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City Manager Mary Suhm has proposed budget cuts that draw the savings from deep staffing reductions in fire communications and removal of apparatus from service. Members of Dallas Fire-Rescue will gather by the flags in front of Dallas City Hall at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow to bring this to the public eye as well as being available to interview and answer questions.

The press release can be found here.

Dragonfighter wrote:City Manager Mary Suhm has proposed budget cuts that draw the savings from deep staffing reductions in fire communications and removal of apparatus from service. Members of Dallas Fire-Rescue will gather by the flags in front of Dallas City Hall at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow to bring this to the public eye as well as being available to interview and answer questions.

The press release can be found here.

I can think of other city services that can be cut before Fire, Police or Utilities. Start with an overstaffed over priced Engineering and surveying department. Both are useful, but there is a lot of wasted time and money there, not just taxpayers but the people who have to deal with those departments. If I were to go through a list of city departments I will bet I could find ten departments to cut first.

I know a Dallas fire-fighter. He said Suhm was... less than trust-worthy in the dealings she's had with the FD. Actually, from what he was saying, I'm surprised she's still in office.

OldCurlyWolf wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:City Manager Mary Suhm has proposed budget cuts that draw the savings from deep staffing reductions in fire communications and removal of apparatus from service. Members of Dallas Fire-Rescue will gather by the flags in front of Dallas City Hall at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow to bring this to the public eye as well as being available to interview and answer questions.

The press release can be found here.

I can think of other city services that can be cut before Fire, Police or Utilities. Start with an overstaffed over priced Engineering and surveying department. Both are useful, but there is a lot of wasted time and money there, not just taxpayers but the people who have to deal with those departments. If I were to go through a list of city departments I will bet I could find ten departments to cut first.

+1 It always seems to be the tactic to cut the most vital services first. The pork in the budgets remains sacrosanct. This is another reason that I'm glad that I don't live within the Dallas city limits.

chasfm11 wrote:

OldCurlyWolf wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:City Manager Mary Suhm has proposed budget cuts that draw the savings from deep staffing reductions in fire communications and removal of apparatus from service. Members of Dallas Fire-Rescue will gather by the flags in front of Dallas City Hall at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow to bring this to the public eye as well as being available to interview and answer questions.

The press release can be found here.

I can think of other city services that can be cut before Fire, Police or Utilities. Start with an overstaffed over priced Engineering and surveying department. Both are useful, but there is a lot of wasted time and money there, not just taxpayers but the people who have to deal with those departments. If I were to go through a list of city departments I will bet I could find ten departments to cut first.

+1 It always seems to be the tactic to cut the most vital services first. The pork in the budgets remains sacrosanct. This is another reason that I'm glad that I don't live within the Dallas city limits.

I think it is often used as a scare tactic to get people to "donate" more money to the govt. "We need more revenue (taxes) or we'll lose our Tuesday night macaroni art classes" doesn't get the same response as "We need more revenue (taxes) or we'll have to cut essential fire services."

Dave2 wrote:I know a Dallas fire-fighter. He said Suhm was... less than trust-worthy in the dealings she's had with the FD. Actually, from what he was saying, I'm surprised she's still in office.

The city council and mayor have all been educated about the problem, including the history that got DFR to the shift and staffing and schedule they currently have. They were told in individual meetings and in front of the whole council that she had lied and was disseminating false information and that was well documented. She costs the city millions in law suits coming directly from her decisions and they have been reminded of this as well. So it is surprising she is still in office.

But they act like she is their boss not the other way around. Well, off to the protest.

Oh yeah, they "found" 1.4 - 1.7 million but that is going to an arts center and other pet projects.

Dragonfighter wrote:The city council and . . . and other pet projects.

Yeah, the city council that endures the presence of a John Wiley Price? A city council that has a long history of corruption, under the table funding of pet projects (as you correctly observed)?

To trust the current Dallas city council or its (current) puppet mayor to accomplish anything that genuinely benefits the citizens of Dallas or those who risk their lives to protect us if like looking for a Popsicle in hades...

