What local troubles do you have?

[Rich Parsons]

Flint Michigan:

Bankrupt a few years ago.

The State steps in and takes over and balances the budget.

During this period of a year plus the State is Bankrupt for a short period of time, employees told to stay home, until the State Congress passes a Retroactive Tax, which included pay increases for existing state employees. (* I know some *)

The existing Mayor takes credit for the recover even though he was not allowed on the committee for recover. He was a King in a Democracy. A figure Head only.

Now the City is going Bankrupt again, and has a limited amount of time to repsent a recovery plan to the state or there will be a new committee coming in to take over again.


And now this:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/18482231/detail.html

[/quote]
Flint Police Chief Accused Of Money Fraud

POSTED: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
UPDATED: 6:35 pm EST January 14, 2009


FLINT, Mich. -- Flint's interim police chief is facing charges he illegally took public money.
David Dicks is accused of taking the money for a no-show job at a private security company run by his father.

....
[/quote]


I know Chicago can chime in.

 

[arnisador]

Meth, meth, and more meth, and all the associated petty crime it brings.

Technically we have no mayor as the state court of appeals vacated the office (the incumbent was ineligible to run). While it's on appeal, things are in a murky state.

We're losing good manufacturing jobs and adding things like phone call centers--mostly telemarketing. But "luckily" real estate was already so cheap that it hasn't dropped too much.

But yeah, Detroit has it pretty bad.

 

[Makalakumu]

Surf. Where to surf next? North shore had 35 footers this afternoon. Those would have killed me. Everywhere else was barely under toes.

Seriously, light rail. Honolulu County passed a 4.5 billion dollar light rail initiative that would link west Oahu to Waikiki. If anyone knows anything about the traffic on this island, you can see why the H 1 corridor needs some relief. The problem is that the people on the East side of the island don't want to pay for it. Needless to say, island life politics can get really interesting...especially when pakalolo and parade style floats are involved.

 

[Empty Hands]

The entire State of California has no budget due to a deadlock in the legislature. The 1/3 Republican minority refuses to vote for any budget with any sort of tax or fee increase, which is necessary to address the multi-billion dollar state deficit. A 2/3 vote is required. Already some contractors and others working for the government are not being paid, and the whole state will run out of money soon. Who knows what will happen then.

 

[Makalakumu]

The entire State of California has no budget due to a deadlock in the legislature. The 1/3 Republican minority refuses to vote for any budget with any sort of tax or fee increase, which is necessary to address the multi-billion dollar state deficit. A 2/3 vote is required. Already some contractors and others working for the government are not being paid, and the whole state will run out of money soon. Who knows what will happen then.

Wow! That's bad. Does the governor have emergency powers to do something? People don't realize that if the government runs out of money, society starts to break down.

 

[Cryozombie]

I know Chicago can chime in.

Chicago abstains from comment as it is afraid to be killed by Blago or Daley.

 

[Carol]

Troubles? New Hampshire doesn't have troubles. We have the lowest crime rate in the nation, the lowest teen birth rate, excellent public schools, no income tax, and no sales tax. Our state is run by a civilian legislature that is the 4th largest governing body in the world (not bad for one of the smallest states in the nation) and our senators and reps earn exactly $100.00 per year...which does a lot to minimize corruption and encourage more local support in the ways of the state.

But we're having one hell of a winter. My town bore the brunt of an ice storm that will take the good part of the coming year to clean up, and the heavy winter is straining the budgets of a lot of towns...towns that already run lean and mean. Its damn near impossible to predict what a winter budget will require.

 

[Nolerama]

St. Louis' public education is in the toilet and no one has any real plan to clean it up.

Apparently, due to semi-scientific statistics, STL has one of the highest crime rates in the nation

In-Bev, European beverage conglomerate just bought out Anheuser-Busch and has already started letting STL employees go.

In-Bev/Anheuser Busch has also produced AB: American Ale, quite possibly one of the worst beers in history, right after Bud Light and Michelob Ultra.

