyone has hit the nail on the head. If our government, on national and local levels, thought in terms of reduction more often we would not need to skimp on services that actually benefit us. This just proves the ineffectiveness of bloated municipalities.
One of the things that has always blown my mind about Chicago is their blatancy in taking our money – the vans that go around booting cars, and the people who write tickets are emblazoned with giant “Department of REVENUE” logos. They’re not even trying to justify the way they handle traffic and parking violations as upholding the law – they come right out and say it with the name of the department! Even with a city department whose sole purpose is to collect REVENUE from its populace, they just can’t manage to stay afloat financially… Shouldn’t this be a clue?
I agree with others that further investigation as to why these are even necessary needs to be undertaken. Also, if we can “afford” to do this, why not make this a regular thing as long as they are smart about the days so that it doesn’t adversely affect people dependent on the services. I am all for it if it saves us money by reducing the amount of taxes we have to pay. I know. Unlikely.
Maybe the City of Revenue Collection can wake up a little, and ask itself what the “non-essential” services really ARE, and whether we need them at ALL! How about making EVERY day a “reduced service day”? Or at least starting from there, and then slowly ADDING things as they appear to be necessary and affordable–not starting with the wasteful mess we have now, and chipping away at it, in tiny little pieces? Oh, I’ve think I have the answer: because without all this over-”employment” and over-drive “revenue collection”, it would be harder to hide the things that need hiding.
Problem with municipalities is that they’re non-profit. There’s no incentive to save other than to avoid angry tax payers. The rule of thumb for municipalities is that for every city employee that’s another 2000 votes (due to friends, family, etc) in the next election. With that mindset, you can be sure your tax dollars are going to be wasted. Hopefully these “furlough” days will serve as a bit of a wake-up call.
I think any means necessary to cut expenses and balance the budget are acceptable; however, let’s eliminate some of the waste in the work place.
So many “people” stand idly by and are doing menial work (of course you’ve created a job for them) so you have a no win situation.
Is saving the tax payers money good? Short answer, yes. However, as several have pointed out, Chicago shouldn’t even be in this spot.
Also, you’d better believe that they will continue to find the money to “do business” no matter how dire the financial situation becomes!
Being from the suburbs but a former city person I’d have to say “so what”, and I don’t care to hear about the city workers suffering. It is the citizens of the city that pay exorbitant taxes, and these taxes come from all angles in their daily lives, not just high property taxes, but just about everything they touch on a daily bases has some tax on it. And yet they suffer under the cities corruption and financial waist, so I would have to say it as a bit of a payback to city workers. (Which some of these suffering citizens are family members of mine) The reason I appear so cold is 1) most city workers are over paid, (paid to come in and sleep in their car somewhere). 2) Way-way too many city jobs are patronage jobs, where “Uncle Pete” got them their jobs. Or should I say; “Uncle Pete” got them signed up for a paycheck, and to find out where to park their car so not to get caught sleeping. Look, after 55 plus years watching this city, I would have to say that Chicago is the most corrupt city in the country. And the rest of the nation is now seeing Chicago thug politics, and will soon see new modes of waist, “Chicago style”. Also as being a citizen of Cook County, and with the power City Hall has over the county board, I can honestly say that I too am being screwed, for every time the city wants more money they first look for ways at getting collar Cook County to pay, and we get absolutely zero benefit for our dollars the city steals. And not being a fan of Papa Daley either, but I would have to say Junior has him rolling over in his grave.
** And STOP the 2016 Olympics; Think of the money they are wasting on something they won’t even get. And should Chicago get it, I don’t want to pay for the city’s ego trip.
PS – Exception: The Police and Fireman are an exception; they earn every dollar they get, and actually deserve more. (I mean the blue-collar workers out in the streets, not the big wigs). By the way; how long now have the Police gone without a contract? The Mayor doesn’t even know how to protect the folks that are protecting the people. And these two groups are actually offering up their very lives to insure the public’s safety.
(Thank God Chicago doesn’t cover our troops!)
“Hmmm….I could live with less government and lower taxes.” If reducing service days puts this revolutionary thought into the liberalism-soaked minds of Chicago residents, it’s a good idea.
Unfortunately, the next thought likely to come to mind is: “But crime is getting worse and worse. Maybe we should keep a few parks and libraries closed and spend the money on more COPS.”
Daley & friends may have created a ‘world-class’ city but if he can’t bring down the rate of violent crime, people who can afford to do so will move out.
If they can reduce services on 3 days a year and save money, why can’t they cut non-essential positions year round and save even more money? I appreciate the effort but I believe that they are doing these 3 days because they want citizens to think things are really bad and that this is the only option. This is not the only option. If the SEIU and other unions got out of the way, Chicago could be the ‘city that works’ year round.
They should reduce non-essential jobs permanently!
It’s not only the taxpayers that are paying for this, but the rank and file workers too. The government officials that caused this mess are making others pay out of pocket – when they’re the ones that should be working overtime and for free, I might add, to get their spending under control. Our state government is doing pretty much the same thing – spend as usual, and then come, hat in hand, to the employees, wanting them to take unpaid furlough days off to help pay for their waste.
Vote them all out of office in these upcoming elections and let’s make our voices heard that these typical tax and spend government days are over!
I am some what removed as I live downstate. I feel a bit sorry for those having to take the temp pay decrease. However as a displaced professional who was working downtown and depending upon the viability of a number of large firms in the city, the last thing anyone in this economy needs is a tax increase. At least those involved have not lost their benefits as I have.
I feel to stabilize our economy and build confidence, our politicians need to quit coming up with these crazy programs that will ulimatly cost both on the tax side as well as equity in our dollar. Once small buisness feels they can define what the expense side of the equation will be going forward, they will have the confidence to reinvest and hire workers to expand. As small buisness expands and begins to profit again, our tax base will also expand and allow civil workers to retain their full time employment as well.
GREAT…This is a good start; however will not balance the budgets in Chicago, Cook Co. or the State. Our elected offices must move to address that the State’s Union Employees have stolen the wealth of the State, only to ensure that the Democratic Machine stays in power!
The politicians of our State have (on our behalf) signed golden employee contracts with Unions, for the sole benefit of politicians and the wealth of these Unions. For every State government job, not only are our Union employees earning 43% more than the rest of us, but [we] the taxpayers are paying 3 to 4 people for everyone job require!
And in return, the Unions guaranteed members jobs regardless of productivity, or excellences. Good Teachers no different than bad Teachers…only our children pay the price, irresponsible workers that endanger people’s lives given a written warning!
Common Sense tells us…it is time to eliminate that, which has failed the people of Illinois, and that government employees, including our elective representative shall no longer have preference over the people they serve!
Make sure that it is understood; that it was not the people of Illinois that promised the unpromiseable…it is our elected representative! It is our government, which has built a State employment system that is not sustainable and now needs to be adjusted. And it is these same representatives, the people of Illinois must hold accountable and remove them from office…but State employment adjustments must go forth for the health of the State!
As Taxpayers we must demand that our elected representatives start looking out for our interests…responsibly balancing our budget, adopting policies that promote citizens to be independent instead of dependent and stop feeding the Eaters!
Daley is just trying to maintain his machine during a down economy. I say let’s start by giving Daley and all of these crooked alderman a permanent year round reduction in services. I know that this will never happen because there are too many selfish, unethical, people in Chicago that will tolerate corruption just so long as their bread is getting buttered in the process. This machine system will continue until people begin to openly denounce their personal acquaintances that are accessories to corrupt behavior.
I think we should give them everyday off. The crooks!