formrdispatcher, Your new here aren’t you? Who actually makes money? 1- The out of town food vendors who line the streets selling their wares. 2- The towing companies, towing and storing illegally parked autos. 3- The people charging unreal prices to park in their parking lots so you still have to walk a mile to parade route. 4- the police, lawyers and courts that handle the people arrested for real serious crimes like jumping barricades, or public intoxication, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yes for all those listed it is a cash cow.

Who pays all the clean up crews? Who pays for all the barricades and the manpower to set them up? Who pays all the police overtime? Nice attempt to divert from the fact that mardi-gras is a huge waste of time and tax-payers$$$$!!

Nobody gives me a car to drive back and forth to work, so why should i pay for them to drive all over town when not on duty?  If they worked another job they would have to provide there on transportaion.  Mobile you need to listen too this!! Because all city employees do not live in the City, because i live in the county and i see plenty of Mobile police cars…

MeAmerican:

Mardi Gras is what brings money into Mobile. The city does not pay for the organizations to parade.  We pay for it.  We pay for throws, drivers, insurance on trucks and floats, we pay the City to allow us to parade, etc. Mardi Gras is Mobile’s bread and butter.

I do not agree with this. I used to work there and I know what we got paid.  These guys should be allowed to drive their patrol cars home.  There was not one day in Prichard that went by where they did not get a call on their way home and have to turn around and come all the way back to town to help.  Prichard is short handed and this is the exact reason why they will remain that way.  Nobody wants to work for an employer that does not take care of its employees.  Everyone wants to fuss about it, but when you are being robbed or shot at, they are the first ones to call wanting to know where the police are.

I agree that police officers should not use the official vehicles for personal use.

No government provided vehicle should be used for personal use. I have seen many of times officers taking there children to school in work cars and not in uniform. Now if its on there way to work maybe but just for personal use NO WAY…Most school bus drivers aren’t allowed to take them home, unless they have an extra mid day route to do.  Then some of those still park at bus sites around Mobile.

Fore go Mardi Gras and give each family in Mobile a voucher for school, food,or rent. How you like that for stimulus?

Well whatever! I for on refuse to take part in this “Economic downturn”. In fact I intend to go in the other direction. I refuse to be pulled in by what a bunch of politicians have conjured up to instill fear in us “WE The People”. The economy is NOT in control of my life. GOD is! And I firmly believe HE would not be happy if I were to to succumb to this rhetoric. So, all of you who prefer to become victims don’t look to me to bail you out just because I choose by the grace of GOD to be a victor!
What happened to all that annexation $$$?

MPD should do this too. Either that, or let them only use it for official business. No more going to wal-mart or joyriding on the taxpayers dime.