In the current moment, Buffalo is said to be broke. Most everyone reading this has been broke at one time or another.

In Buffalo’s case, however, there are people thinking up ways to end the impecunious moment. Buffalo could return to prosperity any minute, of course. Buffalo still has a resource of 292,000 people, dwindling, however, though that number may be. And, people are more valuable than all the wealth in the world.

In the meanwhile, we await a revelation. It could come from any quarter. How to solve the problem of bankruptcy? Warren Buffett might donate 10% of his annual income and solve the problem at once. Or some of the council members might give a suggestion on what a city which spends more than it takes in might do.

Betty Jean Grant, for instance, common council member for University, proposes a simple solution: cut expenses. As Dickens said, annual income, 20 pounds, annual expenditure 19. Result: happiness. Annual income, 20 pounds, annual expenditure 20, and one. Result: misery.

Grant is calling for a 10% pay cut for every Buffalo employee - a move not likely to make her popular, but might, if it were to pass, solve some of the "problem" or, as they say in Vegas, "don’t call it a problem, call it a ‘challenge.’" Grant is the first to admit her proposal is facing a challenge. The chances for passage are "slim." Indeed, most people need 100 % of their pay to meet expenses. Although some do tithe at their church. Few persons are saving more than ten percent, yet Grant asks, what’s the alternative? "Would you rather that we pay 20% more for user fees and water rates?"

The ten percent pay cut across the boards is, however, probably dead in the water. As council members are quick to point out, the city couldn’t impose the cuts because of existing union contracts. Thus a watered down idea has emerged. When one can’t cut everyone, how about cutting a few? It inspired, indeed, the return to reciting that lovely piece of doggerel, so apt for those thinking about cutting the cost of government: "Don’t cut you, don’t cut me, cut the man behind the tree."

One of the most recent versions of this is that only elected officials take the 10% pay cut. The council themselves might vote on their own pay cut, just as they, a few years before, voted on their pay raise. We couldn’t resist asking a few members about it.

Lovejoy Councilman Rich Fontana said he would cut his pay almost cheerfully if all other public officials salaries in the city were also cut. Cut every non-union employee, he says, and he’s on. And union employees, who can’t be forced to cut, could still volunteer, right? Fat chance.

"I don't think they are voluntarily going to agree to it," said Fontana, "The school district couldn't even get their employees to agree to a 1.5% cut."

Council member at large Charley Fisher, on the other hand, does not think much of the council alone taking a 10% hit. He floats an idea of his own - that of an income transfer tax of 10% on all those (and there are many) city of Buffalo employees who live in the suburbs.

"A 10% fee," said Fisher, "on fire fighters and police and school teachers who live outside the city. It’s fair. The suburbs don’t allow their police officers etc to live outside their boundaries. There is effectually a residency requirement in most other towns. But what do we do in Buffalo? We are actually laying off Buffalo residents, in favor of long time Buffalo employees who are suburban residents ."

Interestingly, some of the members have begun to cut their pay: Every pay period, council members are entitled to take a sum for expenses. It amounts to 6% of their total income, which, by the way, is about $1000 a week. They get $60 extra as an expense allowance, if they ask for it. Allowance money requests for the last three pay periods show that nine council members have not always asked for expenses. Only four members have been consistently taking what would amount to a grandiose total of $360 for six weeks. They are Grant, Barbara Williams, Antoine Thompson, and Fisher. Lame duck Fillmore council woman, Karen Ellington took $120 for the last (two week) pay period. South District member Mary Martino took $240.

Now, if anybody looks carefully, this current volunteerism would save the city $540 per week, or about $25,000 a year, leaving a shortfall of somewhere from $15,075,000 to $39,975,000 for 2002.

Still, Coppola is taking his 6% hit. Would he go the whole ten? His answer is the answer that so many employees would have to say if asked to give up money: "If you ask me to give up 4% more, I guess I would do it, but only if it's across the board. Just because I'm an elected official, that doesn't mean I want to do this for free. I have a family to support, just like everyone else."

Indeed, if the entire Council took the 10% cut, about $70,000 would be saved. Leaving only $39, 930, 000 to go.

Masten Councilman Antoine Thompson would participate also in this symbolic gesture but he has an addendum: "Did you see the Buffalo News issue in which they listed the top money earners in city government," he asks. "You had Eva Hassett, who is the Commissioner of Administration and Finance, in the top ten, making something in the $90,000 range. The Council members would only rank somewhere in the 400s. So, if we are going to take a 10% cut, I would like to see some of the bigger earners take it too."

Niagara Councilman Nick Bonafacio addressed how much he thought needed to be cut: "From $31 million, we have gotten the amount we need to cut down to $15.1 million. I understand that the Water Board is going to increase water rates by 19%. That is something we have no control over but it will bring in revenue. We cut the funding for 60 mostly vacant jobs. We've laid off 75 workers, 13 full time and 62 seasonal employees on Nov. 2. We are looking for cuts in the Buffalo Municipal Housing Agency and are going to cut about $1 million out of over time pay in various departments."
All good and most of the members have more golden ideas which we hope to address in future columns.

Fillmore District council elect Dave Franczyk favors a 10% pay cut for Council members, but offers a hard line attitude toward other employees.

"If they won't accept the 10% cuts," Franczyk said, "then just lay them off! Lay them off... Most of them don't live in the city anyway."
Conversely, Coppola worries the city will lose good employees because of the talk about layoffs and pay cuts.

"We have accountants who work for the city who make $23,000 per year," he said "Do you expect them to take a 10% cut?"
Thus, in these dark days of penury, there are a mix of voices: Despair, hope, fear, anger and tempered reason. North District Councilman Joe Golombek offers hope, once pictured as a shapely young woman, sitting on top of the naked globe, blindfolded, with her fingers crossed, and with the thinnest of strings tied from her head to a wooden spool she so carefully clutches to her breast; if she moves ever so slightly the string must break.

"The important thing is that instead of just concentrating on all the doom and gloom talk," said Golombek, "we should concentrate on what we can do to make the situation better."
Just now, in Buffalo, she sits atop the naked globe alone and ponders and hopes.

(Glenn Gramigna contributed to this report)