A guest editorial on the latest Community Services debacle.
Once again I write as a citizen of Madison and happen to be a Committee member of the Community Services Committee for the City of Madison. I, along with others on the Committee, struggled to distribute City funds for basic neighborhood services. And, as in the past, I find myself writing, as an individual, defending our community services from cuts.
On Monday the City’s Board of Estimates will discuss removing $144,000 from the most basic services provided our city and re-direct these very scarce dollars to support and “provide funding to the Office of Business Resources to market and manage the BioAg Gateway and BioLink projects…”
These dollars if transferred out of the Community Services 2011 budget, possibly will come from supporting rape victims, children in crisis from domestic abuse, seniors, places for our children to go after school and so much more. Instead these scarce funds will, “provide funding to the Office of Business Resources to market and manage the BioAg Gateway and BioLink projects…”
What am I missing? Why did the Mayor allocate an additional $200,000 for community services this year? Do the sponsors Alder Mark Clear and Judy Compton think so little of the need for neighborhood centers, senior services, child education services, etc. in an environment of high unemployment and difficulty for so many that they need to raid one of the smallest budgets in the City system?
Maybe it is a mistake. It must be. For to openly suggest that the monies should come from basic services after the Mayor said, “In a time of recession, my budget makes smart investments in basic city infrastructure, neighborhoods and economic development,” just does not make sense!
So, I ask you the public, is this what we elected these folks to do? I think not. The Board of Estimates meets on Monday at 4:35 PM at the Madison Municipal Building, Room 260 to consider this funding shift. Let our officials know what is important to you.
David Wandel
Citizen and Member, Community Services Committee
