Another year, not much change

After a long sabbatical in another country, I return to find the city of Monroe and the county too in the same sad situation as when I left: Too much service, not enough money.
Now it looks like the city is getting ready to cut closer to the bone and one of the casualties again will be the fire department, and probably its ambulance service.
For most residents who don't have fires or medical emergencies -- and that means most everyone who lives in the city -- the shrinkage of these services probably will hardly be noticed. For those unfortunate enough to have a heart attack, it might mean a matter of life or death. But even those of us who don't think we'll be affected will be affected, especially if insurance rating services downgrade the city's fire protection status because of fewer firefighting personnel. That will translate into higher property insurance rates for most people. It means that despite city budget cutting, citizens will end up paying more out of pocket because of less fire protection. The taxpayers get screwed again. Like I said, not much has changed.