Commentary By Donna Westfall – June 4, 2022
This past weeks mail contained an 11% increase in our Homeowner’s Insurance. A $135/month increase due to interest rate increase on our duplex; and several hundreds dollars more in property taxes – which I will have to check out since property taxes are not supposed to increase more than 2% per year.
With the highest gas prices ever in my lifetime, add to that increases in food prices and decreases in supply you’d think we were on the verge of a catastrophe.
What is a recession?
A period of temporary economic decline. Whoops! It doesn’t look to me like we can call going through a 2 year pandemic due to COVID plus watching illegitimate President Biden’s actions from day one in office and everyday thereafter as a period of temporary economic decline.
Clearly it’s not a matter of how long this recession will last. As long as Biden is in office I predict our country will continue going down the tubes. The bigger question is when will the depression start?
On top of that, living in California with the highest prices and taxes, fees and regulations, we can congratulate our Crescent City, City Council and Del Norte County Board of Supervisors looking after their own by increasing their wages and benefits and hiring more people with the 1% sales tax monies. Let’s call it what it really is. Unmitigated gall!
When did GOVERNMENT JOBS become the new aristocracy? Have you read the benefits package they get?
Hardly the panacea for creating an environment of “let’s work together to make our town better.”
It looks to me like we have a 2 tiered society.
Them and Us.
Except US pays for THEM.
Ummmm. Now what to do?
One thing to do is to repeal the added taxes foisted on the public through dishonest advertising.
Measure R, – the County’s 1% sales tax was not to be used for salaries and benefits. They lied. They hired more people and increased their budget. And they haven’t got a plan on how to deal with the $54 million liability from unfunded pensions.
The Crescent Fire Protection District Tax is a badly crafted tax with no sunset clause, three part-time captains with six figure incomes. and cost of living built in. No siree bub. Not for the amount of “fires” you go out on.
It’s time the taxpaying public insisted our government work within a budget we can both afford. Watching the Citizens Oversight Committee for the 1% Sales Tax Measure R money was a travesty. Watching Chair Dave Jones, who is running for 5th District Supervisor, only cemented my opinion that he should not be in politics.
Petitions are available around town to sign to get the repeal of just those two taxes on the November 2022 ballot. Four people attended 1st Friday in downtown Crescent City last night collecting signatures. This Sunday, someone will be at Walmart between 9am and 4pm.
More volunteers are needed because there are six other locations petitioners could collect signatures. Just as a reminder, even though you signed months ago to repeal Measure R, you have to re-sign because the language had to be changed from “resolution” to “Ordinance.”
Help make this a better town by keeping our Government small, honest and accountable.
