The Community Investment. Schools, housing, and job programs are defunct and boarded up, but the police ans SWAT teams have expensive combat equipment.
The people employed Ferguson, who live in Ferguson and have businesses in Ferguson could really do without the help of those people who come in from out of state to burn down the businesses that employ them, give them a place to shop without hauling groceries on the bus, etc. No one in Ferguson appreciates all that wonderful support, that will make their lives more difficult for years after you have gone back to San Francisco or where ever. Can’t you find a way to express your anger that doesn’t involve damaging the lives of the people in the town you say you are supporting?
Wait a minute – I thought the complaint over the summer was that the U.S. military was practically giving away surplus military gear to local police – that it was too cheap and easy for local police to militarize. Kinda the opposite point being made here.
meetinthemiddle: Doesn’t matter whether the money is local or federal, there’s still an immense amount of money going to police departments. That stuff may be cheap to the police depts, but it wasn’t cheap when we taxpayers paid for it in the first place.
meetinthemiddle: Doesn’t matter whether the money is local or federal, there’s still an immense amount of money going to police departments. That stuff may be cheap to the police depts, but it wasn’t cheap when we taxpayers paid for it in the first place.
To borrow business jargon, the stuff was purchased by the U.S. military and then fully depreciated. When it had reached the end of its useful life (as determined by the military) it was sold for pennies (or fractions of pennies) on the dollar to local law enforcement. Yes the U.S. govt spent a lot on it, but a) was it really past usefulness to the military? In other words, are they casting stuff off just because they want shiny new ones? b) would it be better to destroy/recycle the castoffs rather than give them to local law enforcement? Those are decent questions – but to say local govts are blowing a lot of money on armaments and nothing on infrastructure is the flip of the argument we were having over the summer. That is to say the federal govt is just giving all this stuff away.
William Bednar Premium Member over 9 years ago
Wait, where are the flame throwers?
oneoldhat over 9 years ago
unfortunately even with the $$ the police the new school just completed 08/01/14 looks like this
Diane Lee Premium Member over 9 years ago
The people employed Ferguson, who live in Ferguson and have businesses in Ferguson could really do without the help of those people who come in from out of state to burn down the businesses that employ them, give them a place to shop without hauling groceries on the bus, etc. No one in Ferguson appreciates all that wonderful support, that will make their lives more difficult for years after you have gone back to San Francisco or where ever. Can’t you find a way to express your anger that doesn’t involve damaging the lives of the people in the town you say you are supporting?
meetinthemiddle over 9 years ago
Wait a minute – I thought the complaint over the summer was that the U.S. military was practically giving away surplus military gear to local police – that it was too cheap and easy for local police to militarize. Kinda the opposite point being made here.
Cerabooge over 9 years ago
meetinthemiddle: Doesn’t matter whether the money is local or federal, there’s still an immense amount of money going to police departments. That stuff may be cheap to the police depts, but it wasn’t cheap when we taxpayers paid for it in the first place.
Cerabooge over 9 years ago
meetinthemiddle: Doesn’t matter whether the money is local or federal, there’s still an immense amount of money going to police departments. That stuff may be cheap to the police depts, but it wasn’t cheap when we taxpayers paid for it in the first place.
Cerabooge over 9 years ago
Oops. Tapped twice, because it didn’t seem to take, and … you see the result.
I think double posting halves the value of the comment (if there was any to begin with).
meetinthemiddle over 9 years ago
To borrow business jargon, the stuff was purchased by the U.S. military and then fully depreciated. When it had reached the end of its useful life (as determined by the military) it was sold for pennies (or fractions of pennies) on the dollar to local law enforcement. Yes the U.S. govt spent a lot on it, but a) was it really past usefulness to the military? In other words, are they casting stuff off just because they want shiny new ones? b) would it be better to destroy/recycle the castoffs rather than give them to local law enforcement? Those are decent questions – but to say local govts are blowing a lot of money on armaments and nothing on infrastructure is the flip of the argument we were having over the summer. That is to say the federal govt is just giving all this stuff away.