burlingtonfreepress.com

Sponsored by:

vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


2.06.2009

 

Stimulating police

Sen. Patrick Leahy and Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling were quoted today in the New York Times, on the inclusion of money for police in the federal stimulus package.

Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/us/politics/06cops.html?_r=1&th&emc=th.

Leahy defends use of stimulus money for this item that does not particularly seem to meet the definition. He says:

''In police hiring, nearly 100 percent of the money goes to creating jobs.
'This is particularly important in the current economic crisis, since many
police departments are already reporting increases in crime and cuts in their
budgets and their forces.''

A senior analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation, David B.
Muhlhausen, who has written about the COPS program, disagreed, saying there was
''no evidence that funding for these kinds of programs will stimulate the
economy.''



Schirling talks of the potential - as yet unseen - of an increase in crime with the tanking economy.

Michael E. Schirling, the police chief in Burlington, Vt., a city of 40,000, said in an interview that while he expected crime to rise because of the troubled economy, it had not done so yet. But Chief Schirling said that ''the wave of economic troubles surely has the potential to drive not only crime but the stresses that drive people to alcohol and drug abuse, and that increases the volume of calls to law enforcement agencies.''


It's hard to argue against police, and it's really hard to argue that Vermont as a whole isn't sorely understaffed in that area, but is this stimulus?

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
About as much of a stimulus as the $246 million Leahy and Sanders tried to get through as a "tax break" for their Hollywood pals. And how would THAT have stimulated Vermont?
 
How could this not be considered stimulus??

If you don't think that jobs sitmulate the economy then you don't know what "stimulus" is.

Ever hear of John Maynard Keynes ???
 
First of all, Terri, are you seriously trying to imply that there's any real dispute over whether adequate infrastructure and police protection contributes to an environment conducive to economic growth or were you just being sarcastic by citing heritage foundation nonsense when they're merely a lunatic-fringe front group for the gops and advocating the same shortsighted, psychotic-slop policies that put us in this fix in the first place? Can't you find any legitimate, reputable sources to cite in your efforts to compare and contrast?

As we speak, President Obama's announcing the latest job loss figures, yet you see fit to cite the same clueless cretins responsible for this mess.

That's like taking Bin Laden's lunacy as a legitimate authority on how best to handle the two state solution or Cheney's thoughts on environmental matters.

What's next, David Duke's thoughts on civil rights?

A lie rooted in ignorance and bigotry is not a side of the story. It's just a lie. Stop pretending it's anything more than that.
 
Golly, trouble in paradise as Coop attacks his protector.

Maybe now Terri will do something about the troll JWCoop10.

Maybe the sun will rise in the west too.
 
It might be considered stimulus if they actually solved crimes and didn't just generate revenue by writing tickets that none of us can afford to pay....It would stimulate the insurance premiums and maybe AIG could pay back some of the money they owe us...:-)
 
(I meant the above comment for JWCoop10, not the anonymous poster)
 
None taken....:-)
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
markowitz for governor
 
correction: ASSHOLE
 
Markowitz all the way!
 
i just hope that leahy spreads the money around rather than give it all to burlington.

there are lots of other police depts around the state.
 
Not Markowitz - Shumlin all the way!
 
Racine is the one.
 
Doug Racine all the way!
 
I would vote for Racine.
 
I suppose we are in for a long, boring year or two of the Racine-Markowitz juveniles posting their ever-enlightening "Duh. Racine for Governor" or "Duh. Go Deb"! I'd almost rather read jw's cut and pastes.
 
But Jim = Jobs is OK? In spite of the current situation?
 
What is immature is the inability to tolerate someone else's viewpoint and to name-call the person who experesses it.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
Racine for Governor
 
Markowitz for Governor
 
What exactly is the Legislature in Vermont doing? Is this going to be the same ol' thing - lots of talk - no action?
 
Boots Wardinski for something.
Peter Diamondstone for Lt. something.
 
Yes!!!
 
Jeb Spaulding for Treasurer - go et 'um.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

June 2006   July 2006   August 2006   September 2006   October 2006   November 2006   December 2006   January 2007   February 2007   March 2007   April 2007   May 2007   June 2007   July 2007   August 2007   September 2007   October 2007   November 2007   December 2007   January 2008   February 2008   March 2008   April 2008   May 2008   June 2008   July 2008   August 2008   September 2008   October 2008   November 2008   December 2008   January 2009   February 2009   March 2009   April 2009   May 2009   June 2009   July 2009   August 2009   September 2009   October 2009   November 2009   December 2009   January 2010   February 2010   March 2010   April 2010