Pug wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:The city council and . . . and other pet projects.

Yeah, the city council that endures the presence of a John Wiley Price? A city council that has a long history of corruption, under the table funding of pet projects (as you correctly observed)?

To trust the current Dallas city council or its (current) puppet mayor to accomplish anything that genuinely benefits the citizens of Dallas or those who risk their lives to protect us if like looking for a Popsicle in hades...

You do realize that JWP is a County Commissioner, don't you?

One good apple doesn't make the whole batch worthy of a cobbler...

We started out with our group and a few cameras filming for what looked like stock footage. By the time we ended we had every station represented, I was intervied by Channel 4, 8 and 11 by Bud Gillet. He looks as though he is building a story, not just coverage. Another member was interviewed by Telemundo and off camera by channel 5. We're likely to pop up on the evening news on one or more. Possibly again at tonight's news. So if you want to see what the Dragonfighter looks like, he's the fat bald guy looking like a deer in headlights for the cameras. They also took several group shots, my kids were there and the grandkids. It was fun watching the chiefs and city office personnel watching from there office windows. The coverage was better than I actually expected.

Added in Edit - I will be putting together a "webcast" from interviews and pictures my daughter (a member here) took and post it on YouTube tomorrow. If you know anyone that lives in Dallas or if you do, this is a life endangering plan that Mary Suhm has devised and you need to slam your representatives. Unless your rep is Kadane, Davis, Griggs or Alonzo. These four voted to stop Mary's plan.

MasterOfNone wrote:I think it is often used as a scare tactic to get people to "donate" more money to the govt. "We need more revenue (taxes) or we'll lose our Tuesday night macaroni art classes" doesn't get the same response as "We need more revenue (taxes) or we'll have to cut essential fire services."

It's a favorite tactic of unethical politicians and other dirtbags. Instead of cutting the waste and outright corruption, they threaten to withhold services from the taxpayers. It's a variation of the protection racket.

Is there a document somewhere that details the cuts?

unhappycamper wrote:

MasterOfNone wrote:I think it is often used as a scare tactic to get people to "donate" more money to the govt. "We need more revenue (taxes) or we'll lose our Tuesday night macaroni art classes" doesn't get the same response as "We need more revenue (taxes) or we'll have to cut essential fire services."

It's a favorite tactic of unethical politicians and other dirtbags. Instead of cutting the waste and outright corruption, they threaten to withhold services from the taxpayers. It's a variation of the protection racket.

It' s not a threat. It is all but done but I can tell you it is a PERSONAL agenda with Mary Suhm. The entire city council and mayor have been met with and informed in detail. Four get it the rest don't. Communications already operates at a bare minimum with each member dispatching over 6000 callas a year, instructing callers on life saving emergency care WHILE the help is on the way. When the storm hit this weekend 911 hold times approached a minute to a minute and a half and they were fully staffed. Imagine what its going to be like when the system crashes (down 16 times in the last 12 months) or a storm hits and momma holding her choking baby is on hold for 5,6 minutes or more. When she finally does get through and the run is dispatched she finds out the engine that used to be up the street is not there because Mary Suhm took it out of service to save money. When confronted with the inevitable disaster that a cut in communications staffing would end in, assistant City Manager told one of us and Sheffie Kadane, "We are willing to take that chance."

ninemm wrote:Is there a document somewhere that details the cuts?

It is not in one place or easily accessed. If you PM me I'll send you some stuff, if your in Dallas I'll be sure to include the handout we used today with the city council numbers. Anyone can ask me any specific question and I'll try to cover it for you. Maybe not tonight, I need to go into the station at 1:00 and need to grab a nap. But I'll check back and see if I can do something from there.

There was a short clip on the news minutes ago (channel 4).I'm not sure it came across well. The guy doing the talking was a rather large man with dark curly hair on top that was cropped very close on the sides. Basically, his message came across as a thinly veiled implied threat that "response times will suffer if they do this to us."