With the old year gone, let’s hope for a better 2012

Well, here it is, the end of the year.

Goodbye 2011, and in some ways, good riddance.

This was, without a doubt, a tough year to endure. The economy sucked, and there is little indication things will get better.

There is less money to go around for everyone, including for city services.

Case in point, this past Tuesday, the city council voted to force police officers to kick in several thousand dollars each in order to get health insurance.

Part of this decision was mandated by a majority of state Republican lawmakers who placed a cap on how much each city can contribute to health insurance.

But it appears Hamtramck went well above that cap.

Needless to say, there is a foul mood in the police department these days. There is also a labor grievance filed over this, and according to insiders, it looks like the officers have a good case.

We’ll have more on this in the coming weeks.

Property owners also felt the financial pinch this year thanks to a $1.6 million court settlement with residents who filed a lawsuit against the city for past basement floods.

Homeowners received an extra tax bill in December for about $250.

We could go on and on, but suffice it to say, 2011 saw some hard times.

How does 2012 look?

So far, not much better.

Plus, this is a presidential election year, and it looks like this campaign season is going to get nasty.

While we have plenty to wring our hands over, Hamtramck is a survivor. We’ve pointed that out countless times. And we have remained a survivor because we help each other out in times of need.

It’s going to be a prolonged time of need folks. Here’s to hoping the New Year treats us all better.