How screwed up is my city?

Gardner claims to be out of cash and is making their City Hall workers cut back on hours and take mandatory unpaid vacations. Okay, I get it-- the economy is somehow hurting them. Wait! What was that I just saw pass me? WOW, it's a new Public Safety car... Hang on, there's another one...and another. Hmmm... did the city purchase new cars with all the money they say they don't have?

Really? Nothing gets me more fired up right now than the misuse of city, state, and federal funds. I don't believe that new police patrol cars are more important than paying your employees. The ones we had were just fine. Instead of helping those they have a responsibility to in way of a living they go and purchase new cars! Seriously, that's just plain crap. Pure and simple. I don't care if they got some stupid federal grant or whatever. The Feds should be giving money to the state and local governments so they can continue paying their employees instead of the tens of millions they allocate and give out for new equipment and vehicles. What's really more important? Basic logic and common sense says that they should keep paying employees so they can pay their own bills and put food on the table instead of helping make economic times harder. /rant