Government needs to learn to live with less
To the editor:
The following letter was sent to the Cape Coral Newsletter, “On The Move”, in response to two of the articles which appeared therein. Copies were also sent to Mayor and Council:
After reading on page 1, of the subject publication, that current customers will be hit with another rate increase on their water/sewer bills to pay for the city’s debt incurred in the UEP fiasco, I come to the double whammy on page 3 to find the City Manager’s annual plea for the public service tax and various other sources of tax revenue to offset the revenue decrease from declining property values. He mentions that revenues could decline to 2004 levels. What’s wrong with that?!! That’s about where we are – back in 2004 relative to the economic situation in the Cape. A good manager must be able to manage in both good and bad times. Mr. Stewart appears to have mastered only the first part. Industry cuts back in downturns (before the bailout philosophy), why can’t government? We had no problem growing government and spending like fools in the good times. Now it’s time to trim staff and cut costs. Laying off people is not pleasant, but we’re not running a giant welfare program at taxpayer expense. And don’t say our government is already lean and mean. Just the other day, I looked across the canal to see four people assigned to dig a hole in the street… one with a shovel and three with their hands in their pockets.
While I’m absolutely opposed to these proposed “diversified” taxes (which are not tax-deductible), even though stated to be revenue neutral, I don’t see why the millage rate should increase either. Learn to live with less; the residents are. Increased taxes in an economic downturn just makes things worse. People are struggling to make ends meet. Do you want even more foreclosures?
By the way, the “revenue neutral” approach fails to mention one small, but important detail: Where’s the baseline?
As to the increase in our water/sewer bills to pay for something not needed by existing customers, please find a way for property owners who will eventually need it to pay for it as well. And weren’t the last series of rate hikes to pay for capital projects? In summary, I’m totally fed up with the inability of our city government to cope with challenging situations.
Bill Vossman
Cape Coral