3/18/2005
Media Contact:
Steve Campbell, [317] 327-3622
Monica Brase, [317] 327-3690 |
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Info on layoffs, service cuts in other U.S. cities online at www.IndianapolisWorks.com
INDIANAPOLIS - Details on police layoffs, the closure of fire stations, closed parks and swimming pools and other cutbacks in vital city services in cities across the United States are now online at www.IndianapolisWorks.com.
When Mayor Bart Peterson announced his Indianapolis Works plan in August, he warned that Indianapolis was beginning to experience what many major cities across the country are facing right now: local government shortfalls that are increasing at a staggering rate.
For instance:
• Pittsburgh laid off 100 police officers, is closing fire stations, closed nearly all city swimming pools and recreation centers, cut basic services and is raising parking taxes.
• Cleveland laid off 250 police officers and 70 firefighters.
• San Francisco is closing fire stations on a rotating basis, reducing pothole-repair crews, closing recreation centers, reducing its litter pickup and laying off public health nurses.
• Erie County, NY, Buffalo's home, is reducing police patrols and snowplowing, closing all county parks and golf courses and is cutting loose many of its cultural institutions.
• San Diego is considering charging families a monthly fee to collect trash and increasing parking meter rates and storm drain fees to fill a $50 million hole.
• Detroit has started looking for services to cut and is laying off at least 700 workers to fill its multi- hundred-million dollar budget shortfall.
• Memphis is planning to trim or cut city services and lay off more than 2,000 workers.
• Los Angeles County laid off 1,200 sheriff's deputies in two years.
• New York reduced its police force by 3,000 between 2001 and 2004.
To stop this from happening in Indianapolis, the Mayor proposed Indianapolis Works, a plan to cut the cost of local government by $35 million every year.
Without the plan, the city and county would be forced to lay off police officers, Sheriff's deputies and firefighters, close parks, cut neighborhood services and cut back on other important services, just as other cities across the country are doing.
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