An out-of-control train?

If you look at the little scorecard we created listing those in favor or opposed to the override, it seems pretty clear the schools and police are driving the train right now.

We are not going to argue the benefits of public safety and education. They are two of the most important things city government provides us.

One concern so far, however, is that there is no centralized effort for an override. The school folks are driving their train, and the Police Department seems to be getting on board.

But who else wants a seat on the train?

Conceivably, every city department has something it wants to do but can't afford. How many of those departments will attach itself to the override? The argument for more spending on education and cops is a strong one and would likely have long coat-tails.

The city didn't really have a plan for filling in this budget gap -- beyond getting money from the state or taxpayers. It appears there's not a solid plan in place right now for the override. We fear a come-one-come-all situation where the override figure grows out of control.

Instead, let's have no override at all, and find a solution to the problem that doesn't include increasing the burden on taxpayers.