Free Talk Live

People have been made to pay ever more for Big Government in England. Here's what all that spending has gotten them. Sadly, this tragedy is only one of several stories of its kind.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Angry relatives of a man shot to death by police who apparently mistook a pistol-grip water nozzle he held for a gun are lashing out at officers, saying they made no effort to contact him before opening fire.

However, police officials say Douglas Zerby's behavior prompted the officers' response.

Things are getting so bad in Newark that the mayor has ordered the government to stop buying toilet paper.... The city budget shortfall is $70 million and (Mayor) Booker plans to meet the revenue shortfall with budget cuts instead of property tax increases. "Taxes can not be the answer," Booker said.

Can You Fix the U.S. Budget? Test Yourself

If you haven't tried The New York Times's Budget Puzzle yet, give it a shot. It's a quick interactive exercise that lets you make all the hard decisions (or easy, politically unpopular decisions, as the case may be) to see if you can come up with a combination of cuts and taxes that balance the books.

Detroit Fire Department Executive Fire Commissioner Donald Austin said he's proposing the city allow vacant buildings and homes to burn themselves out - but under conditions. “We are in no way looking to 'let the city' burn, this is about saving lives and money,” Austin said. “My department is strapped, the budget is strapped, and it’s time to look at a new way of doing things.” It's one of 3 proposals, the other 2 being to use the Navy for demolition, and creating a demolition unit within the Fire Dept, with the heavy equipment needed.

The fiscal 2011 funding bill roundly hailed for its "historic" spending cuts actually raised government spending by more than $3 billion, according to a new report.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded Monday evening, "Total discretionary outlays in 2011 will be $3.2 billion higher as a result of the legislation, CBO estimates—an increase of $7.5 billion for defense programs, partially offset by a net reduction of $4.4 billion in other spending."

Daily News @ http://RevolutionNews.US ~ Firefighters watch home burn down because owner hadn't paid $75 ..The fire reportedly started in some barrels outside. As the flames crept closer to the home, Cranick says he offered to pay whatever it would take. The plea fell on deaf ears. Hours later, the home was gone.

So were three dogs and a cat.

"They coulda' been saved if they put water on it. But they didn't do it," Cranick told MSNBC.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/04/firefighters-watch-as-hom_n_750...

COLORADO SPRINGS — This tax-averse city is about to learn what it looks and feels like when budget cuts slash services most Americans consider part of the urban fabric.

More than a third of the streetlights in Colorado Springs will go dark Monday. The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet. The city is dumping firefighting jobs, a vice team, burglary investigators, beat cops — dozens of police and fire positions will go unfilled.

The parks department removed trash cans last week, replacing them with signs urging users to pack out their own litter.

Judge in Ohio tells people to carry a gun if they feel less safe as a result of budget cuts