Public officials are still adjusting to the pauper lifestyle most cities are forced to live these days. Declining tax bases, rising deficits, and perpetual budget problems are forcing them to cut expenditures and look for spare dough.
You may joke that they're looking for loose change under the couch cushions, but it's not really a joke anymore. Take Lorain County Commissioner Tom Williams' newest proposal to shave some money from the county's budget: doing away with free coffee at public meetings and canceling the county's newspaper subscriptions.
The sum total savings from these deep, deep cuts: about $1900 a year. His proposal has been met with equal parts nuttiness and scoffing.
