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• Maintain services by borrowing

  Maintain services by borrowing

  The mayor and the City Council need to let the people decide whether they want to fund city services or to further cut public safety. Management's short-sighted, conservative philosophy prevented it from putting a half-cent cent Public Safety Restoration Tax on the November 2012 ballot.

  The city should now put the tax measure on the November 2014 ballot (when the most people will vote). In the interim, the city should work with all of the employee groups who have offered benefit reductions that the city has declined to accept and borrow from internal funds to maintain services.

  Howard K. Watkins

• Calif. senator proposes later alcohol service

  Calif. senator proposes later alcohol service

  Last call at California restaurants, bars and nightclubs could come later under legislation proposed by a state senator from San Francisco.

• Outsource trash collection

  Outsource trash collection

  I believe the key to getting the city of Fresno through its budget crisis is to privatize residential solid waste services. The city has cut services to levels that are as low as they should go. In fact, they are probably lower than they should be, especially in public safety.

  Privatization is a win-win for both the city budget and residents. The city would get much-needed, long-term help with its budget through the franchise fee, and residents would see an immediate 17% reduction in rates.

  In my mind, it is not difficult to choose between keeping more police officers on the street or having city employees pick up my trash even though the private sector could do it just as well, if not better. Let's use some common sense here!

• City Hall needs better leaders

  City Hall needs better leaders

  After attending the city of Fresno's budget workshop and the City Council hearing on trash privatization, I am dismayed by the poor leadership of our great city. The failure of the mayor and some of the City Council members to get beyond their conservative philosophy of government will now cost the taxpayers at least $1 million.

  Simply stated, the budget workshop showed that, despite major cutbacks to police, fire and other staff, Fresno lacks the revenue needed to maintain current, insufficient service levels. Further, even with privatization, the city budget will be underfunded.

  What the facts called for long ago was for the city to place on last November's ballot a small, short-term public safety restoration tax and then let the voters decide if they wanted either to pay for increased public safety or have further cutbacks in city government. It would have cost the city only a few thousand dollars to let the voters decide then.

• Report: Gas vapors caused KC restaurant fire

  Report: Gas vapors caused KC restaurant fire

  Federal and local officials say a fatal explosion and fire at a Kansas City restaurant last month were sparked by natural gas vapors inside the popular business.