Steve Rose, Publisher
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Choose your poison
Steve Rose, Publisher
srose@sunpublications.com
This really is the Twilight Zone.
Leading public officials are out selling the August quarter-cent sales tax, primarily for expansion of the jail, offering up all the reasons why. (I will give you those compelling reasons in a minute).
But, first, someone has to tell you the emperor wears no clothes. So, I guess I will do it.
While responsible citizens are quizzing officials about the merits of the jail expansion and pondering how they will vote, they unwittingly are part of a farce. No offense intended.
You see, the jail expansion is already under way. They broke ground last year, and it will be completed this time next year. It was paid for with a small mill levy increase.
That’s right. You can drive out to Gardner and see the cranes and the steel beams, and all the workers constructing a new 500-bed jail. The same 500-bed jail you will be voting on to operate.
What gives?
What gives is that the County Commission, with the strong recommendation of the sheriff, decided they had no choice but to move ahead with the jail, because our inmate population has quadrupled since the last sales tax for a jail passed in 1995.
We are so overflowing with prisoners we are sending them, expensively, to neighboring counties for housing.
So, you ask, how can the County Commission start construction without a vote, and why in the world are we bothering to vote when it is after the fact?
The answer is, the sales tax is really going for the ongoing operations of the jail expansion, not construction, which will run about $20 million a year. If the sales tax fails, then commissioners will have no choice but to increase your property tax, and commissioners know that the property tax is the most hated tax there is, particularly for senior citizens on fixed incomes.
So, really, all that is required in this campaign is a brief and polite ultimatum to voters: Choose your poison. Do you want the quarter-cent sales tax or a property tax increase?
Of course, that would not be very politically correct or politically very smart. Voters who are voting on a tax want to debate it, ponder it, and then decide on it. They don’t want to hear it is already a fait accompli. But it is.
I will go along with this charade and give you the top reasons to vote yes, besides avoiding a property tax increase:
• We are locking up more than a thousand inmates daily, due to increased crime and tougher sentencing. The sheriff desperately needs the space.
• The 1995 tax, which is ongoing, pays for operation of the previous expansion, but not this one. And, like the 1995 sales tax, this tax must run without a sunset, because there is no sunset on the need to house prisoners and run the jail.
• We get other public safety facilities with this proposed tax, including a much-needed crime lab and juvenile detention facilities.
• This is a tax you have been paying anyway. It has been going for schools. Now, it’s the county’s turn. So, it is an extension, rather than an increase.
• A third of the tax goes back to cities for roads, sidewalks, storm drainage, and other needed infrastructure. They need it, because in most cities, tax receipts are down.
There. You now have the arguments to vote yes. But, as I said before, the real choice is which poison you prefer.
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e-mail this story
srose@sunpublications.com
This really is the Twilight Zone.
Leading public officials are out selling the August quarter-cent sales tax, primarily for expansion of the jail, offering up all the reasons why. (I will give you those compelling reasons in a minute).
But, first, someone has to tell you the emperor wears no clothes. So, I guess I will do it.
While responsible citizens are quizzing officials about the merits of the jail expansion and pondering how they will vote, they unwittingly are part of a farce. No offense intended.
You see, the jail expansion is already under way. They broke ground last year, and it will be completed this time next year. It was paid for with a small mill levy increase.
That’s right. You can drive out to Gardner and see the cranes and the steel beams, and all the workers constructing a new 500-bed jail. The same 500-bed jail you will be voting on to operate.
What gives?
What gives is that the County Commission, with the strong recommendation of the sheriff, decided they had no choice but to move ahead with the jail, because our inmate population has quadrupled since the last sales tax for a jail passed in 1995.
We are so overflowing with prisoners we are sending them, expensively, to neighboring counties for housing.
So, you ask, how can the County Commission start construction without a vote, and why in the world are we bothering to vote when it is after the fact?
The answer is, the sales tax is really going for the ongoing operations of the jail expansion, not construction, which will run about $20 million a year. If the sales tax fails, then commissioners will have no choice but to increase your property tax, and commissioners know that the property tax is the most hated tax there is, particularly for senior citizens on fixed incomes.
So, really, all that is required in this campaign is a brief and polite ultimatum to voters: Choose your poison. Do you want the quarter-cent sales tax or a property tax increase?
Of course, that would not be very politically correct or politically very smart. Voters who are voting on a tax want to debate it, ponder it, and then decide on it. They don’t want to hear it is already a fait accompli. But it is.
I will go along with this charade and give you the top reasons to vote yes, besides avoiding a property tax increase:
• We are locking up more than a thousand inmates daily, due to increased crime and tougher sentencing. The sheriff desperately needs the space.
• The 1995 tax, which is ongoing, pays for operation of the previous expansion, but not this one. And, like the 1995 sales tax, this tax must run without a sunset, because there is no sunset on the need to house prisoners and run the jail.
• We get other public safety facilities with this proposed tax, including a much-needed crime lab and juvenile detention facilities.
• This is a tax you have been paying anyway. It has been going for schools. Now, it’s the county’s turn. So, it is an extension, rather than an increase.
• A third of the tax goes back to cities for roads, sidewalks, storm drainage, and other needed infrastructure. They need it, because in most cities, tax receipts are down.
There. You now have the arguments to vote yes. But, as I said before, the real choice is which poison you prefer.
Comments on "Choose your poison"
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.Fiestadude wrote on Jul 10, 2008 10:13 AM:
" Part 3:
They have been planning this for over 3 years, the vote is Aug 5, and the first public meeting was July 8th. Sound right, fair, or just to you?
