Action Means Action, Dummy

I hear people around town, on local talk shows, at the City Council, claiming that though the retiree health care issue is spinning out of control, "at least they're doing something about it". My question to those of you who follow this train of thought is: what? What is the Mayor doing about it? What is the Council doing about it? They put together a panel to study, report and suggest remedies. They completed their study, gave a very comprehensive report along with suggested fixes and were thanked and summarily dismissed.

Has the Council or Mayor taken any action on their recommendations? The answer is no. There have been no resolutions other than a token endorsement of the recommendations by the Council. Still though, no tangible action on this critical issue. This debt grows by an estimated $35,000 every day, still no action by the Council to stem the tide. What are we waiting for? I was listening to a local talk show and a woman called in to say, "you all complain that they're not taking action so why don't you offer up a solution?" This is the kind of thinking that is sinking Duluth fast. They have had solutions presented to them and they are the ones who must take the action. We can offer up solutions all day long but if they fail to act, we are powerless and might just as well be mumbling in the corner.

For every two days we wait, this costs us as much as a full time equivalent (FTE) or the equivalent of one City employee. This is the subject nearly everyone who cares is concerned with and talking about. We are all waiting to see what the Mayor and Council do with this. They are doing nothing. It begins to make those of us who are on the more conservative side, disgusted, left feeling powerless and scratching our heads wondering who's running the asylum.

As much as people are demanding action and complaining about this, there is still no action and those seeking to defend the left, the unions, the DFL candidates charged with taking action and not doing it charge that we are attacking them. You're damn right we're attacking them. They have been presented this issue as the number one concern of the City, have been made aware of the dire consequences if it is not addressed and still we wait. All have paid lip-service to this issue but none seem to have the fortitude to take action. Tick, Tick, Tick, TICK... The clock is running and the debt is growing...Anytime guys! This is what electing incompetents to run our City gets us. Enjoy the view.