By Ray Cardello for August 23, 2023, Season 21 / Post 29

Most Democrats, except for the Radical Squad members, have worked very hard to distance themselves from the Defund the Police movement that started back in 2017. In those early days, it was fashionable to call for not only defunding the Police but dismantling the Police forces in America. According to the brilliant minds of Sandy Cortez, Tlaib, and Omar, our Police forces were racist, and their very existence prevented justice. Police forces were evil, targeted anyone of color, and only protected the white elite. They needed to be dismantled along with cash bail and indictments. With the help of large sums of cash from George Soros and now his son, any District Attorney who believed in the rule of law and incarceration was targeted to be replaced by Liberal thinking DAs who did not believe in indictments, incarceration, recidivism, or accountability in any form. The Democrat efforts have taken hold in many Blue cities like New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles, resulting in the demise of big cities in America. People and businesses are leaving these iconic cities in droves, and the city budgets will not replace the tax dollars heading out of town.

Austin, Texas, is not a big city on par with Los Angeles or Detroit, but they are feeling the effects of the Defund movement, and they are feeling the pain. Austin is a Liberal city in a still Red state. The town government got caught up in the Progressive vortex in 2017 and pulled the plug on the Police budget. Beginning in 2018, Austin has lost more officers through retirement or cutbacks than recruited, resulting in 800 fewer officers today than in 2017. Obviously, this shortage of Police in the city has resulted in tremendous gains in crime and a drop in service levels. It is not uncommon for a one-hour wait for a response to a 911 call, and that is if the call is even answered. A shortage of 911 call operators also leaves many businesses and people in Austin feeling vulnerable. As has happened in the bigger cities throughout the country, more traffic is leaving Austin before entering the city.

One of the hidden problems with these Police forces going through restructuring is the loss of experienced officers. A retiring officer has far more knowledge and experience on the job than a recruit. This drop in the quality of the Police force only exacerbates the decline in numbers.

Add this shortage of Police to the bad decisions of city management, and you have a perfect storm for an increase in crime and violence. Chicago has negotiated a program with the gangs in the city to call for a moratorium on gang activity from 9 AM-9 PM daily. I cannot believe I typed that sentence, but it is true. Mayor Brandon Johnson is bargaining with gangs to give the people of Chicago a twelve-hour break from violence and killing daily. And we thought Lori Lightfoot was a whack-job. The people of Chicago have gotten what they deserve by going as far Left with their vote as possible.

Like 2024 is critical for the future of America with our choice of President, these major cities better get their act together, or anarchy will be the rule of law going forward. These big cities were once our prized jewels. Those jewels have been replaced with compost piles, and you can point to your favorite Progressive if you need to pin the blame.