Here we are again, powerless against another proposed taxincrease in the name of failing schools. How many times will we beblackmailed into opening our wallets by "suffer the littlechildren" guilt tactics?
I tuned into the local news Sunday to find a reporter presentingnumbers that the increase would tack another $60 to the annual taxon a $100,000 home. Now that doesn't seem like a lot. You may eventhink that someone lucky enough to live in such a home should beglad to shell out another $60 to keep our children inair-conditioned schools and reading new school books.
It's not that $60 is all that much. But an extra $60 every fewyears can really add up, because as we know, tax increases arenearly never reversed.
City council and school board members throw a hissy fit whenasked to manage the money they already have coming in. But isn'tthat what the rest of us do every day, live on what we make? Whenyou and I run out of money, guess what, that's just tough.
A favorite threat of tax increasers for the children's sake isthat little Jimmy or Suzie may not have schoolbooks this year ifthe increase doesn't pass. The people who fall for that sort ofstuff are the same ones who think local politicians are honestpeople doing the best they can. Give me a break. I'm sure some are,but this city is so deep in favor mongering, it can't seestraight.
City and county budgets are so full of waste that if you and Iever really found out what goes on behind closed doors, maybe morethan a third of us would show up at the polls to change it. But ina city where most people can name more wrestlers than politicians,our predicament should surprise no one.
And besides, if the City Council is the cream of our politicalcrop, then our crop needs a good summer rain -- the kind that keepsDave Brown at work all night.
I have news for you optimists. Things aren't going to changeuntil we change them. As long as we elect those with more campaignfunds than common sense, we get what we ask for and forfeit ourright to complain. As long as we prefer to sit brain-dead in frontof the television and care more about what happens on E.R. than atcity hall, we'll keep being railroaded and taxed out the wazoo.Those who can afford to leave already are, in droves.
Memphis City Schools will not improve until the students andparents improve them. Shelby County Schools will not maintain theirpositive record if the folks who live there bail out to Fayette orDeSoto Counties.
So I have an idea. Let's dig into that budget the way we wouldan overdrawn bank account. Whose expense account is bursting at theseams? Who gets a new company car every year? Whose office has newfurniture? Whose business trip could be handled just as well in aconference call?
I'm talking about the same things you and I would look at in ourown households. I'm convinced the money's there. You just have toknow where to look.
