Hope Is In The Distance

A LITTLE DOSE of reality can make your perspective fall into place — if one understands that it is reality, of course.

Rome News-Tribune
Editorial
January 29, 2010

In his recent State of the City address, the chief operating officer of all Rome nuts-and-bolts for many years, John Bennett, cautioned that the current revenue pinch and belt-tightening is likely to continue for at least three years. Actually, he said that “at best, our revenues will not increase for several years.”

“Several” is of indefinite numerical value, usually meaning a minimum of three and topping out at an unknown “not many” quantity.

In other words, the current staffing reductions and service limitations that the city is dealing with, and sharing with the county, state and nation, are likely to continue until at least three years from now — that would be 2013.

And that’s the “best case” scenario. This could last longer and, unsaid, there ultimately could be no choice but to enhance revenues — that’s the clever way of saying raising taxes and/or fees. The fee stuff is already ongoing, of course.

Additionally, it should be remembered that a decline stopping does not mean the revenues of yesteryear are then attained overnight, or even in a decade ... or ever.

Given that Americans increasingly appear to dote of instant gratification and overnight remedies for whatever ails, the crux of this message was realism of the currently unpopular sort, whether for government, business or households. It is, simply, saying nothing more than “Learn to live with it.”

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