The Village Mentality Breeds Fiscal Idiots

North Star Writers Group ^ | July 16, 2007 | Matt Carrothers

[GadareneDemoniac]

Boy, that’s the damn truth! I remember when sales taxes were 3%, state income tax rates were exactly what they are now (but incomes were lower), and property taxes have gone through the roof.

[Louis Foxwell]

Half a billion dollars stolen from the county residents who worked for it and given to the county government to lavish on their buddies in the construction industry and real estate industries (whom I strongly suspect, but can't prove) are the ones who finance the pro-tax campaigns every time.

Gee, sounds just like Sarasota (and much of the rest of south) Florida; and, with appointed city and county managers, corrupt officials are not burdened by the electoral process.

[cinives]

I fought one of those across my rural property in PA, along with a few hundred other affected property owners. The county gov’t wanted not just to make a “benefit” for exercise enthusiasts but, as it later came out, to run water and sewer lines into undeveloped areas for developers to make money.

Luckily for us, the old RR bed in dispute had already been legally abandoned the year before, so the county was too late. They thought we’d be dumb enough to not discover this. They didn’t want to pay for the re-taking, the maintenance or the patrolling, so it eventually died.

[from occupied ga]

Boy, that’s the damn truth! I remember when sales taxes were 3%, state income tax rates were exactly what they are now (but incomes were lower), and property taxes have gone through the roof.

Someone has to pay for the Mexicans' ninos (Question - who is the largest employer in Gwinnett county - answer Gwinnett county schools). They sure as hell aren't going to.

[goldstategop]

This is a very liberal area. Des Moines voted NO to a tax increase. Will the message sink in with Congressional Democrats? I don't think they pay attention to Iowa.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[from occupied ga]

corrupt officials

A universal constant wherever you have government, you have corruption. It's just so much easier to spend money you've seized than money you've earned.

[GadareneDemoniac]

I’d be willing to bet that the schools are the biggest employer in at least 150 of the 159 counties of Georgia.

“I either want less corruption in government, or the opportunity to participate fully in it....”

[from occupied ga]

I’d be willing to bet that the schools are the biggest employer in at least 150 of the 159 counties of Georgia.

Could be true - I only know for sure about gwinnett

[Kellis91789]

Exactly.

When people say that government should be run more like a business, they mean government should focus on efficiency, reducing headcount, eliminating unnecessary functions, and cutting costs wherever possible.

Instead, the message government bureaucrats hear is that they should strive to grow as large as possible and increase their “customer” base.

I think the only way to solve this problem is to appeal to their greed. Make their bonuses and raises based on how much they cut costs compared to the previous year. If they can cut costs — including headcount costs — by 10% compared to the previous year, then they get a 10% raise. If costs INCREASE 10% compared to the previous year, they get a 10% pay CUT.