IT'S AMAZING

WHAT OUR

COUNTY CAN AND

CANNOT AFFORD

Budget Priorities Out of Left Field and

Out of Touch with Reality

Our County Executive and Council have presided over a $500+ million shortfall.

We've been told that library hours will be reduced. Police stations will close overnight, endangering citizens and costing several department employees their jobs. Police, firefighters, and teachers have lost cost-of-living increases that were in their legally-binding labor agreements (signed off on by this same executive and council). Disabled police officers have been threatened with the loss of retirement benefits. I'm sure Ike Leggett will again try to take away overnight career ambulances away from the Glen Echo, Hyattstown, and Laytonsville VFDs. (Consider the vast Upcounty losing two overnight ambulances - it is a downright reckless proposal). RideOn bus service has been slashed or eliminated. Senior citizens are having their dentures taken away (I am absolutely serious about this - it is 100% true!) and forced to make risky decisions on dialing 911 due to the promised Ambulance Fee. This at a time when many retirement accounts have been devastated by the convenient economic "crisis" that occured after John McCain was ahead in the polls.

But at the same time, we're told that the county mysteriously has $162 million to buy the Webb Tract. Several million to cover the cost of Big Government entering the private housing market in Germantown. Additional funds to power Big Government in the form of increased "code enforcement." How can this possibly add up?

Much like the state budget, gimmicks, Federal Democrat bailouts, and political free passes from Democrat allies will substitute for the needed county budget overhaul. Mark my words. That means that structural budget issues will continue to plague the county for years to come.

And the budget calculations above mean that our executive and council have redefined "new math."

Unfortunately, that new math is adding up to a dangerous reduction in public safety.