Because the Newark City Council deferred on making a decision on creating a municipal utilities authority, the Star-Ledger reports, "Newark Mayor Cory Booker, facing a mounting budget deficit, announced a series of 'savage' cuts today, including a four-day work week for 1,450 non-uniformed city workers, shuttering the city’s pools and even banning the purchase of toilet paper." He said, "I’m going to shut down as much of city government as I can. We’re going to stop buying everything from toilet paper to printer paper. Call me Mr. Scrooge, if you want, but they’ll be no Christmas decorations around the city." Booker also Tweeted, "#Newark - we r in a budget crisis," and linked to video of his emergency budget conference.
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