Friday, February 21, 2003
It's Patriotic to Bleed Yourself Dry
"Defying the mythology and raising taxes is the ultimate act of political courage in America."
That's what the editor of the Gainesville Sun believes. And as our county comissioners consider raising our millage rate to the legal limit in Florida, as well as creating new sales taxes for gasoline, clothing, and for, all I know, air, I am now confident that they are following in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy and his civil rights platform, Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, and FDR and his public works programs.
Could not one argue that shrinking a government budget and making do with what is available would be the ultimate act of courage. Not according to the Sun - doing so brands you as an "irresponsible political naysayer" who does not understand civic duty. Someone needs to ask the Comission the hard questions, such as why this county faces a 12.5 million shortfall while other counties around us don't seem to have such financial troubles. Could it be because Alachua has discouraged business and industry, so development in these areas (and subsequent increased tax revenues) have been nil for the last decade? If we have to tighten our belts to get through, so should the county.
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