[TRU Research] Discrepencies between Budget Archives and Open Data

Wed Jun 10 19:46:10 PDT 2020

Yes I filtered the data to start at 2013 because only the spd data exists
from years before that in the spreadsheet. Once we have housing and
services data for all years I can open it up.

I question whether inflation is needed when doing comparison since all
would be affected. But yeah I always appreciate that effort.

Jim

On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 7:19 PM Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org>
wrote:

> Cool!!
>
> Jim, on the bar graph in the first link, is there a reason you started
> with 2013 instead of 2008 or 2010?
>
> I think we should play around with adjusting for inflation, too, perhaps
> using this: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com
>
> I would be interested in seeing that bar graph starting in 2008 and
> adjusting for inflation (to 2020 dollars, I guess).
>
> On Jun 10, 2020, at 7:10 PM, Jim Walseth <jim.walseth at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Ooh I'm liking this
>
> Sample 2
>
>
> https://public.tableau.com/profile/katie.wilson8886#!/vizhome/SPDBudgetsample2/SeattleCumulativeSpending?publish=yes
>
> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 6:55 PM Jim Walseth <jim.walseth at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I made it "tall" so scroll down to see part 2. This seems to be the
>> fashion with web stuff now, rather than tabs, for instance.
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 6:53 PM Jim Walseth <jim.walseth at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> First sample viz
>>>
>>>
>>> https://public.tableau.com/profile/katie.wilson8886#!/vizhome/SPDBudgetsample1/Dashboard1?publish=yes
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 6:52 PM Harry Maher <harryb.maher at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>  Omg Ben. WHAT?
>>>>
>>>> And ok, I've been lazily plugging in numbers while listening to the
>>>> radio and now preparing dinner, hope to be done at some point, but feel
>>>> free to jump in anyone who wants this done more quickly...
>>>>
>>>> And that's great, Jim!!
>>>>
>>>> Some notes:
>>>> - These pdfs are still v. opaque and we may have to wait until we get
>>>> more specific details from the city council. Definitely no line item for
>>>> "military weapons" or other definite cuts...
>>>> - Personnel was 80% of the $398,561,697 budget in 2019 (I can't quickly
>>>> find the % for 2020) and they report 2,172.35 FTE (with an asterisk that
>>>> it's approximated, but...). That puts the average salary at $146,776 if I'm
>>>> not mistaken. That's insane. I get that it's a hard job, but yeesh, also
>>>> supposedly one of public service. Since they are city employees, I bet we'd
>>>> be able to look at individual salaries and look at how overtime pay is
>>>> allocated b/c I know that they get a huge chunk of their pay from overtime.
>>>> I'm sure getting rid of overtime pay will go a very long way towards
>>>> reducing the budget, but have no numbers to back that right now.
>>>> - Slightly in jest, but... maybe we can completely slash the budget for
>>>> East Precinct in addition to overtime cuts and see where that gets us. Keep
>>>> on the facilities/maintenance/custodial staff, see what the Black community
>>>> wants to do with the building, and reallocate those workers to the
>>>> appropriate division(s).
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 6:30 PM Jim Walseth <jim.walseth at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I am throwing this into Tableau Public and will make a few basic
>>>>> samples. I removed the first row which just said "adopted budget numbers"
>>>>> because it was confusing Tableau.
>>>>> Jim
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 3:53 PM Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hey folks,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Since the Open Data site is unreliable, it looks like our best bet
>>>>>> for accurate budget data is the PDFs archived here:
>>>>>> https://www.seattle.gov/city-budget-office/budget-archives
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Here is a mini-project if anyone has time for it. I created a
>>>>>> spreadsheet here
>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uDjqVID4gkBFfatMTM-hUbO-OAzR70Zc1-3GJEFZask/edit?usp=sharing>,
>>>>>> where we can compile data from the *adopted budgets *(not proposed
>>>>>> or endorsed) for SPD, human services, housing, and any other areas of
>>>>>> interest. I think the years 2010-2020 are key, but I’ve started the
>>>>>> spreadsheet in 2008 just to match with the recession, in case that shows us
>>>>>> anything interesting. Filling out this spreadsheet will enable us to make a
>>>>>> graph like the ones we were making from the Open Data site, only correct
>>>>>> this time.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am in touch with some of the folks leading the Defund SPD effort
>>>>>> and they would love our help digging up data and making graphs etc. that
>>>>>> tell a good story to boost the case. So, rest assured our work on this will
>>>>>> be useful and appreciated! For example, I was able to send along this bit
>>>>>> earlier today, which I believe was then passed along to a councilmember via
