City can’t manage itself

THE WAR ON seniors, veterans and property owners continues with another volley being developed by the city for an increase in gross receipts tax because (officials) don’t have the management skills to operate Albuquerque properly, so increase taxes.

One ... aspect to the mismanagement is the incestuous relationship between the unions and the city employees. The perks including paid sick leave, paid birthdays off, cashed-out reserved sick leave accumulation which is rarely found in private business where “Use it or lose it” is the rule, 16 percent higher pay than comparable private sector jobs, no accountability for performance, allow(ing) the unions to collect dues from the employees and then marshal them to support union-backed candidates so that the deteriorating financial condition is directly resulting from this degenerate relationship.

It is sad to watch the city grapple with crime, homelessness, lack of vigorous real economic development and then take the same policy steps that have led cities like Detroit to deteriorate so badly. Can we not learn from others’ mistakes?

There are those who are fed up with this cycle and are taking action. Those who continue to allow these policies to continue need to be changed in their thought process, and voting them out of office is not adequate. It is (important)to fill the Council chambers with those who are adversely affected by this shameful performance and help them find a better way of responsible, sustainable governance.

LELAND T. TAYLOR Albuquerque