Interstate 64 has shut down throughought the city core. Commuters have to find an alternate route to work w/ the use of other Interstates.

 

[Xue Sheng]

NYS

A governor that wants to cut school funding, cut health care funding, cut road and bridge repair funding, lay off state employees, raise all state college tuitions, raise state taxes, not look to equal taxes for all incomes and gives his staff raises and wants to give all judges raises, eliminate state departments to save $5,000,000 and let private corporations (that are state funded with 26% of its employees making over $100,000) take over (by the way that will cost a heck of a lot more than then $5,000,000 he will save.

There are a few other wonderful things he is doing but I am trying not to rant.

 

[Carol]

You have to convince the good lady to move over two states Xue. For the trees! Think of the trees!

I guess another problem to being in NH is no one outside the northeast knows where it is. :lol:

 

[Empty Hands]

Wow! That's bad. Does the governor have emergency powers to do something? People don't realize that if the government runs out of money, society starts to break down.

I don't think he does. He keeps coming up with plans, like putting all government workers at minimum wage or shortening the school year. However, he drops or changes them after meeting resistance, so I don't think he can just ram them through.

 

[Empty Hands]

...our senators and reps earn exactly $100.00 per year...which does a lot to minimize corruption and encourage more local support in the ways of the state.

It also insures that only the independently wealthy can be a rep or senator in NH.

 

[Xue Sheng]

You have to convince the good lady to move over two states Xue. For the trees! Think of the trees!

I guess another problem to being in NH is no one outside the northeast knows where it is. :lol:

Actually.... I am working on it

 

[Carol]

It also insures that only the independently wealthy can be a rep or senator in NH.

Absolutely not.

I have no doubt that there are some serving were either born in to wealth or have amassed a considerable amount of wealth by way of their work.

Most are middle-class retirees. My senator is a retired state trooper. There are also many working people with non-traditional hours, such as medical professionals. A fellow from my team ran for state rep in his district. When my former in-laws moved to NH in the early 1990s, one of their reps was a 20 year old college student, and their senator was a floor sander with two children. Also on the court are spouses/partners in single-income families. Two years ago, a Harvard student from Nashua (Alexander Gallichon) tried to be the youngest state rep ever at age 18.



Here's a sample...

http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/dozen?from=40


I should add that in addition to their $100.00 per year stipend, they are reimbursed for their travel between their district and the General Court in Concord.

 

[manbat]

St. Louis' public education is in the toilet and no one has any real plan to clean it up.

Apparently, due to semi-scientific statistics, STL has one of the highest crime rates in the nation

In-Bev, European beverage conglomerate just bought out Anheuser-Busch and has already started letting STL employees go.

In-Bev/Anheuser Busch has also produced AB: American Ale, quite possibly one of the worst beers in history, right after Bud Light and Michelob Ultra.

Interstate 64 has shut down throughought the city core. Commuters have to find an alternate route to work w/ the use of other Interstates.

with all due respect, bud is piss water, belgians can only improve on it

 

[Nolerama]

with all due respect, bud is piss water, belgians can only improve on it

That may be true about Budweiser, but it's BELOVED 'piss water' in my town. I drink Guinness anyway.

 

[Xue Sheng]

That may be true about Budweiser, but it's BELOVED 'piss water' in my town. I drink Guinness anyway.

:drinkbeeraye Guinness... the beer to have when you want a beer you can chew

Actually if I drink beer it is dark beer and if I have a choice of what dark beer it is Guinness

 

[Makalakumu]

Guiness is good but there are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many other good dark beers out there. Better then guiness.

 

[Nolerama]

Lol. I think that the start of a beautiful new thread...

 

[crushing]

My area has very high unemployment, in fact according to one source it's over 30%.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2008/12/muskegon_leads_nation_in_unemp.html

High unemployments puts a damper on enjoying the beatiful lakes, beaches, winter sports complex (with one of only four large luge tracks in the US), and such the area has to offer.

Also, the nasty AB American Ale is probably the best AB product I've tasted. But, other than Amber Bock, I haven't tried the Michelob Craft Collection.