Fantasy Island or Cape Coral?
To the Editor
We hear various buzz words “Diversification of Tax Revenue,” which is political speak for more new taxes. We hear impact fees for street lights, road repair, fire services, public service tax, electric franchise fees and communications service.
I don’t know how it can be called diversification when the same residents which now pay the taxes are going to be paying the new taxes as well as the old taxes.
Logic would dictate that we cut back all unnecessary spending during a recession. As much spending as possible should be directed at local businesses. Also, our projects must be done as efficiently as possible.
Apparently logic does not prevail in Cape Coral. Privacy walls being built by the MWH construction manager at risk do not spell efficiency nor does it spell local company. What it does spell is the most expensive way to deliver an unnecessary project with a bloated price tag in the middle of a recession. This project will cost three times what it should cost.
The new tax system will no longer allow us to use the taxes as deductions from our income taxes. This will hurt our residents even more. It will take more than a dollar in gross income to pay for a dollar of the new taxes.
We hear the words “Revenue Neutral.” To me that sounds like political speak for an increase in taxes. Is this something like “It’s for the kids.” All I have to say is that I didn’t fall off a turnip truck and I stopped believing in Santa Claus a very long time ago as did most of our residents.
The buzz words we should be hearing are “slash spending,” “lower taxes,” ” balanced budget” and “more efficient government.” As we head
deeper into the perfect economic storm, we are sinking deeper into an economic quagmire. The council and city staff don’t seem to get it.
It was rather amusing to watch Councilmember Gloria Tate’s retort to my comments at the city council. She said the council did not pass the privacy wall project. What she didn’t say is that Cape Coral submitted this project to the federal government as part of our stimulus request. Ms Tate may not know it but the stimulus money is not for free, it comes from tax revenues that we all pay.
Ms. Tate also stated that we get everything in Cape Coral for free. Can you imagine the influx of people if that was reality rather than fantasy. If you listen carefully you can hear, “Da Plane, Da Plane.”
If Ms. Tate does get everything for free, we must find out how. Just think we can get our sewer, water and irrigation assessments and our taxes all for free, what a gal. It’s nice to paint a rosy picture but eventually someone must pay for the paint, the canvas and the brush, and, yes, we must even pay the piper.
John Sullivan
Cape Coral Minutemen