DEAN SLICES AND DICES BUDGET

Grand Rapids City Commissioner Robert Dean has the right eye for spying the plumpest parts of the City budget as he argued on Tuesday for spending cuts that City Manager Kurt Kimball failed to propose.  On the top of Dean's list is the top-heavy staff under Kimball's supervision.  The third ward commissioner wants to ax the salaries of Kimball's three top lieutanants by $100,000, reduce the salaries of department heads and deputies by 15%, and eliminate completely some of the fluffier sinecures at city hall including the historic preservation specialist and the sign fabricator.

Dean also wants to lop off $900,000 from the public museum's annual subsidy of $1.9 million.  Good move.  The museum director has been bragging about how well he has financially managed the place.  Let's see if he really has what it takes to make the place stay out of the red.

So, dear readers, give kudos to Commissioner Dean for being willing to slaughter the sacred cows of Kimball's proposed budget.  He'll need all the support he can get, because General George and at least three other commissioners don't seem to get it yet that the City has to get back to concentrating on the basics.