in an age of austerity

with virtually all municipalities teetering on the brink of bankruptcy or collapse, attempts to cut spending should normally be accepted as necessary, but it's precisely where these cuts are proposed that one should worry about. while pay cuts to public sector employees may ultimately be necessary, one should look into the complicated bureaucratic structure of these governments to find corruption and inefficiencies before putting the burden upon those manning the front lines of oublic service. administrative pay and responsibilities should be thoroughly re-evaluated. we should decide what public service means to us and find creative new ways for commu ities, raer than governing bodies, to self-determine the means by which their needs are met. these governments should also look at their expenses objectively to find excessive spending on services from third parties. and most of all, conflicts of interest and corruption should be ropted out from these governing bodies, implementation of transparency methods should be finally addressed, and open source solutions should be used whenever they meet the needs that otherwise cost thousands, sometimes millions of dollars.