Allen County taxpayers screwed again
Posted by Mike Sylvester - 5/21/09 @ 4:45 pm - Filed Under Featured, Local Politics, State Politics
You should take the time to read this story in the News Sentinel. The article is entitled “Food tax funds go to improvements.” It should have been called “taxpayers screwed again.”
As readers of this blog know the local Allen County Food and Beverage tax was passed only when it was amended such that it was a temporary tax. This temporary tax was supposed to expire…
Those of us who watch government know that there is no such thing as a temporary tax.
The state Legislature, with broad support from local Democrats and Republicans in the Indiana Legislature passed a bill at the state level that will make our local tax permenant. They have 100% discounted the will of the people when the tax was passed and they have changed what the tax will be used for; all without consulting the taxpayers.
I will never vote for any of the politicians who voted in favor of this bill.
There are some particularly funny passages in this article:
“State legislators, economic-development specialists, and lobbyists gathered Tuesday at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce to praise one another’s bi-partisan cooperation in getting the bill passed.”
Please notice that neither tax payers nor voters nor business owners gathereed to celebrate…
“This really shows what we can do when we work together,” said state Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne.”
So let me get this straight Tom, you are proud of the fact that Democrat and Republican politicians joined together to over-ride the will of the voters and taxpayers of Allen County?
I could go on and on about this.
What do you think?
Mike Sylvester
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9 Responses to “Allen County taxpayers screwed again”
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What do I think?
Why, Mike, I think you’re soooo lucky to be a self-governing
subjectcitizen of the free-est country in the whole wide world. I think it’s too wonderful for words that we have a Two-Party System™. Why, you can freely choose whether to be sodomized by Republicans, or Democrats, or any combination of the two!I think you should vote every single time you get the opportunity. Because voting changes things. And don’t tell me that things never change! Just look at Allen County and the Fort. We’ve seen turds change to diarrhea!
Hey, gotta go. Catch you all at the PotHeads game!
Mike:
The only way these biils get passed is due to the incessant REWORDING of previously DEFEATED bills…until the voters either get tired of voting it DOWN…or become so damn confused they vote incorrectly.
Either way, most of the POLITICIANS currently holding offices see YOU, the PEOPLE, as an annoyance (at best) and their presumptive, self-effacing ARROGANT treatment of those paying their salaries is proof.
BTW…Have a Good Memorial Day…(you’re gonna need it).
I remember several years ago Rep. Pond so upset that the food and beverage tax was renewed to pay for the Coliseum. Now we see the stadium is about to be razed before it is paid for and the tax will continue on to pay for other stuff. WTH do these reps think about?? They can’t pass a budget, but they can continue to tax restaurant visits. The madness MUST STOP!!!!
Steve G. - While I agree with your premise, Memorial Stadium was completely paid for in July of 2008 (the Coliseum still owes on the bonds used for the building of the Expo portion of the facility). WHEN THESE BONDS ARE PAID OFF, the promise was that the County Food and Beverage Tax was to be discontinued (as per agreement with the Hall family who opposed the tax in a legal challenge). Just like the $.25 parking back in the 1950’s at the Coliseum - when the Allen County School Fund was paid back the loan which was used to pay for the paving the parking lot- was to be discontinued. HAH - Never believe anything that any government figure promises- they almost always lie to the taxpayers - nothing new under the sun - except that with more recent politicians, it happens more brazenly.
John -
If I remember the chain of events correctly…the parties in the 1994(?) lawsuit challenging the use of Food and Beverage Tax for the construction of Memorial Stadium were awarded agreement that Food and Beverage Tax receipts would be used from that point forward for no purpose other than retirement of bonds on the original expo center expansion and/or debt incurred for the construction of Memorial Stadium. Subsequently, when inquiries were made regarding use of Food and Beverage Tax for the roof raising project in the late 90’s, the parties to the original lawsuit were informed that the original Food and Beverage Tax law had been replaced by something called the “Supplemental Food and Beverage Tax”, which was not subject to the restrictions mandated by the 1994(?) lawsuit.
Ben - That makes this whole thing even more brazen! Just why do we even bother to elect these people? It appears we would do just as well( if not even better) if we allowed a team of chimpanzies to throw darts at a Weejee Board!
I work for a fast food rest. and was researching why people from Ohio and Michigan are always asking us about why our taxes are so high. This happens on a daily basis and I do tell them it’s because of the Memorial Coliseum and that they did raise the roof recently so i was partially correct. I think as a patron and citizen of IN and Fort Wayne we know the tax is there and we just deal with it. I believe the money has to come from somewhere and it’s not questioned often enough to change it, and i do feel that with all that money they could probably fix up the Coliseum more and keep it clean. I feel that if people want to eat out then so be it that they have to pay more taxes, it doesnt seem to stop them, so they might as well keep it in place and deal with too.
The coliseum should have just raised entrance fees to pay for any improvements. This way those who use the coliseum pay for it. When it is done, the board governing the coliseum could lower prices.
What we have is a convoluted artificial pricing structure that is killing our economy. No different than the tentacles of AIG into numerous companies.
[...] his choices by eliminating Randy Borror as an option. And the persuasive evidence I will present is Mike’s own words regarding the legislation that made the “temporary” food and beverage tax permanent: [...]