Stupid, Self-Destructive City Budget Tricks

Smart people don't stiff their hairdresser, insult their food server or cut cop and firefighter pay to less than teenagers get to flip burgers.

Think Progress:

Ignoring a federal judge’s injunction, Scranton, Pennsylvania moved ahead with its plan to reduce the pay of city workers to the federal minimum wage starting Friday. Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty claims the city is broke and that the minimum wage payments are all it can possibly pay.

Given that cities and states appear to be broke only because Congressional repugs have repeatedly blocked all Democratic attempts to restore federal funding, let us hope that Doherty's move is a stunt to call attention to the desperate need for federal stimulus, rather than his actual solution to the problem.