sonjabailes.com

Let me begin by saying I don’t dispute for a minute that workers with the City of Shreveport deserve a $1,000 bonus. I’m just trying to make sense of the city council’s decision to dole it out from a taxpayer’s standpoint.

Rewind to the summer. Wasn’t the city so broke that it couldn’t open any of the public pools — except for one? And it was only opened because a private venue came in to run it. Hasn’t the city put off repairing the Barnwell Center’s domed roof because it didn’t have the money? And hasn’t a slew of non-profits that contribute to the quality of life for Shreveport residents seen their funding slashed by the city? That’s why I’m kind of questioning if this is the best timing to give out bonuses … as soon as the city gets some money in its hands. A time when lay-offs and pay cuts unfortunately define the nation and this area. Not bonuses.  

True, the city has a nice tidy $6 million or so now in bonus money, thanks to signing leases for drilling of the Haynesville Shale. But have municipalities forgotten about the value of saving for a rainy day? To put it in the bank? The last time I checked, the revenue base in Shreveport wasn’t going up — only down — and the prospect of employment was still bleak. Given that, won’t we be right back at square one? Facing the same scenario next year? Seems like we could sure use that chunk of change to shore up present and future deficits.  Maybe pave some streets and fill more potholes. And maybe have places for our kids to swim on hot summer days.