City and County will Design a System of Public Safety

so...we're supposed to expect that a county that

-refuses to fund a brand new jail
-approves of illegal marriages

and a city whose

-mayor rides with law breakers like critical mass

is going to get with the program on public safety?

don't hold your breath

Lars, thank you for your interest in our community.

We aren't holding our breath. We are working very hard to make the best use of the resources we have. Our very determined and active intention is to align our most effective public safety services with our citizens' public safety priorities.

I can tell from your cynical remarks that you suspect we will not have success. You might even question our motives or sincerity. I hope our efforts and achievements surprise you. It is obvious this will not be easy; if it were, someone would have done a public safety partnership and worked on balancing the system already.

I hope you will at least wish us well. We think setting important goals and working hard to reach them is our job; and we are taking it very seriously.

Thank you again for your input,
Jane Ames

Jane: you suggest "We are working very hard to make the best use of the resources we have." Would that it were true.

Rather than devoting additional resources to public art (up to 2%, per Commissioner Adams' directive), would you agree to a moratorium on public art spending, with all proceeds devoted to public safety expenditures instead. That would demonstrate (to Lars and many others) that Sam Adams agrees that public safety is more important than public art.

Until you make public safety your number one budget priority, all the retreats, conferences, press releases, and blogaganda are empty words, full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.