The biggest story of the week was the one about service cuts in Phoenix due to plunging tax collections for January. February saw Phoenix with a budget deficit of $67.2 million; a plan, which included cuts to city departments (particularly the police department), was proposed but proved not as effective as expected. March now adds $22 million to the deficit. Currently, the plan proposed in March by officials is to increase property-tax revenue, reduce vehicle and computer replacements, and take money from the rainy-day fund. Activities will be affected: pools will be closed for two more months out of the year, park fees will increase, and community center and museum hours will be cut. Residents are in an uproar. They want their pool-time and community events back. Fourth of July is very important to some. One resident, Sharon Davis, commented on anxiety about police department reduction-- she said, "how are we supposed to feel safe and protected?" when there are many gangs about. Regardless, the fact remains that several major areas of Phoenix- Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Glendale, and Scottsdale - feel the repercussions of the deficit in budget plunging. Gilbert has already begun making plans to cut back library hours and halting a local newsletter publication. The Phoenix City Council met Tuesday to decide a plan.
More than anything, this article offers service to the public. It is very important for residents of a city to know the economic state of their city, especially when the city is suffering. Clearly, residents will be affected; this article informs them on how and why. Proximity is clearly evident: Phoenix residents will understand why there is a budget deficit because they know the city. The impact is great: residents will feel the repercussions in their lives. (Arizona Republic, 3/7/08).
The best story of the week was the one about the Colombian rebel deserter killing his leader Ivan Rios to help the Colombian army less than a week after another FARC leader had been killed. I think the article was powerful; it began with a vivid scene of how the guerrilla walked out of the jungle with Rios' severed hand. That image is impacting! Colombia's situation between the rebel army and the government army is very sticky. Just last week, the Colombian army crossed the Ecuadorian border and killed a FARC leader in Ecuador, causing an uproar in Ecuador. Ecuador and Venezuela withdrew ambassadors from Bogota. Being Colombian myself, I make it a point to keep up with the country's news; the fact that the author did justice to the brutality and criticality of the Colombian situation means that it can grab more people's attention. The more informed people become, the more opinions change, and the more stimulated the public becomes about the ideals Colombia is fighting about: power to the government vs. power to the people. This news is important now, because it boosts Colombian president Alvaro Uribe's image. The fact that a guerrilla killed his very own leader represents the interior implosions of the rebel armies. (Arizona Republic, 3/9/08).
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was linked to a high-end call-girl ring. (Arizona Republic, 3/11/08)... Two bombs killed 53 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad Shiite neighborhood. (Arizona Republic, 3/7/08)... Venezuela and Colombia restored ties after struggle over Ecuadorian border issue. (Arizona Republic, 3/10/08)... New York Governor Eliot Spitzer spent almost $80 thousand on prostitute. (Arizona Republic, 3/12/08)... Barack Obama won Mississippi primaries. (Arizona Republic, 3/12/08)...
