Metro Budget Fatigue Set in Yet?

Or have you been paying enough attention to claim fatigue? Buck up. We've only just begun the budget fun.

In her latest installment of informative posts on the mysteries of the Metro budget, District 23 CM Emily Evans breaks down the Hospital Authority and Social Services. Given the latter's long term hiatus in Salemtown's Fehr School Building and the long lines we've seen of people waiting for utility bill assistance, CM Evan's criticism is noteworthy:

In 2004 an audit was conducted that said Social Services should become a planning and coordination organization and get out of the direct services business. [Director Gerri] Robinson was hired after that audit was done presumably to implement its recommendations. Social Services did much of what was recommended and then stopped. So, while the audit recommends a head count of 35, there are still 98 employees. The balance of employees are resisting efforts to further decrease the employee count. While they would likely find jobs with outside vendors charged with providing the same services, they may not have the same salary and benefits.
To balance her budget Ms Robinson decided not to cut any positions even though she has more employees than she should and instead decided to eliminate a summer camp voucher program for needy kids. Yes, that is what I said. I thought it was a poor decision and reflected a certain like of sensitivity to other Metro employees who are experiencing demotions, lay-offs and transfers.

It is hard enough scraping up enough money to fund public services, and to have the officials who are charged with oversight systematically undermine those services as Ms. Robinson has for her own personal agenda is wrong. Her actions only hurt the Nashvillians that the beleaguered program is designed to help. If her budget gets slashed in the future it won't be the fault of callous conservatives. It will be a self-inflicted wound.