Commentary by Samuel Strait – October 26, 2022

I suppose if one intended to follow the lead of the Local Republican
Central Committee, one might as well join the Democratic Party, of “Big
Government” and the higher taxes to pay for it.  There does not appear
to be much to distinguish them, the Republicans, from Democrats on the
issue of repealing the sales tax increase from 2020.  One has to wonder,
just who is being served here, the government or its citizens? 
Ordinarily, Republicans would be full on against any attempt to raise
taxes of any kind, in an effort to measure up to the theory that
Republicans stand for less government and lower taxes.  Such is not the
case here in Del Norte County, where the local Republicans have come out
in favor of the higher sales tax to continue a massively growing
County government.

Seems that nearly everything, that both the City and County do when it
comes to spending the sales tax money can be justified as law
enforcement, fire protection, or emergency services.  With this
explosion in government spending, there is no way that the City and
County’s excesses of spending will be confined to ” just the sales tax
increased funding” and will shortly show up in spending at a prodigious
rate throughout both governments.  Sure this is great, when you are a
registered Democrat and you need the hand holding offered by government,
but Republicans are supposed to be immune to that kind of government
pandering.  Republicans are supposed to be able to stand on their own
feet without the “crutch” of local government at every turn.  Such a
shame that Republicans in the local Central Committee can no longer be
trusted to hold on to their values and retreat ignominiously  into the
fold of local Democrats.  Just who is being served, one might ask them,
government or the people?

It is small wonder that independents, who may have been Republicans, or
former Democrats, are fed up with the duplicitous nature of both party’s
who no longer completely represent them on too many issues.   In case
the Republicans and the Democrats missed it, inflation is the biggest
issue in the up coming November election.  Unless local government can
force themselves to restrain their spending these issues of tax
reduction will become a feature of every election going forward and
those elected officials will be asked “where they stand on making
government less expensive”.  Inflation is not going away any time soon
and a growing government as we have here locally will soon become VERY
unpopular.  It would behoove local government and their supporters of
growth in both the City and County work force to dial it back and
remember who you are meant to benefit.  Addressing the local homeless
problem on the backs of local sales tax payers is NOT a justifiable
expense to the local population.  This is irrational!

Once again we are being faced with run away governance, at not only the
local level, but state and federal levels as well. Inflation is
tantamount to failure by government to control spending to perform its
services at all levels and is a well recognized economic feature that
devastates the local population. Continued efforts by local government
to claim hysterically that services will be impaired by the loss of the
sales tax revenue is malfeasance of the highest order.  If the County
and City fail to recognize that more government will not solve problems
that failure of government for decades has created, they do not deserve
to be a functional government. Saying more government is a way to solve
problems is like saying a cancer patient will successfully recover if
only he or she is given more cancer.

The County’s issues are too deeply ingrained in the way things have been
for many decades to be arrested by throwing insufficient resources at
local problems that were identified years ago. County and City
governments must halt their visions of expansion and become leaner and
meaner until the time comes where local growth catches up with
government growth.   A poor population does not have the resources to
pay for a growing government.  Only a small portion of the residents in
Del Norte County have the resources necessary to support the current
direction going forward.  Too many citizens do not, and struggle to
support their life styles.  Even if it means that long standing issues
are not addressed immediately, it is unconscionable for either the City
or the County to claim ANY substantial inability to provide “essential
services” should the sales tax increase be repealed. Reduce taxes by
voting YES on Measures T and U in November. That’s Yes on T and U on
November 8th.