Today’s Arizona Daily Star sends a clear message to residents of Pima County that the “tax and spend” mentality continues with our governing arm. The 2008-2009 county budget called for expenditures of $1,377,529,268 as adopted by the Board of Supervisors while the 2009-2010 budget called for expenditures of $1,387,871,873.
The Star reports that County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry’s recommended $1.435 billion budget for the next fiscal year also includes higher property-tax rates. But still, the county expects individual property-tax bills to be lower due to declining property values. This new budget, for the year 2010-2011, equates to a modest 3.5% increase and on the surface looks reasonable; but is it?
One only has to consider the language of this statement in order to experience the financial pain that we are in for. Let’s just take a quick look at what I think we are in for over the next few years.
Mr. Huckelberry says that how much higher our property taxes will be depends on the May 18 sales-tax election, also known as Prop 100. If Prop 100 fails to pass then our property taxes will go up substantially higher than if it were to pass. In either event, pass or fail, our property taxes are going up. And for what reason one might ask? Simply to feed the appetite of growing the government folks and where does a huge sum of our tax money go: “to pay for debt service” incurred by our county government. In June of 2009 the Pima County’s total debt equaled $757 million, whereas all county debt statewide was $1.15 billion. This means that Pima County’s debt burden is double that of all other counties combined!
I am not here today to bash Republicans or Democrats, but one gets a little suspicious with how these budgets get approved. Historically the party with the majority wins the battle and over the past several years that has been that Democrats. The article goes on to say the Republicans Ann Day and Ray Carroll are fighting against the rising public debt but their counterparts express support for the additional spending as “wise spending”. Hell folks, in my humble opinion, that what Democrats do; “advocate spending” and favor minimum wages and increase taxes on wealthy. On the other hand Republicans believe that taxes shouldn't be increased for anyone and wages should reflect the free market.
The 2004-2007 housing and financial fiascos brought in huge amounts of revenues to cities, counties, states and federal governments and what did they do with all of that money? They created new departments and new entitlement programs and grew the government at a phenomenal rate. In Arizona the state government doubled in size and budget and city and counties tagged right along. Now that the revenue has dropped substantially their solution is to seek ways to raise revenue, with nary a thought given to real downsizing. I say “real” because they find ways to meet and happy medium of raising taxes and revenues from services such as garbage collection, water and sewer, licensing requirements etc. Its just one big shuffling exercise that allows each department head to maintain his little fiefdom.
Prop 100 is the latest in an attempt to tax us into submission. Under the guise of “depriving our children” of a decent education they are proposing a 1¢ sales tax increase and the Star is one of it’s biggest proponents. This is the same Star that doesn’t understand the difference in being an American or just someone being in the US. Don’t forget the “grain of salt” theory when reading any publication, hearing any news outlet, listening to politicians(especially politicians) or trusting government.
And just as a reminder, do your homework, and I guarantee that you “WILL” vote “NO” on Proposition 100.
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