Well folks I got the call this evening. I speak of the $12,500 phone survey to determine why the income tax levy went down in flames last November.
1. They asked me at least three times if I would support an income tax increase from 1% to 2% I think three times. My answer was NO!!!!!!!!!!!
Reason they never qualified the question with what they would offer as a tax credit.
2. They tried out the campaign slogan of if I was impressed that the city had not raised its income tax for 30 years. That is frankly a damn stupid question.
3. They asked me if I would support a tax increase if I knew the city debt was $50 Million. I told the lady that was a lie. The general fund is not $50 million in debt.
4. They seemed to be preoccupied with parks and rec. I lost count of the number of questions referring to cuts in the parks and rec. department and only one in safety services.
They asked my why I didn?’t support the income tax last November. My answer was that the city was all over the place and in short they were confused. First they asked for $1.7 Million then it was $3 million. They came up with needs that I don?’t see a need for. This needs list looked more like a Christmas wish list. This was prior to any cuts being made. Now they claim they have cut over $1.9 million from the budget but these cuts were from a budget made up and based on revenues they thought they would receive if the income tax were increased to 2% passed. Basically our city government is lying to us.
One question that floored me and it must have came right out of the Fix play book. Would I support increasing the income tax from 1% to 2% if I knew that it would not raise the taxes on the majority of the tax payers. I told the lady I didn?’t really care about the other tax payers. I would vote based on what it did to MY tax bill.
Folks based on these questions tonight I will say that the next income tax increase or revenue enhancement will not do any better than the last one. A
1. They asked me at least three times if I would support an income tax increase from 1% to 2% I think three times. My answer was NO!!!!!!!!!!!
Reason they never qualified the question with what they would offer as a tax credit.
2. They tried out the campaign slogan of if I was impressed that the city had not raised its income tax for 30 years. That is frankly a damn stupid question.
3. They asked me if I would support a tax increase if I knew the city debt was $50 Million. I told the lady that was a lie. The general fund is not $50 million in debt.
4. They seemed to be preoccupied with parks and rec. I lost count of the number of questions referring to cuts in the parks and rec. department and only one in safety services.
They asked my why I didn?’t support the income tax last November. My answer was that the city was all over the place and in short they were confused. First they asked for $1.7 Million then it was $3 million. They came up with needs that I don?’t see a need for. This needs list looked more like a Christmas wish list. This was prior to any cuts being made. Now they claim they have cut over $1.9 million from the budget but these cuts were from a budget made up and based on revenues they thought they would receive if the income tax were increased to 2% passed. Basically our city government is lying to us.
One question that floored me and it must have came right out of the Fix play book. Would I support increasing the income tax from 1% to 2% if I knew that it would not raise the taxes on the majority of the tax payers. I told the lady I didn?’t really care about the other tax payers. I would vote based on what it did to MY tax bill.
Folks based on these questions tonight I will say that the next income tax increase or revenue enhancement will not do any better than the last one. A
