No, it wasn't about restoring services in the police and fire departments.
And no, it wasn't about the declining oil revenues and the increasing costs of water facing the City.
It was about supporting a movement to encourage residents to go vegetarian by passing (on a 7-2 vote) a resolution to encourage residents to observe "Meatless Mondays."
"Meatless Mondays" isn't the most original idea to come along since many people already have stopped eating meat, either because they can't afford it or they believe eating less meat is healthier.
Having a City Council weigh in on something as personal as what people eat is strange, considering the many serious issues facing the City.
Drafting the resolution took staff time and so did the Council discussion. It will come back to Council for yet another vote. All this time could be put to better use.
The next city budget will arrive in a few months filled with increased fees and perhaps additional cuts to service. And you will hear chatter about increasing the utility user tax to make up for short falls.
Then ask the Mayor and Council why it can spend a million dollars to obtain a Bloomberg grant that won't generate any additional revenue to the City but added more staff to the city payroll.
Ask Council why City employees (more than 5000) still don't clock in and out of work but are allowed to fill in their own time sheets.
Question why real performance measures are missing from budget documents and why the Council won't put the City Manager on notice that he either reports them or is replaced.
The Council needs to get busy with the real business of local government: fiscal reform and performance management.
Stop the theatrics or as Shakespeare wrote" sound and fury signifying nothing."
