The annual Festival of Lights Parade in Salem will go on after all! During a late night emergency meeting of the Salem City Council last night, Mayor Janet Taylor made a motion to grant $10,000 (UPDATE: THE AMOUNT WAS ACTUALLY $25,000, NOT WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY REPORTED TO THE MEDIA!) from the city's contingency fund to help offset a budget shortfall.
Now I don't want to sound like the Grinch, but, I am a little concerned that "contingency funds" designated for "budget shortfall" was used. I love a parade. I love Christmas. I don't love misuse of funds and this to me, seems like a pretty silly way to use those emergency funds.
If the Festival of Lights group cannot raise the funds then the parade itself should not happen.
In this economic climate, do we really have the latitude to use money for a parade? Aren't there many more pressing issues that could have used this money?
Where were the brave city councilors when the Obama administration wanted to take OUR land away at Minto Brown Park? They were holding another late night meeting to give 200 acres to the Feds in exchange for $800k. Yes, that is the Salem city council hard at work.
Maybe THIS decision, was to help placate the residents? Bah Humbug!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
City of Salem saves Christmas Parade: Bah Humbug!
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3 comments:
I'd rather them spend the funds on a Christmas parade than a lot of the other crap that they spend money on these days.
I wouldn't want to be the one who has to tell the kids, "I'm sorry, but due to budget cutbacks, Christmas is cancelled this year kids."
;-)
I can think of a ton of worse things to spend my tax money on.
So, if we don't have parade, we don't have Christmas?
Bah Humbug!
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