Police, schools looking at big budget cuts

Hard numbers - the property tax levy will increase about $65 million. State aid will get cut $50-75 million and other revenue will drop about $50-75 million. This means the $2.5 billion budget will have to fall by a max of $85 million and probably not even that. This is roughly 2-3% across the board. I know all our unions negotiated wage increases - but this is not armageddon - and shouldn't be a 10% budget cut unless you are including some bizarre increase in state assessments (where the city subsidizes the MBTA for causing damage to our historic churches and libraries). This is a ploy by the city to get meal, parking and event taxes passed. There are about 7200 firemen, teachers and cops in the city and 10,000 other employees - so we hear that only cops and teachers will get cut - likely story - total scare tactics to get the legislature to pass stupid laws. When will one of our local star journalists call the mayor and the city council on this pile of stink!