$10 Says the leadership in East St Louis think like Obama

[Kramer]

What happened in Chicago, happened in Detroit, and now East St Louis. Watch as the country goes down the drain same as all the socialist cities and states in the US. Obama and these city leaders have the same beliefs, experience and chip on their shoulder.

Left standing will be communities that were run by EDUCATED conservatives, former small business owners, and hard working HONEST people that were not giving special treatment to get into college and other high positions.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/article_dfb230c2-9bf3-11df-9731-0017a4a78c22.html

EAST ST. LOUIS • The Rev. Joseph Tracy said he’s tired of going to funerals. And now, he suspects he’ll be going to more of them.

"It’s open field day now," said Tracy, the pastor of Straightway Baptist Church here. "The criminals are going to run wild."

Gang activity. Drug dealing. Cold-blooded killing. Tracy worries that a decision to shrink the police force by almost 30 percent will bring more of everything.

The pastor voiced his concern on Friday at a raucous special City Council meeting at which East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks announced that the city will layoff 37 employees, including 19 of its 62 police officers, 11 firefighters, four public works employees, and three administrators. The layoffs take effect on Sunday.

Parks said the weak economy has robbed the city of badly need money. For example, revenue from the Casino Queen was $900,000 below budget expectations last year. There are no signs of improvement, Parks said.

"I want our citizens to know we have some of the bravest police officers and firefighters in the country," Parks said. "But we don’t have the money to pay them. We have to have fiscal responsibility."

City officials wanted police and fire unions to accept a furlough program that would have required employees to take two unpaid days in each twice monthly pay period. If accepted, emergency responders would have seen a pay cut of about 20 percent for the rest of the year.

Parks said the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement. On Friday, he stared at a standing-room only crowd and told his emergency response chiefs words they didn’t want to hear: "Tell your workers to start packing their things."

The news spurred shouts from the crowd.

"The blood is on your hands," yelled Michael Hubbard, an East St. Louis police officer.

Hubbard said he will be the lone patrolman for East St. Louis’ midnight shift when the cuts go into effect.

"This is devastating," Hubbard told a reporter after the meeting.

East St. Louis has been crippled by crime and poverty for decades. Police officials say the cuts will mean fewer officers for patrols, investigations and juvenile cases. Fire officials said the region should be upset because the department will have fewer people at the ready to fight fires on some of the region’s major highways and bridges.

The police already rely on other agencies to handle some of the heavy case load. For example, the Illinois State Police routinely work on the city’s homicide investigations.

Capt. Steve Johnson, of the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, said his agency has no plans for stepping up work in East St. Louis.

"We don’t do calls for service in East St. Louis," Johnson said. "But, if we’re called for assistance, we will help when we can."

Worries about East St. Louis’ crime rate got little sympathy from Councilman Roy Mosley, who gave a 10-minute speech on Friday blasting the city’s police officers.

"We don’t have the money," Mosley said. "You lay off when you don’t have the money. The money’s gone."

Mosley complained that police officers take patrol cars home, park them in other jurisdictions, and misuse the city’s gasoline.

"I’m only telling the truth," he shouted.

The crowd jeered.

"You can see how disrespectful they are," Mosley said while pointing at the police officers. "You see what they’re doing to me right now."

Richard V. Stewart Jr., an attorney for the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police union, said Mosley’s claims are untrue.

Stewart said the words amounted to nothing more than "political grandstanding."

"Unfortunately, this is what I expected," Stewart said.

The union plans to fight the layoffs and work to get the jobs back.

Bad blood already exists between the two sides. An arbitrator has ruled that the city improperly imposed unpaid furlough days on its employees earlier this year. The city was ordered to pay $500,000 back in lost wages.

On Friday, the city approved a proposal to defer bond payments until next year in order to free up $500,000.

"Next year is a different situation," Mayor Parks said.

[Plane]

In East Saint Louis , what is the status of gun restriction?

[Kramer]

In East Saint Louis , what is the status of gun restriction?

Most of the law breakers have them and most of the law abiding citizens don't.

[Kramer]

Add Philly to the growing list of socialist cities run by Africans going down the shit hole.

http://cbs3.com/local/philadelphia.firehouse.closures.2.1837765.html


PHILADELPHIA, The city has started temporarily closing fire stations in order to balance its budget.

The rolling "brownouts" began with the closing of three fire companies as of 8:05 a.m. Monday.

Union members hosted a news conference as Engine 57 shut its doors for the day in West Philadelphia. Union officials said the closures are creating unsafe conditions in affected neighborhoods.

The city says these rotating brownouts will not have an impact on public safety and firefighters from those companies will be redeployed to other companies or will undergo training.

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said in the past, five companies a day were closed to training. But now only two companies per day will go to training.

"This is a game. This is moving pieces around in order to affect protection," said Firefighters Union President Bill Gault. "Sooner or later its going to bite them in the butt."

During an afternoon news conference, Mayor Nutter repeated his assertion that the plan does not compromise safety and said the union is simply fighting to retain overtime for its members.

Nutter insists that the use of rolling closures at fire stations to cut costs is an accepted practice throughout the country that will not impact the safety of residents. He it was "an insult" to firefighters for the union to suggest otherwise.

"Not one firefighter, not one, has lost a job here. Everyone is working. This is about overtime. That's all its about," Nutter said.

The city expects to save approximately $3.8 million a year in overtime costs with rolling brownouts or closures.

But firefighters said they are already cut to the bone following the permanent closures of five fire companies and two ladder companies last year.

The firefighters union, Local 22, is planning to send a formal letter to city council asking for an investigation into the closures. A spokesman said the fire department did "no research in deciding which stations to close."

The union is planning to post "closed" signs on the affected stations as a form of protest.

[Plane]

In East Saint Louis , what is the status of gun restriction?

Most of the law breakers have them and most of the law abiding citizens don't.

Can this be reversed?

[Kramer]

In East Saint Louis , what is the status of gun restriction?

Most of the law breakers have them and most of the law abiding citizens don't.

Can this be reversed?

yes with gorilla warfare.