Update: The Clearwater City Council met Monday morning and canceled plans to remove several flagpoles and American flags from city property.

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Here's probably the most bizarre casualty of shrinking government budgets we've heard so far: The city of Clearwater says it can no longer afford to fly the American flag.

Clearwater Parks and Recreation Director Keith Dunbar ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles from across the city this week.

"When you have a flagpole, you have certain responsibilities. The flag has to be lit at night, if a flag has a rip in it, it has (to be removed)," Dunbar said. "We don't have the staff to monitor these things anymore."

The story has riled up tampabay.com readers this morning; they're calling the move un-American and asking for Dunbar to be fired.

Jupiter Images photo