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Show ur 1 Have yourself a merry little Christmas-lf you can... This. morning Blair's authoritative voice explained on KPCW that the city was concerned about running into a deficit in the spring and so they will eliminate the building inspector positon held by fire marshall Herb Johnson. And they will not fill the vacant position with the police department. And they will not be hiring a Public Works Director. I understand cutbacks and budget-deficits-one need only look into my checkbook for the most elementary of explanations. I have had to choose which things are the most important of late and eliminate the frills. By doing that it has certainly made things tight around our place, but I haven't cut out anything that would have any ill effect on my family. As Doctors Winn and Schwenk will tell you, we still are regular patrons of the clinic for ears and eyes and coughs and wheezes. Alpha Beta still sees the largest . part of my non-utility and housing monies and Miner's Automotive is winterizing my car. We're back to basics on the homefront living without a lot of extras but getting along fine enough, thank you, ' 1 am concerned about a city government which decides it is the very basic things they will throw out . and frills they will keep. Without a fire marshall (with foresight) who will determine the fire safety of new and existing buildings? It was Johnson who fought for a sprinkler code for Main Street and he who helped put together the smoke detector program for . old buildings that people were living in that - couldn't be brought up' tb code. Prior to Park City, Johnson was a deputy state fire marshall in California for years. 32, years :in the fire ; business . to be exact.' This " professiona' person found out on the street last week thai, : his job Was being eliminated. So that's the ' way we do things here Then there are our boys (and. woman) in blue. We will have one less of them to respond to your call " of . a burglary in progress, a car accident, a personal assualt, when the town will be filled to maximum ' : ' .', "' , V, 7 V ' ';.''''.'', ' . ' ' - .. . ' -' i. ' ' , " . ' . - ' ... ' '.- - . . capacity this holidav season. Thev will be under-staffed and if the rumour mill has it correct, underpaid. One officer inquired . into the question of holiday pay and was apparently told "There won't be any. And if you don't like it maybe you should go sell insurance." Good tough dialogue foe a episode of Hill Street Blues perhaps. Just tough dialogue for Park City. And then there is'thr question of what promises to be our heaviest winter yet and no Public Works Director. When I need to get to work and my subdivision street hasn't been plowed will I understand? Or (God forbid) when I have a medical crisis or emergency in my family and I have to get to the main road, will I be content to listen on the radio to city officals who say, "it doesn't look like we're going to get to any of the side streets today-it's just a good day to stay home." And what of the visitor to Park City? Will heshe be able to get to the destination resort they have planned their winter vacation time (and money) around? We talk so often of competing with the Aspens and Vails of the world do we compete in simple terms, in areas of snow removal? Or police protection? Or fire prevention? The frills are a matter of opinion. At a recent public hearing some people through the recreation department and it's activities were frivolous (I don't entirely agree). For others it's the matter of landscaping the front of the library (I'm inclined to agree). And for others still, it's the high salaries . paid, to perhaps non-essential folks on the city payroll. And to top it all off, there is proposed a tux that will make crying in your beer even too expensive this holiday season. '.y. Last. week's papers carried messages in editorial ."arid ad copy that there are some : folks out there, "Mad as hell, and not going ' to take it anymore." In light of these recent cutbacks add me to the list. And if any of ; this strikes a vein with you stand up, shout and be heard. Remember, this is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the : people..,. |
