Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene’s attempt to cut the costs of government are in the news again. Ordinarily, requesting all departments to cut expenses 3% would be a good idea. However, popular opinion is favoring an exception for Sheriff Van Duncan. Duncan inherited a department under federal investigation and had to implement tighter controls. Public safety is the one area of government that should not be under-funded.
While it is not unusual for managers of political jurisdictions to recommend flat percentage decreases across all departments, it doesn’t make sense that a sheriff should have to lay off ten deputies while a library director gets to cancel staff trips. As a general rule, does crime go up or down as an economy gets tighter?
Lastly, it is the opinion of at least one blogger on this site that social programs supported by the county – some of which are so bad they are probably mandated by the state – enable single parenthood and thus increased juvenile delinquency.
