When my personal family budget goes into "emergency time" I don't go to my
boss and order her to pay me more money. I may ask, and she may agree,
but it's not something to which I'm entitled.

Instead, I cancel the cable television and start packing my lunch. Cities
and towns have been packing on the empty calories in recent years and now
should trim the fat, not coerce their constituents into paying for their
gluttony.

It's politically unpopular to close schools, layoff city employees, and
cancel city services, but politicians should have considered this before
they approved their budgets. And voters should consider it before next
voting for their representatives.

Ultimately all city employees are responsible to their residents, not
vice-versa. If it's not something the citizenry approves, then the
politicians are required to find another way.

Until they can demonstrate that they've sweated off all those extra
pounds, eliminated the extraneous services, and made tough, honest
decisions, then they should not be forcing anything onto their already
distended businesses and residents.