So Mr. Weiss must have had too much cake at his going away party preceding the Select Board meeting last night, as he couldn't even spit out a spirited counter using his taxpayer funded Bully Pulpit of his previous spot-on pubic statement that the People's Republic has been "living beyond its means."
And if my memory serves he specifically pointed out the raises and step increases granted to the town employees--mainly the Teachers Union. The concessions made to the Town Manager (Police) and now most recently the Regional School Committee are token at best.
And I believe Mr. Weiss was also the attribution/source used by that damn "anti-Override organization" disclosing the over-$1 million surplus last Fiscal Year.
Yes the government has made alot of promises it won't be able to keep. Social Security paid out more than it took in this last year and the future looks much worse. Wait till the state pension fund goes bust. It's paid out more in salaries that it can afford. Put things off into the future and pay back with inflated dollars, then go to the taxpayer and ask for more money. Then they will nickel and dime you to death with an added 1.25% in extra sales tax then add it to bear and wine and liquor, charge more to register and inspect your car, add extra tolls onto the highways and bridges,increase your contributions for health care, increase parking and speeding fines and put a head trauma surchage on it,increase student fees,etc. If the overide doesn't pass it will be interesting to see what creative ways they will think of to squeeze more money out of us.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The old "Necessity is the mother of invention" routine.
ReplyDeleteWhy I get such a kick out of town officials whining about cutting $7 million over the past three years (and some of those cuts are smoke-and-mirrors) but in my view ONLY because the 2007 $2.5 million Override failed; and if it had passed would have generated almost $8 million by now.
Oh I forgot to mention that the kids will be paying tax on their candy and soda in the very near future.
ReplyDeleteCatch the override debate live:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.actvamherst.com/Site/LIV
E_Stream.html
How about a tax to pay your tax. You know a clerk or treasurer fee.
ReplyDeleteHere's some more ideas for our leaders. How about a tax on all concert, movie and sporting event tickets?
ReplyDeleteThey could raise the fees on water and sewer. What about a tax on all medical and dental bills. You can tax all TV and radio antennas for over the air digital signals. What about a license fee for bicycles, baby carriages, skate boards, alpine and nordic skiis. You know taxing during a Recession makes great sense. They will try to squeeze you until you can't breathe.
And then tax you on every breath you take.
ReplyDeleteOh I forgot to mention that the kids will be paying tax on their candy and soda in the very near future.
ReplyDeleteAnd high taxes on cigarettes keep kids from smoking. Taxes to pay for the health costs associated with smoking.
My mother died of lung cancer, and she was a smoker. I speak first hand, I might add.
Considering the health risks of obesity, a tax on fructose makes just as much sense.
Do you guys check your facts before you make this stuff up?
Just wondering...
"The school committees hope to identify a better process for hiring the next superintendent, he said.
ReplyDeleteA serious examination of ourselves and our process is warranted."
I'm not going to fixate. I'm not going to fixate...
(no no I'm not, I promise)
Do you really believe high taxes on cigarettes keeps kids from smoking? Pot is 50 times more expensive and it doesn't prevent them from smoking that. All the education and the War on Drugs has done very little as far as what I can see. Hand out in front of any convenience store when school gets out and watch all the kids hanging out and smoking. I watch it every day. What is needed is parental guidance and regulations that makes it highly illegal to sell of give tobacco to the underage. The taxes only gives more money to out government to waste.
ReplyDeleteBy the way a tax on candy and soda is under consideration. I did not make this up. Your right fructose is bad but a tax on it won't prevent people from using it. The fructose manufactures and the cigarettes company continue to get rich and the government wants to make more money on top of it. If they were really interested in our health they would shut it down. But we all heard the tobacco CEO's claim tobacco is perfectly ok for us and after all we are a free country. Free to profit at the expense of our citizens. Sorry to hear about your mother but I doubt if higher taxes on tobacco would have saved her life.
ReplyDeleteBy the way a tax on candy and soda is under consideration.
ReplyDeleteDo they honestly think that we don't know where New Hampshire is?
By the way speaking of New Hampshire how do they survive without a state sales tax? Are their schools and roads that much worse than MA? Are their college admissions much lower than ours? Where do they make up on that lower revenue, casinos, property taxes, state income tax? Do State liquor stores bring in that much revenue?
ReplyDeleteNH property taxes are through the roof!!
ReplyDeleteYou think our taxes are high!
...speaking of New Hampshire how do they survive without a state sales tax?
ReplyDeleteThey sell cheap booze. No sales tax, so you can buy your booze cheap.
How did you think they paid for schools?
...
Sorry to hear about your mother but I doubt if higher taxes on tobacco would have saved her life.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Today is her birthday.
Not in the fifties, but it is not to late for our kids.
By the way a doctor(MD)got my mother hooked on tobacco. He told her it was healthy. She smoked while she carried me. That was in 1948. She quit smoking in the 60's after a few of her friends died from lung cancer and the danger of smoking was exposed. It is a serious addiction and no tax will prevent someone from smoking. Again parental guidance and education is our only chance. Also stricter laws to keep tobacco out of the hands of our kids.
ReplyDelete