Again, I believe we need these improvements, but I do not like being robbed of my tax $$$, forever.
The county will continue to come up with new “needed” projects year after year after year with an open checkbook to an account that gets $20MM dropped in it each year. Can you say slush fund?
Define what the $$$ can be spent on, rather than “Operating expenses that relate to Public Safety”. This is too wide open, and will undoubtedly be abused.
Lastly…
How long will it be before we are sitting in another meeting discussing a tax to replace the $20MM they are taking away from the Schools?
No one would or could answer that question for me.
They will miss $20MM, you can bet on that.
Thank you for this forum and get engaged citizens. "
They have been planning this for over 3 years, the vote is Aug 5, and the first public meeting was July 8th. Sound right, fair, or just to you?
Again, I believe we need these improvements, but I do not like being robbed of my tax $$$, forever.
The county will continue to come up with new “needed” projects year after year after year with an open checkbook to an account that gets $20MM dropped in it each year. Can you say slush fund?
Define what the $$$ can be spent on, rather than “Operating expenses that relate to Public Safety”. This is too wide open, and will undoubtedly be abused.
Lastly…
How long will it be before we are sitting in another meeting discussing a tax to replace the $20MM they are taking away from the Schools?
No one would or could answer that question for me.
They will miss $20MM, you can bet on that.
Thank you for this forum and get engaged citizens. "
Fiestadude wrote on Jul 10, 2008 10:12 AM:
" Part 2:
When the county commissioners were asked about how they would pay for this if we do not pass the tax, they answered in the fashion you mentioned in your article; cut County services, & raise property taxes.
I would rather the raise property taxes to do this. Then I can choose to vote out those commissioners and leaders.
This is why citizens need to get involved and change the way our local and federal governments operate.
I work for a company whose Shawnee, KS location brings in $50MM of revenue annually; the entire firm has over 1 Billion in revenue annually.
If my firm attempted to pull of a project like this with no financing and plan for future support, we would have the SEC and many other acronym organizations so far up our behinds that we would be in court for the next 10 years.
For the County; this is how business is done.
How is this any different from the old Mafioso’s strong arming storeowners into paying for protection?
It is not.
End of part 2 "
When the county commissioners were asked about how they would pay for this if we do not pass the tax, they answered in the fashion you mentioned in your article; cut County services, & raise property taxes.
I would rather the raise property taxes to do this. Then I can choose to vote out those commissioners and leaders.
This is why citizens need to get involved and change the way our local and federal governments operate.
I work for a company whose Shawnee, KS location brings in $50MM of revenue annually; the entire firm has over 1 Billion in revenue annually.
If my firm attempted to pull of a project like this with no financing and plan for future support, we would have the SEC and many other acronym organizations so far up our behinds that we would be in court for the next 10 years.
For the County; this is how business is done.
How is this any different from the old Mafioso’s strong arming storeowners into paying for protection?
It is not.
End of part 2 "
Fiestadude wrote on Jul 10, 2008 10:11 AM:
" Mr. Rose,
I was one of the very few taxpayers who attended the meeting in Mission Tuesday evening. I believe there were 8 of us.
I understand your point, but here is my position.
First off; I agree that we need a bigger jail, better crime lab and more resources for the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center.
Secondly, I was disgusted with the methods used to drive the point home in this meeting. It was pure scare tactics. Basically showing a presentation with convoluted facts, numbers that really did not mean anything, and the theme of; “You aren’t soft on crime are you? “You don’t want bad things to happen to your family do you?” etc.
I am fed up with the methods our community leaders use to get this money.
How can you build something that large, with no plan or financing on how you plan to support the ongoing expenses of the new facilities?
This is the equivalent of building a $100MM dollar home; on spec.
Very irresponsible in my opinion.
End of part 1. "
I was one of the very few taxpayers who attended the meeting in Mission Tuesday evening. I believe there were 8 of us.
I understand your point, but here is my position.
First off; I agree that we need a bigger jail, better crime lab and more resources for the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center.
Secondly, I was disgusted with the methods used to drive the point home in this meeting. It was pure scare tactics. Basically showing a presentation with convoluted facts, numbers that really did not mean anything, and the theme of; “You aren’t soft on crime are you? “You don’t want bad things to happen to your family do you?” etc.
I am fed up with the methods our community leaders use to get this money.
How can you build something that large, with no plan or financing on how you plan to support the ongoing expenses of the new facilities?
This is the equivalent of building a $100MM dollar home; on spec.
Very irresponsible in my opinion.
End of part 1. "
Ksknowall wrote on Jul 9, 2008 10:57 AM:
" You have actually listed a couple reasons to NOT vote for this tax.
A third of the tax goes back to cities for whatever they choose - this tax boon to the cities does not have any specific requirements they have to follow.
I prefer the property tax for the reason the older generation will jump up and down about it therefor helping to keep some minor spending accountability in place.
There is no sunset clause - bad idea on any tax especially a sales tax.
It is time for Jo Co to live within it's means and quit the Gucci attitude. "
A third of the tax goes back to cities for whatever they choose - this tax boon to the cities does not have any specific requirements they have to follow.
I prefer the property tax for the reason the older generation will jump up and down about it therefor helping to keep some minor spending accountability in place.
There is no sunset clause - bad idea on any tax especially a sales tax.
It is time for Jo Co to live within it's means and quit the Gucci attitude. "