A Good Start, Greg

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Mayor Greg Fischer made the first solid decision in getting the city’s budget fixed yesterday. He announced he’s laying off 20 business managers, out of 81, in order to save $1 million. If you believe the $22 million budget deficit figure he’s tossing around, then he’s just got another $21 million to go.

Fischer cut 20 jobs

The important thing is that the move is a sharp contrast from how Jerry Abramson would have handled the budget shortfall. With Mayor Jer, there would have been an announcement about all the ways he was saving money in order to avoid layoffs. He treated the city’s workforce like a sacred cow, declaring that laying off employees was the absolute last desperate move to make if things got tight.

Fischer, in announcing layoffs before going into deep budget talks, is saying that he’s serious about running an efficient government, and that unnecessary positions will be eliminated.

But he’s got $21 million to go.