Rosemead Budget

The SGV Tribune is doing another "Rah, Rah" story about our city council: Rosemead's Budget Plan Saves Services from the Chopping Block."

It's a funny article, once you put it in context:

The second paragraph of the story says: "We will maintain service levels in public safety, parks and recreation, and elsewhere." But in paragraph 8, we learn that the Oktoberfest is on the chopping block. Is that not a program put on by parks and recreation?

In paragraph 7, we learn that sales tax revenue to the city is expected to drop by $216,000. Well, that's funny, because the Tribune just told us a few months ago (in covering the "State of the City" address) that Rosemead, unlike El Monte, wasn't facing the same budget crunch because we didn't rely on car sales and because we had Wal-Mart. What happened? Did Rosemead's Wal-Mart close when I wasn't looking?

Last funny thing about the article: It fails to mention that the city's reserve is going to be drawn down by about $200,000 next year. And that was counting a bunch of increased city fees that the council is probably going to reject. Typical Republicans: Borrow and spend.