Funding for public safety

Most in the community would agree that public safety must be viewed and budgeted as an essential service for the city.

When the subject of increasing wages for public safety employees is discussed, often the response is: We want to do this, but the funds are just not available to grant this request.

Possibly, our city leaders could find the funding if they reviewed the following:

How much of the use tax revenue received by the city could be used to increase wages for public safety employees?

How much of the marijuana tax revenue received by the city could be used to increase wages for public safety employees?

How much of the annual casino revenue endowment fund interest received by the city could be used to increase wages for public safety employees?

Could user fees for parks and recreation facilities and programs be increased to reduce the amount of financial subsidies required from the general operating budget? These savings could be used to increase wages for public safety employees?

I believe additional funding for increasing wages for public safety employees could be found if the tough questions were asked and answered.

This would require making some unpopular decisions regarding which nonessential facilities, programs and services should continue to be funded by the city at their current levels.

The issue boils down to: Are our city leaders and community ready to ask and answer tough questions and make unpopular decisions?

For the sake of public safety, I hope they are!

GARY HILL, Cape Girardeau