Fund needs over wants

While shopping, have you ever placed items back on the shelf because you didn’t have enough money to pay for everything in your cart? Humbling experience, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I believe the City of Cape Girardeau has reached this point! We have overextended our financial commitments on nonessential items (wants) and now there isn’t sustainable revenue available to fully fund essential needs. Needs like competitive wages for our public safety employees! It’s time our elected officials and members of the community accept this reality and manage city finances differently. 1. We need to eliminate several city wants that aren’t self-funding. 2. The practice of subsidizing the costs of wants with General Fund revenue must stop. 3. Casino dollars, not General Fund revenue, should be used to subsidize the costs of Parks and Recreation, sports complexes, airport and other similar items. These three actions would create substantial savings in the General Fund account. Savings that could be used to fund wage increases for our public safety employees. Yes, it would be inconvenient if at some time casino dollars were reduced or eliminated. But the loss wouldn’t interrupt essential services funded by sustainable revenue. Police, fire, EMT and public works services would still be provided. Just some of the city’s wants would have to wait. Let’s put some of the wants back on the shelf. Doing so will create substantial savings in the General Fund account. Savings that could be used to increase wages for our public safety employees! GARY HILL, Cape Girardeau