LETTER TO THE EDITOR -- about 2002 COUNTY BUDGET
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR -- about 2002 COUNTY BUDGET |
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Commissioners commended for budget workposted 12/07/01 Dear Editor,
Louise Dustrude
Commissioners need the courage to raise taxesposted 11/13/01 Dear Editor,
They don't want to hurt the little people they say, so they won't raise property taxes. Yikes, what are county employees? Underpaid, overworked little people. Raising my taxes, a mere $17 won't hurt me at all. What's $17 to me, as compared to $600 to $700 for a county employee, 1/3 a carton of cigs, a case of beer, a bottle of wine, 1 ½ gallon of ice cream. Gimme a break. Yegads, do they live on this planet, not to mention these islands? Our employees are already the lowest paid employees in the state, yet this county has the highest cost of living in the state. It is almost impossible to hire and retain quality employees, yet you intend to balance the budget on the back of the employees, and in fact punish them for your lack of intestinal fortitude. This problem would not arise if they had exercised their authority and had the courage to raise property taxes. I own a $240,000 piece of property and my taxes will go up a mere $17.00. A person who owns a million dollar piece of property will have their taxes go up a mere $68. Yet the commissioners intend to make our already overworked and underpaid employees bear the burden of their cowardice and mismanagement to the tune of an average $600 per employee. This is immoral, and foolish. All they are doing is encouraging these people to flee the island, and discouraging any quality replacements . Oh sure, you can find "staffing," plenty of warm bodies, non compus mentus, around to fill a slot and warm a chair. And by the way, a simple lesson in economics my friends. Every dollar cut in the county budget is a dollar cut in the local stores, King's, Ace, Browne's, Marketplace, Herb's, the Donut shop, Vic's, etc. Did any of you ever go to college? Do you recall Econ 101, the multiplier theory of money? If you don't understand economics and the multiplier theory of money, I will be glad to send you email, then again I can refer you to a number of state legislators who understand the concept quite well. For every dollar spent by the government, $7 additional dollars are created in the economy, as these dollars are respent and respent and respent. The multiplier is only 7, because taxes are taken on each dollar spent, and 7 is the average tax rate. May we have commissioners that will show some courage, some common sense, and some economic sense, raise the taxes before they drive down the quality of life on these islands (any further down, than they already have). Lee Markland |
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Sharon Kivisto
and
Matt Pranger
by mail:
San Juan Islander |
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| © 2001 San Juan Islander | |
