Where is mayor’s plan for fixing it?

Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson and his inner circle need to bring forward their analysis of and solutions to the crisis involving the 2004 budget.

For several months in 2003, in the press and on the stump, Stephanson said he could do a better job with the city budget than Frank Anderson. He said he was not allowed to see the books and therefore could not answer specific questions.

And his literature went on to “hammer” home the idea that the city shouldn’t be running a $4 million-$5 million deficit. He did the job and now thousands of us in Everett are “scared” of this huge (to us) budget deficit that the Anderson administration brought forward. In fact, Stephanson brought forth the best accountants in the city to state that running deficits is not the way to do business. We believed them.

He also brought forth about 20 successful businessmen and citizens who “frowned” at the Anderson budget, but were gleeful with Stephanson. This literature was also very successful and convinced us that Ray Stephanson could do the job and Frank Anderson didn’t have what it takes.

Now we can fast forward to Stephanson’s first or second council meeting. He was being forced to sign a budget he had no part in preparing. After all, on Jan. 1, the city would have had to shut down without Stephanson’s approval of the budget by Dec. 15. But wait! To the rescue was the council giant, Dale Pope, who took time from the meeting to remind council members that in the past and under situations that Stephanson faced, the council would allow the mayor to bring forth amendments to the budget. In that way, the “horrific” deficits could be fixed. Usually, it was reported, it would occur sometime in January.

So far, no adjustments have been forthcoming. Why not? It has been nearly 100 days. Is it because the Anderson administration did such a good job (which it did)?

Everett