Large government-writ small
Tip O'Neill (former Speaker of the House, now deceased) once said "All politics are local." Oh, how true!
One of my friends is heavily involved in politics in Prior Lake. In the run-up to the last election he and others organized a citizens group that was deeply concerned that the local politicos seemed to have forgotten that they were elected to govern with and for the people, not rule over them. A city hall with a lunch room costing nearly $500,000- an edifice to the magnificance of the reigning elected was one item that stood out to me. The huge run-up in tax revenues (that the locals blame on anything, everyone else save them). It sounded SO much like what happens in St. Paul and Wash.D.C.
My friend told me that when property values exploded (as they are want to do in Scott County) the then city council and mayor just reduced the mil rate so that even with an increase in property values the tax payer didn't pay any more in taxes as the tax rate was cut. Now, that's MY idea of governing wisely. Does anyone remember the huge state surpluses (aka overtaxed) in the late 90's? And Jason Lewis warned us that the state would create new programs to soak up all that extra money. And it was so.And the citizens would then be doubly taxed as they didn't get their money back and would now have to pay to keep ALL those extra programs up and running as we know that programs are never cut nor ever eliminated. And we then had the recent deficits. We have never, ever had a tax problem locally, state-wide or nationally. We have always had a spending problem. We have never, ever, nor will we ever be undertaxed. Ever. Unless you're a left wing weenie. And then everyone else, especially the "rich", are all certainly undertaxed! And then all tax cuts are too large and never warranted and no tax is ever big enough.
And so it will be with all these increased revenues from higher property values. My Mom lives in Hennepin County. And I calculated that she will pay ANOTHER $1,000 in property taxes. She's a widow, in her late 70's. All of her children have been out of government schools for 35 years. And her city built a new city hall reffered to as "The Taj Mahal".
Plus, her city council also passed a smoking ban...and restaurants have been laying off employess ever since. The local school district once had a parking place where I started to park, but it was reserved for the the "Diversity Coordinator".
And do you think, for a moment, that my Mom's city council, or any other city council, will not take the chance to grab more of their citizens' money? Does Dracula ever pass up an exposed neck?
Large government, writ small.
Oh, and by the way, the Taj Mahal is NOT a palace or a residence. It's a tomb. A mausoleum.
Rather fitting, I'd say.
posted by Amendment X at 11:16 AM permalink
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