>>>>>> a council aide to be shared aloud during the council meeting this afternoon:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The SPD budget has *increased by **43% since 2010*, *after* you
>>>>>> account for inflation. (Not accounting for inflation, it’s a 68% increase.)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Here’s the math and sources:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2020 SPD adopted budget: *$409 million* -
>>>>>> https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FinanceDepartment/20adoptedbudget/SPD.pdf
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2010 SPD adopted budget: *$243 million* -
>>>>>> https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FinanceDepartment/10adoptedbudget/PUBLIC_SAFETY.pdf
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2010 SPD adopted budget, injusted for inflation to 2020 dollars:* $286
>>>>>> million* - https://www.usinflationcalculator.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Increase from 2010 to 2020, i.e. 286 to 409, is (409 - 286)/286 x 100
>>>>>> = *43%*
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> - Katie
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jun 9, 2020, at 5:34 PM, Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Budget office director to the rescue, kind of...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From: *"Noble, Ben" <Ben.Noble at seattle.gov>
>>>>>> *Subject: **RE: Discrepencies between Budget Archives and Open Data*
>>>>>> *Date: *June 9, 2020 at 5:31:02 PM PDT
>>>>>> *To: *Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Katie – long and painful story here, but the Open Data site is not
>>>>>> accurate.  I am frankly embarrassed by that reality.  Short-term we may
>>>>>> take down the site, but obviously that is not a positive step in terms of
>>>>>> transparency.  It was something that got set up in a rush a few years back
>>>>>> and has been neglected since (and frankly has not been a priority in the
>>>>>> last few months).  I say that by way of explanation not excuse.  In the
>>>>>> term, the Budget Archives, while clunky, are the right source.  Based on
>>>>>> your flagging of the issue, I have just asked the team whether we can get
>>>>>> something else up in the near-term.  I will keep you posted.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -ben.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org>
>>>>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 9, 2020 4:29 PM
>>>>>> *To:* Noble, Ben <Ben.Noble at seattle.gov>
>>>>>> *Subject:* Discrepencies between Budget Archives and Open Data
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *CAUTION: External Email*
>>>>>> Hi Ben,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sorry to bother you with this, but I emailed the Open Data people
>>>>>> first and they told me to ask the City Budget Office. I’m wondering why
>>>>>> there are significant discrepencies between the Budget Archives
>>>>>> <https://www.seattle.gov/city-budget-office/budget-archives> and the
>>>>>> budget numbers on the Open Data site
>>>>>> <https://openbudget.seattle.gov/#!/year/default>.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To give one timely example, this Open Data page
>>>>>> <https://openbudget.seattle.gov/#!/year/2020/operating/0/department/Police/0/service?vis=barChart> puts
>>>>>> the 2020 SPD budget at ~$357m, whereas the number in the 2020
>>>>>> adopted budget
>>>>>> <https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/FinanceDepartment/20adoptedbudget/SPD.pdf> and
>>>>>> reported in various news articles
>>>>>> <https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/after-days-of-seattle-protests-city-will-withdraw-request-to-remove-police-force-from-federal-oversight/> is
>>>>>> $400m+. I have been digging around and making graphs and there are a lot of
>>>>>> discrepencies like this. I understand that proposed and adopted and actual
>>>>>> budgets are all different, but that doesn’t seem to account for it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Please feel free to direct me elsewhere if there’s someone else I
>>>>>> should be asking about this.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>> Katie
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Katie Wilson
>>>>>> General Secretary
>>>>>> Transit Riders Union
>>>>>> https://transitriders.org
>>>>>> <https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=23520a2f-7de29737-2352229f-86b2e136ff17-644b0fdb8c75a238&q=1&e=c19e905a-6ec5-4436-a6cd-f7acc13cf097&u=https%3A%2F%2Ftransitriders.org%2F>
>>>>>> 206-781-7204
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *The Transit Riders Union is a democratic organization of working and
>>>>>> poor people, including students, seniors, and people with disabilities,
>>>>>> taking control over our own lives, and building up the power we need to
>>>>>> change society for the good of humanity and of the planet. We will fight to
>>>>>> preserve, expand, and improve the public transportation system in Seattle
>>>>>> and beyond, so that every human being has access to safe, affordable, and
>>>>>> reliable public transit.*
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>
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