Stimulus Money

Obama signed the huge stimulus package and money will soon be rushing to Tampa, Miami and other Florida cities that put in for it. Does anyone know how much we (the city) put in for and if it will help bring our staffing up to safe levels? I lost track of how many officers have left in the last few months without being replaced. Before you start in with your "this isn't the place" rhetoric I am sure with all of the know-it-alls that regularly occupy this board I will get a decent answer :)

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_city/Pinellas%20Park/FL

Nothing for the PD

500,000 for parking at the performing arts center.....thats almost the entire amount needed to be cut from the pd budget....sigh....

Has anyone noticed the gorgeous NEw tile BEING INSTALLED IN CITY HALL.? Bet that could have saved the city a few dollars and maybe been better spent in certain departments that have to cut their budgets.

Hmmmmm....maybe we could get a new PD with some of that stimulus money .....oh no thats the PUBLIC SAFETY building for Public Works that was requested. A new hardened building for the Publilc Works EOC......WELL WHAT ABOUT THE REAL PUBLIC SAFETY....what are we chopped liver....geeeesh! :roll:

maybe they will put us back into trailers. That was awesome!

Transportation - Public Parking Lot at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center (Downtown)
$500,000.00 - 4 jobs - Streets/Roads Program

You voted that this project was not critical

6% voted critical - 94% voted not critical

Yes No
Wiki Description
This is hardly a viable project. This "performing arts center" is nothing close to that. It is a hall rented out by various groups for dances and other small functions. Oh, do not forget the volunteer orchestra of retirees that uses it regularly. The city, who has not paid it's police a fair wage in years, wants to pave this parking lot as it's asking for employees to give up benefits? How is this parking lot, which is fine the way it is today, going to "STIMULATE" anything?

[edit] Points in Favor
[edit] Points Against
no "performing artists" perform here
parking lot is fine now
go to ticketmaster.com and see what venues are lined up here
try to find this "Performing Arts Center" without a GPS
not a priority in this city......bigger problems to fix
emergency services are extremely under staffed due to lack of money
how is this parking lot to stimulate the economy
events probably cost more to put on than the price to rent the place
It is actually an old church, not "performing arts center"

I hope our union reps bring up the wasteful spending issues (ie- palm trees, arts center, caboose, park station, neigborhood services building, sign posts, horse everything, and now this half a mil parking lot scam). Did a band of gypsies go to sleazy hall and pull a scam to get that contract? How many admin folks does it take to piss away monies that are needed elsewhere in the city (FD, PD, PW, etc). Meanwhile we are told to do more with less, no raises and the loss of benefits we have enjoyed for years. What cuts are the admin taking? Are they being told you don't need 5 directors for 4 employees in a division? Nope, the fat and grizzle are protected. Election time, the times are a changing!

I hope our union reps bring up the wasteful spending issues (ie- palm trees, arts center, caboose, park station, neigborhood services building, sign posts, horse everything, and now this half a mil parking lot scam). Did a band of gypsies go to sleazy hall and pull a scam to get that contract? How many admin folks does it take to piss away monies that are needed elsewhere in the city (FD, PD, PW, etc). Meanwhile we are told to do more with less, no raises and the loss of benefits we have enjoyed for years. What cuts are the admin taking? Are they being told you don't need 5 directors for 4 employees in a division? Nope, the fat and grizzle are protected. Election time, the times are a changing!

Good point, but they (those above our pay grade) don't care. Period. I have personally brought up some of the things you mentioned (palm trees, sign posts, caboose etc.) to management in the PD and with the city. They always have an answer and justification for it. The usual answer is that:

it was not "our" (city) money it was a grant from ___________________(plug in any outside agency here DOT, FEMA, NAMBLA, PSTA, Penny for Pinellas) and it had to be used exclusively for_____________________ (palm tree, caboose, italian imported tile, empty building to house Roe's crappy Deli) and could not be used for anything else. Had we not taken it, the money would just go to Largo, Clearwater or some other city for their palm trees, cabooses and big empty buildings with crappy deli's in them.

What I don't get is why don't we put in for grants for stuff that matters? Jack Nicholson said it best in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman... "This town needs an enima!"

Which ones?