Coral Gables Environment, Politics and Government
July 28, 2010 Leave a comment
Who do we owe? Is it China, or not?
You would think so from the news. But not really!
As of March 2010, total US government debt was $12.8 trillion, of which $8.89 trillion was owed to domestic holders and $3.88 trillion was owed to foreigners. Of the foreign holders, the two biggest are China and Japan each with less that $1.0 trillion each. And the rest is owed to many, many countries.
July 28, 2010 Leave a comment
The City Commissioners are reluctant to reduce public security staffing of police and firefighters. It seems to be that they are reticent to be blamed for any public security event in the city, especially in an election period. Also, the firefighters and police are members of strong unions who are good negotiators and this make its hard to reduce staffing, salaries and benefits of public security. Also, these unions have been known to support candidates for the Commission.
The number of fire fighter will remain constant compared to last year’s budget at 147 positions and salaries and benefits will increase from $21,968,223 to $22,886,809, which is a not insignificant increase of 4.18%. Total salaries and benefits for fire fighters is creeping back up to the 2008-2009 budget amount of $23,494,578. Average compensation of salaries and benefits declined from $157,681 in 2008/2009 to $149,444 in 2009/2010 to an estimated $155,693 in 2010/2011.
The total outlay for firefighting service $25,253,660 or 20% of the $127,706,578 estimated operating budget of the city of Coral Gables in 2010/2011.
July 28, 2010 Leave a comment
The comportment of the Biltmore Hotel is similar to that of Wall Street–their lemma is “Privatize the Profits and Socialize the Losses”.
The Biltmore management has suddenly discovered that they are losing money and they want the City of Coral Gables (meaning the taxpayers) to pick up their loses. We cannot recall that they came forward to volunteer extra payments to the city when times were good and occupation rates were strong. Rather they have suddenly discovered millions of dollar in costs that they want reimbursed.
Sadly, the taxpayers of Coral Gables are not in a position to subsidize a Biltmore, an unprofitable company that benefits just a very people.
I say get another operator or return the Hotel to the US Government before taxpayers have to pay more property taxes or suffer reductions in their own services.
The Biltmore is an anachronism, it is the model of an earlier time when money was flowing. It is time for the City Commissioners to side with their citizens in this matter; the US is entering a long period of austerity and the Coral Gables citizens should not have to bailout the Biltmore.
July 26, 2010 1 Comment
The new budget requires another increase in taxes. Be cognizant that the increase is truly what economists call “real” increases because there is no inflation–these increases, however small or large, are real dollars coming out of your pocket.
Last year’s tax rate was 5.895 per thousand of property values. The so-called rolled-back rate is 6.189. This is the rate that keeps the city’s property tax revenues the same as last year–in essence the concern is with the “well being” of the city rather that the impact on the citizen. [Maybe we should call the rate a “rolled-forward rate” since it is higher than the last rate].
The Budget estimate requires a tax rate of 6.072 millage rate. This is the rate that a simple majority of the Commissioners can approve, without the usual recent past dissenters of Messrs. Cabrera and Kerdyk, who might certainly force the lower so-called TRIM rate of 6.072 or a 3% increase assuming that one’s property value is the same as last year. Let’s see what happens in coming weeks, but certainly the plan is for everyone to pay more taxes here in Coral Gables and in Miami-Dade county.
Coral Gables Watch 