California City Bans Fireworks on the 4th

A 4th of July without fireworks?  I was recently made aware of just that, where else but in California? In An American Carol, Leslie Neilson opens with a story of how the 4th of July was saved from a group of miscreants attempting to ban the holiday.  It was released to theaters in 2008.  In 2009, a California town banned fireworks.  It claimed that it cost too much to patrol the beaches for criminals preying on its citizens and visitors.  Instead, the city preys on its citizenry which might want to celebrate:

"The Monterey Police Department would like to remind everyone that ALL fireworks are prohibited within the city limits of Monterey.  Officers will be out to enforce the ban through the holiday weekend.  Fines for violation of the ban start at $1000.00" LT Leslie Sonne

To ensure fireworks wouldn't return to the budget, the city spent $20,000 to sink the barge that was used to launch them.  Is this life imitating art?

 Monterey was once the home of the 7th Infantry Division at Fort Ord.  Today the old Army base is called a blight and they argue over how quick they can tear down the last vestiges of it and what to do with their booty(the land).  The median household income in Monterey is $60,309, while the non-federal income tax rate is 9.3%, the sales tax rate is 7.25%, and a 1% property tax rate on a mean home value of $842,819(2009).  About 18% of its workers are employed by the government and over 10% of its citizens are unemployed.  And even after expelling the 7th Infantry Division, the military still pumps a billion dollars a year into the Monterey economy.

Why do I bring up these figures?  Because if there is one entity that should not be hurting for money, it is the city government.  The place has significant tax rates, ie. income.  Leon Panetta (he hails from the area) himself is credited with keeping the military money flowing into the area.  And the property tax alone from just 12 of its residents would pay for its fireworks display, based on those numbers.

What did the city do when they noticed decreasing revenues post 2009 (which happens to correspond to the year they got rid of the Fireworks)?  They eliminated 3 Police officers this year alone (saving more than $400,000/year).   And added an extra $10,000 to seize citizens assets. [They eliminated: An officer at $114,213, A Sergeant at $136,814, and A Lieutenant at $167,959/year.]

The Federal Government funds 12% (and growing) of the City of Monterey's government in the form of contract for a small post there.  The baseline is $7 Million, but the city notes in its budget that it gets on average $11 Million of it $95 Million off the contract for an Army post called the Presidio(3500 Troops).  Another 12% (and shrinking) is their tax on "transients," i.e. tourists and Troops transitioning to the post. 

Business tax and Sales Tax are also in decline, since 2009, when they eliminated their fireworks.  On the other hand, their Police Force raises more than a $1 Million a year in tickets of their tourists and Troops.  And the city makes more than $2.4 Million a year in rental properties.

Why focus on this one city?  There are many lessons that could be extrapolated from it, but the city has increasingly relied on the US Taxpayer in Florida to fund its programs, while preying on those that visit the city.  It has eliminated 10 Police Officers in just 4 years, which represents 12% of its force.  It has reduced the services which bring people to it (like fireworks in its tourist season) and focused instead on fining those that have them.  And the new Secretary of Defense can be expected to protect its income stream from the Department of Defense.

But while this small post converts DoD Defense Dollars into Municipal Budget Dollars and changes positions from being filled by Soldiers to DoD Civilians and Contractors, (Dod Civilians fill out forms, instead of enlisted personnel and Contractors clean the floors instead of Privates), the area papers call for more federal taxes and a negotiated response to the terrorists that prey on American Citizens.

Why focus on this one town?  It is a glaring example of how to strangle private business and what happens when the local population gets their wish of getting rid of the local military base (Ft Ord), and how a powerful person (Leon Panetta) in the right position can help keep DoD money flowing into that community.  It is an example of how the DoD budget can grow, while the ability to fight wars is diminished.  It is an example of how powerful politicians can funnel money into their pet projects from the DoD budget.

In 1980, DoD Civilians made up less than 1 in 4 of the total payroll of the Department of Defense, with few contractor positions. In 2007, it was more than 1 of 3 of the DoD budget, with likely an equal number of contractor positions.  Why does that matter?  DoD Civilians don't fight wars, but their salaries are counted against the budget that does.  In 1987, there were 2,174,100 Troops in Active Service.   In 1992, with the cuts for the "peace dividend," the projected 1997 Active Duty force was 1,626,000 Troops in uniform.  By 2000, there were only 1,370,678 Troops on Active Duty. In 2007, there were only 1,365,571 Troops on Active Duty, after 5 years of war.  In 2010, the Obama Administration instituted a cut of 49,000 Troops, while 2 wars continued.

Even President Carter left the Nation with more Troops, during peace, than what we've had to fight now 3 wars: 2,050,200 in 1980.  While this Administration pays lipservice to the sacrifices of Our Troops, it continues to place a greater burden on fewer to complete the mission.  And this small town in California exemplifies the ideological divide between those that Protect it and the Protected.  One small town in California exemplifies the parasitic effect on the very budget they suck dry of the Military's ability to fight the wars it's supposed to fight.  And that town is the pet project of the incoming Secretary of Defense.

Written as a satirical comedy, it seems An American Carol was also prophetic.