"City comes up $600,000 short"
http://www.newportdailynews.com/articles/2005/01/03/news/news1.txt

Newport Daily News - Newport,RI,USA
By Sean Flynn/Daily News staff. NEWPORT - The city is facing a
$600,000 shortfall in its budget for the ... "That's the policy of
the City Council," Smith said. ...

Am I the only one distressed with some of the points made in this
article? Such as:
* the city manager and unions are not meeting each week (city
manager had hoped for weekly meetings with each of the unions)
* the 2004 city council failing to fund the hiring of a
professional contract negotiator

I'm left wondering:
* are the local municipal unions simply going to dig in their
heels on the health benefit cost sharing issue and simply accept
the reality of hiring freezes and layoffs? (Probably, yes).
* is the 2005 council prepared to take a "no sacred cows"
approach to the next budget and spend political capital questioning
the staffing levels (and performance levels) in all city departments
starting with police and fire? (The jury is out).
* to what extent is the 2005 council going to invest in an
aggressive union negotiating effort (perhaps it can learn lessons
from the recent Providence teachers negotiations) or is it simply
going to watch the city manager "walk the plank"? (Will they
continue to be penny wise & pound foolish?).

Mike Cullen